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Retrofit for FieldPoint and compactFieldPoint

They are installed in many systems and we have used them for numerous applications: the programmable automation controllers (PAC) FieldPoint and compactFieldPoint from NI. With numerous robust I/O modules and easy-to-use communication interfaces, the two device families were a good choice for a long time when it came to implementing typical PLC tasks with NI […]

From Profinet to EtherCAT, SERCOS III or Ethernet/IP within seconds

Once created, most fieldbus applications remain unchanged – the bus topology rarely changes and the protocol never does. The situation is quite different on test benches where devices with different bus interfaces are tested. Unless separate hardware and software is to be installed for each bus protocol at great expense, the only remaining option is […]

Connecting LabVIEW to Profinet, Ethernet/IP, EtherCAT and other Real-Time Ethernet Fieldbuses

Interfaces communicating with diverse fieldbuses are crucial for the integration of LabVIEW in modern networked production. While the capabilities of LabVIEW and NI hardware in the processing of analog signals are undisputed, the situation is different when it comes to connecting Real-Time Ethernet buses. Numerous forum discussions and questions from our customers prove this. For […]

Let’s put a name to it! – Setting Profinet station names and IP addresses in LabVIEW

Unlike other real-time Ethernet buses, Profinet requires station names and IP addresses for slaves (IO-devices in Profinet nomenclature) in order to communicate with them. However, since these parameters are assigned on an application-specific basis, they are usually not available for Profinet devices that have just been manufactured and are now undergoing end-of-line testing. However, since […]

Pneumatic test solutions by müller+krahmer – from high-precision pressure measurement to complex pressure curve analysis

We at müller+krahmer have many years of experience in testing pneumatic components. The range of devices we test includes simple directional control valves as well as high-precision proportional valves, valve terminals, intelligent pneumatic sensors with bus interfaces, components for industrial applications as well as for installation in road and rail vehicles. The test methods and […]

LabVIEW and IO-Link – flexible connection to sensors and actuators

As we have already mentioned here, while LabVIEW is inherently strong at connecting analogue and digital signals, special solutions are required for communication with fieldbuses, such as our interface for the real-time Ethernet boards of Hilscher’s cifX family. Sometimes, however, a complete fieldbus connection is not necessary and it is sufficient to connect intelligent sensors and […]

Made by users, for users – our DIAdem training courses

Anyone looking for DIAdem training courses will find a whole range of options and be faced with the question of which one to choose. We don’t know what the most outstanding feature of other providers is, but we can claim to know the practical requirements and how to teach them. We have been working with […]

Are you utilising the full potential of NI DIAdem?

NI describes its DIAdem application software as a tool ‘for quickly finding, testing, analysing and documenting measurement data.’ It is often forgotten that DIAdem is also a practical tool for performing a wide range of measurement and control tasks. Numerous drivers and interfaces are available for this purpose. Finally, the integrated script functionality not only […]

More than 100 MB of measurement data per minute

This amount of data must be processed by one of our evaluation applications for test bench data. Only a handful of characteristic parameters remain from complex time curves and a million measurement values. And only these parameters – and, above all, their changes over the course of the test, which can last days or weeks […]

Educational for us too – our LabVIEW training courses

After a longer break, we recently held another LabVIEW training course – a combination of LabVIEW Core 1 and 2 on behalf of NI. Although we work with the software on an almost everyday basis, it is always useful for us to discuss the underlying programming concept and question some of our own practices. This […]