Connect, deploy, and manage distributed test and measurement systems

National Instruments’ SystemLink software delivers measurable improvements in operational efficiency and productivity by providing users with a centralised web-based management interface for connected devices, software, and data. This open architecture incorporates a wide range of both National Instruments as well as third-party software and hardware technologies SystemLink software manages tasks such as software deployment, device configuration, health and test monitoring, and data management and visualisation.

Systems management:

• Configuration & deployment - Optimise the efficiency of system configuration tasks, such as software deployment, device management, and diagnostics.
• Health & performance – Improve system uptime and performance with centralised monitoring services, configurable alarms, and an email notification workflow.

Data management services:

• Search and manage measurement data – Reduce the time spent searching and standardising measurement data by using DataFinder Server to automate data standardisation and enable data searching regardless of file format and location.
• Analyse and report measurement data – Efficiently process your data and derive value from it by using Analysis Server to automate data analysis and report generation.

Data visualisation services:

• Visualisation and remote operations – Accelerate the development of real-time monitoring applications and remote operator interfaces with high-performance data services and configuration-based graphical design tools.
• SystemLink cloud – Take your data visualisations to the cloud with an NI-hosted service that lets you publish data to graphical dashboards and WebVIs in a secure, high-performance architecture.

Automated test insights:

• Test monitoring – Increase test efficiency and minimise test downtime with software that monitors and reports the status, results, and operational parameters of automated tests.

What can you do with SystemLink?

SystemLink is a feature-filled platform geared around optimising operational efficiencies.

SystemLink configuration and deployment

SystemLink provides a central web application that improves the efficiency of remote configuration tasks and software deployment processes. Managing configuration activities for a fleet of distributed test and measurement systems can be daunting, especially when systems incorporate a variety of device configurations and software combinations. SystemLink is designed specifically to improve these configuration processes by providing a central web application for tasks such as software installation, device updates, and diagnostic functions. Although aligned with LabVIEW-based test and measurement solutions, SystemLink also offers an open architecture that supports third-party software and hardware.

Capabilities:

1. Centrally manage distribution software. Manage a central repository for software distribution packages as well as an intuitive application experience to organise and oversee the software feeds to which systems can subscribe.
2. Optimise the software deployment process. Improve software configuration compliance and the velocity of program updates with tools to deploy to multiple systems simultaneously, including dependency awareness, versioning, and component-level updates.
3. Perform remote device configuration and diagnostics. Access a central view of connected systems and installed devices as well as a variety of remote configuration functions. All system events are tracked and logged for historical auditing.

SystemLink Health and Performance

SystemLink provides applications and tools that improve system uptime and monitor the performance of test and measurement assets. Continuous monitoring of system health and performance is essential for test throughput and production continuity. Detecting problems early can prevent minor system issues from becoming major operational disruptions. SystemLink provides preconfigured system monitoring features and an open framework that you can use to connect custom application data with an alarms engine and notification workflow. You benefit from standard reporting views and the ability to configure operational dashboards using data transferred from LabVIEW and other applications.

Capabilities:

1. Health monitoring services. Track system health with preconfigured monitoring services and a high-performance data reporting engine. Use LabVIEW or Web Service APIs to extend and customise the data services.
2. Alarms management and notifications. Notify key stakeholders with a configurable alarms engine and user-defined email notification workflows. Associate custom application data to alarms based on unique solution requirements.
3. Calibration reporting. Automatically detect calibration data from NI devices and track calibration events across all managed systems.

DataFinder Server

DataFinder Server helps you search and manage your team’s measurement data regardless of location or file type with automated data standardisation and an automatically built, searchable index that anyone can use to find the data they need. As the data you acquire grows exponentially, it can be difficult for teams to search and manage it for useful information. You and your team can save time and effort in finding the data you need with DataFinder Server. You can automate data standardisation and enrichment, quickly find your data using an automatically built search index, and seamless scale to larger deployments for worldwide organisations.

How it can help:

1. Automatically prepare your data from multiple sources for queries and analysis. Data from various sources may use different units and nomenclatures or be corrupt. Automatically standardise metadata, verify data quality, and convert to Technical Data Management Streaming (TDMS) to ensure data is consistent regardless of origin.
2. Quickly access and search your group’s measurement data. DataFinder Server automatically indexes files of any type located anywhere on your network. The whole team can access the group's measurement data at one time with full-text or parametric search options using DIAdem, LabVIEW, or a web client.
3. Scale data access and searching to global teams. DataFinder Server is backed by industry-standard technology and can handle terabytes of data. Set up a federation to link multiple servers so global teams can access one source of data. Create your own or connect to existing ASAM ODS servers.

Analysis Server

Analysis Server helps you analyse more of your data and drive maximum insight from it by automating post-processing scripts on a server. It helps you and your team automate data analysis and report generation on a server. You can make data-driven decisions with confidence by reusing DIAdem and Python scripts created by team domain experts, interactively setting up logic and triggering options to decide when analysis scripts run, and using multiple options for server configuration.

How it can help:

1. Intelligently analyse new files and generate reports automatically. Analysis Server automates analysis and report generation. You can upload DIAdem and Python scripts, choose triggering and logic options for controlling when and what scripts execute, and use the web manager or REST API to set up and deploy tasks.
2. Standardise analysis and reporting for your team. Analysis Server improves data analysis and reporting for teams. You can upload up to 10 000 scripts created by domain experts for your team to use. You can also use admin accounts to limit access for configuring and managing tasks, and add more parallelised tasks as your team’s needs grow.

SystemLink data visualisation

A software architecture that offers an integrated set of data communications and data visualisation tools can significantly reduce the cost of developing distributed applications. With SystemLink, you can develop centralised web interfaces that interface with LabVIEW applications and third-party software. Choose from native configuration-based dashboards, LabVIEW NXG WebVI interfaces, or custom JavaScript applications.

Capabilities:

1. Rapidly configure web dashboards. Create configurable drag-and-drop, web-based dashboards with bidirectional communication between a central server and a group of connected nodes. The SystemLink Dashboard Builder provides high-performance engineering widgets and adaptive layouts for mobile devices.
2. Host LabVIEW NXG WebVI interfaces. Host customer-specific web applications designed with the LabVIEW NXG Web Module to access data from any web browser, without client-side plug-ins or installers required.
3. Use intuitive, high-performance data services. Programmatically communicate monitoring values and messages generated by distributed applications to a centralised server using secure, scalable data services with LabVIEW and Web Service APIs.

SystemLink Cloud for data visualisation

Developing distributed applications typically requires the configuration and management of web server and database infrastructure. NI is removing this obstacle to solution delivery with the SystemLink Cloud for data visualisation. It’s a hosted service in a secure, scalable cloud-computing environment. SystemLink Cloud enables development teams to use the configuration-based SystemLink Dashboard Builder and integrates with the LabVIEW NXG Web Module.

Capabilities:

1. Visualise engineering data. Quickly visualise engineering data from remote systems through drag-and-drop, web-based dashboards with bidirectional communication between the cloud-hosted server and connected test and measurement nodes.
2. Host LabVIEW NXG WebVI interfaces. Create custom web interfaces with the LabVIEW NXG Web Module and quickly deploy applications in the cloud for stakeholders to access through a web browser or mobile device.
3. Use intuitive, high-performance data services. Send monitoring and messaging data to the SystemLink Cloud service using the same LabVIEW and Web Service APIs used for solutions based on SystemLink Server technology.

SystemLink for automated tests

SystemLink provides a test sequence monitoring option that live reports test results in a web application. It also extends native integration to TestStand and an open API for integration with customer-specific test executives developed in the LabVIEW environment and other languages.

Capabilities:

1. Monitor and report test results. A centralised web application displays test execution details across a collection of networked test stations. You can access pass/fail status at the sequence and step level as well as attached test reports.
2. Integrate natively with TestStand. You can track test sequence and step status with live reporting from TestStand-based applications that give access to pass/fail metrics per system and configuration of custom properties and metadata.
3. Create custom dashboards with Test Results. SystemLink publishes test results as tag data that is accessible to the Dashboard Builder, so you can create unique web interfaces to track and monitor test activity.

Did you know?

Every purchase of SystemLink includes a renewable, one-year membership to the Standard Service Program (SSP) for software. Find out more about acquiring your own SystemLink software. Get in touch.

Servicing the test & measurement market

When National Instruments took a decision to pursue a distribution model in Southern Africa, Test Dynamics was formed to provide continued representation of the National Instruments brand locally.

Started by three ex National Instruments employees, Test Dynamics is perfectly positioned to provide the local market with access to a superior portfolio of products. All Test Dynamics employees are graduates of either Electronic Engineering or Physics and have the requisite technical knowledge and acumen to assist in the specifying and engineering of complex test and measurement systems.

The synthesis of high-quality digitising hardware, together with software, has been the essence of the National Instruments approach since its inception and more recently this philosophy has been driven even closer to the hardware with open architecture digitisers and FPGA based platforms that have provided users with firmware level access to customise their instruments to very particular requirements.

Test Dynamics’ sales manager, Stephen Plumb says: “We can also offer training on the platforms to ensure that our customers are able to make the best use of the tools. Some customers prefer to have a turnkey solution, so we will continue to work with the National Instruments Alliance Partner network to assist customers that do not wish to engineer solutions in-house.”

Building a strong base

In addition to the National Instruments products, Test Dynamics also represents a number of globally recognised technology suppliers, including Mac Panel Interconnect, Quanser, Magtrol and Micron Optics.

Mac Panel Interconnect specialises in mass interconnects for high-density test systems; Quanser focuses on teaching and research of controls within the academic space; and Magtrol supplies high-precision torque transducers.

Micron Optics has been partnering with National Instruments for fibre optic measurements of strain, temperature and displacement in environments where traditional measurements are not easy due to factors such as high EMC or risk of lightning. They have solutions for both low- and high-speed fibre sensing that are easy to incorporate within the LabVIEW environment to build a mixed measurement system.

Did you know?

LabVIEW has been around for 33 years, giving National Instruments unrivalled experience in bringing software-defined instrumentation to market. Find out more about Test Dynamics