Data Acquisition
Data Acquisition (DAQ) is the process of collecting information from one or more
sensors for processing on a computer. Most DAQ devices act as a converter to read
from one or more sensors and convert the reading to a raw measurement value. Many
DAQ devices can be scripted to read at various intervals, at particular data rates, etc.
The purpose of a data acquisition system is to capture and analyze some sort of
physical phenomenon from the real world. Light, temperature, pressure, and torque
are a few of the many different types of signals that can interface to a data acquisition
system. A data acquisition system may also produce electrical signals simultaneously.
These signals can either intelligently control mechanical systems or provide a stimulus
so that the data acquisition system can measure the response. A data acquisition
system provides a way to empirically test designs, theories, and real world systems for
validation or research.
The design and the production of a modern car, for instance, relies heavily on
data acquisition. Engineers will first use data acquisition to test the design of
the car’s components. The frame can be monitored for mechanical stress,
wind noise, and durability. The vibration and temperature of the engine can
be acquired to evaluate the design quality. The researchers and engineers
can then use this data to optimize the design of the first prototype of the car.
The prototype can then be monitored under many different conditions on a
test track while information is collected through data acquisition. After a few
iterations of design changes and data acquisition, the car is ready for
production. Data acquisition devices can monitor the machines that
assemble the car, and they can test that the assembled car is within
specifications.
Data Acquisition and
Control Hardware
Data acquisition and control
hardware is available in a
number of forms, which offer
varying levels of
functionality, channel count,
speed, resolution, accuracy,
and cost. This section
summarizes the features and
benefits generally associated
with the various categories,
based on a broad cross-
section of products.
Plug-in Data Acquisition Boards
Like display adapters, modems, and other types of expansion boards,
plug-in data acquisition boards are designed for mounting in board slots
on a computer motherboard. Today, most data acquisition boards are
designed for the current PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) or
earlier ISA (Industry Standard Architecture) buses. Data acquisition plug-
in boards and interfaces have been developed for other buses (EISA, IBM
Micro Channel®, and various Apple buses), but these are no longer
considered mainstream products.
As a category, plug-in boards offer a variety of test functions, high channel
counts, high speed, and adequate sensitivity to measure moderately low
signal levels, at relatively low cost.
External Data Acquisition Systems
The original implementation of an external data acquisition system was a
self-powered system that communicated with a computer through a
standard or proprietary interface. As a boxed alternative to plug-in boards,
this type of system usually offered more I/O channels, a quieter electrical
environment, and greater versatility and speed in adapting to different
applications.
Modern external data acquisition systems offer:
• High sensitivity to low-level voltage signals, i.e., approximately 1mV or
lower.
• Applications involving many types of sensors, high channel counts, or the
need for stand-alone operation.
• Applications requiring tight, real-time process control.
Like the plug-in board based system, these external systems require
the use of a computer for operation and data storage. However, the
computer can be built up on boards, just as the instruments are, and
incorporated into the board rack. There are several architectures for
external industrial data acquisition systems, including VME, VXI, MXI,
Compact PCI, and PXI.
Real-Time Data Acquisition and Control
Critical real-time control is an important issue in data acquisition and control
systems. Applications that demand real-time control are typically better suited
to external systems than to systems based on PC plug-in boards. Although
Microsoft Windows has become the standard operating system for PC
applications, it is a non-deterministic operating system that can’t provide
predictable response times in critical measurement and control applications.
Therefore, the solution is to link the PC to a system that can operate
autonomously and provide rapid, predictable responses to external stimuli.
Hybrid Data Acquisition Systems
Hybrid systems are a relatively recent development in external data
acquisition systems. A typical hybrid system combines a DMM-type user
interface with several standard data acquisition functions and expansion
capabilities in a compact, instrument-like package. Typical functions
include AC and DC voltage and current measurements, temperature and
frequency measurements, event counting, timing, triggering, and
process control. Keithley’s Integra™ Series, which includes the Model
2700 and Model 2750 and their associated plug-in modules, provides
multiple board slots for expanding the system’s measurement
capabilities and channel capacity.
Distributed Measurements and Ethernet
Distances of more than a few feet between instrumentation and sensors can
result in signal degradation, noise pickup, signal conditioning complications,
measurement speed restrictions, and a variety of other problems. The nature
of these limitations depends on noise in the environment, type and level of
the signal, and length of cabling, among other factors.
There are two options for maintaining signal integrity where great distances
separate the computer and sensors.
(i) The first is to condition and convert the signal at the sensor location to a
form that won’t be affected by adverse factors, then transmit the signal to
centrally located test and measurement hardware. Common examples of this
technique include conversion of signals to a higher voltage (0–5V or 0–10V),
conversion to a current loop (4–20mA, 0–20mA), and conversion to frequency.
(ii) The second method is to move the measurement instrumentation to the
source of the signals, while continuing to use a centrally located computer.
Communication signals between the instrumentation and the computer
travel over a standard or proprietary bus, usually in digitized form. In this
second case, the arrangement comprises a “distributed data acquisition
system.”
There are advantages and disadvantages to each method of long distance
acquisition. Centralizing the test and measurement hardware eliminates the
expense of duplicating measurement equipment at each sensor location.
However, the hardware needed to transmit signals long distances back to the
instrumentation and computer can offset some of the cost savings, and also
complicates the setup
Converters, Extenders, Repeaters
Communication protocols include specifications of the distance over which
reliable communication can be maintained. It is often possible to extend
this distance by using external hardware to boost communication signal
levels or to convert one protocol to another that can be transmitted over a
longer distance. In other cases, a converter may simply allow two pieces of
equipment with different interfaces to communicate with each other, with
distance being a secondary consideration. Common types of interfaces and
converters include serial to IEEE488, serial to Ethernet, and IEEE-488 to
Ethernet. In each case, the user must determine whether using these
devices achieves the desired goal more cost-effectively than another
method. For example, a computer may contain RS-232 serial ports, while
the application requires an instrument with IEEE-488 interface. The user
must determine whether it is better to use a serial to GPIB adapter or to
install an IEEE-488 interface board in the computer.
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