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Digital Processing and Buffering
Sources and effects of latency and how they affect overall throughput in a data acquisition system are important considerations when determining how to move data from the ADC(s) or digital input device(s) into the computer for processing and generally saving the raw or processed data to some storage device.
Read more about digital processing and buffering techniques in Part VII of a technical series on data acquisition from KineticSystems.
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Technical Series on Data Acquisition
Part I -Data Quality
There are many aspects to data acquisition which range from the sensors… to the analog signals that represent some measured quantity… to the sampling and digitization of the signal… to buffering the data into a computer or storage device… to analyzing the data and extracting some information about the process being monitored. In the final analysis, the accuracy of captured data is what is important – lost information can never be recovered.
Read more about data quality in Part I of a technical series on data acquisition from KineticSystems.
Part II - Data Sampling
The ultimate goal of any data acquisition system is to capture critical information about the process being monitored. As a general rule, limiting the amount of data acquired will reduce system cost, storage requirements, and analysis time. Since data acquisition by nature must sample the various signals present, the question is, "How fast should sampling be done to acquire the desired information?”
Read more about Sampling Data in Part II of a technical series on data acquisition from KineticSystems.
Part III -
Analog Front-End
Most data acquisition systems involve obtaining data from various transducers that produce analog signals. Often, the signals from the transducers are low level and require various kinds of signal conditioning. Also, the transducers are frequently located some distance from the data acquisition front-end. Ensuring proper connections to the analog signal of interest and ground are essential to obtaining accurate measurements.
Read more about how to properly connect the Analog Front-End of a data acquisition in
Part III of a technical series on data acquisition from KineticSystems.
Part IV - Calibration
The most important function of a data acquisition system is to ensure integrity of the measurements produced. Collected data must be an accurate representation of the physical values that are being measured. Calibration is a critical first step of assuring reliable data measurements by verifying the integrity of the signal path and preparing the data acquisition channel to produce “good” data.
Read more about the importance of calibration in Part IV of a technical series on data acquisition from KineticSystems.
Part V - Filtering
The selection and proper implementation of filters is a critical component in the design of data acquisition systems. The primary purpose of all filtering is to remove unwanted components of a signal, such as noise, without compromising the desired signal. Filter requirements at a given sampling rate must be balanced against overall system cost to ensure optimal system performance at an affordable price.
Read more about the various classic types and applications of filters in Part V of a technical series on data acquisition from KineticSystems.
Part VI - ADCs
Analog-to-Digital Converters (ADC), multiplexers (MUX) and sample-and-hold (S/H) amplifiers form major elements of most data acquisition systems. It is important to understand the overall architecture of the ADCs and related components in order to choose an optimum system configuration for your data acquisition system.
Read more about the types of ADCs and how to use them in Part VI of a technical series on data acquisition from KineticSystems.
Understanding Portable Data Acquisition
Portable data acquisition applications have to meet a number of stringent requirements not present in traditional laboratory systems. Environmental conditions such as extremes in temperature, humidity, shock and vibration, are all factors that must be considered when selecting portable data acquisition equipment.
Read more about the unique requirements of portable data acquisition systems in a free whitepaper from KineticSystems.
Part VII - Digital Processing and Buffering
Sources and effects of latency and how they affect overall throughput in a data acquisition system are important considerations when determining how to move data from the ADC(s) or digital input device(s) into the computer for processing and generally saving the raw or processed data to some storage device.
Read more about digital processing and buffering techniques in Part VII of a technical series on data acquisition from KineticSystems .
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