What are the areas in which virtual instrumentation is superior to traditional hardware-based instrumentation?
“Superior” can mean a different thing to different users. In wireless, for example, it can mean the ability to test new standards as they come out. Sometimes it can mean lower cost, such as using software to replace multiple hardware instruments. Virtual Instrumentation combines mainstream commercial technologies like the pc, with flexible software and a variety of measurement and control hardware to enable users such as engineers to create user-defined systems that meet their exact application needs. This enables users to design quality products at lower costs. This does not mean that traditional methods would become obsolete. Instead, they would evolve. Traditional method vendors are trying to find ways to create a software approach in their instruments. For example, we work with Tektronix to have our software work closely with their instruments.
How does the Graphical System Design help domain experts to design, prototype, and deploy their embedded systems quickly.
Traditionally, if you are building a machine and you have to design an embedded control system, the design of this embedded control system requires expertise. The key point here is domain experts. The person who has a vision of what they want the machine to do can’t always do this because they may not have this expertise. Domain experts use a tool such as LabVIEW to extract the complexity out of the control system. They write it in LabVIEW in the graphic development environment, deploy it to some microchip that does the control system. In other words they realize an idea with LabVIEW.
You are responsible for some of the latest test technologies, such as the PCI Express. Could you elaborate on how this technology enables faster test times at a lower cost?
The PCI Express has all the right attributes of improving test and measurement automation for our customers. It is a highly virtual technology. In fact, there will be about 250 million PCI Express deployed globally this year. PCI Express enables users to take high-speed data like RF communications, high-speed vision, and string that back to a processor at incredible rates of 4GB/s. This gives the user the ability to make a software-defined system. Communications test is one of the key domains we think that PCI Express will make a huge difference because in communications test, there is an increasing need for more bandwidth and more data, and for devices to be multi channel. The technology called MIMO (multi input/multi output) uses multiple RF transmission streams to increase the data rate and increase the performance in terms of immunity to noise of an RF system.
Lego Mindstorms Education gives students a hands-on approach in science and technology. Could you elaborate on NI’s collaboration with Lego?
Lego uses LabVIEW as a platform for its Mindstorm education products. Designed to help students aged between eight and 12 build and program smart robots through a step-by-step learning process, this educational toy is very sophisticated. It uses the whole functionality of LabVIEW but presented in a different way for children, enabling them to design what they want. Key features incorporated include a 32-bit intelligent brick with programming functionality, light and tough sensors, as well as Bluetooth technology.
Do you see NI’s automated testing approaches, bus technologies, distributed and real-time control and measurement technologies being widely accepted in Asia?
Yes. Apart from the fact that a lot of technical innovation happens in Asia, our tools enable professionals to bring out their domain expertise. The difference between a vendor-defined instrument and a user-defined instrument is that the latter gives flexibility to users to bring their intellectual property to that system. And as Asian engineers get more innovative and become more influential on the world market, it is important for them to bring their IP into a test system or into a design itself, and our tools allow for that.
