Data acquisition with LabView

[rjacobson]

Hello LabView community!

I have a labview program that a coworker wrote, but I'm trying to add a functionality to it to start data acquisition (perhaps a contact closure signal?) and found this page: http://www.ni.com/academic/students/learn-daq/triggering/# but I'm not sure if labview (Labview development system, if there is more than one) is installed on a computer that is already communicating with an instrument (in this case a mass spectrometer) if I need to purchase any additional hardware as that page suggests? Or can I just add something to the program to initiate data acquisition? 

Thanks!

[PeterFoerster]

Hi rjacobson,

what kind of hardware are you using right now?

Also: To see if labview Development system is installed on a computer you can Open MAX (or Measurement and Automation Explorer) in the start menu and look under Software. You should find it under start >> all programs >> NI MAX

[rjacobson]

Right now I'm using some stages that are controlled by a manufacturer-made controller, that is programmable with LabView, so its just a PC connected to that controller. But I want to add a functionality so when the stages atart moving, the mass spectrometer, thats already communicating with the PC, will start acquiring data. Does that make sense?