Measurement Computing

Measurement Computing
Name	Measurement Computing
Type	Private
Founded	1970s
Headquarters	Norton, Massachusetts
Products	Data acquisition hardware, signal conditioning, DAQ software
Industry	Electronic instrumentation

Measurement Computing

Measurement Computing is a developer and manufacturer of data acquisition hardware and software for scientific, industrial, and educational applications. The company designs multifunction data acquisition (DAQ) devices, signal conditioning modules, and software drivers used in laboratories, test facilities, and industrial test benches. Measurement Computing products integrate with instrumentation ecosystems from major vendors and are applied in research, development, and automated test environments.

Overview

Measurement Computing produces USB, Ethernet, PCIe, and standalone DAQ devices used to digitize analog and digital signals and to control actuators. Its product lines address voltage, current, thermocouple, strain gauge, and counter/timer measurement needs and are commonly paired with instruments from Keysight Technologies, Tektronix, National Instruments, Fluke Corporation, and Yokogawa Electric. The company serves customers ranging from university laboratories such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University to industrial firms like General Electric, Siemens, and Honeywell.

History and Company Background

Founded in the 1970s in the New England technology corridor, Measurement Computing evolved alongside firms such as Analog Devices, Texas Instruments, and Intel Corporation. Early development paralleled milestones at Dartmouth College and collaborations with applied research labs at Raytheon Technologies and MIT Lincoln Laboratory. Over decades the company navigated shifts in instrumentation driven by advances from Bell Laboratories, standards set by IEEE, and interface transitions championed by USB Implementers Forum and PCI-SIG.

Products and Technologies

The product portfolio includes multifunction DAQ boards, USB DAQ modules, Ethernet-enabled measurement devices, and data loggers comparable to offerings from Advantech, Measurement Specialties, and Omega Engineering. Technologies implemented draw on ADC and DAC developments from Analog Devices and Maxim Integrated, and on signal conditioning practices used by B&K Precision and Keithley Instruments. Thermal measurement solutions support thermocouple types standardized by American Society for Testing and Materials organizations and connectorized systems similar to TE Connectivity components. Counter/timer and encoder interfaces align with protocols from Rockwell Automation and Beckhoff Automation.

Applications and Industries

Measurement Computing devices are applied in aerospace test programs at organizations such as Boeing and Lockheed Martin, automotive test cells at Ford Motor Company and Toyota Motor Corporation, and in energy monitoring at utilities like Exelon Corporation and Duke Energy. Academic research in institutions including Harvard University, University of California, Berkeley, and Princeton University employs these DAQ systems for experiments in physics and materials science. Other applications include manufacturing process control in plants run by ABB and Schneider Electric, environmental monitoring for agencies like the United States Geological Survey, and biomedical research in labs affiliated with Johns Hopkins University and Mayo Clinic.

Software and Drivers

Measurement Computing supplies drivers and APIs compatible with development environments such as Microsoft Visual Studio, National Instruments LabVIEW, MATLAB from MathWorks, and scripting languages used in Python Software Foundation ecosystems. Supported interfaces reference standards maintained by IEEE and interoperate with software from Keysight Technologies and Tektronix. Device firmware and driver updates are distributed for compatibility with operating systems from Microsoft and with real-time platforms used by Wind River Systems.

Standards, Calibration, and Compliance

Calibration procedures for DAQ channels follow traceability practices endorsed by National Institute of Standards and Technology and ISO guidelines from International Organization for Standardization such as ISO/IEC standards. Electromagnetic compatibility and safety certifications reference standards from Underwriters Laboratories and International Electrotechnical Commission. Measurement integrity aligns with metrology traceability frameworks used by national metrology institutes including National Physical Laboratory and Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt.

Market Position and Competitors

In the instrumentation market, Measurement Computing competes with National Instruments, Keysight Technologies, MCC (multiple companies), Advantech, Data Translation, DAQFactory, TEKDAQ, and smaller specialized vendors. Market dynamics are influenced by product roadmaps at Analog Devices, acquisition activity by conglomerates like Fortive Corporation and Tektronix' parent companies, and standards work at IEEE Standards Association. Strategic differentiation is driven by price-performance, software ecosystems tied to MathWorks and NI LabVIEW, and support relationships with academic labs at Carnegie Mellon University and Georgia Institute of Technology.

Category:Electronics companies