Nighthawk High Performance DAQ

For over 40 years, Hi-Techniques has designed and manufactured high-performance DAQ systems for the engineering and scientific community. Nighthawk builds on that experience to offer high performance for demanding measurements.

• NASA & IEST Compliance: State-of-the-art 24-bit SAR digitizers plus 10-pole analog anti-alias filters assure zero overshoot on fast-rising signals, for compliance with NASA and IEST shock standards.
• Ultra-Low Drift & High Accuracy: Careful analog design and low-noise amplifier components provide high dynamic range, accuracy, and ultra-low drift for stability during long-term tests.
• High Dynamic Range: The low-noise front end provides more than 120 dB dynamic range on most ranges, with RMS noise as low as 0.1 µV or 0.4 µstrain for strain-gage applications.
• Differential Signal Path: A fully differential signal path from input amplifier to ADC provides high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and common-mode rejection ratio (CMRR).

Nighthawk DAQ systems are available in two mainframe options. Both support IEEE-1588 Precision Time Protocol (PTP) synchronization among multiple Nighthawk chassis and Hi-Techniques' ruggedized Echelon systems. Multiple distributed systems can be started and stopped together. Data can be stored in real time to internal SSD storage, streamed to a remote/host PC through Ethernet, or stored in both places simultaneously.

The Nighthawk family offers a variety of interchangeable input modules to support virtually all mechanical, electrical, acoustic, and sensor signals with exceptional accuracy and stability. Mix and match input modules in any configuration.

Additional Modules & Output Capabilities

• 32-channel Hi-Density DAQ Module (P/N: NT-32D8-100K): Ultra-high-density, universal signal-conditioned input module with 32 channels, 100 kS/s, and a 24-bit SAR ADC per channel. Includes 0.5–10 V bridge excitation and 4 mA IEPE excitation per channel. Dual HD 104-pin front-panel connectors (16 channels each) support BNC, spring-loaded terminal, thermocouple, solder-cup, or flying-lead breakouts for high-channel-count strain-gage and thermocouple acquisition with CJC support.
• 16-channel Real-Time Analog Output Module: Monitor channels can be configured from conditioned input channels, calculated formula channels, digital I/O, or CAN-device inputs to provide conditioned analog output of any inputs in real time.

Nighthawk System Architecture

The Nighthawk architecture is engineered for maximum scalability and throughput:

• Up to eight ADC modules, supporting up to 32 channels each.
• Up to 256 independent signal-conditioned channels in a single mainframe.
• Up to 64 isolated thermocouples through 16-channel isolated thermocouple modules.
• 16 digital I/O / frequency channels and CAN port / vehicle-bus support.
• GPS/IRIG and IEEE-1588 time synchronization.
• Optional 40Gbps QSFP connectivity (fiber optic or copper) and 2.5GbE connectivity to external workstations.

Nighthawk supports continuous acquisition and storage for demanding measurement applications. In addition to continuous capture to an internal SSD or across 2.5GbE Ethernet to a remote workstation, it can capture and store data simultaneously to both local storage and a remote PC.

• Redundant Acquisition: Store data in multiple locations simultaneously to minimize data-loss risk.
• Automatic Archiving: Automatically archive data without post-acquisition transfers, including terabyte-length records.
• Real-Time Review: View data in real time at the measurement point and remotely across Ethernet. During longer recordings, earlier data can be reviewed before capture finishes, allowing immediate identification of events of interest.
• Multi-Format Export: Store data in native Aspire format or export to more than 20 third-party formats, including S3T, RPC3, MAT, DPlot, HDF5, and CSV.
• Dynamic Sample Rate Switching: Change sample rate in response to a trigger event or timestamp. Sample at a slower rate to conserve storage, then increase recording speed on trigger using selectable pre- and post-trigger settings.

Oscilloscope and Transient-Recorder Operation

Nighthawk can operate as a multichannel, high-resolution digital storage oscilloscope and transient analyzer:

• Triggered single-shot / transient and repetitive scope-style acquisition.
• Flexible pre-trigger and post-trigger acquisition up to hard-drive capacity.
• Independent level, slope, and hysteresis settings per channel for stable triggering on noisy signals.
• Selectable Boolean AND/OR triggering across analog, digital, and CAN channels.
• Highest-sample-rate transient capture with immediate rearm.
• Review transient data with previous/next transient indexing.
• Optional removable, lockable SSD bay for secure applications or immediate external-PC access.

Real-Time Spectral Analysis

Nighthawk's integrated high-speed, hardware-based signal processor supports real-time spectral analysis, octave/third-octave analysis, harmonics analysis, and spectral maps. Frequency-domain behavior can be monitored live alongside time-domain data as measurements occur.

Power Analysis

Nighthawk's wide input range and high-accuracy input amplifiers support comprehensive power analysis. The High-Voltage Module supports per-channel input ranges from ±100 mV to ±2000 V, allowing direct current shunt and high-voltage measurements on the same module without separate hardware types.

Aspire's power-analyzer package provides single-phase and multiphase power analysis, including:

• Live Waveform Display: Real-time voltage, current, power-calculation, and phase plots.
• Phasor Diagram: Polar plot displaying phase angles and RMS magnitudes as vectors.
• Harmonics Spectrum: Bar chart of total harmonic distortion (THD) through the 50th order.
• Power Metrics Summary: Real-time RMS, active power, reactive power, apparent power, and power factor.

Nighthawk integrates seamlessly with Hi-Techniques' Aspire software, which supports the company's complete DAQ range. Aspire is designed as an out-of-the-box platform for setup, display, and analysis from sensor to solution.

Aspire automatically discovers local and networked Hi-Techniques products and configures itself to match hardware capabilities. IPv6 support eliminates the need to set individual TCP/IP addresses: connect a network cable and available DAQ systems are discovered automatically. Software updates are available free of charge from the Hi-Techniques website. Aspire can operate while connected to a DAQ system or offline for pre-test setup and post-test analysis.

Scalable Setup and Configuration

• Setup Wizard: Guides new users through channel setup and sensor settings. Enter values from a sensor datasheet or calibrate single/multiple sensors through the wizard.
• Spreadsheet Setup: Supports rapid configuration in large-channel-count systems.
• Group Operations: Group similar sensors for group setup, such as balancing 100 strain gages with a single keystroke.
• Extend-Select: Control and adjust multiple sensors in one unified action.

Viewing Data

Aspire supports multiple display types for different data sources: scrolling strip charts, fast-refreshing oscilloscope displays, video displays, spectral displays, meter displays, and numeric displays. Workspaces can mix display types across multiple windows, pages, and monitors.

• Analog sensor signals & CAN-bus data
• Digital inputs, including frequency and RPM
• Video data & quadrature / rotational data
• GPS data, including speed, position, and altitude
• Numeric displays with selectable meter styles and cursor synchronization across pages

ATE and Control Applications

For system-level or control applications, Nighthawk provides access to real-time data directly from hardware without potential software latencies. Data can stream at full sample rates over high-speed 2.5GbE Ethernet to Linux, Windows, or other real-time hosts. An Application Programming Interface (API) supports integration into system-level applications and automated-test environments.

Data Analysis and Export

Built-in interactive analysis includes more than 100 math functions (trigonometry, calculus, timing, and spectral). The Waveform Calculator calculates on-screen statistics such as maximum, minimum, RMS, and frequency at the touch of an icon. An integrated Formula Editor supports combining functions for custom real-time calculations. For repetitive tasks and automation, Nighthawk embeds the open-source Python language and a remote command set.

Integrated Sensor Database

Aspire's Sensor Database maintains complete sensor histories including calibration constants, serial numbers, and next calibration dates for quick, accurate setup:

• Create a database of current and previously used sensors.
• Synchronize with corporate databases via the integrated SQL database tool.
• Drag sensors from the database directly into channel setup — set up 100 strain-gage channels in a single drag-and-drop operation with traceable sensor-to-report results.

Both Nighthawk mainframes include dual IEEE-1588 synchronization ports, 2.5GbE Ethernet, and a CAN port for low-cost thermocouple channels and vehicle-bus integration.

Mainframes

Input Modules

Available Options

• IRIG-B / GPS time synchronization
• 16-channel real-time analog output providing conditioned output of any inputs in real time
• 40Gbps QSFP port (user-selectable optical or copper link)
• Removable, lockable U.2 NVMe SSD storage bay

Contact Hi-Techniques for assistance configuring a system for specific measurement requirements.