National Instruments Expands Sound and Vibration Product

Feb. 3, 2009 – National Instruments (Nasdaq: NATI) has announced the release of new NI analysis and signal processing tools for noise, vibration and harshness (NVH); machine condition monitoring; and audio test applications. The NI Sound and Vibration Measurement Suite Version 7.0 extends analysis functionality with NI LabVIEW virtual instruments (VIs) for performing psychoacoustic measurements, making it possible for engineers to quickly set up tests to quantify sound quality. Additionally, National Instruments announced the NI USB-4432, a portable bus-powered dynamic signal acquisition module for making high-accuracy sound and vibration measurements.

The Sound and Vibration Measurement Suite 7.0 supports full-featured sound quality analysis, so engineers can ensure high-quality acoustics in their designs. The LabVIEW VIs in the Sound and Vibration Measurement Suite also contain octave analysis, frequency analysis and order tracking for automotive, military and aerospace and mechanical and structural designs. Engineers can quickly and efficiently get their applications started with the configuration-based Sound and Vibration Assistant or with more than 50 ready-to-run LabVIEW example code bases provided in the Sound and Vibration Measurement Suite.

“Sound quality considerations are becoming increasingly important in the design of products,” said David Nelson, President and Principal Consultant at Nelson Acoustics. “The LabVIEW sound quality algorithms are easy to implement and well laid out – a very welcome addition to the Sound and Vibration Measurement Suite.”

In addition, the Sound and Vibration Measurement Suite is ideal for machine monitoring, machine health and machine efficiency applications. Engineers can develop applications faster by using examples for tachometer processing, order spectra and waterfall plots. The Sound and Vibration Assistant now includes new machine monitoring displays to quickly configure machine diagnostic utilities. The new displays provide diagnostics for motor balance and shaft position in addition to more traditional order analysis displays.

The USB-4432 delivers 108 dB of dynamic range to properly capture high-frequency, low-amplitude vibrations in the presence of low-frequency, high-amplitude signals. The module consists of four analogue input channels for reading from integral electronics (IEPE) sensors and a fifth channel for tachometer input. The five channels simultaneously acquire at rates up to 102.4 kS/s, extending the frequency bandwidth and performing higher-frequency readings than other NI USB solutions. In addition, the USB-4432 features configurable AC/DC coupling to allow for a variety of vibration sensors on each channel, making it ideal for a wide range of portable applications such as machine condition monitoring and NVH.

Readers can visit www.ni.com/soundandvibration to view a demo of the Sound and Vibration Measurement Suite and learn more about NI machine condition monitoring, NVH and audio test solutions.

About National Instruments
National Instruments (www.ni.com) is transforming the way engineers and scientists design, prototype and deploy systems for measurement, automation and embedded applications. NI empowers customers with off-the-shelf software such as NI LabVIEW and modular cost-effective hardware, and sells to a broad base of more than 25,000 different companies worldwide, with no one customer representing more than 3 percent of revenue and no one industry representing more than 10 percent of revenue. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, NI has more than 5,000 employees and direct operations in more than 40 countries. For the past nine years, FORTUNE magazine has named NI one of the 100 best companies to work for in America. Readers can obtain investment information from the company’s investor relations department by calling (512) 683-5090, e-mailing nati@ni.com or visiting www.ni.com/nati.

Pricing and Contact Information
Sound and Vibration Measurement Suite 7.0
Priced* from £2,949; €3,699
NI USB-4432
Priced* from £1,849; €2,299
Web: www.ni.com/soundandvibration  
*Prices subject to change without notice.

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Tel: (01635) 523 545, Fax: (01635) 523154  
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