As manufacturing continues to accelerate and product complexity increases, engineering teams are under more pressure than ever to modernize their test strategies. At NI Demo Day, NI shared an in-depth look at their evolving hardware and software platforms—highlighting new capabilities designed to simplify development, strengthen reliability, and expand flexibility across industries.
For organizations like Circuit Check, who integrate NI technologies into custom functional test systems, these updates directly impact how we help customers scale, automate, and future-proof their test solutions.
A Unified, Flexible Hardware Platform
NI emphasized what many test teams already know: their hardware ecosystem is broad and adaptable. From data acquisition to RF, the NI platform covers a large set of industries and applications—making it possible to tailor the test architecture to each technical requirement.
PXI: The Core of Scalable Automated Test
PXI continues to be NI’s flagship platform, offering:
For test engineering teams planning system refreshes, NI highlighted new PXI chassis, embedded controllers, and high-speed instrumentation—ensuring roadmap continuity for years to come.
CompactDAQ vs. CompactRIO
NI clarified the differences that often guide architecture decisions:
| Platform | Best For | Key Advantage |
| CompactDAQ (cDAQ) | Sensor measurement, data logging, lower-cost acquisition | Simple PC-connected DAQ with broad C-Series IO |
| CompactRIO (cRIO) | Deterministic control, distributed IO, embedded test | Real-time controller with programmable FPGA |
Both share the same C-Series IO modules—making it easier to scale up or down as system needs evolve.
RF Platforms Expanding for Modern Wireless
NI continues to invest heavily in RF:
This matters for customers testing radios, IoT devices, wireless modules, or aerospace/defense hardware—where frequency ranges and modulation standards evolve rapidly.
Software Advancements: Making Test Development Faster
One of the biggest themes from the presentation was NI’s investment in software. While LabVIEW remains at the center, NI is layering in new tools to improve efficiency for both new and experienced developers.
Key software updates include:
For test teams looking to reduce manual coding, accelerate bring-up, and strengthen version control, these software enhancements directly reduce engineering overhead.
New PXI Hardware: Controllers, Power, and Instrumentation
NI highlighted several newly released PXI modules and controllers designed to help customers modernize aging test racks.
New PXI embedded controllers
These updates are especially critical for customers transitioning from older controllers that can no longer support modern OS and security requirements.
New instrumentation
While NI noted that standalone oscilloscopes or bench instruments may be more cost-effective in some scenarios, the value of PXI instrumentation shines when it’s part of a unified, automated test system.
Why This Matters for Circuit Check Customers
Circuit Check builds turnkey automated test systems that often integrate NI platforms. The direction NI is moving—more modularity, more software acceleration, more power in RF and PXI—aligns with what our customers are demanding:
Whether you're planning a test system refresh, transitioning to Windows 11, or looking to expand into RF or high-speed digital, Circuit Check can help guide the right NI-based architecture—while integrating the fixtures, switching, interfaces, and automation required to deliver a complete solution.
Looking Ahead
As NI continues focusing on platform stability, software modernization, and expanding instrument capability, engineering teams have a clearer roadmap for the future of automated test.
Circuit Check will continue to monitor NI’s developments so we can implement best-in-class solutions that reduce downtime, simplify diagnostics, and support higher-volume production environments.
If you'd like to discuss how these NI updates impact your next test system—or how to integrate them into existing stations—our engineering team is ready to help.