If you are a student, and are really interested in playing around with LabVIEW, various Data Acquisition (DAQ) Hardware, and having a useful student-friendly environment, you might check out NI's myDAQ, a USB-powered simple DAQ device that comes with a software suite that helps gathering various signals. I recommend doing a Web search for NI myDAQ. At least in the US, students can purchase a myDAQ, along with a software suite that gently gets you started with using the hardware to gather data and interact with the environment, for under $300 (the last time I looked). You can also find the input and output specifications for the myDAQ and see if it is sufficient for your needs.
Bob Schor
