NI introduces six embedded system modules

Austin, TX—National Instruments (NI) recently launched six modules that expand the I/O capabilities of its CompactRIO reconfigurable embedded platform for industrial vibration monitoring and control.

By Control Engineering Staff December 28, 2004

Austin, TX— National Instruments (NI) recently launched six modules that expand the I/O capabilities of its CompactRIO reconfigurable embedded platform for industrial vibration monitoring and control. With these new modules, engineers can perform high-fidelity acoustic and vibration measurements; achieve analog input sampling rates up to 800 kS/s; acquire industrial voltage signals up to

CompactRIO is a rugged, embedded control and acquisition platform that uses LabView FPGA reconfigurable I/O (RIO) technology to deliver a high level of user customization and performance. The new modules include:

cRIO-9233, which is a four-channel,

cRIO-9425, which is a 32-channel, 24 V, 7

cRIO-9201, which is an eight-channel,

cRIO-9221, which is an eight-channel,

cRIO-9421 with D-Sub, which is an eight-channel, 24 V, 100

cRIO-9233 delivers dynamic signal acquisition (DSA) measurements for industrial machine condition monitoring (MCM) and in-vehicle noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) testing applications. It also offers high-fidelity, 24-bit analog input channels for up to four IEPE accelerometer or microphone sensors with advanced features such as anti-aliasing filters and smart transducer electronic data sheets (TEDS) sensor compatibility. At less than $325 per channel, cRIO-9233 lowers the price for portable DSA applications, and delivers 102 dB of dynamic range. Machine builders and automotive engineers can use cRIO-9233 to add precision audio and vibration measurement capabilities to embedded monitoring and control systems.

“The cRIO-9233 24-bit IEPE module and the reconfigurable nature of the CompactRIO platform change the rules of vibration monitoring and machine control,” says Darren Lingafeldt, systems engineer for Nexjen Systems, a supplier of heavy-duty electrical test equipment and custom vibration monitoring systems. “We use the cRIO-9233 module with LabView FPGA RIO technology to incorporate high-bandwidth vibration monitoring and machine analysis while performing high-speed control. The result is a rugged, low-cost, embedded system that can be deployed in applications and environments where traditional vibration monitoring equipment would be unsuitable.”

In addition, cRIO-9221 module increases analog input acquisition rates to 800 kS/s, the channel density to eight channels, and the voltage range toigurable FPGA circuitry for low-cost sensor integration.

Meanwhile, cRIO-9425 module extends channel density of CompactRIO embedded systems with 32 high-speed digital input channels. Using the cRIO-9425 module with CompactRIO, engineers can create discrete control systems with up to 256 channels and digital loop rates exceeding 140 kHz. cRIO-9425 contains an industry-standard, 37-pin DSUB connector for a variety of low-cost connectivity options.

“The cRIO-9425 high-density digital input module gives us the performance and I/O density to replace multiple control systems with a single CompactRIO chassis,” says Greg Sussman, an automation systems consultant with Process Automation Corp. (PAC). “We chose CompactRIO for our more challenging control applications because of the I/O density and processing horsepower. CompactRIO decreased the system costs for many systems by more than 50%.”

Control Engineering Daily News DeskJim Montague, news editorjmontague@reedbusiness.com