USB Module Promotes Plug-And-Play Connectivity

Sept. 20, 2004

Thanks to an integrated data-acquisition (DAQ) device, the SCXI-1600 USB DAQ module makes all of National Instruments' 40 measurement and switching modules USB 2.0-compatible in a plug-and-play manner. The 16-bit, 200-ksample/s SCXI-1600 works with all of the company's modules to cover a broad range of measurements, such as temperature, strain, and high voltage.

Setting up the unit is as easy as plugging in a mouse to a PC, which substantially saves setup time as well as reduces costs. In fact, a recent NI survey of data-acquisition customers and prospects found that system setup can otherwise tally 18% of the overall measurement cost.

"By using the SCXI-1600 and other USB devices, engineers and scientists can create a complete plug-and-play data-acquisition system from sensor to software," says Ryan Wynn, NI's DAQ systems product manager.

NI also is releasing LabView 7.1, the latest version of the company's flagship graphical development environment, in French, German, and Japanese versions. LabView 7.1 documentation is available in Korean as well. The software supports the IEEE 1451.4 standard for smart sensors with a Transducer Electronic Data Sheet (TEDS), which facilitates the programming and use of a wide variety of sensor types and manufacture.

The SCXI-1600 DAQ USB module is priced from $995. LabView 7.1 is priced from $1095.

National Instruments Corp.www.ni.com (888) 280-7645 See associated figure

About the Author

Roger Allan

Roger Allan is an electronics journalism veteran, and served as Electronic Design's Executive Editor for 15 of those years. He has covered just about every technology beat from semiconductors, components, packaging and power devices, to communications, test and measurement, automotive electronics, robotics, medical electronics, military electronics, robotics, and industrial electronics. His specialties include MEMS and nanoelectronics technologies. He is a contributor to the McGraw Hill Annual Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. He is also a Life Senior Member of the IEEE and holds a BSEE from New York University's School of Engineering and Science. Roger has worked for major electronics magazines besides Electronic Design, including the IEEE Spectrum, Electronics, EDN, Electronic Products, and the British New Scientist. He also has working experience in the electronics industry as a design engineer in filters, power supplies and control systems.

After his retirement from Electronic Design Magazine, He has been extensively contributing articles for Penton’s Electronic Design, Power Electronics Technology, Energy Efficiency and Technology (EE&T) and Microwaves RF Magazine, covering all of the aforementioned electronics segments as well as energy efficiency, harvesting and related technologies. He has also contributed articles to other electronics technology magazines worldwide.

He is a “jack of all trades and a master in leading-edge technologies” like MEMS, nanolectronics, autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence, military electronics, biometrics, implantable medical devices, and energy harvesting and related technologies.