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Study and use of computerized data

acquisition/data logger system
Aim: Study and use of computerized data acquisition data/ logger system.
Theory:
Data acquisition system capture measure and analysis physical phenomenon from the real
world Light temperature and pressure are example of the different types of signals that a
DAQ system can measure data acquisition is the process of collecting and measuring
electrical signal and sending them to computer for the processing electrical signal comes
from transducers.
Building block of DAQ system includes:-

Transducer or server: A device that convert a physical phenomenon such a light,

temperature, pressure, sound into a measurable electrical signal such as voltage or
current.
Signal: The output of transducer

Signal conditioning: Hardware that you can connect to the DAQ device to make the
signal suitable for measurement or to improve accuracy or reduce noise.
DAQ Hardware:-Hardware that you use to acquire measure and analyze the data.

Software: Application software is designed to help you easily design and program your
measurement and control application.
A) Common analog sensor:
Sensor Physical variable
a) Accelerometer Acceleration
b) Microphone Pressure
c) Pressure gauge Pressure
d) Resistive temperature device Temperature
e) Strain gauge Force
f) Thermocouple Temperature
B) Signal conditioning
To measure signal from transducer you must convert then in

to a from a signal conditioning device can accept common steps of signal conditioning
include the amplification linearization, transducer exaltation and isolation sensor signal
are often incompatibility the sensor signal must be conditioned
Common ways to condition signal include:

a) Amplification b) Filtering c) Electrical Isolation d) Multiplexing e) Excitation

a) Amplification:
The intensity of signal or voltage obtained from the sensor and transducer will be usually
very small or signal may be very weak. To bring H up to required level, data signal have
to be amplified. Amplifiers of the appropriate type are used for this amplifiers using
active components like OPAMP, are usually employed.
b) Filtering the Data:
The signal obtained from real time process will contain several superior signal or noises.
These has to be eliminated from the data .This is done with the help of filters.
c) Multipliers:
The number of input comes from various transducers shall be many. Hence a large
number of data will be coming to the DAQ at the time. Usually signal are send through
cables or buses by process called time sharing. The cables will be shared by number of
sensor; multiplier will perform this task of sharing.

The main function performed by a DAQ as listed below:

1) Obtaining the data from the process
2) Filtering the data required
3) Sampling the data.
4) Sample and hold
 5) Analog to digital conversion
6) Digital to analog conversion
7) Digital storage of data
8) Transmission of data to other devices

The important features of the data acquisition system are:

a) Signal is input to a sensor, conditioned, converted into bits that a computer can read
and analyzed to extract meaningful information.
b) Data from a computer is converted in to an analog signal and output to an actuator.
Sampling rate: A block diagram of a typical real time sampled data system as shown in
following figure Prior the actual analog to digital conversion ,the analog signal usually
pass through some sort of the signal conditioning circuitry which performs such a
function as amplification, attenuation and filtering the low pass and band pass filters are
required to remove the unwanted signals outside the bandwidth of interest and prevent
aliasing.

The system shown in figur is a real time system, the signal to ADC is continuously
sampled at equal rate to fs and ADC presents a new sample to the DSP at this rate. In
order to maintained real time operation within the sampling interval 1/fs and present an
output sample to the DAC before arrival of next sample from the ADC. An example of
types DSP functions would be digital filter.

The Nyquist criterion: A continuous analog signal is compiled at a discrete intervals ts

=yFs which must be carefully chosen to ensure an accurate representation of the original
analog signal. It is clear that the more samples taken (faster the sampling rate) a point
reacted where critical information about the signal is actually lost.

Simply stated the Nyquist criterion requires that “The sampling frequency be at least
twice the highest frequency contained in the signal or information about the signal is
lost.” If the sampling frequency is less than twice the maximum analog signal frequency
phenomenon known as aliasing will occur.

In order to understand the amplification of aliasing in both the time of frequency domain,
first consider the case of time domain representation of a single tone sine wave sampled
as shown in figure 2. In this sample the sampling frequency ‟fs‟ is not at least „2fo' but
only slightly more than analog input frequency „fa' the Nyaquist criteria is violated.
Notice that the pattern of actual samples produces an aliased sinewave at a lower
frequency equal to „fs-fa'.

Data loggers- A data logger is an electronic device that records data over time or in
relation to location either with o built in instrument or sensor or via external instruments
and sensors.

Different types of data loggers and their operation the difference between various data
loggers are based on the way that data recorded and stored. The basic difference between
the two data loggers types is that one type allows the data to be stored in a memory to be
retrieved at a later time, while the other type automatically records the data on paper for
immediate viewing and analysis many data loggers combine these two functions, usually
unequally, with the emphasis on either the ability to transfer the data or to provide
printout of it.
 Applications:
1. Environmental monitoring.
2. Road traffic counting.
3. Unattended soil moisture level recording.
4. Meter reading.
5. Temperature, humidity, and power use for heating and air conditioning efficiency
studies.
6. Unattended weather station recording.
7. Measure temp. (Humidity) of perishables during shipments.
8. Tank level monitoring.

Types of Data Loggers:

1. Miniature signal i/p data loggers are generally two cost loggers dedicated to a specific i/p
type. These types of data loggers are often used in the transportation industry. A typical
application would include a temperature data logger in a shipment of food products to
insure that the food temperature does not exceed acceptable limits. In addition to the
temperature miniature data loggers are available for large variety for large varieties of
input types.
2. Fixed mount multi- channel data loggers – fixed i/p loggers have a fixed number of input
channels which are generally dedicated for a specific types of input OMAGA fixed i/p
data loggers ranging from 1 to 8 channels.
 3. Modular Data Loggers- A modular data logger is configurable and expandable through
the use of plug in modules. The modules are normally fielded configurable and the user
has the option of adding as many channels to satisfy the application requirements.

Advantages of Data Logger System:

1. Data logging devices can be sent to places the humans cannot easily get to e.g. to the
planet mars, into the bottom of volcano and onto a roof of a tall building to get a weather
station.
2. Graphs and tables of results can be produced automatically by the data logging system.

Disadvantages-
1. The Main disadvantage of a using a data logging system is the initial cost of purchasing
the equipment while a thermometer can be purchased for less than 100 Rs. The price of
components of a data logging system to record the temperature will be considerable.
Data Acquisition vs. data logging:

1. Data loggers are typically slower sample rates than data acquisition system.
2. Data loggers are implicitly standalone devices, while typical DAQ‟s must remain to a
computer to acquire data.
3. Data loggers must be extremely reliable than data acquisition system.

Conclusion:
Thus we have studied computerized Data logger system and response characteristics of
system.