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PC-Based Measurement and Control Systems
PC-based measurement and control systems provide electrical and physical measurement capabilities for engineers who need a customizable and accurate, yet cost-effective way of conducting benchtop measurements.
What Are PC-Based Measurement and Control Systems?
In a PC-based measurement and control system, NI hardware products are connected to your PC or laptop through USB or Ethernet. This kind of system has two main architectures: directly connect a multifunction I/O device to your PC or connect a CompactDAQ Chassis to your PC, and populate this chassis with conditioned I/O modules. CompactDAQ provides the most customizable solution with direct sensor connectivity.
PC-BASED MEASUREMENT AND CONTROL SYSTEM COMPONENTS
Explore the NI products you can use to create a new system or use our online advisor to configure a custom CompactDAQ system.

Starting from $218.00
Provide combinations of analog I/O, digital I/O, and counter/timer functionality in a single device for computer-based systems.

Starting from $479.00
Controls the timing, synchronization, and data transfer between C Series I/O modules and an external host.

Starting from $178.00
Connect to many sensors and buses and support measurements such as temperature, voltage, resistance, audio frequency, and more.

Starting from $528.00
Meets engineers’ needs from interactive exploration to custom engineering design with a portfolio of highly interoperable software products.
ENTRY-LEVEL, PLUG-AND-PLAY USB DAQ
Make Key Decisions and
Discoveries Based on Accurate Measurements
Explore the NI products you can use to create a new system or use our online advisor to configure a custom CompactDAQ system.

Key Features of PC-Based Measurement and Control Systems

Quickly Capture and Explore, and Then
Customize Your Measurement System
Save time with quick, clear access to your measurements using DAQExpress™ companion software that is shipped with all PC-based DAQ hardware. With DAQExpress, you can quickly configure your measurement across multiple channels and instantly view, explore, and save data. Build on your measurement system with LabVIEW to automate your measurements, perform advanced analysis, and integrate third-party instruments.

Accurate Precisely Timed
Data You Can Trust
The superior analog design quality of NI measurement products and proprietary technology, such as the STC3 timing chip, delivers the accuracy you need to trust your data. CompactDAQ provides a modular, signal-conditioned architecture that gives you direct sensor connectivity, no matter your application requirements. Some CompactDAQ Chassis also support Time Sensitive Networking (TSN), an update to the Ethernet standard that provides synchronization and data transfer between multiple chassis, so there’s no need for separate timing and triggering wires.

Learn About TSN


Advanced Driver Functionality for Greater Productivity and Performance
NI-DAQmx driver software goes far beyond a basic DAQ driver to deliver increased productivity and performance in DAQ and control application development. NI-DAQmx allows you to specify every aspect of your DAQ system (including NI signal conditioning devices), from device configuration and timing setup to low-level OS and device control, all with one straightforward API. The NI-DAQmx driver is compatible with all NI DAQ hardware, so the same code can reference different devices with no code changes. NI-DAQmx works with LabVIEW, DAQExpress, LabWindows™/CVI, C/C++, Visual Basic, Visual Basic .NET, and C#.

World-Class Support and Full Documentation
Ensure you have specified and installed your system to meet your application’s precise requirements with NI's detailed and complete product documentation. Then minimize troubleshooting time with help from a vibrant and growing community on the NI forums, direct communication with local NI engineers, and online and instructor-led training. Finally, keep measurements accurate with NIST-traceable calibration and factory calibration services.
Learn More About NI Support and Services

FEATURED CONTENT

Getting Started With DAQExpress
Learn about the core functionality of DAQExpress companion software, including acquiring data, triggering, and analysis, in this video series.

Small Business, Grand Challenges
Elvesys, a French startup, is developing a product to detect pathogens such as Ebola in airports faster than ever before.

Sensor Fundamentals
Temperature, vibration, strain, load, and sound all have specific sensors with specific needs.
COMPLEMENTARY PRODUCTS FOR PC-BASED MEASUREMENT AND CONTROL SYSTEMS

DAQExpress is interactive application software for quickly acquiring, analyzing, and presenting data that is shipped as companion software with all DAQ devices.

FieldDAQ features rugged devices that are dust- and water-resistant and TSN-enabled for simplified distribution.

FlexLogger is application software for quick sensor configuration and data logging of mixed signals to verify electromechanical systems, all without programming.

Vehicle Communication Buses provide native support for controller area network (CAN), local interconnect network (LIN), and FlexRay frames and signals.

LabVIEW is systems engineering software for applications that require test, measurement, and control with rapid access to hardware and data insights.
CompactDAQ Build Guide
Explore component parts as well as practical considerations such as power,
mounting, enclosures, and grounding for CompactDAQ systems.
Engineer's Guide to Digitization
of Analog Signals
Learn how to connect sensors to instrumentation, implement proper signal conditioning, and reduce potential sources of error in your system.
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