Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) Testing

Male engineer in front of an open Hardware-in-the-loop test rack connecting a cable to one of the systems inside the cabinet.

NI HIL: Open, Flexible, Software-Defined

Male engineer in a lab standing in front of a HIL test rack looking at its screen while typing on the keyboard.

The NI flexible, scalable, 100 percent software-defined HIL platform is built on industry standards such as the PXI platform, which is supported by 60+ vendors. With vendor-agnostic support for and compatibility with modeling environments like MathWorks® MATLAB® software and Simulink® software, the NI HIL toolchain uses high-fidelity model integration. Lead times for new systems and their expansions take weeks—not months—reducing downtime, saving costs, and giving you full control over how and when to scale as your test needs evolve, without the need for vendor-specific services.

The NI Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) Test System Architecture​

The modular NI HIL architecture is comprised of deterministic real‑time processors, flexible distributed I/O including FPGA technology and communication buses, and intuitive software like NI VeriStand for configuration and control—enabling scalable testing of embedded software for complex control systems. Features include hardware fault insertion, and multi‑ECU and integrated test support, as well as modular chassis capable of distributed processing and I/O, which reduce wiring complexity while offering best-in-class timing and synchronization capabilities. Built on open standards like PXI, the NI platform is future‑proof, offers calibrated I/O, and accelerates validation with automated testing though open APIs and reporting, all while lowering costs and improving coverage.

Three hardware in the loop test rack standing next to each other. 

More Integration Partners for NI HIL

The NI Partner Network is a global community of domain, application, and test experts working with NI to meet your needs. NI Partners for HIL are trusted solution providers, systems integrators, consultants, product developers, and services- and sales-channel experts skilled in a range of industries.

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An NI Partner is a business entity independent from NI and has no agency or joint-venture relationship and does not form part of any business associations with NI.