NI Hardware Selection Services

PXI | cRIO | cDAQ | Modules | Sensors

Over 2,000 custom LabVIEW-based automated test systems delivered

Confused about the vast catalog of NI hardware options?

Want confirmation that you’re on the right path?

How we can help

Selecting NI hardware can be daunting. We’ll work with you to:

Understand your needs,
Review what you’ve selected so far (if anything), and
Help you choose a cost-effective configuration for your test system.

How it works

Typical scenarios along the path to selecting NI hardware:

Stage 1

You have no idea where to start.

Stage 2

You have a decent set of measurement and/or control requirements, but don’t know which hardware will satisfy these requirements.

Stage 3

You have a Bill of Materials (BOM) and want confirmation that the components will meet your needs.

We can step in to help anywhere along the path.

Once that hardware list (i.e., the BOM), is complete, you can purchase the components through us at the same catalog price offered by NI. Components from other vendors will have a small markup for ordering and handling.

Benefits of having Viewpoint help

Reduce the risk of getting too much or too little hardware – We will select the minimum hardware needed to meet your needs, no more, no less. We will not upsell for our benefit.
Hardware-software compatibility – It’s not just the hardware that matters. For example, as Microsoft updates the Windows OS to a new version, LabVIEW may also need to be updated to a new version. And, sometimes, that upgrade will drop support for older hardware.

Capabilities & Expertise

NI platform selection

PXI
Compact RIO
Compact DAQ
USB / Ethernet DAQ

NI software selection

LabVIEW (Windows, RT, FPGA)
TestStand
VeriStand
FlexLogger
InstrumentStudio

NI module selection

PXI Analog & Digital I/O
cSeries Analog & Digital I/O
PXI R Series & FlexRIO

Supporting hardware selection

Power supplies
Specialized sensors
High-voltage signal conditioning

Sensor selection (common, but not exhaustive, measurement types)

Temperature – Thermocouple, RTD, infrared, thermistor
Pressure – Capacitance, piezoelectric, piezoresistive
Vibration – Accelerometer, prox, strain gauge
Current – Current transformer/probe
Voltage – Voltage transformer/probe
Load – Load cells, piezoelectric, strain gauge
Force – Strain gauge, accelerometer
Flow – Volume flow, mass flow
Light – Photodiode, photomultiplier, CCD, bolometer
Acoustics – Ultrasonic, hydrophone, piezoelectric
Location/orientation – GPS, accelerometer
Distance, proximity – Laser, electro-optical sensor, camera, hall effect, infrared, capacitance
Vision – Optical, infrared (see Light)
Humidity/moisture – Capacitive, resistive
RF Emissions – RF receiver
Magnetic Field – Hall effect

Want some help?

Yes, I’d like help selecting my NI Hardware »

FAQ

How long have you been designing and building test, measurement, and control systems?

Since 1993

How many systems have you delivered?

Over 2000.

Are you familiar with vendors other than NI?

Yes. Examples of some other primary vendors are: Keysight, Textronix, Keithley, Kepco, Acopian, Pickering, Digi-Key, Mouser. We also choose products from some specialized vendors that supply systems used for product and material testing, such as MTS Systems and Applied Test Systems.

Do you charge for this consultation?

No, we simply ask that you purchase the equipment through us.

Why would you do this? What’s in it for you?

As the complexity and breadth of NI’s offerings have grown, we decided to offer a service for those engineers that want to build the system themselves. In those situations, we could have people buy the hardware through us, allowing us to make some additional revenue while expanding our customer base.

Plus, normally, we have a chance to introduce ourselves to you only if you were considering our system integration services. We like meeting and helping new clients. And helping you select test hardware would give us a chance to build on these new relationships. You might even want to engage with us on a system integration project in the future, where we’d take on all or part of the design and build effort.

Basically, we believe this will lead to opportunities to help new clients (and give us a little revenue boost along the way).

When doesn’t it make sense for you to help me?

After designing and building test systems for decades, we’ve seen a lot, but we’re not experts in every type of measurement. For example, we don’t have much experience with RADAR and RF testing, exotic equipment like femtosecond pulsed lasers, or PLCs.

If we feel like what you need is outside our expertise, we’ll tell you and then figure out if there is some other company or person that we know of who can help you.

We aim to please, whether you work with us or not.