Installation

Latest version: 2024a.

You will be up and running in no time. Installation can be done offline. Simply download the packages from this website and copy them onto the target computer.

(1.2 GB) Download and unzip the installation package.
(< 3 minutes) Run the installation package. This installs background programs, dynamic libraries, graphics drivers etc. You will need administrator rights.
(1 MB) Download and unzip the separate executable folder to somewhere convenient on your PC. Expert is now installed - simply run Expert.exe from inside the executable folder. You can move and rename the folder, but do not move, rename or edit any of the files or subfolders within it unless instructed. This step does not require administrator rights. Upgrading to the latest version should be as simple as copying the latest executable file, without reinstalling the installation package. The software should now work in equation mode (no hardware connectivity).
Install the drivers for your hardware - see below. Note that you will need to obtain a free trial licence before acquiring data. If you have already installed NI software, you may still have to run the installation script provided to get the correct version of the drivers for Expert, but it should not interfere with your NI software.
Obtain a License. This must be requested via email, so allow some time for us to get back to you.
Change the default path for saving data. We recommend C:\data. The default setting is contained in a file called "default settings.txt" which is in the same folder as the executable file. This file is automatically generated if it does not already exist. So if you think you have broken it, rename or delete it and let the software create a new one for you. For a change to "default settings.txt" to take effect, refresh the data acquisition hardware list (see Setup Tab).

Data Acquisition Hardware and Drivers

NI Drivers

(2.1 GB download plus 12 minutes installation time)

Even if you have NI software already installed on your computer, you will probably need to install the drivers. Download the ISO file and run it. Administrator rights are required.

Virtins DAQ

The Virtins DAQ does not require separate drivers. It uses the windows sound card. Note that changes to your system's volume settings can affect scale. Always calibrate your whole system (not just your sensor!) when you use it.

Note also that it does not support software selectable voltage mode, however it is possible to measure voltage by modifying the hardware.

Computer Requirements

Minimum Requirements:

Windows 10 (version 21H2 or higher) or Windows 11
Intel or AMD x86-64 processor with two or more cores. x86-64 refers to a 64 bit operating system with the x86 instruction set. This is standard for modern windows machines, just check that it is 64 bit.
8GB RAM.
At least 10GB of free storage space.

Recommended:

A processor with AVX2 instruction set support. To check this, search for your processor at intel.com or amd.com. The technical information will list AVX2 if it is supported.
16GB RAM or more.
SSD hard drive with plenty of storage space for data.
A hardware accelerated graphics card supporting OpenGL 3.3 (or higher), with at least 1GB GPU memory.
NVIDIA® GPU architectures with compute capability 5.0 to 9.x. To check your GPU's compute capability, look up your device on the NVIDIA website (search for nvidia compute capability). If it is not there, try techpowerup.com - it should list the OpenGL version, and the compute capability will be listed under CUDA, eg "CUDA: 8.9".
Upgrade to the latest graphics drivers.