Thanks so far for the vendor suggestions. I've started looking
into them. BTW, I'm aware of USB\RS-232 converters, but the data
we stream via serial ports is time critical, and I can't be sure how
fast and jittery those converters are. This is also the reason we
use a dedicated audio card for sound output--most integrated audio
solutions have issues with poor timing.
Tim--
I like NI's input/output products (DAQ boards, video capture boards,
etc.). The products you release are stable, well supported, have
mature drivers, and stick around a long time. We use them to
interface with machines that are expected to run for a *long* time, and
whose hardware interfaces remain consistent over that time, and
consequently, use older interface technology (serial ports, raw analog
channels with BNC connectors, etc.). In our particular case, we
interface with MRI scanners, whose lifetime is usually 10-15 years, and
we cannot afford much downtime.
I'm a big fan of improving computer technologies (faster\more
processors, more RAM, etc.). In fact, I've written our software
to take advantage of the parallel processing optimizations built into
LV. But for industrial applications, it's the *interfaces* that
are the slowest to change. We use your M-series boards for DAQ,
which I imagine are one of the most popular products you sell (prior to
that, we used your E series boards, but changed because of the new
features and competitive prices offered with the M series).
M-series boards connect via standard PCI slots. If computer
vendors are moving to phase out PCI (in favor of PCIe, for example),
then we need either a computer that preserves PCI slots, or an evolved
M-series board that plugs into PCIe (and doesn't require big changes to
the LV software that's already built).
If NI plans to offer PCs, then the general rule of thumb should be to
offer the latest and greatest in computing technologies
(faster\multicore CPUs, more RAM, decent video card support, fast hard
drives, RAID support, etc.), but to preserve the tried and true
interfaces that many industrial machines use (RS-232, PCI, etc.).
I don't need 100s of USB ports, I don't need optical audio outputs, and
I don't need SLI\dual-video card support. And please, for our
sanity, offer only operating systems that have been out in the market
for a long time and have proven relatively stable (and aren't bloated with useless pre-installed software). I'll venture
into Vista when it's been around for a few years and multiple service
packs have been issued. The mainstream computer vendors don't
even offer XP anymore.
I guess what I'm looking for is the power of a high end
gaming\workstation PC without all the unnecissary extras that such
machines are bloated with. Instead, I'd want the hardware
interfaces that the majority of industrial machinery out in the real
world use. That way, we can connect to all the devices we need
to, yet still take advantage of all the advances and optimizations that
you guys have worked so hard to put in LabVIEW, DAQmx, Vision,
etc. When it comes to high-quality, stable PCs that can last in
an industrial environment, I'm willing to pay the price for a long term
investment.
Message Edited by Yuri33 on 10-20-2007 02:43 AM
Sure, it can be annoying, but it's inevitable. Also, a mainboard that has both the new standards, and all of the old ones, would be rediculously big and expensive. Can you imagine a mainboard with 8 ISA, 5 PCI , 1x AGP and all the modern PCIe slots? 
