National Instruments
Provider of automated test, measurement, engineering software, and industrial automation systems.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
National Instruments, commonly known as NI, is an American engineering technology company headquartered in Austin, Texas. It develops software-defined test, measurement, data-acquisition, and automation systems for engineers, scientists, manufacturers, researchers, educators, and system integrators. The company became particularly associated with LabVIEW, a graphical programming and development environment that lets users build applications by connecting functional blocks rather than writing conventional text-based code. Its hardware portfolio includes modular PXI and PXIe instrumentation, CompactDAQ data-acquisition systems, CompactRIO controllers, production test systems, radio-frequency and mixed-signal equipment, educational platforms, and embedded or FPGA-based control products. NI originated in 1976 when James Truchard, Jeff Kodosky, and Bill Nowlin founded a company in Austin after working on computer-based data collection for a U.S. Navy project at the University of Texas at Austin Applied Research Laboratories. Their first commercial work involved a General Purpose Interface Bus interface for a PDP-11 computer, and their first recorded sale was to Kelly Air Force Base. During the 1980s, NI expanded from interface boards and contract engineering into computer-based instrumentation. Its GPIB boards connected laboratory instruments to personal computers, while the company pursued additional projects including sonar testing and industrial systems. The release of LabVIEW for the Macintosh in 1986 was a major turning point. The software provided a visual development model suited to measurement and control, helping NI differentiate itself from conventional instrument manufacturers. LabWindows followed for DOS, and LabVIEW later expanded to Windows and Unix. NI subsequently built a broader software ecosystem around test sequencing, signal analysis, circuit simulation, machine vision, requirements management, real-time testing, and data management. The company went public on Nasdaq in 1995 under the symbol NATI. During the 1990s it introduced products such as SCXI, PXI, TestStand, and advanced data-acquisition platforms, while expanding internationally and developing a network of alliance partners. PXI became an important open modular-instrumentation standard for automated test and measurement. NI also acquired or incorporated complementary businesses, including the Electronics Workbench product group and Measurement Computing, broadening its reach from high-performance engineering systems to more accessible data-acquisition products. In the 2000s and 2010s, NI expanded its global sales, manufacturing, and research footprint. A major manufacturing operation was established in Debrecen, Hungary, while research and development activities were distributed across several countries. The company supported universities and engineers through its developer community, annual NI Week conference, educational hardware, and partnerships. Acquisitions such as Digilent, monoDrive, and the automotive systems business of Heinzinger Electronic extended NI into education, embedded development, autonomous-vehicle simulation, and electric-vehicle testing. NI officially adopted the shorter corporate name NI in 2020. After unsuccessful negotiations, Emerson Electric pursued a takeover and reached an agreement with NI in April 2023 for an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $8.2 billion. The acquisition closed in October 2023, ending NI's status as an independent public company. NI now operates within Emerson as its Test & Measurement business group, retaining its Austin headquarters and continuing to develop test, measurement, and automation technologies.
History
National Instruments was founded in Austin in 1976 by James Truchard, Jeff Kodosky, and Bill Nowlin. The founders had worked at the University of Texas at Austin on a U.S. Navy project involving computer-assisted data collection and sought to create a General Purpose Interface Bus connection for a PDP-11/04 minicomputer. They established the company in Truchard's garage with bank financing and obtained an early customer at Kelly Air Force Base. The founders continued their university employment until 1980, when they moved to the company full time. During its first decade, NI developed interface boards and undertook engineering projects while personal computers were becoming useful laboratory tools. In 1983 it produced a GPIB board for IBM-compatible PCs. Jeff Kodosky's research into graphical computer interfaces led to LabVIEW, released for the Macintosh in 1986. LabVIEW's visual programming model became the foundation of NI's identity and allowed users to integrate instruments, acquire data, analyze signals, and control equipment within one environment. LabWindows followed for DOS, and LabVIEW later became available for Windows and Unix systems. NI expanded rapidly in the 1990s. It received a LabVIEW patent in 1991, introduced SCXI signal-conditioning technology, and developed products for data acquisition, machine vision, industrial control, and manufacturing test. LabVIEW for Windows and Unix broadened the addressable market, while LabWindows/CVI served programmers working in C and C++. NI also launched the Alliance Partner program and later the NI Developer Zone, creating a community and integrator ecosystem around its tools. The company passed $100 million in annual sales in 1993 and went public on Nasdaq in 1995 as NATI. The decade also saw the introduction of PXI, a CompactPCI-based open architecture for modular measurement and automation, and TestStand, software for sequencing and managing production tests. NI moved to a larger Austin campus, which became known for its open-plan design and employee amenities. It acquired Georgetown Systems' Lookout software and later developed or acquired products for machine vision, circuit design, and factory-floor automation. In the 2000s, NI internationalized its operations. It opened a large manufacturing facility in Debrecen, Hungary, which became a major production center, while maintaining Austin as an important research and development base. The company expanded sales offices and research sites across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. In 2005 it acquired Measurement Computing, strengthening its position in lower-cost data acquisition, and it acquired the Electronics Workbench business, including Multisim and Ultiboard, for electronic circuit simulation and printed-circuit-board design. During the 2010s, NI continued to combine software with modular hardware and real-time computing. Its portfolio included CompactRIO FPGA-based controllers, CompactDAQ systems, PXI/PXIe instruments, TestStand, VeriStand, DIAdem, Multisim, machine-vision tools, and the Semiconductor Test System. In 2013 it acquired Digilent, a supplier of educational and development products known for its Pmod interface. NI also maintained an extensive engineering community and hosted NI Week, an annual developer and customer conference that began in 1995. The company entered the 2020s under the shorter NI name and pursued acquisitions related to automotive simulation and electric-vehicle testing. It acquired monoDrive in 2021 and completed the purchase of Heinzinger Automotive in 2022. Emerson Electric made an ultimately successful acquisition proposal in 2023 after earlier negotiations failed. NI shareholders approved the all-cash transaction, which closed in October 2023. NI now operates as Emerson's Test & Measurement business group rather than as a separately listed corporation.
- 2023
Acquired by Emerson
[3]Emerson completed its acquisition of NI, which became part of Emerson Test & Measurement.
- 2020
Corporate name changed to NI
[1]The company formally adopted NI as its corporate name.
- 2013
Digilent acquired
[1]NI acquired Digilent, a supplier of educational and development hardware.
- 2005
Measurement Computing acquired
[1]NI acquired Measurement Computing, broadening its data-acquisition offering.
- 1997
PXI introduced
[1]NI introduced PXI, an open modular platform for measurement and automation.
- 1995
Initial public offering
[1]NI became publicly traded on Nasdaq under the symbol NATI.
- 1993
Annual sales exceed $100 million
[1]The company reached more than $100 million in annual sales.
- 1991
LabVIEW patent and SCXI introduction
[1]NI received its first LabVIEW patent and introduced SCXI signal-conditioning technology.
- 1986
LabVIEW released
[1]NI released LabVIEW for the Macintosh, establishing its graphical programming approach.
- 1983
GPIB board for IBM PCs
[1]NI developed a GPIB board that connected laboratory instruments to IBM-compatible personal computers.
Products and positioning
A software-defined test and measurement platform provider that combines engineering software, modular instrumentation, real-time computing, and automation for complex development and production workflows.
Engineering software · 1986
LabVIEW
LabVIEW is NI's graphical development environment for measurement, control, test, and engineering applications. Users assemble virtual instruments and system logic by wiring graphical nodes, while integrating data acquisition, signal processing, instrument communication, visualization, and real-time execution. It is used in laboratories, manufacturing, education, aerospace, automotive, energy, and other technical fields.
Modular instrumentation · 1997
PXI and PXIe platforms
PXI and PXIe are modular platforms for automated test, measurement, and control. They combine chassis, controllers, timing resources, and plug-in instruments, allowing users to configure systems for applications ranging from semiconductor and communications testing to aerospace validation and production test.
Test management software · 1996
NI TestStand
TestStand is software for sequencing, executing, debugging, and reporting automated tests. It is designed to coordinate test code, instruments, operators, databases, and production workflows, and can work with applications written in multiple programming environments.
Industrial controller · 2004
CompactRIO
CompactRIO combines real-time processing, FPGA technology, and modular I/O for industrial control, monitoring, hardware-in-the-loop testing, and embedded automation. Its architecture is intended for applications requiring deterministic execution, signal conditioning, and configurable hardware behavior.
Data acquisition · 2006
CompactDAQ
CompactDAQ is a modular data-acquisition family using USB or Ethernet-connected chassis and interchangeable I/O modules. It supports measurement of physical signals such as voltage, temperature, strain, vibration, and sound, with LabVIEW and related software used for analysis and control.
Electronic design software · 1999
NI Multisim and Ultiboard
Multisim provides circuit capture and simulation capabilities for electronic design and education, while Ultiboard supports printed-circuit-board layout. Together they originated in the Electronics Workbench product group and extended NI's software portfolio beyond instrumentation.
Semiconductor automated test equipment
NI Semiconductor Test System
NI's Semiconductor Test System is a production-oriented automated test platform for semiconductor devices and modules, including RF, mixed-signal, and MEMS applications. It combines instrumentation, software, handling integration, and manufacturing-test workflows.
Engineering education platform
NI ELVIS
NI ELVIS is an educational laboratory platform that combines multiple instruments and software in a compact system. It is used by universities and technical programs to teach electronics, measurement, control, and embedded design through practical experiments.
Marketing campaigns
- 1995NI Week
Global
NI began its annual NI Week developer and customer conference, bringing together users, educators, integrators, suppliers, and NI engineers for technical presentations, product demonstrations, and application showcases.
Outcome. It became a recurring community and ecosystem event associated with the NI brand.
Brand decisions
2023
Accept Emerson's acquisition proposalM&ABackground
After months of unsuccessful negotiations, Emerson launched a hostile takeover effort and appealed directly to NI shareholders.
Action taken
NI agreed to an all-cash acquisition by Emerson valued at approximately $8.2 billion, and the transaction closed in October 2023.
Aftermath
NI ceased to be an independent listed company and began operating as Emerson's Test & Measurement business group.
announced transaction value. approximately $8.2 billion (2023 announcement)
2020
Adopt the NI corporate nameStrategyBackground
The company had long been known commercially as NI even though its legal corporate identity used National Instruments Corporation.
Action taken
NI announced an official corporate name change to NI.
Aftermath
The shorter name became the principal corporate and market-facing identity.
Recent events
National Instruments and Ansys announced a strategic collaboration[5]
Reported:
National Instruments announced a strategic collaboration with Ansys. NI said it would leverage monoDrive's expertise in signal processing and advanced simulation to help customers accelerate delivery of advanced driver-assistance systems.
- Unconfirmed
National Instruments acquired monoDrive[5]
Reported:
National Instruments acquired monoDrive, described as Ansys' physics-based sensor simulation solutions.
NI announces plan to acquire OptimalPlus[6]
Reported:
National Instruments Corporation (NI) and OptimalPlus announced an acquisition deal valued at $365 million. The deal was expected to close early in the third quarter of 2020; the article reports the announcement, not completion.
National Instruments announces layoffs[7]
Reported:
Austin-based National Instruments announced layoffs. The source provides no further details about the layoffs.
Sources8 sources
- 1National Instrumentsen.wikipedia.org
- 2Emerson and NI announce definitive merger agreementemerson.com
- 3Emerson completes acquisition of National Instrumentsemerson.com
- 4NI official websiteni.com
- 5National Instruments与Ansys宣布战略合作finanznachrichten.de
- 6NI宣布计划收购OptimalPlusjpost.com
- 7National Instruments宣布裁员yahoo.com
- 8National Instruments Acquires Israel-Based Data Analytics Startup OptimalPlus for $365 Millioncalcalistech.com
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