NI Introduces Wi-Fi and Ethernet DA Devices

AUSTIN, TX /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- National Instruments announced 10 new Wi-Fi and Ethernet data acquisition (DA) devices, extending the world-trusted NI measurement hardware and software platform to wireless remote monitoring applications. The new wireless and Ethernet DA devices include built-in signal conditioning and direct sensor connectivity for electrical, physical, mechanical, and acoustic signals.

Engineers and scientists can combine NI Wi-Fi DA with the NI LabVIEW software platform to meet their wireless structural diagnostic, environmental, and machine-condition monitoring application needs by reducing cabling costs and increasing flexibility without compromising performance.

"National Instruments data acquisition software for LabVIEW, ANSI C/C++, and Visual Basic .NET is used to acquire data from millions of sensors all over the world," said John Hanks, Vice President of Data Acquisition and Control at National Instruments. "Now with NI Wi-Fi DA hardware, developers can add wireless sensor capabilities to new and existing measurement applications without having to learn new software."

Using the IEEE 802.11 standard for wireless networks, the new NI Wi-Fi DA devices stream data on each channel at more than 50 Ksps, with 24-bit resolution. Wi-Fi DA devices deliver measurement data to a host PC instantaneously for real-time viewing and in-line analysis of dynamic sensor signals. In addition, built-in advanced network authentication methods and 128-bit AES encryption offer the highest commercially available network security and meet the standards defined for use of wireless networks in U.S. government facilities by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Wireless technology extends NI data acquisition hardware and software technology to new distributed and portable measurement applications, where wiring is difficult or cost-prohibitive. The flexibility of LabVIEW graphical programming and the ubiquity of Wi-Fi network infrastructure make it easy to incorporate wireless sensor measurements into new or existing PC-based measurement or control systems. For more information on the devices, see the chart below.

ModuleSignalChannelsRateConnectivity
WLS-9211
ENET-9211
Thermocouple, 24-bit414 spsScrew terminal
WLS-9215
ENET-9215
Simultaneous sampling,
16-bit
4100 Ksps/chScrew terminal or BNC
WLS-9219
ENET-9219
Universal (11 modes)4100 sps/chSpring terminal
WLS-9234
ENET-9234
IEPE (accelerometer and microphone), 24-bit451.2 Ksps/chBNC
WLS-9237
ENET-9237
Bridge completion, 24-bit450 Ksps/chRJ50

The Wi-Fi and Ethernet DA devices are shipped with NI-DAQmx driver software and NI LabVIEW SignalExpress LE, an interactive data-logging software for quickly acquiring, analyzing, and presenting data with no programming required. The NI-DAQmx driver delivers time-saving features, such as the configuration-based NI DAQ Assistant, with code generation for both LabVIEW and text-based languages; more than 3000 measurement examples; device simulation; connection diagrams; and compatibility with LabVIEW, ANSI C/C++, C++, Visual Basic .NET, and Visual Basic 6.0.

Readers can click here to see a demonstration on how to set up the new NI Wi-Fi DA devices easily using LabVIEW.

About NI
National Instruments is transforming the way engineers and scientists design, prototype, and deploy systems for measurement, automation, and embedded applications. NI empowers customers with off-the-shelf software, such as NI LabVIEW and modular cost-effective hardware, and sells to a broad base of more than 25,000 different companies worldwide, with no one customer representing more than 3% of revenue and no one industry representing more than 10% of revenue. Headquartered in Austin, TX, NI has more than 4800 employees and direct operations in nearly 40 countries. For the past nine years, Fortune magazine has named NI one of the 100 best companies to work for in America. Readers can obtain investment information from the company's investor relations department by calling 512-683-5090, emailing [email protected] or visiting the company's Web site.

Pricing and Contact Information
Wi-Fi devices are priced from $699; euro 629; 81,000 yen. Ethernet devices are priced from $599; euro 549; 70,000 yen. All prices are subject to change without notice.

For additional information, contact National Instruments at 11500 N Mopac Expwy, Austin, TX 78759-3504; 800-258-7022, fax 512-683-9300, [email protected].

LabVIEW, National Instruments, NI, ni.com, NIWeek, and SignalExpress are trademarks of National Instruments. Other product and company names listed are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies.