Practical articles for traceable test and measurement work.

Three Test & Measurement Buying Scenarios — And How to Know Which One You're In

A practical, scenario-based guide to test and measurement equipment buying. Covers the National Instruments ecosystem, HVAC multimeters, magnetic flow sensors, and resetting a Mitutoyo digital caliper — from a real procurement perspective.

2026-08-28 · Jane Smith

National Instruments Buying Guide 2025: NI Data Loggers, Automotive Multimeters, PMD 3D Sensors, and the Mitutoyo Caliper Question

A practical procurement guide to National Instruments: how to verify the official website, choose NI data loggers, evaluate automotive DMM applications, understand PMD 3D sensors, and answer where Mitutoyo calipers are made.

2026-08-27 · Jane Smith

Start With the National Instruments Website: Sensor Integration Lessons From a DBS60 Encoder, Digital Micrometer, and FLIR One

A test engineer shares hard-won lessons from connecting a DBS60 encoder, digital micrometer, and FLIR One thermal camera to NI systems. Start with the National Instruments website, then wire the sensor.

2026-08-27 · Jane Smith

National Instruments Login, Downloads, and Measurement FAQs: A Quality-Focused Guide

Practical answers for National Instruments login and downloads, wiring an inductive sensor M12, 17B+ digital multimeter reviews, and when to change your HPLC Agilent columns.

2026-08-26 · Jane Smith

Why Your Measurement Setup Lies: The $3,200 Lesson I Keep Relearning

A field guide to oscilloscope grounding, multimeter burden voltage, digital micrometer technique, and megger insulation testing—and why National Instruments changed the way I see it all.

2026-08-26 · Jane Smith

I Tried to Save My Client $3,600 on Test Equipment. It Cost $5,180.

A one-person test shop skips the National Instruments thermocouple module for a $129 USB logger, misreads a PWM heater with a Fluke 117 True RMS multimeter, and trusts a phone thermal camera for board-level checks. The beta failure and the $5,180 re-test that followed.

2026-08-25 · Jane Smith

The $400 Rush Fee That Saved a $15,000 Deadline: A National Instruments Thermocouple Module Story

A lab manager learns the hard way that “compatible” third-party gear isn't the same as National Instruments. When a cheap thermocouple module failed, only NI's rush shipping could save the deadline.

2026-08-25 · Jane Smith

Don't Order a Replacement Until You've Called National Instruments Support

A field engineer's case for calling National Instruments support before rushing a replacement DAQ or chassis. Includes practical advice on digital multimeter kits, FLIR thermal cameras, and a surprisingly useful pipette gun.

2026-08-24 · Jane Smith

Stop Buying Test Tools. Start Building a Measurement System.

A quality manager's take on why single-point tools like voltage tester pens and handheld thermal cameras fail in production—and why a National Instruments-based system plus real support is the reliability bet.

2026-08-24 · Jane Smith