At Ball Systems in Westfield, Indiana, no two test challenges ever look the same. Our customers span industries from automotive to aerospace, and their requirements range from straightforward signal checks to fully automated, highly complex test systems. As a Test Engineer, I live in the middle of that complexity every day. My role centers on validation, calibration, and ensuring that the tools we build deliver reliable, repeatable results. Whether we are developing full scale test systems for endurance testing or portable calibration benches for quick diagnostics, the hardware choices we make are critical.
One platform that is slowly taking hold in my workflow is the NI mioDAQ line. While mioDAQ does not carry the same name recognition as PXI, the workhorse of high-end automated testing, mioDAQ fills an important role in bridging precision, cost-effectiveness, and portability. As I become more familiar with this newly released product line, I am coming to see mioDAQ as a tool that enables faster development and deployment—especially for smaller or specialized applications.
Raw sensor signals are rarely ready for direct acquisition. They arrive noisy, uncalibrated, and often at voltages incompatible with data acquisition hardware. Before you can trust the data, it has to be amplified, filtered, isolated, and sometimes linearized. Get this wrong, and your measurements risk being inaccurate or misleading.
PXI systems historically address this by including dedicated signal conditioning modules, which make them ideal for high-channel-count, high-speed applications. mioDAQ, on the other hand, takes a more flexible approach. While mioDAQ does not have built-in conditioning, it pairs seamlessly with NI accessories like the SCB-68A Connector Block or NI 9923 Terminal Block as well as third-party conditioning tools. This modularity allows me to choose only the conditioning I need, keeping our test systems lean and cost-efficient.
In practice, I often rely on external amplifiers for low-voltage sensor signals, apply software filtering to manage noise, and use differential wiring with proper shielding termination to reduce interference. The result is a signal that meets precision requirements without unnecessary hardware overhead.
The mioDAQ family sits in NI’s USB-based DAQ portfolio and, while compact, it offers serious capability. The devices support 20-bit resolution with a ±10 V input range and simultaneous sampling across channels. That level of resolution is more than adequate for most calibration and validation tasks I encounter. mioDAQ also includes ±10 V output channels, digital I/O, and counter and timing channels, which makes it adaptable for control loops and logic validation. The latest generation also offers onboard temperature sensing and ID pin support. These features may seem insignificant at face value, but in practice they reduce setup time and increase reliability.
I use both PXI and mioDAQ platforms depending on the needs of the project, and each brings its own strengths to the table. PXI is my go-to for large-scale, high-performance systems, especially when validating automotive ECUs or running full hardware simulations. It offers tight integration with dedicated signal conditioning modules, real-time triggering, and deterministic timing, which gives us precise control over both hardware and software. With built-in signal conditioning and support for high channel counts, PXI is ideal for complex, data-intensive applications.
mioDAQ is my preferred choice for portable setups. It’s perfect for calibration stations, quick diagnostics, and smaller test environments where flexibility and speed matter most. While it doesn’t include built-in conditioning, its 20-bit resolution and ±10 V range deliver clean, accurate measurements. External accessories handle the conditioning, which makes setup simpler and more adaptable. It may not match PXI’s speed, but mioDAQ excels in ease of use and mobility, which is integral in my workflow.
mioDAQ, like most NI products, runs on the NI-DAQmx Drivers. This means that if you and your team are already invested in the NI software ecosystem, mioDAQ becomes an extension of your existing workflow rather than a separate silo.
Cost is a major factor when evaluating test platforms, especially at scale. I’ve worked extensively with both PXI and mioDAQ, and each has a different cost profile depending on the application.
For a recent automotive ECU validation, we deployed a full PXI chassis with I/O modules and built-in signal conditioning. It handled the job with amazing accuracy. The timing was tight, the channel count was high, and PXI gave us the microsecond-level accuracy we needed. It was worth the investment.
mioDAQ provides a more affordable solution for smaller or portable setups. Each self-contained unit connects via USB-C and includes analog and digital I/O, typically priced in the low thousands. Its lower cost and simpler setup make it ideal for benchtop calibration stations and quick diagnostics without compromising measurement quality.
Signal conditioning also plays into the cost equation, as detailed earlier when I discussed the differences in the processes between the two. Software licensing is another shared consideration. Both PXI and mioDAQ use NI-DAQmx, which is free, and integrate with NI’s broader software ecosystem including LabVIEW, FlexLogger, and VeriStand. If you already have licenses for these tools, there’s no additional cost. However, new users may need to factor in LabVIEW licensing, which can range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars depending on the edition and intended use.
PXI systems require more setup time, calibration, and maintenance. They’re built for long-term, high-reliability use, which adds overhead. Regular checks on module connections, chassis cleaning, and timing verification are part of the routine. mioDAQ is easier to update, with minimal setup and lower maintenance costs. It’s well-suited for quick deployment and short-term projects.
The NI mioDAQ line has quickly become a valuable part of my testing workflow. It offers the precision, flexibility, and simplicity that makes setup fast and repeatable. Whether I’m calibrating sensors, validating control logic, or building portable diagnostics rigs, mioDAQ helps me get the job done efficiently.
As Ball Systems continues to expand our use of mioDAQ across different projects, we’re finding new ways to streamline our test systems without compromising on performance.
Want to see how Ball Systems has deployed NI solutions in real projects? Visit our Project Gallery.