CHAPTER 1 - Introduction to Data Acquisition

Abstract

This chapter presents an introduction to various aspects of data acquisition. Data acquisition, in the general sense, is the process of collecting information from the real world. The process of converting an analog signal to a digital one is called analog-to-digital conversion, and the device that does this is an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The reverse process of converting digital data to an analog signal is called digital-to-analog conversion, and the device that does this is called a digital-to-analog converter (DAC). A general purpose laboratory data acquisition system typically consists of ADCs, DACs, and simple digital inputs and outputs. Economics is a major rationale behind using personal computers for data acquisition systems. The typical data acquisition system of 10–15 years ago, based on a minicomputer, cost about 20 times as much as today's systems, based on personal computers, at around the same performance levels. Data acquisition software controls not only the collection of data but also its analysis and eventual display. Ease of data analysis and presentation are the major reasons behind using computers for data acquisition in the first place.