National Instruments introduces Flexlogger for validating new EV and ADAS technologies

The US-based National Instruments (NI) has announced a new configuration-based data-logging software for the validation test, called Flexlogger. NI claims that the new software helps automotive test departments Specialising in EVs and ADAS development to quickly capture accurate, well-documented data to verify system functionality in real-world conditions and to comply with strict government regulations.

Engineers can use Flexlogger to help simplify test configurations and extract key insights with sensor-specific workflows to acquire and log synchronised, mixed measurements – with no programming required. NI claims that it can quickly integrate analog sensors, digital pulse frequencies, CAN signals and calculated channels that are all logged to the universal Technical Data Management Streaming (TDMS) file format, so data can be correlated and analysed to accurately characterise an entire system. These capabilities also address similar challenges faced by test departments in other industries including heavy equipment, aerospace, appliances and academic research.

NI has guaranteed that with Flexlogger, heavy equipment manufacturers like CNH Industrial design and produce variations of powertrain systems for different vehicles like agricultural machines, construction equipment, trucks and buses. Each system has unique specifications for functionality and performance, which means every test has different requirements to integrate new sensors and industrial protocols.

Andy Tarman, lab test engineer at CNH Industrial said, “FlexLogger makes it easier to troubleshoot and verify that the raw data from different sensors are correct before I start my test. This helps shorten test development by saving time typically wasted on redoing configurations.”

The company further claims that Flexlogger automatically logs descriptive metadata about the test configuration including sensor and hardware acquisition settings for easier traceability. Hence, Test departments can improve access to data and effectively communicate results to the organisation using DIAdem data management software to find, analyse and report on Flexlogger data.