Acronym for "mx" in DAQmx and ELVISmx

[FiddlersElbow]

My Google-fu, reference book-fu, and forum-search-fu have failed me utterly... I'm sure this was answered during the transition from NI-DAQ to DAQmx, but all electronic references to this have long since been lost to bit-rot or in the mists of time. What does the "mx" stand for?

[mikeporter · Accepted solution]

As far as I know, it doesn't stand for anything. It's like most of the initials you see tacked onto car model names -- though a few like GT are initials -- or for that matter the names themselves. I drive an Elantra - meaningless (in English at least, Korean?), but cool sounding. 

Mike...

[JÞB]

I can't cite a source... But I did hear this somewhere from an unreliable source (And its as good a story to explain as any publiclly offered)

f(x)= function

m(x)= Multifunction (By extention of the previous accepted definition)

Parentheseis' were removed for marketing and branding.

DAQmx= Data AQuisition multifunction  The "XYZmx" Drivers provide multifunctional APIs. 

This is supported by the poloymorphisism of the basic methods (Reads, Writes, etc...) of DAQmx and ELVISmx .....

Spoiler

Now where is 856x-mx?  (Sorry for the dig on NI 865x Mr. J. P.  It is a pet peeve)

[mikeporter]

Good answer! But it got me thinking (always a dangerous thing this late at night) but I wonder if NI was introducing the product today they would call it iDAQ? Hmmm....

Mike...

[FiddlersElbow]

I seem to recall something like that from way back, but couldn't pull the details to mind.

[FiddlersElbow]

They missed a couple of recent opportunities - the MyDAQ and MyRIO could have been iDAQ and iRIO, but then they would have had to have shiny colors for the cases...

[rolfk]

I think NI stays away from iAnything on purpose. Aside from potential court cases with Apple, if you happen to come up with a really cool name, the whole iWhatever is an idea that is not only not anymore cool, but in fact soooooo from yesterday.

[JÞB]

<Tounge in cheek mode = TRUE>

I relabled my iToilet the iPood

Spoiler

The interface was for crap.

[StephenB]

I think I heard someone say it stands for "measurement experience". Don't take that as fact though

[JÞB]

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@JÞB wrote:

I can't cite a source... But I did hear this somewhere from an unreliable source (And its as good a story to explain as any publiclly offered)

f(x)= function

m(x)= Multifunction (By extention of the previous accepted definition)

Parentheseis' were removed for marketing and branding.

DAQmx= Data AQuisition multifunction  The "XYZmx" Drivers provide multifunctional APIs. 

This is supported by the poloymorphisism of the basic methods (Reads, Writes, etc...) of DAQmx and ELVISmx .....

Spoiler

Now where is 856x-mx?  (Sorry for the dig on NI 865x Mr. J. P.  It is a pet peeve)

---

Let's explore this once more:

LabVIEW 7.0 offered DAQmx, the DAQ assistant ... Certain MAX upgrades...etc...

LabVIEW 7.1 was revolutionary for allowing the creation of "Polymorphic.vi's" and Express.vi's" by the common user base.   Both were necessary for DAQmx.

Kudos to the NI R&D members responsible.

It was a long time ago then but, still ................