Portability That Expands Testing Possibilities

In Part 1 of this series, we explored how NI CompactDAQ (cDAQ) delivers significant cost savings. In Part 2, we looked at the flexibility that makes it adaptable across industries. Now, in this final installment, I’ll focus on one more advantage that often determines success in real-world testing: portability.

At Ball Systems, I’ve seen firsthand how portability transforms the way engineers approach test. Whether in vehicles, on the factory floor, or at customer sites around the world, cDAQ enables data collection where it matters most and ensures engineers can validate systems under real-world conditions. 

Testing Beyond the Lab

Portability is about far more than making hardware smaller—it’s about removing barriers to where testing can take place. Traditional rack-mount or benchtop equipment locks you into fixed labs or production environments. That may work for some validation tasks, but it quickly becomes a major limitation when tests need to occur closer to the product.

CompactDAQ eliminates this barrier by making portability a core design principle. Consider a few common scenarios:

• In-Vehicle Testing: mount cDAQ directly in vehicles to acquire data under real operating conditions.
• Field Service & Diagnostics: deploy lightweight rigs in remote or harsh environments without hauling bulky racks.
• Factory Floor Integration: roll a cDAQ cart directly to a production line for end-of-line validation.
• Cross-Department Collaboration: share portable systems across groups to maximize utilization and reduce redundancy.
• Suitcase Testers: build systems small enough to check into a plane, needing only a laptop and simple power supply to operate.

These aren’t just conveniences—they change what’s possible. With cDAQ, test engineers can capture data at the source of the system under test, ensuring results reflect the true operating environment.

Built for Mobile Applications

Portability doesn’t happen by accident. National Instruments has intentionally engineered CompactDAQ for mobile and distributed test applications. Features include:

• Compact Form Factor: chassis range from 1-slot to 14-slot, so you can right-size your system without unnecessary bulk.
• Ruggedness: designed to withstand vibration, shock, and temperature swings that would disable benchtop instruments.
• Flexible Power: draw from standard AC, DC vehicle power, or battery packs depending on location.
• Software Continuity: with NI-DAQmx drivers and LabVIEW, the same code runs whether tethered in the lab or deployed remotely.

The result is a test system that adapts not only to your signals but also to your environment—wherever that may be.

A Ball Systems Perspective

At Ball Systems, we’ve had the opportunity to design and deploy test solutions across industries ranging from automotive to aerospace to defense. One consistent challenge is that the test environment is rarely static. Customers expect systems that can be validated in the lab, deployed to the production floor, and in many cases shipped to facilities across the globe.

With CompactDAQ, we can meet those expectations. I’ve seen customers roll portable rigs straight to their lines for end-of-line checks or mount systems in vehicles for long-term field data acquisition. In each case, the portability of cDAQ allows test to go where it’s needed instead of forcing the product to come to the test.

Portability as a Force Multiplier

While portability is valuable on its own, it also amplifies the themes from earlier posts:

• Cost Savings: one system can serve multiple roles, eliminating duplicate setups.
• Flexibility: testing can adapt to wherever the product is being designed, produced, or operated.

For Ball Systems, this means we can serve customers in automotive, aerospace, and defense with test systems that travel wherever their products are deployed. Explore examples in our Aerospace & Defense Project Gallery.

Smarter Testing, Anywhere

Over this three-part series, I’ve explored the strengths that make NI CompactDAQ an exceptional test platform:

• Cost Savings (Part 1)
• Flexibility (Part 2)
• Portability (Part 3, this blog)

Together, these qualities enable smarter, faster, and more reliable testing. From my perspective as a Test Engineer at Ball Systems, these aren’t abstract claims—they’re daily advantages that allow us to deliver solutions faster, in more environments, and with less wasted cost.

As test demands continue to grow more complex, cDAQ is uniquely positioned to rise to the occasion. It empowers engineers to do more with less and to take their testing wherever it needs to go.

For organizations evaluating their next investment in test infrastructure, the message is clear: CompactDAQ isn’t just a piece of hardware—it’s a smarter, more agile way to test.

Ready to explore how portable test systems can support your next project? Visit our Project Gallery to see real-world applications.