- Posted on: 2020-06-29
We’ve been asked this question many times. While Symplify™ features and benefits overlap with some solutions from NI, it covers the broad area where fully custom test solutions to accelerate Research and Development (R&D) and Verification and Validation (V&V). Built entirely in LabVIEW, it is compatible with all NI hardware including cDAQ, cRIO and PXI.
NI software solutions
NI’s TestStand is a test executive used extensively on the production line. It supports any programming language and can test multiple units in parallel. Clients using Symplify™ during their R&D activities can directly interface with TestStand for manufacturing test stand through the TCP/IP server.
NI’s VeriStand is a complete Hardware-In-the-Loop (HIL) environment. It supports multiple modeling language to test control solutions in Real-Time. Most code modules can be compatible between Symplify™ and VeriStand.
FlexLogger is National Instruments ready to use data-logger application. It supports triggers and advanced user-interface but is limited to acquiring data and simple control outputs.
Symplify™ value proposition
Symplify™ is the perfect choice when the requirements are still evolving and more than one instruments need to be controlled. Symplify™ offers standard drivers for most bench-top instruments (power supplies, DMM, etc.) as well as NI DAQ systems.
We designed Symplify™ to expose a large quantity of troubleshooting information to quickly understand and resolve issues with both the device and the test system. This makes it easier for the product development team and test team to work together and meet the project timeline. It
There are standard interfaces included to quickly run manual tests which can also be recorded and customized to run repeatedly through scripts (link to blog page specific). This is the best environment to run extended duration tests such as Verification and Validation (V&V) or continuously stimulate the Device Under Test (DUT) to reproduce and fix an intermittent bug.
Compatibility with NI TestStand™
Having leveraged our platform through R&D and V&V, our clients can quickly convert their test stands for manufacturing. The fastest option is to create a simpler user-interface that can run a single script. Another option is to expose certain Tags so that a TestStand application communicates with Symplify™. In either case, your engineering team retains the ability to parse through months of detailed data if a failure is caught to address issues quickly without lengthy back and forth with your Asian manufacturer.
Symplify™ is now available as a stand-alone product and it is compatible with all NI hardware platforms. Contact our team for more information.