MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

Measurement and Instrumentation (MEng5104 )

2016 EC

Chapter 5
Data acquisition systems
 INTRODUCTI
 ON
PC-based data acquisition (DAQ) systems and plug-in boards are used in
a very wide range of applications in the laboratory, in the field, and on
the manufacturing plant floor.
 Data acquisition (DAQ) is the process by which physical
phenomena from the real world are transformed into electrical signals
that are measured and converted into a digital format for processing,
analysis, and storage by a computer.
 Data acquisition System (DAS) is designed not only to acquire
data, but to act on it as well.

Fig: Data acquisition system elements

 However, many real-world sensors and transducers output
signals must be conditioned before a D A Q board or device
can effectively and accurately acquire the signal.
 This front-end preprocessing, which is generally referred
to as signal conditioning, includes functions such as
signal amplification, filtering, electrical isolation, and
multiplexing.
 In addition, many transducers require excitation currents or
voltages, bridge completion, linearization, or high
amplification for proper and accurate operation. Therefore,
most PC-based D A Q systems include some form of signal
conditioning in addition to the plug-in DAQ board and
personal computer, as shown in Figure above.
 Signal conditioning circuits are the supporting circuits that
perform the necessary changes on the input signals.
 ADC and D2A
Analog Digital

Sample
& Hold

Quantization
fsample

 Analog input can be voltage or current (in the following only voltage)
 Analog input can be positive or negative (in the following only
positive)
• An Analog to Digital converter [AD or ADC] is an electronic circuit which
accepts an analog input signal (usually a voltage) and produces a
corresponding digital number at the output

• An Digital to Analog converter [DA or DAC] is an electronic circuit which

accepts a digital number at its input and produces a corresponding analog
signal (usually a voltage) at the output

• They exist as modules, ICs, or fully integrated inside other parts, e.g. µCs
 Analog Digital Analog
continuous time world discrete time world continuous time world

+/-10v
The Real World

+/-10v

The Real World

ADC 1 DAC 1
12 16
COMPUTER
or µP/µC
+/-5v
ADC 2
16

Typical AD & DA Application

1. Filtering
 In noisy environments, it is very difficult for very small
signals received from sensors such as thermocouples and
strain gauges (in the order of mV), to survive without the
sensor data being compromised. Where the noise is of the
same or greater order of magnitude than the required signal.
 The noise must first be filtered out. Signal conditioning

equipment often contains low pass filters designed to

eliminate high frequency noise that can lead to inaccurate
data.
 Active Filters (a low pass or/and band pass filter) must be
used for two reasons:
a) To reduce the noise effect
b) To make the analog input signals band limited, to satisfy
sampling theorem
2. Amplification
 Having filtered the required input signal, it must be
amplified to increase the resolution. The maximum
resolution is obtained by amplifying the input signal so
that the maximum voltage swing of the input signal equals
the input range of the analog-to-digital converter (ADC),
contained within the data acquisition hardware.
3. Linearization
 Many transducers, such as thermocouples, display a non-
linear relationship to the physical quantity they are
required to measure.
 A cheaper, easier, and more flexible method is provided
by signal conditioning products that perform the
linearization of the input signal using software.
4. Isolation
 Signal conditioning equipment can also be used to provide
isolation of transducer signals from the computer where
there is a possibility that high voltage transients may occur
within the system being monitored, either due to electrostatic
discharge or electrical failure.
 Isolation protects expensive computer equipment from damage
and computer operators from injury.
 In addition, where common-mode voltage levels are high or
there is a need for extremely low common mode leakage
current, as for medical applications, isolation allows
measurements to be accurately and safely obtained.
5. Excitation
 Signal conditioning products also provide excitation for
some
transducers.
 For example: strain gauges, thermistors and RTDs, require
external voltage or current excitation signals.
Display Element

A display device is an output device for presentation of

information in visual or tactile form (the latter used for example
in tactile electronic displays for blind people).

When the input information that is supplied has an electrical

signal the display is called an electronic display.
• Segment displays
• Some displays can show only digits or alphanumeric
characters.
• Full-area 2-dimensional displays
• Mechanical types
• AMPLIFIER
• O P E R AT I O N A L A M P L I F I E R ( O P A M P )
• IDEAL MODEL FOR OP AMP
• OP AMP FEED BACK
• MODEL OF AN IDEAL OP AMP
• ACTUAL OP AMP
• I N V E RT I N G A M P L I F I E R
• E Q U I VA L E N T C I R C U I T F O R I N V E RT I N G A M P B U F F E R
OR FOLLOWER
• SUMMER
• DIFFERENCE AMPLIFIER
• D I F F E R E N C E A M P L I F I E R W I T H V 2 S H O RT E D
• E Q U I VA L E N T C I R C U I T
• I N T E G R ATO R
• D I F F E R E N T I ATO R
• SAMPLE AND HOLD
• C O M PA R ATO R
• PROTECTION
• L O W- PA S S F I LT E R
• H I G H - PA S S F I LT E R
• B A N D - PA S S F I LT E R S
End!