International Talk Like a Pirate Day Starring the NI mioDAQ

What you’ll learn:

The USB-based NI mioDAQ features up to 32 analog input channels with up to 20 bits of resolution, four high-speed analog outputs, 16 flexible digital lines, and four counters.
Simply scanning a QR code on NI mioDAQ gains immediate access to essential software and startup resources.
NI mioDAQ integrates seamlessly with Emerson’s NI LabVIEW software and the LabVIEW+ suite, and it supports FlexLogger Lite data-logging software.

“Fer more ‘n 30 turns 'round the sun, the NI brand be settin' the industry standard fer quality an' performance in data gatherin'. Our crew be listenin' fer th' needs o' test an' measurement mates t' simplify setup an' save them precious hours. The NI mioDAQ solution be offerin' new, mighty features that give the best-in-class data checkin’-out."—Brett Burger, Cap’n o' Emerson's Test an' Measurement crew

That’s right, me mateys—it be International Talk Like a Pirate Day—and what’d be more befittin’ ta throw at ya scurvy dawgs taday than the scuttlebutt on a fancy new piratin’ tool:** it be th’ (Emerson) NI mioDAQ. Some scoundrels be callin’ piratin’, “reverse engineerin’”, but if the scallywags wanted ya ta have their booty, they’d be handin’ it over ta ya over some hot grog, wouldn’t they?

Let's be talkin' about this here USB-based NI mioDAQ box, as done in Figger 1, shall we?

1. She be showin' off 'er nice turn o' bilge. Banana be fer scale, but fair warnin': them scoundrels at Emerson feast on 'em before they can get inta the box.

She be designed fer the desktop, but it be as sturdy as a pirate ship in a storm, ready fer any test bench ye be throwin' at it. NI MioDAQ can be put to the rack with optional ‘arrrdware, as ya can view in Figger 2.

Bringing her about and inta battle, broadsides, with up to 32 analog input channels, four high-speed analog outputs, 16 flexible digital lines, and fore[sic] counters, these guns’ll be ready fer anythin' and can handle huge waves up ta 10 V without gettin’ swamped! (as ya’s can see in Figger 3). And it be calibrated fer two or ten years, so ye can be believin’ it ta give ye accurate readings like ya would put yer faith in yer trusty first mate’s sextant while runnin’ the Columbia Bar. Savvy?

It Were a Setup, Yer Honor

Now, let's be talkin' about th’ setup process. Ye first be scannin' mioDAQ’s QR tramp stamp on ‘er back side, and then ye be discoverin’ the secret location ta be openin’ a treasure chest of all essential software and resources ye need, like the pin map, manual, drivers, setup vids, and other technical docs. It be like havin' a treasure map to guide ye through the launch process! Ye be savin' time and frustration, and ye can be startin' to use the solution faster than a pirate cap’n with two legs.

And if that be not enough, each device be comin' with all the loot ye need, includin’ a USB cable, so ye can be ready to set sail on them big waves without havin’ ta raid the ship’s stores. No need to be searchin' fer extra trinkets, like a pirate lookin' for buried treasure without a map and no worries that ya be losing yer parrot-feces-encrusted blouse on spendin’ fer basic fixins.

Chip’s Log

Now, let's be talkin' about this here FlexLogger Lite data-loggin’ software. It be perfect for engineers who be needin' quick access ta entries from the data log while, say, checkin’ out a new chip, and it be integratin’ seamlessly with Emerson's NI LabVIEW software and the LabVIEW+ suite.

With more’n 260 moons o’ experience using the same DAQ driver, ye can be sure that ye be gettin' backward compatibility and easier performance upgrades from Emerson without resortin’ ta pullin’ yer derringer out cuz there’s no wind in ‘er sails.

Navigatin’ the High C’s

Son of a biscuit eater, if that be not enough, the NI mioDAQ solution and its driver be supportin' software development with C/C++, C#, as well as on Python, and other kinds o’ fancy programmin’ lingo that’d befuddle yer parrot.

Emerson be offerin' enhanced Python support, makin' it easy to install the package and driver software with a command-line package script. Ye can be findin' full documentation on Read the Docs hostin’ platform, and full Open-Source access ta the Python Package, includin' over two ‘n a half score o’ example programs (that be 50 for ye math lubbers), on GitHub, without havin’ ta pillage eBay or set sail for the Amazon ta get these kinds a valuable jewels.

So, me hearties, if ye be needin' a reliable and powerful data-acquisition solution without droppin’ a buncha gold doubloons (starts at $1099; check out the score in Figger 4), or havin’ yer boss string ya up on the yardarm or keelhaul ya cuz ya didn’t use mioDAQ’s 20-bit resolution, ye be needin' to check out this NI mioDAQ device. It be ready to take on jest about any challenge ye be throwin' at it, and it be makin' the setup process as easy as a pirate findin' the parrot on ‘is shoulder.

4. With some extra loot, factory riggin’ can make ‘er fast.

So, what are ye waitin' for? Set sail on yer data acquisition voyage, and grab huge 10-V waves, with one a them NI mioDAQ devices taday! Emerson’s press release PDF be attached here, in talk like yer from one a them fancy schools, if ya can’t savvy.

ni_miodaq_press_release_english

Happy #TalkLikeApirateDay, ya scoundrels!

-AndyT

**While we’re having some fun with the spirit of the day, nobody is condoning the theft of intellectual property—in fact, we condemn and discourage anyone doing so. That said, if you’re repurposing major components from an electric car to an ICE conversion, for example, manufacturers do not publish the CAN bus command codes (Right to Repair laws have not caught up with repurposing modern vehicle components and OEMs like to pretend, at the expense of landfills and component repurposing, that there’s some kind of secret sauce in telling an inverter the accelerator pedal has been pressed 28%).

This means those perfectly serviceable components would prematurely wind up in the landfill or a crusher/grinder unless someone reverse-engineers the CAN messaging such that a bespoke ECM can send the commands to control the drive unit, HV charger, BMS, heater, HVAC system, DC-DC converter, etc.

Then there’s THAT guy, who had built a proprietary system without documentation and someone subsequently needs to figure out how it works to maintain or improve the system. So, lads and lasses, there’s “Piratin’” to be done, but it’s constructive reverse engineering for good, not for greed or theft.

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