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The Tech Teamwork of NASA and NI

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From humble beginnings in James Truchard’s residential garage in Texas, NI has become a massively respected producer of automated test equipment. Since launching in 1976, the company has helped find hardware and software solutions for multiple industries on an international scale. The incredible impact that NI has had on technological innovation is even more evident when considering its long history of working with NASA.

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5G and the Need for Speed

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It’s an undeniable truth that society is becoming increasingly mobile. The integral role that wireless connectivity plays in our day-to-day lives continually creates the need for new applications, which in turn pushes innovation forward at incredible speed. The impact this “race to test” has had on the technology surrounding cell phones is undeniable- in just a few short decades, cellular communication has gone from basic flip phones to powerful smartphones with 5G capabilities.

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How LabVIEW & Python Are Better Together

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Both LabVIEW and Python are indispensable tools when it comes to development and programming. With so many strengths and benefits to both- how do you decide which one to use? The answer is simple. You don’t need to choose! LabVIEW and Python work even better together when it comes to automating test systems. In a recent webinar, NI product marketing engineer Austin Stanton put these complementary capabilities on display.

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Checking in With LabVIEW in 2022

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Back in June, we published a blog post navigating the initial project outlines for LabVIEW in 2022. Recently, NI released their Q3 Roadmap for the platform, outlining their plan for upcoming releases. September also marks the 9th month since LabVIEW switched over to an all subscription model in January of 2022. In this post, we will see what has changed for the LabVIEW roadmap since our June post, and we will dive into the different options for LabVIEW subscriptions.

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Software and Test Standardization

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It’s no secret that software is key to creating the foundation of modern technology. With the rate at which new products and features are introduced into today’s market, the test software industry must prioritize expedient production and flexible customer delivery. How can this be accomplished? Through the standardization of test equipment! For years, the goal of testing organizations has been to achieve standardization- yet many businesses struggle to apply test standards because they can’t agree on how. However, test standardization does not have to entail a major revamp of your engineering and production testing processes. Smaller, more manageable standards, such as code or data management standards, can be implemented to address and resolve inefficiency issues.

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NI and the Digital Future of Mobility

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The automotive industry is rapidly expanding, with new advancements being presented every year. Breakthrough technological advances have forever transformed the industry- and brought new challenges. As a result, manufacturers are adopting technology solutions that rely on cutting-edge work ranging from cloud computing to autonomous driving. However, many businesses are still in the design and deployment stages of smart manufacturing systems.

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Planning for Test Equipment Obsolescence in 2022

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With each new year comes new technological advances. Technology is developing at a rapid pace, which can spell out problems for test engineers facing challenges of obsolescence within their Test Program Sets (TPSs). For test engineers in the aerospace or defense industries, where parts and products are manufactured and supported for decades, obsolescence creates unique challenges. In many cases, the TPSs the engineers work with were created in archaic software languages with little to no documentation. At Apex Waves, we understand that many of our clients have a system they’ve been using for years and don’t have the resources, budget, or time necessary to replace it. We provide the calibrated, warrantied NI parts that you need now, with a tested stock of ready-to-ship parts to help you plan for the future.

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Production Test

Nowadays, many defense programs’ duration will go beyond the typical life cycle of products, thus creating challenges for the engineers responsible for maintaining such programs. NI’s platform has made it possible for large companies like Harris Corporation to have a 74% decrease in the cost of testing and a remarkable 83% reduction in floor spaces. Since this is an issue relevant to many aerospace and defense companies, here are three best practices to refer to when dealing with production testing.

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Research, Design, and Prototyping: SDR Design

SIGINT’s (Signals Intelligence) current operational environment often requires rapid development of waveforms, protocols, and devices to dependably function in different environments. The best solutions for such functions are Software Defined Radios (SDR), which are the principal solution to prototype wireless communication systems leading to better solutions quickly. NI has adequately identified the following requirements to fulfill client needs and specifications:

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