Data Acquisition Systems

Description

Data acquisition systems are electronic devices used to gather, digitalize and process multiple signal inputs for observing, analyzing, and controlling the systems or any phenomenon. One of the basic components of data acquisition systems is the sensor. The sensor is used for conversion of measured parameters into electrical signals. This signal is then modified and acquired by data acquisition hardware such as a simple recorder or sophisticated computer system.

Types

Data acquisition systems are classified as:

• Serial communication data acquisition systems - Used when measurements are to be made at remote locations; RS232 is one such data acquisition systems
• Universal serial bus (USB) data acquisition systems - Used to connect computers to modems, printers, monitors, etc.
• Data acquisition plug-in boards - Used to directly plug into the computer bus
• Parallel port data acquisition systems - Supports high sample rates although the distance separating the data acquisition system and the computer is limited

Features

Some of the main features of data acquisition systems are listed below:

• Faster operation
• User friendly
• Reliable performance
• High precision
• Portable

Specifications

The important specifications to be considered for data acquisition systems are listed below:

• Number of analog input channels
• Differential channels
• Digital or discrete I/O channels
• Sampling frequency
• Resolution
• Accuracy
• Datalogger or recorder 

Applications

Some of the major applications of data acquisition systems are listed below:

• Used for laboratory, industrial, and research & development measurement applications such as test rigs, calibration, manufacturing, weighing, experimental stress analysis, etc
• Used for high speed channel-count dynamic data recording
• Extensively used in OEM or embedded applications
• Used  for the quick inspection of heat exchanger tubes and steam generators
• Used for data acquisition for chromatographs, peak processing and calculations