DATA ACQUISITION

Introduction
Data-acquisition system is the portion of a measurement system that
quantifies and stores data. A measurement system consists of sensors ,
DAQ measurement hardware, and a computer with programmable
software .

Fig 2.1:- Parts of Measurement System

 A cquisitions systems rely on transducers to transmit data about a measurable
phenomenon or variable. Because a data acquisition system’s role is to process this
information, and because the type of data it processes can vary, each system must be
equipped with different systems of measurement and ways of representing data. Some
systems come equipped with data acquisition hardware, which enables the transducer to
function as a sensor before it transmits data. As a result of the versatile requirements of
data acquisition systems, there are multiple kinds of transducers, transducer signals, and
systems of measurement.

Fig 2.2:- A typical signal and measurement

scheme
As technology has progressed, this type of process has been simplified and made more
accurate, versatile, and reliable through electronic equipment. Equipment ranges from
simple recorders to sophisticated computer systems, or even smart phones .
Parts of a measurement systems
1- Sensor:
The measurement of a physical phenomenon, such as the temperature of a room, the
intensity of a light source, or the force applied to an object, begins with a sensor. A sensor,
also called a transducer, converts a physical phenomenon into a measurable electrical
signal. Depending on the type of sensor, its electrical output can be a voltage, current,
resistance, or another electrical attribute that varies over time.
2- DAQ Device:
DAQ hardware acts as the interface between a computer and signals from the outside
world. It primarily functions as a device that digitizes incoming analog signals so that a
computer can interpret them.
DATA-ACQUISITION SYSTEM COMPONENTS :
1-Signal Conditioning
Signals from sensors or the outside world can be noisy or too dangerous to measure
directly. Signal conditioning circuit manipulates a signal into a form that is suitable for
input into an
ADC. This circuit can include amplification, attenuation, filtering, and isolation.
a-Filters
Analog filters are used to control the frequency content of the signal being sampled. Not
all data-acquisition boards contain analog filters, so these necessary components are
often overlooked and may need to be added.
Anti-alias analog filters remove signal information above the Nyquist frequency prior to
sampling.
A simpler digital filter is smoothing filter, which is used for removing noise or showing
trends.
b-Shunt Resistor Circuits : An A/D converter requires a voltage signal at its input. So
convert current signals into voltage signalsis done by using a shunt resistor.
c-Amplifiers
All data-acquisition systems are input range limited; that is, there is a minimum value
of a signal that they can resolve, and a maximum value that initiates the onset of
saturation. Thus, some transducer signals need amplification or attenuation prior to
conversion. Most data-acquisition systems contain on-board instrumentation
amplifiers as part of the signal conditioning stage, with selectable gains ranging from
less than to greater than unity. Gain is varied either by a resistor jumper or by logic
switches set by software, which effectively reset resistor ratios across op- amplifiers.
2-Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC)
Analog signals from sensors must be converted into digital before they are
manipulated by digital equipment such as a computer. An ADC is a chip that provides
a digital representation of an analog signal at an instant in time. In practice, analog
signals continuously vary over time and an ADC takes periodic “samples” of the signal
at a predefined rate. These samples are transferred to a computer over a computer
bus where the original signal is reconstructed from the samples in software.
3-Computer Bus
DAQ devices connect to a computer through a slot or port. The computer bus serves
as the communication interface between the DAQ device and computer for passing
instructions and measured data. DAQ devices are offered on the most common
computer buses including USB, PCI, PCI Express, and Ethernet. More recently, DAQ
devices have become available for 802.11 Wi-Fi for wireless communication .
3-Computer and Software:
A computer with programmable software controls the operation of the DAQ and is
used for processing, visualizing, and storing measurement data. Different types of
computers are used in different types of applications. A desktop may be used in a
lab for its processing power, a
laptop may be used in the field for its portability, or an industrial computer may be
used in a manufacturing plant for its ruggedness.
Software Components in a DAQ System :-
1-Driver Software
Driver software provides application software the ability to interact with a DAQ
device. It simplifies communication with the DAQ device by abstracting low-level
hardware commands and register-level programming. Typically, DAQ driver
software exposes an application programming interface (API) that is used within a
programming environment to build application software.
2-Application Software
Application software facilitates the interaction between the computer and user for
acquiring, analyzing, and presenting measurement data. It is either a prebuilt
application with predefined functionality, or a programming environment for
building applications with custom functionality. Custom applications are often
used to automate multiple functions of a DAQ device, perform signal-processing
algorithms, and display custom user interfaces .
2.3 ANALOG INPUT-OUTPUT COMMUNICATION (Data-Acquisition Boards)
Analog interfacing with a computer is most often affected using a general purpose DAS I/
O board or DAS module (board, connection terminals, and interface package). Commonly
available units are in the form of an expansion plug-in board, an external module with
USB interface, or modules using wireless communication to transmit/receive data. So the
discussion narrows on these devices. Field wiring from/to transducers or other analog
equipment is usually made through a mechanical screw terminal with subsequent
connection directly to the board, which connects to a computer through a
communications interface. A multipurpose, multichannel high-speed data-acquisition
plug-in board is shown in Figure 2.3. The resentative board uses a 16-channel multiplexer
and instrument amplifier. With its 12-bit successive approximation A/D converter with an
8 to 9-ms conversion rate and its 800-ns sample hold time.

Fig 2.3:- data-acquisition plug-in board

2.4 Types of Data Acquisition Systems

1-Portable Data Acquisition Systems

Bluetooth wireless transmitters that connect with smart phones or tablets to log and
monitor and record measurements, turning mobile devices into portable data
acquisition systems. These transmitters measure different sensor inputs, including
pH, RTD, relative humidity. The data transmission is performed via Bluetooth wireless
technology to a smart phone or tablet with the app installed. The app will allow the
smart phone to pair and set up multiple transmitters.
2-Wireless Data Acquisition Systems

Wireless data acquisition systems can eliminate costly and time consuming field
wiring of process sensors. These systems consist of one or more wireless transmitters
sending data back to a wireless receiver connected to a remote computer. Wireless
transmitters are available for ambient temperature and relative humidity,
thermocouples, RTDs, pulse output sensors, 4 to 20 mA transmitters and voltage
output transducers. Receivers can be connected to the USB or Ethernet port on the
PC.
3-Serial Communication Data Acquisition Systems

Serial communication data acquisition systems are a good choice when the
measurement needs to be made at a location which is near from the computer.
There are several different communication standards, RS232 is the most common
but only supports transmission distances up to 50 feet. RS485 is supports
transmission distances to 5,000 feet.
4-USB Data Acquisition Systems

The Universal Serial Bus (USB) is a new standard for connecting PCs to peripheral
devices such as printers, monitors, modems and DAQ devices. USB offers several
advantages over conventional serial and parallel connections, including higher
bandwidth (up to 12 Mbits/s) and the ability to provide power to the peripheral
device. USB is ideal for data acquisition applications. Since USB connections
supply power, only one cable is required to link the data acquisition device to the
PC.
5-Data Acquisition Plug-in Boards

Computer data acquisition boards plug directly into the computer bus. Advantages
of using boards are speed (because they are connected directly to the bus) and cost
(because the overhead of packaging and power is provided by the computer).
Features provided by the cards can vary due to number and type of inputs
(voltage, thermocouple, speed and other functions provided). Each board installed
in the computer is addressed at a unique Input/Output map location. The I/O map
in the computer provides the address locations the processor uses to gain access to
the specific device as required by its program.
Advantages  of Data Acquisition Systems

 Reduced data redundancy

 Reduced updating errors and increased consistency
 Greater data integrity and independence from applications programs
 Improved data access to users through use of query languages
 Improved data security
 Reduced data entry, storage, and retrieval costs
 Facilitated development of new applications program
 Disadvantages  of Data Acquisition Systems

• Database systems are complex, difficult, and time-consuming to

design
• Substantial hardware and software start-up costs

• Damage to database affects virtually all applications programs

• Extensive conversion costs in moving form a file-based system to a
database system
• Initial training required for all programmers and users
Applications
 
 Temperature measurement
 application software packages and necessary toolkit
 Prewritten Lab VIEW example code,
 Sensor recommendations
 Video tutorials for hardware setup and software programming
History

In 1963, IBM produced computers which specialized in data acquisition.

These include the IBM 7700 Data Acquisition System, and its successor,
the IBM 1800 Data Acquisition and Control System. These expensive
specialized systems were surpassed in 1974 by general purpose S-100
computers and data acquisitions cards produced by Tecmar/Scientific
Solutions Inc. In 1981 IBM introduced the IBM Personal Computer and
.Scientific Solutions introduced the first PC data acquisition products
THE END