Overview
From temperature to dynamic signal measurements, National Instruments offers a complete family of data acquisition devices for desktop, portable, and networked teaching and research applications. Ranging from low-cost USB devices to high-precision PCI and PXI instruments, these products paired with LabVIEW provide flexibility and power while maintaining affordability and ease of use for professors, researchers, and students. Discover the academic product offerings for measurements through the resources in this page
Testimonial
"LabVIEW is the cornerstone used to help students learn methods and procedures important for experimental investigation of mechanical engineering phenomena and systems" Dr. Lydia L. Sohn, University of California, Berkeley
Resources
| Classroom Resources Download sample courseware, instructor slides and links to university course websites |
Software Simulations & Tutorials |
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| Textbooks & Applicable Courses Discover the textbooks that use LabVIEW to teach Measurements & Instrumentation |
Hardware Labs & Exercises |
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| Case Studies & Conference Papers See how other schools use LabVlEW for Measurements & Instrumentation |
Videos & Webcasts |
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Software Licensing Options Adopt LabVIEW at your institution with these licensing options |
Recommended Lab Configurations Outfit your teaching and research labs with these setups |
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Visit ni.com/academic for additional teaching and research resources
Classroom Resources
Measurements & Instrumentation Laboratory at Rice University
Professor John Muratore at the Rice University teaches a Measurement & Instrumentation laboratory for Mechanical engineers with NI LabVIEW and NI DAQ devices. All lab assignments, lecture slides, and more can be downloaded from this page. Visit the page...
Sensors and Instrumentation at the University of Illinois
Professor Jonathan J. Makela at the University of Illinois (Urbana -Champaign) teaches a sensors and instrumentation course using LabVIEW. The course website includes lab exercises, projects, handouts, and more. Visit the website...
Virtual Instrumentation course at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT)
Dr. J.F. Federici at the New Jersey Institute of Technology teaches a Virtual Instrumentation course using LabVIEW. The course website includes lab exercises, projects, handouts, and more. Visit the website...
Computer Aided Instrumentation and Characterization at Carnegie Mellon (CMU)
Prof. D.W. Greve at the Carnegie Mellon University teaches a computer aided instrumentation and characterization course using LabVIEW. The course website includes lab exercises, projects, handouts, and more. Visit the website...
Bioinstrumentation Courseware with NI ELVIS and LabVIEW
Download complete courseware to teach bioinstrumentation with LabVIEW and NI ELVIS. The course website includes lab exercises, projects, handouts, and more. Visit the website...
Instrumentation with LabVIEW
Download complete courseware to teach instrumentation concepts with LabVIEW and NI DAQ. The course website includes lab exercises, projects, handouts, and more. Visit the website...
Software Simulations and Tutorials
Below is a comprehensive list of custom-made tutorials and LabVIEW examples that can provide help with the explanation of data acquisition and instrumentation concepts.
Sensor Fundamentals |
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Learn how to acquire from a variety of sensors such as thermocouples, strain gauges, thermistors, RTDs, pressure sensors and other sensors View Now. |
Data Acquisition and Instrumentation Fundamentals |
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Learn how to interface with sensors and data acquisition cards. Explore basic concepts of data acquisition such as resolution and sampling rates. Learn how to connect to more than 4500 instruments View now. |
Analog Fundamentals |
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This set of analog tutorials provides you with essential information about analog circuits, ground loops, noise, sampling, windowing, isolation, and proper connection schemes for measurements. View Now. |
Digital Fundamentals |
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A wide range of systems and applications incorporate digital devices and signals so advancing your digital fundamental knowledge is important for mastering many of today's test and automation applications. This set of tutorials provides you with essential information about digital measurements, the nature of digital signals, and the devices used to generate and analyze these signals. View Now. |
Hardware Labs and Exercises
Below is a list of hardware-based exercises and labs that can be used to explore measurement and instrumentation concepts.
Continuously Acquire Thermocouple Measurements |
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The Continuous Thermocouple Measurement VI is used to read multiple temperatures from each channel. Enter your Device number, Thermocouple Type, Cold Junction Channel, CJC Sensor, Temperature Range in Deg C, and the Channels you want to read. Run the VI. View the help window description of each control for more information about its use. Download Now. |
Strain Gauge Measurements |
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This VI shows how to use the SCXI-1520 module to measure data from strain gauges. It also shows how to programmatically perform a null offset and shunt calibration on the strain gauges. The acquisition takes place in a loop that runs until an error occurs OR the stop button is clicked. This is a timed acquisition, meaning that a hardware clock is used to control the acquisition rate for fast and accurate timing. Download Now. |
Getting started with Load Cells |
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This example program allows you to use the SCXI-1520 to null one or more load cells, or other full-bridge transducers. It then performs a buffered data acquisition. Download Now. |
Measuring a Single Temperature with RTD |
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The Single Point RTD Measurement VI is used to read a single temperature from each channel. Enter your Device number, Ro, Excitation Current, Voltage Input Limits, and the Channels you want to read. Run the VI. View the help window description of each control for more information about its use. Download Now. |
Measuring Vibration using an IEPE Accelerometer |
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This program allows you to measure voltage changes induced by a vibrating integral electronic piezoelectric (IEPE) accelerometer when using an SCXI-153X or SCC-ACC01 module. You can programmatically change the input range, plot a waveform, and perform frequency analysis. Download Now. |
Synchronized Digital Output and DAQmx Analog Output |
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This example demonstrates the synchronization of High-Speed Digital Input/Output (HSDIO) modules with DAQmx devices. Synchronization is accomplished using a shared analog output start trigger from the DAQmx device. The analog output board operates as the master device and routes its start trigger to the HSDIO module. The trigger signal is routed over the PXI trigger bus (or RTSI if PCI devices are being used). The HSDIO device begins generating a digital waveform when the start trigger is received from the DAQmx device. Download Now. |
Analog Input acquisition with Analog Start Hardware Trigger |
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This example demonstrates how to acquire a finite amount of data (waveform) using the M Series device internal clock, started by an analog edge condition. M Series devices use APFI 0 or APFI 1 lines as the source of an analog trigger input. M Series devices also can trigger off of one of the analog input channels. Download Now. |
Sampling rates and Aliasing |
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This example shows how sample rate affects the quality of a sampled signal, including the introduction of aliasing when the sample rate is too low. Download Now. |
Textbooks and Applicable Courses
Textbooks
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Bob Bishop, University of Texas at Austin |
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John Essick |
Applicable Courses
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Case Studies and Conference Papers
Case Studies
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NI ELVIS and LabVIEW used to teach DC Motor control, Using National Instruments LabVIEW 7 Express, NI ELVIS, and PCI-6070E to develop the system with motion control, data acquisition, and signal measurements capabilities Read more...
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Remote access web-based physics labs for equipotential field line mapping, Using a National Instruments LabVIEW-coded program to perform motion control over an XY motion mechanism, which holds the probe and takes voltage reading across various water tray positions Read more...
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Unleashing creativity and innovation with LabVIEW and LabVIEW PDA Module, Having students conceive, design, implement, and operate (CDIO) instrumentation and control systems using the National Instruments LabVIEW program and hardware for data acquisition, signal measurements, and wireless data communication Read more...
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Students learn data acquisition and analysis using LabVIEW,Having students design, develop, and test a LabVIEW-coded software program for data acquisition, signal measurements, and fundamental digital signal processing (DSP) using the FFT (Fast Fourier Transform). Read more...
Conference papers
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Distance Learning Opportunities for Electronic Engineering Technology Graduates of Community Colleges, A detailed, insightful paper on using LabVIEW and NI ELVIS for distance learning for 2-year programs. Read the paper...
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Development of Digital Measurements and Analysis Laboratory in Circuits and Electronics Lab at TAMUK, Implementing a digital measurements and analysis laboratory for circuits and electronics using NI ELVIS and LabVIEW Read the paper...
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Early Electrical Engineering Concepts engagement in a freshman-level course, A paper on Introducing engineering concepts with hands-on learning early in engineering at the freshmen level. Read the paper...
Videos and Webcasts
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Webcast: Whats new in LabVIEW 8.20
Software Licensing Options
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NI Academic Site License
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Student Install Option
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Recommended Lab Configurations
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NI ELVIS Measurements & Instrumentation Bundle
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NI CompactDAQ Instrumentation Bundle
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Legal
This tutorial (this "tutorial") was developed by National Instruments ("NI"). Although technical support of this tutorial may be made available by National Instruments, the content in this tutorial may not be completely tested and verified, and NI does not guarantee its quality in any way or that NI will continue to support this content with each new revision of related products and drivers. THIS TUTORIAL IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND AND SUBJECT TO CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS AS MORE SPECIFICALLY SET FORTH IN NI.COM'S TERMS OF USE (http://ni.com/legal/termsofuse/unitedstates/us/).























