How can wireless, mobile data acquisition be used for taking part of the lab to the sample and how can it join the internet of things?

摘要

During the last several years, the world has moved from wired communications (e.g., a wired ethernet, wired telephone) to wireless communications (e.g., cell phones, smart phones, tablets). However, data acquisition has lagged behind and for the most part, data in laboratory settings are still acquired using wired communications (or even plug in boards). In this paper, approaches that can be used for wireless data acquisition are briefly discussed using a conceptual model of a future, mobile, portable micro-instrument as an example. In addition, past, present and near-future generations of communications are discussed; processors, operating systems and benchmarks are reviewed; networks that may be used for data acquisition in the field are examined; and, the possibility of connecting sensor or micro-instrument networks to the internet of things is postulated.