The future of the test bench

The VirtualBench VB-8012 from National Instruments uses key elements of  today’s electronics to create a truly modern measurement system. Dubbed an all-in-one benchtop tool, it is the first instrument to put a set of basic, traditional instruments — a mixed-signal oscilloscope, a function generator, a DMM, a power supply, and digital I/O — under the control of modern, ubiquitous user-interface devices: tablets and laptop PCs.

Available worldwide for under $2,000, VirtualBench has already attracted strong attention from academia — where STEM students will be able to have their own tools and save their configurations and test data on their tablets — as well as the Maker market and field service. It may be the first such instrument, but it won’t be the last.