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With NI reconfigurable I/O (RIO) technology, you can define your own custom measurement hardware circuitry using reconfigurable field-programmable gate array (FPGA) chips and
NI LabVIEW graphical development tools. The RIO core includes an FPGA chip and surrounding circuitry that enable LabVIEW to perform hardware synthesis. NI RIO technology can be found in a number of NI platforms including R Series intelligent data acquisition (DAQ) devices, CompactRIO, and NI Single-Board RIO. Depending on the platform, NI offers several configuration and deployment services that can help reduce your development cost and shorten your time to market.
Table of Contents
Standard Services for R Series Intelligent DAQ
Standard Services for CompactRIO
Custom Services for CompactRIO and NI Single-Board RIO
Standard Services for R Series Intelligent DAQ
R Series intelligent DAQ devices can benefit from several NI standard service offerings including calibration, extended warranty, and NI Factory Installation Services for PXI-based R Series intelligent DAQ modules. Using these services helps you get up and running out of the box, protects your hardware investment,
and ensures measurement accuracy.
As a manufacturer of high-accuracy measurement products, National Instruments understands the need to maintain properly calibrated equipment. NI provides basic calibration services for several R Series intelligent DAQ devices to ensure measurement accuracy and to verify that the device meets its published specifications. To help you meet your calibration needs, NI offers calibration support and services that include manual calibration procedures and services to recalibrate your products.
Learn More about CalibrationAs a standard policy, NI warrants its hardware products against defects in materials and workmanship for a period of one (1) year from the date they are shipped to customers, subject to limited terms and conditions. For a small additional fee, you can purchase extended warranties on your R Series intelligent DAQ device on a yearly basis. These extended warranties further protect your hardware investment beyond the standard warranty period.
Learn More about Extended Warranty
You can also take advantage of system assurance programs for PXI for your R Series intelligent DAQ modules based on PXI. You can add the NI Standard System Assurance Program to any PXI system order at the time of purchase and receive the following benefits:
- Up and running out-of-the-box – delivered in one box with software pre-installed
- Standardize your system hardware and software – selectable driver sets, re-orderable configuration
- Reduced Total Cost of Ownership – Three years of warranty and traceable calibration service
- Printed custom system documentation – Maintenance plan, results of system validation test, and calibration certificates
In addition to delivering the benefits of calibration and extended warranty, the standard program include other services to help you reduce your time to first measurement. To take advantage of system assurance programs and learn more, visit the PXI Advisor.
Learn More About System Services
Standard Services for CompactRIO
Many of the same service benefits you receive for your R Series intelligent DAQ devices also apply to CompactRIO systems. You can take advantage of the same standard calibration services and extended warranty policies and use a similar system configuration service to help you get started with your CompactRIO system.
NI provides basic calibration services for most C Series I/O modules to ensure measurement accuracy and to verify that the device meets its published specifications. To help you meet your calibration needs, NI provides calibration support and services that include manual calibration procedures and services to recalibrate your products.
As a standard policy, NI warrants its hardware products against defects in materials and workmanship for a period of one (1) year from the date they are shipped to customers, subject to limited terms and conditions. For a small additional fee, you can purchase extended warranties on your CompactRIO chassis, controllers, and I/O modules on a yearly basis. These extended warranties further protect your hardware investment beyond the standard warranty period.
Learn More About Extended Warranty
NI also offers system assurance programs for CompactRIO to help you configure and deploy your system. These services includes the following features:
- Up and running out-of-the-box – delivered in one box with software pre-installed
- Standardize your system hardware and software – selectable driver sets, re-orderable configuration
- Reduced Total Cost of Ownership – Three years of warranty and traceable calibration service
- Printed custom system documentation – Maintenance plan, results of system validation test, and calibration certificates
With the NI Standard System Assurance Program for CompactRIO, you can maximize your CompactRIO use and reduce your development time. This service also includes an extended warranty and calibration coverage to prolong the life of your CompactRIO system. For more information about this service and to configure your CompactRIO system, visit the CompactRIO Advisor online.
Learn More About System Services
Customize Your CompactRIO System
Custom Services for CompactRIO and NI Single-Board RIO
In addition to the standard services described above, NI offers several custom services for CompactRIO and NI Single-Board RIO. These services provide cost-effective solutions to help you reduce your time to market and customize your product for deployment. Arranged on a contractual basis, these services are customized to your specific needs. See the image and descriptions below for more information on available custom services.
Design
NI provides several services for the design stage of your application development cycle. You can obtain design architectural and maintenance assistance from NI applications and systems engineers, who offer guidance throughout your design process to help you architect a scalable and maintainable design. They can also supply ongoing assistance for upgrades and maintenance.
In addition, you have access to several reference libraries for programming NI RIO products. The NI LabVIEW FPGA IPNet is your one-stop resource for browsing, understanding, and downloading LabVIEW FPGA functions or intellectual property (IP). You can use it to acquire the IP you need for your application, download examples to help learn programming techniques and explore the depth of IP offered by the LabVIEW FPGA platform. This IP provides common functions that you can reuse in many designs.
Along with this LabVIEW FPGA IP resource, NI provides application-specific examples in NI Developer Zone. These are often developed for a particular use case and provide extremely detailed demonstrations of a particular design. While NI Developer Zone examples may not match your application specifically, they often provide a good starting point that you can reference for other applications.
NI Developer Zone – LabVIEW FPGA Example Programs
Prototype
NI also offers several services for the prototyping stage of development. You can take advantage of these for designs that are expected to perform in environments outside the typical operating conditions of the devices. For example, the new NI Single-Board RIO devices are rated for performance from -20 to 55 °C. With extended temperature design verification, NI can test the device up to 80 °C and specify performance through this expanded range.
Conformal coating also offers protection for harsh environments. This coating is added to the electrical components of the device to shield your device against moisture, debris, and temperature while preserving the same functionality. Conformal coating can help protect against failures when you need to test in a harsh environment, where your system is subjected to a variety of rigorous operating conditions. Based on your needs, NI can provide conformal coating on CompactRIO and NI Single-Board RIO devices to help protect them from these harsh environments.
Deploy
As part of a custom service contract, NI can build your system to order by assembling, customizing, and branding your hardware. As part of this process, NI can assemble the system to your specifications, including specific module placement, accessories, and hardware integration functional test. You can also arrange for custom coloring of the hardware or even system branding, which incorporates your specific imagery and branding into the colors, bezels, and labels. Additionally, NI can provide custom shipping and delivery options including custom labeling on the shipping containers for easier tracking and distribution. With these services, you can define the look and feel of your CompactRIO or NI Single-Board RIO system.
In addition to these aesthetic changes, NI can deliver services that make it easier and faster for you to deploy your system. Similar to our standard services, NI can install driver images and application development environment components on your system. Arranging this service through a custom service agreement gives you more flexibility when selecting the exact software that is installed. So, you can choose the exact configuration that you have been using to design and prototype when you move into the deployment stage. Once you have developed your application and are ready to deploy, you can protect your IP by having NI key modules to your specific system. You can verify this lock in your application to ensure proper ownership and procurement through your company. Using these keys, you can also ensure that your application does not run if removed from the system and put onto a generic NI system. By keying modules to your system, you control the use and modification of your system.
Along with these customizations, a service agreement allows you to access warranty duration information and calibration plans that are designed specifically for your needs. With a custom NI service agreement, you have more flexibility throughout your development cycle and easier design, prototyping, and deployment stages using CompactRIO and NI Single-Board RIO systems. You can select the services that best fit your needs and tailor your product experience to suit the requirements and features of your design.
Talk to an Expert About Custom Services
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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/).