Siemens and National Instruments are integrating their software and hardware, allowing engineers to add NI`s PC-based industrial measurement products to Siemens` PC-based automation systems. In the longer term, they plan to develop higher-level measurement and automation systems that cover all aspects of the factory floor.

The partners say that their co-operation will allow engineers to make more sophisticated measurements of their processes and to feed that information back to their control systems. This will help them to improve the quality and efficiency of their manufacturing processes, Siemens and NI suggest.

Initially, engineers will be able to use Siemens` WinAc control software with NI`s measurement and signal conditioning hardware to create high-speed applications that monitor the condition and performance of factory-floor equipment.

NI is developing an application that will link its Labview test and measurement development package to WinAC, allowing engineers to integrate high-speed measurements into their control applications. The partners say that using WinAC for control and Labview for applications such as vibration analysis, will result in more integrated machine control and monitoring.