DAQs Multiply, Diversify for New Jobs

摘要

IT'S ALREADY COMMON knowledge that faster, cheaper, smaller and more powerful microprocessors can let almost any device do data acquisition (DAQ). What's less well-known is this flexibility and affordability lets developers and users scatter chips and DAQ into components and applications that seem to be multiplying exponentially in number and diversity. So, not only do suppliers need to keep up with DAQ's shifting definitions, but they must also try to keep pace with all the new places where DAQ functions can be applied. "We define a DAQ device as having three main points: 1) an interface to a real-world sensor; 2) a way to convert sensor information to digital format, process the information and store it; and 3) an interface to retrieve the data from the device," says Kurt Wadowick, I/O specialist at Beckhoff Automation (www.beckhoff.com). "Anything else the device boasts is just bells and whistles or specsmanship. Trends we're seeing in data acquisition technology include the need for very fast, microsecond-level data collection speeds, and DAQ devices that must be able to interface to hundreds of signal types, store vast amounts of data being generated by ultra-high-speed DAQ functions, and trend data collected to make sure we're gathering it correctly. DAQ components must also have small form factors, be low-cost, have simple-to-assemble parts, and have software that's simple to configure."