Automation Parts

NI Digital Video Analyser Tests Multimedia Devices National Instruments has introduced NI Videomaster 3.0, a PXI-Express-based digital video analyser for validation and production testing of multimedia devices. Videomaster simplifies the testing of multimedia devices by using configurable measurement steps within NI TestStand test-management software to automate a full suite of video measurements. By taking advantage of the efficient, configurable performance of Videomaster 3.0, multimedia test engineers can significantly reduce development costs and decrease overall test time. The PXI Express digital video analyser makes it possible for engineers to test multimedia devices with High-Definition Multimedia Interfaces (HDMIs). The solution supports the analysis of HDMI signals with Full HD resolution up to 1080p/60Hz, High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) and deep colour with up to 12-bit colour depth. The Videomaster digital video analyser solution also includes more th...

NI Toolkit Helps Expand Test-System Documentation National Instruments has announced the NI Teststand ATML Toolkit to help engineers expand test-system component interoperability and increase test-system documentation. The Automatic Test Markup Language (ATML) is an IEEE standard, consisting of XML document formats that describe different aspects of a test system. The toolkit adds support for the ATML Testdescription standard and improves support for the ATML Testresults standard in NI Teststand. It can be downloaded from the National Instruments Services Resource Center and is available for free to customers who have the current Standard Service Program. With the toolkit, developers can reduce development and maintenance time by automating tasks such as generating code templates based on ATML Testdescription documents, applying changes in ATML Testdescription documents to existing test sequences and increasing the amount of useful information included in reports. The toolkit can...

NI Flexrio Now Includes Multiple Adapter Modules National Instruments (NI) has announced the expansion of its Flexrio product line with multiple adapter modules. These provide engineers with application-specific input/output (I/O) for radio-frequency (RF), digital, time-domain and vision inspection systems. The NI Flexrio family is a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) solution that provides engineers with the flexibility of NI Labview field-programmable gate array (FPGA) technology combined with high-speed, instrument-class, reconfigurable and user-defined I/O on the PXI platform. All NI Flexrio solutions require two distinct hardware pieces: an I/O-specific adapter module and a PXI-based NI Flexrio FPGA module, which features a Xilinx Virtex-5 FPGA. With a variety of NI Flexrio adapter modules, engineers can directly interface FPGAs to new types of I/O for measurements across automated test applications that require real-time performance. The software-defined, reconfigurable I/O capa...

NI Announces PXI Express-Based Test Instruments National Instruments has introduced two 32-channel PXI Express-based digital instruments and an eight-slot high-bandwidth PXI Express 3U chassis for advanced automated test applications. The NI PXIe-6544/45 selectable-voltage digital waveform generator/analysers optimise test applications by supporting clock rates of up to 100 and 200MHz, respectively. The NI PXIe-6545 provides typical streaming rates of 660MB/s. The digital instruments are designed to enable test engineers to conduct sophisticated analysis of high-speed semiconductor devices and high-definition (HD) multimedia components that require rapid transfers of large amounts of data to and from host memory. The NI PXIe-1082 chassis, a 3U eight-slot PXI Express chassis with seven PXI Express peripheral slots, complements the generator/analysers with up to 1GB/s per-slot bandwidth and up to 4GB/s of total system bandwidth. Because of the advanced operation of the NI PXIe-6544/4...

NI Offers Reduced-Price Retraining Programmes National Instruments (NI) UK and Ireland has announced a programme to support engineers who have recently been made redundant by reducing the cost of NI Labview training and certification. For GBP395, engineers can take two training courses and a certification exam. For example, they could take Labview Basics I and II and the Certified Labview Associate Developer (CLAD) certification exam, which, with the current reduction, would be a saving of more than GBP1,800. Individual scheduled training courses at Newbury can be taken for GBP195. The NI retraining programme for redundant engineers provides reduced-priced Labview certification that will increase engineers' software development skills and help to boost their career potential with an additional professional qualification. Successful certification will see engineers join a growing band of more than 3,000 certified professionals worldwide. Achieving certification through exams h...

NI Enhances Test Management Software National Instruments has introduced NI Teststand 4.2, the latest version of its test management software for developing test and validation systems. This version is designed to reduce test development time and costs through enhanced integration with test modules written in almost any programming language. NI Teststand 4.2 features improved integration with programming environments such as NI Labview and Labwindows/CVI software, as well as Microsoft .Net and scripting languages such as Perl, Python and TCL. The software reduces test system development time by serving as a commercial test executive that helps engineers reuse the software investments they have already made with various programming languages. By providing integration with scripting and .Net languages, NI Teststand 4.2 makes it possible for engineers to take advantage of their software investments and create an efficient, commercial off-the-shelf solution for their system requirement...