NI Hardware Nearing End-of-Life: 2026 Last Time Buy Dates

What is your plan for when the test and measurement products you need are no longer available or supported by the manufacturer? For many industries where updating an entire system is not feasible, obsolescence planning for parts approaching end-of-life status is vital. This post will outline the NI products that are nearing the end of their product lifecycles by announcing last time buy dates, as well as how Apex Waves can fill in the gap.

What is a Last Time Buy Date?

The NI Product Lifecycle was originally divided into four stages: “Active”, “Mature”, “Maintenance”, and “Discontinued”. Around 2024, these were extended into six stages by dividing the “Maintenance” phase into both “Standard Support” and “Limited Support”, as well as adding a “Last Time Buy” stage.

The “Mature” phase is when a product is not advised for new designs, since an updated version has been identified. After this, the product enters the “Last Time Buy” phase, after which it will no longer be offered for sale by the manufacturer. The following “Standard Support” phase lasts for about a year, where the product can no longer be purchased from the manufacturer but is still eligible for basic support. “Limited Support” is when NI can no longer guarantee support or calibration services for a particular product.

A product is considered fully obsolete when it falls under the final “Discontinued” stage, but support services and availability with the manufacturer are impacted long before that.

Apex Waves Directly Addresses Obsolescence

Apex Waves specializes in obsolete and end-of-life hardware, offering solutions for the businesses and industries that require a specific product to avoid instrumentation problems. Our customers rely on us to fill in the gap, and include high-profile industry leaders including NASA, SpaceX, Lockheed Martin and the US Navy.

When you are faced with a system malfunction and need to get your system back up and running, Apex Waves can help you get the specific part you need as quickly as possible. With thousands of thoroughly evaluated and tested parts already in stock and ready to ship, we offer expedited and international shipping options as well as a 2 to 3 year warranty guarantee. We also provide calibration and repair services, no matter which product lifecycle stage a product is in.

NI Last Time Buy Dates in 2026

The following lists may not be complete and are subject to additions or adjustments.

Model Name	January 2026 NI Last Time Buy Date
PXIe-1082DC	1/31/2026

Model Name	March 2026 NI Last Time Buy Date
PCI-6602	3/31/26
PXIe-1073	3/31/26

Model Name	April 2026 NI Last Time Buy Date
Automated Measurements Board for NI ELVIS III	4/29/26
Digital System Development Board (DSDB)	4/29/26
Emona Communications Board for NI ELVIS III	4/29/26
Emona Signals and Systems Board for NI ELVIS	4/29/26
TI Analog Electronics Board for NI ELVIS III	4/29/26
TI Power Electronics Board for NI ELVIS III	4/29/26
NI ELVIS III	4/29/26
PITSCO ROBOTICS KIT	4/29/26

Model Name	September 2026 NI Last Time Buy Date
SP500X	9/30/26
PXIe-5641	9/30/26
PXIe-8881	9/30/26
PXIe-8861	9/30/26

NHR PRODUCTS GOING OBSOLETE

Products from NH Research, Inc. (abbreviated as NHR), are designed to give engineers and researchers the performance and safety features they need to shorten test times and boost test system energy savings.

National Instruments (NI) acquired NH Research in 2022, with the goal of combining NI’s adaptable EV test platform with NHR’s knowledge of power conversion and power supply test systems. The hope was that NHR’s top-notch test equipment and systems would help optimize and quickly respond to evolving test requirements while accelerating NI’s opportunities in high-growth EV applications.

Following Emerson’s acquisition of NI in 2023, the focus shifted to providing cutting-edge platform-based solutions and products to meet the widely varied needs of their customers. Emerson / NI announced that NHR Products would officially be retired, with an end-of-life announcement on September 8th, 2025. The last time buy date was set for October 8, 2025.

What does this mean for 2026? On December 31, 2026, standard support and service will be officially ended with the manufacturer. Following that date, existing customer support plans and services, such as repair and calibration, will cease.

This is where Apex Waves steps in. There are no “last time buy dates” with us, and we provide support services in perpetuity, regardless of product lifecycle status.

Need to request a quote for any of the products mentioned in today’s post? Fill out the convenient quote request form located on any individual part page, or use our Quick Quote option.