Pushing the Limits of USB
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Upgrading your data acquisition system is easier than ever with six new NI M Series data acquisition (DAQ) devices for USB. These include the 80-channel USB M Series devices, the industry’s highest-channel-count USB multifunction DAQ devices, and the USB BNC M Series devices, which are the first USB multifunction DAQ devices from NI with integrated BNC connectors.
Highest Channel Count and Direct BNC Connectivity
The new high-channel-count M Series DAQ devices provide 80 channels of analog input on a single device, reducing the footprint for high-channel-count measurements. The new USB BNC M Series devices provide BNC connectors for up to 16 differential analog inputs, four analog outputs, and eight digital inputs/outputs, while achieving better noise rejection in a rugged, portable device.
NI M Series technologies – including the NI-STC 2 system timing controller, NI-PGIA 2 amplifier, and NI-MCal calibration – provide more performance, more accuracy, and more I/O than other data acquisition devices. With sampling rates of up to 1.25 MS/s, analog generation of up to 2.86 MHz, and correlated digital I/O of more than 1 MHz integrated into a single device, USB M Series devices cover a wide range of applications including automated test, actuator control, and sensor measurements.
High-Speed Data Streams over USB
To maximize USB performance and achieve multiple high-speed data streams, National Instruments created NI signal streaming technology. This technology adds device-side intelligence, custom data management hardware, and streamlined data control, thereby improving single-point performance by up to 1,600 percent for analog input and up to 250 percent for analog output.
By addressing performance concerns with fast data transfers, reduced communication overhead, and increased device responsiveness, NI signal streaming is a necessary technology for any USB DAQ device. NI signal streaming – combined with the error correction, noise rejection, power management, and power distribution inherent to the USB protocol – yields a robust, secure, and reliable USB bus for use in measurement and control applications.
Figure 1. NI introduces two new lines of USB data acquisition devices –
80-channel USB M Series and USB M Series with integrated BNC connectivity.
High Performance Meets Ease of Use
All USB M Series DAQ devices are shipped with NI-DAQmx driver software and the new NI LabVIEW SignalExpress LE, an interactive measurement workbench for quickly acquiring, analyzing, and presenting data with no programming required. NI-DAQmx also provides time-saving features such as code generation for both LabVIEW and text-based languages; more than 3,000 measurement examples; device simulation; connection diagrams; and compatibility with LabVIEW, LabWindows™/CVI, ANSI C/C++, C#, Visual Basic .NET, and Visual Basic 6.0.
Table 1. New M Series devices for USB join a family of more than 30 USB data acquisition devices.
The combination of plug-and-play USB data acquisition hardware and easy-to-use software offers a high-performance, portable solution for measurement, monitoring, and control applications.
The mark LabWindows is used under a license from Microsoft Corporation.
This article first appeared in the Q4 2007 issue of Instrumentation Newsletter.
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