New software simplifies data logging with NI CompactDAQ hardware

With Chameleon, engineers can get data acquisition and logging systems up and running in minutes to acquire and log static and dynamic signals from microphone arrays, accelerometers, bridge sensors, thermocouples and other sensors without any programming. Available on the LabVIEW Tools Network, Chameleon software is designed to work with a variety of NI CompactDAQ chassis, including the new stand-alone system. This system features a built-in dual-core Intel processor and onboard storage to deliver high-performance processing and logging in a single, portable chassis. For fully customised data acquisition and logging systems, users can combine NI CompactDAQ systems with LabVIEW.

The combination of Chameleon and the NI CompactDAQ platform is suitable for a variety of structural test and monitoring applications, including pressure and strain measurements for jet engine testing, transportation shock load measurements, strain acquisition for vehicle-to-structure impact testing and vibration measurements for marine structures and aircraft. Chameleon has a strong track record of success with military accounts, such as Northrop Grumman Corporation and Raytheon BBN Technologies.

Jeff Mazurek, Director of Sales Engineering at Raytheon BBN, says: "Using Chameleon turnkey software based on LabVIEW and DAQ software, we can measure more than 32 channels of pressure data from our sensors with expansion capabilities while maintaining time-synchronised data from transient shot events on the firing range."

Chameleon Features

• Support for voltage, IEPE, temperature, bridge and current sensors
• Data visualisation with multiple traces and graphs, using pre-recorded or live data
• Data stored locally to technical data management streaming files for simple integration with LabVIEW or NI DIAdem
• Calculated virtual channels with alarms on virtual or real channels
• On-the-fly update of virtual channel equations and data-logging rate
• Customisation and integration with LabVIEW for additional flexibility

For further information, follow the links to these resources:

Chameleon for NI CompactDAQ: sine.ni.com/nips/cds/view/p/lang/en/nid/210876

Stand-Alone NI CompactDAQ Chassis: sine.ni.com/nips/cds/view/p/lang/en/nid/210805

NI CompactDAQ Platform: www.ni.com/data-acquisition/compactdaq

LabVIEW Software: www.ni.com/labview