At NI Week in Austin this year, National Instruments (NI) has released the newer updated version of its SystemLink Software.
Managing configuration activities and data for a fleet of distributed test and measurement systems can be daunting, especially when systems incorporate a variety of device configurations and software combinations. With the increasing number of distributed systems and the exponential growth of data, engineering teams must manage the disparities across these systems.
NI’s SystemLink can help engineers improve operational efficiency by offering a single interface to quickly set up and manage software, tests and assets across multiple facilities and test benches. The latest release of SystemLink includes the new SystemLink Asset Module. This additional module allows users to centrally track and manage test assets including usage information and calibration data along with a new dashboard view that provides quick scans of relevant insights, such as connection history and calibration forecast. SystemLink is now also available in Chinese and German.
Additionally, continuous monitoring of system health and performance is essential for test throughput and production continuity. The recent update includes new functionality within the SystemLink Test Module that reports real-time activity, with a new custom dashboard including pass/fail status and test results. In case of network interruptions, local test nodes also cache results and send them to the SystemLink server when a connection can be reestablished. Along with out-of-the-box support for TestStand, the new version of SystemLink provides APIs for custom test executives written in LabVIEW, Python and .NET/C#.
NI designed the software specifically to improve configuration processes by providing a central web application for tasks such as software installations, device updates and diagnostic functions. SystemLink also helps maximize instrumentation utilization and minimize cost and employee time spent on administrative tasks related to managing testers. Test personnel can use its open architecture to future-proof their systems and keep up with constantly changing requirements and new technologies.
According to Dr. Ganesh Devaraj, CEO of Soliton Technologies, an NI STS/Semiconductor Specialty Alliance Partner, combining out-of-the-box LabVIEW and TestStand integration with open APIs for extensibility, SystemLink solves many of the technical challenges inherent in developing distributed solutions, such as software deployment and the aggregation and storage of test data. In addition, SystemLink integration with Python and Jupyter Notebook has enabled Soliton to develop and deploy machine learning and powerful data visualization solutions into the workflow seamlessly.
