Flexibility That Keeps NI CompactDAQ Relevant
In Part 1 of this series, I explored how NI CompactDAQ (cDAQ) delivers cost savings across the test lifecycle. But cost alone isn’t enough to justify a long-term investment in a test platform. What keeps me returning to cDAQ again and again is its flexibility. In Part 3 we’ll highlight the portability that makes it practical outside the lab.
At Ball Systems, our projects span industries—automotive, aerospace, defense, and consumer products. Each project has its own requirements, and those requirements often change mid-design. A flexible test system isn’t just nice to have—it’s essential.
Broad Measurement Options
The foundation of cDAQ’s flexibility is its wide range of compatible modules. With over 60 C Series modules, cDAQ can measure virtually any signal type, including:
-
Electrical: voltage, current, resistance, power quality
-
Mechanical: strain, load, vibration, acceleration
-
Environmental: thermocouples, RTDs, temperature probes
-
Digital I/O: counters, triggers, PWM, logic level monitoring
-
Automotive: CAN and LIN
Having a modular platform means one chassis can adapt to almost any requirement, from monitoring environmental chambers to capturing high-frequency engine data.
You can see examples of these diverse applications in our Project Gallery.
Software That Adapts to You
Flexibility isn’t just about hardware—it’s also about software. CompactDAQ integrates seamlessly with a variety of environments:
Even if you’re not a software expert, NI tools like Measurement & Automation Explorer (NI MAX) provide built-in test panels so you can see live data in minutes. For me, this means I don’t have to wait for software resources to free up—I can validate hardware and begin testing right away.
Reusable Across Projects
At Ball Systems, reconfiguration is part of our daily work. One customer may need a simple relay controller, another a durability tracker, and another an ECU test rig using CAN and LIN. Traditional setups might require three different testers. With cDAQ, I can often reuse the same core hardware and simply swap out modules.
This reusability keeps us competitive, reduces project lead times, and ensures we can deliver cost-effective solutions to customers across industries.
Built for the Future
Technology changes quickly, and obsolescence is a constant concern. A system that’s locked into one measurement method can become outdated within a few years.
cDAQ avoids this by offering a modular, upgradeable architecture. NI continues to release new modules and update drivers, which means the chassis I bought years ago is still relevant today. This future-proofing protects customer investments and ensures projects stay aligned with evolving standards.
Flexibility in Action
The first production system I designed at Ball Systems needed to handle multiple measurement types: digital outputs, analog inputs, CAN and LIN communication, and high-fidelity knock sensors from an ECU. Initially, I thought I’d need a long list of expensive single-function instruments.
Instead, the cDAQ platform offered a single chassis capable of meeting all those needs. By the end of the day, I was already collecting prototype data—something that would have taken weeks with traditional hardware.
Why Flexibility Matters
In Part 1, we saw how CompactDAQ reduces costs. In this post, you’ve seen how it extends its value by being flexible enough to handle almost any project requirement. At Ball Systems, that flexibility allows us to reuse hardware across projects, save time on configuration, and deliver solutions faster.
Next up: Expanding Testing Horizons with NI CompactDAQ Portability.
Explore how we’ve applied cDAQ across industries in our Automotive and Aerospace Projects.
Blog Comments