A stable architecture is just a promise that your applications will continue to work, despite new generations of underlying hardware technology, despite changes in operating system and software environments. That means, your applications will continue to be maintainable over an extended term.
If you think it doesn't matter to you, it could mean that in three years you won't be able to buy replacement parts. Data acquisition equipment manufacturers can't build replacement boards if they can't buy components for them. Turnovers in technology will have far less impact on the maintainability of your systems if your systems do not use products that are designed around the characteristics of individual hardware devices.
The only way to build products that are completely independent of hardware and software technology changes is to never change anything. But that would also mean no improvements to take advantage of newer technology. Compatibility is never completely perfect, but compatibility of Data Acquisition Processor boards, the DAPL system, and the DAPcell services and its drivers has been very close to perfect over the last 15 years. We encourage customers not to use 15-year-old replacements when current technology does the same things, only better and at a lower cost! But regular Microstar Laboratories customers develop certain high expectations.
You should expect the same from your data acquisition products.