Data Acquisition Specifications

Form Factor


	Form Factor
	Your choices are...
	Integrated Circuit (IC)		Devices are integrated circuit (IC) chips that mount on printed circuit boards (PCBs).
	Printed Circuit Board (PCB)		Devices are printed circuit boards (PCBs) that attach to enclosures or plug directly into computer backplanes.
	Panel / Chassis Mount		Devices attach to a panel or bolt onto a chassis.
	Modular Bay / Slot System		Devices stack in modular bays or slots and can be interfaced to other units.
	Rack Mount		Devices are rack-mounted and fit inside enclosures such as a standard 19” telecommunications rack.
	DIN Rail		Devices mount on a standard DIN rail. DIN is an acronym for Deutsches Institut für Normung (DIN), a German national organization for standardization.
	Stand Alone		Devices are benchtop or floor-standing units with a full casing or cabinet and an integral interface.
	Other		Other unlisted form factors.
	Search Logic:		All products with ANY of the selected attributes will be returned as matches. Leaving all boxes unchecked will not limit the search criteria for this question; products with all attribute options will be returned as matches.

Device Specifications


	Analog Input Channels:		This is the maximum number of analog channel inputs. The single-ended number is specified when single-ended inputs are available as twice the number of differential inputs. Differential channels use the difference between two signals as an input; common mode is filtered out. In some systems, differential inputs are combinations of two single-ended inputs. When this is the case, twice the numbers of differential channels are available as single-ended inputs.
	Search Logic:		All matching products will have a value greater than or equal to the specified value.

	Differential Channels		Differential channels have two inputs. The signal to process is the voltage (V) difference between the two inputs. For example, if one reading is 4.93 V and the other reading is 5.16 V, the meaningful value is the 0.23 V difference between the two. Often, this applies to precision measurements where the difference between two low voltage inputs is small but critical.
	Search Logic:		"Required" and "Must Not Have" criteria limit returned matches as specified. Products with optional attributes will be returned for either choice.

	Digital I/O Channels:		Digital or discrete channels are used for low-level on-off signals used in applications such as communication, user interface, or control.
	Search Logic:		All matching products will have a value greater than or equal to the specified value.

	Sampling Frequency:		Frequency of analog signal sampling and conversion to a digital value.
	Search Logic:		All matching products will have a value greater than or equal to the specified value.

	Resolution:		Resolution refers to the degree of fineness of the digital word representing the analog value. A ten-bit number contains 2¹⁰, or 1024, increments. A 0-10V signal could therefore be resolved into approximately 0.01V increments. A 12-bit representation would be in 2¹² (4096) increments, or divisions of 0.0024V for the same signal. Each additional bit doubles the resolution, and one bit is required for the polarity (sign) of a number.
	Search Logic:		All matching products will have a value greater than or equal to the specified value.

	Accuracy:		Accuracy depends on the signal conditioning linearity, hysteresis, temperature considerations, etc. It is represented here as percent full scale of measurement range.
	Search Logic:		All matching products will have a value less than or equal to the specified value.

Signal Inputs


	DC Voltage Input?
	Search Logic:		"Required" and "Must Not Have" criteria limit returned matches as specified. Products with optional attributes will be returned for either choice.

	DC Current Input?
	Search Logic:		"Required" and "Must Not Have" criteria limit returned matches as specified. Products with optional attributes will be returned for either choice.

	AC Voltage Input?
	Search Logic:		"Required" and "Must Not Have" criteria limit returned matches as specified. Products with optional attributes will be returned for either choice.

	AC Current Input?
	Search Logic:		"Required" and "Must Not Have" criteria limit returned matches as specified. Products with optional attributes will be returned for either choice.

	Frequency Input?		Input for varying frequency, pulse, or other specialized waveform.
	Search Logic:		"Required" and "Must Not Have" criteria limit returned matches as specified. Products with optional attributes will be returned for either choice.

	Charge Input?		Charge is the output of a piezoelectric device. A charge signal typically requires filtering and amplification.
	Search Logic:		"Required" and "Must Not Have" criteria limit returned matches as specified. Products with optional attributes will be returned for either choice.

Sensor Inputs


	Accelerometer Input?		Input specifically for an accelerometer, such as a piezoelectric or current-fed sensor.
	Search Logic:		"Required" and "Must Not Have" criteria limit returned matches as specified. Products with optional attributes will be returned for either choice.

	Thermocouple Input?		Input for a thermocouple or thermocouple series.
	Search Logic:		"Required" and "Must Not Have" criteria limit returned matches as specified. Products with optional attributes will be returned for either choice.

	Thermistor Input?		Input for thermistors and potentiometers handle variable resistance as a function of the process being measured.
	Search Logic:		"Required" and "Must Not Have" criteria limit returned matches as specified. Products with optional attributes will be returned for either choice.

	RTD Input?		Input designed for a resistance temperature detector.
	Search Logic:		"Required" and "Must Not Have" criteria limit returned matches as specified. Products with optional attributes will be returned for either choice.

	Strain Gauge / Bridge?		Input designed for a Wheatstone bridge, in full, half, or quarter bridge configurations. Strain gauges are sensors which commonly utilize Wheatstone bridges.
	Search Logic:		"Required" and "Must Not Have" criteria limit returned matches as specified. Products with optional attributes will be returned for either choice.

	LVDT / RVDT Input?		Input for a Linear (LVDT) or Rotary (RVDT) Variable Differential Transformer.
	Search Logic:		"Required" and "Must Not Have" criteria limit returned matches as specified. Products with optional attributes will be returned for either choice.

Specialized & Other Inputs


	Encoder Input?		Input for an encoder signal such as binary, gray, or BCD.
	Search Logic:		"Required" and "Must Not Have" criteria limit returned matches as specified. Products with optional attributes will be returned for either choice.

	Counter / Tachometer Input?		Input from counters or tachometers are typically one signal per cycle counts.
	Search Logic:		"Required" and "Must Not Have" criteria limit returned matches as specified. Products with optional attributes will be returned for either choice.

	Timer / Clock Input?		Input for any type of time signal.
	Search Logic:		"Required" and "Must Not Have" criteria limit returned matches as specified. Products with optional attributes will be returned for either choice.

	Relay / Switch Input?		Input for a discrete, on/off signal from an exterior device.
	Search Logic:		"Required" and "Must Not Have" criteria limit returned matches as specified. Products with optional attributes will be returned for either choice.

	Other Input?		Unlisted or specialized input.
	Search Logic:		"Required" and "Must Not Have" criteria limit returned matches as specified. Products with optional attributes will be returned for either choice.

Outputs


	Voltage Output?		Variable voltage output such as 0-10V, ±5V, etc.
	Search Logic:		"Required" and "Must Not Have" criteria limit returned matches as specified. Products with optional attributes will be returned for either choice.

	Current Output?		Variable current level output such as 0-20mA, 4-20 mA current loop, etc.
	Search Logic:		"Required" and "Must Not Have" criteria limit returned matches as specified. Products with optional attributes will be returned for either choice.

	Frequency Output?		Output is a frequency or pulse signal such as AM, FM, or PWM monitoring or control.
	Search Logic:		"Required" and "Must Not Have" criteria limit returned matches as specified. Products with optional attributes will be returned for either choice.

	Timer / Counter Output?		Output is a counting or timing of measured events.
	Search Logic:		"Required" and "Must Not Have" criteria limit returned matches as specified. Products with optional attributes will be returned for either choice.

	Relay Output?		Switch type output; contacts are open or closed depending on the state of one or more of the inputs.
	Search Logic:		"Required" and "Must Not Have" criteria limit returned matches as specified. Products with optional attributes will be returned for either choice.

	Resistance / Potentiometer Output?		Output is a variable resistance such as a potentiometer.
	Search Logic:		"Required" and "Must Not Have" criteria limit returned matches as specified. Products with optional attributes will be returned for either choice.

	Other Output?		Unlisted or specialized output.
	Search Logic:		"Required" and "Must Not Have" criteria limit returned matches as specified. Products with optional attributes will be returned for either choice.

User Interface


	User Interface
	Your choices are...
	None		No user input or programmability; "black box" style of storage for download or processing elsewhere.
	Front Panel & Display		Integral controls, keypad, and/or display on the panel of the unit.
	Touch Screen		The device's visual display screen is contact sensitive to allow direct input.
	Hand-held / Remote Programmer		Interface unit specifically meant to hold in hand while entering program parameters; may include remote programming.
	Computer Programmable		Device is interfaced to a separate supervisory or host computer.
	Other		Any unlisted user interface method.
	Search Logic:		All products with ANY of the selected attributes will be returned as matches. Leaving all boxes unchecked will not limit the search criteria for this question; products with all attribute options will be returned as matches.

Connection to Host


	Connection to Host
	Your choices are...
	Direct Backplane Interface		The circuit board installs directly into a computer motherboard or backplane.
	RS232/422/485		RS232/422/485 is an interface between data terminal equipment and data communications equipment employing serial binary data interchange.
	USB		Universal serial bus (USB) is a 4-wire, 12-Mbps serial bus for low-to-medium speed peripheral device connections to personal computers (PC), including keyboards, mice, modems, printers, joysticks, audio functions, monitor controls, etc. The USB design is standardized by the USB Implementers Forum (USBIF), an organization that includes leading companies from the computer and electronics industries. The current USB specification is USB 2.0, which supports data transfer rates of up to 480 Mbps.
	IEEE 1394 (Firewire®)		IEEE 1394 or FireWire® is an interface standard adopted by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) for very fast digital data transfers such as streaming video. IEEE 1394 connectors are used to transmit and receive data among FireWire devices, and are designed to replace external high-speed peripheral connections to personal computers, including hard disks, CD-ROMs, DVDs, graphics cards, high-speed scanners, direct video, monitors, etc. Tiny, robust FireWire connectors will also become important parts of home entertainment, communication, and appliance networks. FireWire is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.
	GPIB		The general-purpose interface bus (GPIB) is designed to connect computers, peripherals and laboratory instruments so that data and control information can pass between them. It was originally developed by Hewlett Packard (HP) and called the HPIB bus. GPIB is also know as the IEEE 488 bus, and is electrically equivalent to the IEC 625 bus.
	SCSI		Small computer systems interface (SCSI) is an intelligent I/O parallel peripheral bus with a standard, device-independent protocol that allows many peripheral devices to be connected to the SCSI port. A single SCSI bus can drive up to eight devices or units: the host adapter or controller, and seven other devices. Each device is assigned a different SCSI ID, ranging from 0 to 7. SCSI formats include SCSI-1, SCSI-2, SCSI-3, Wide SCSI, Fast SCSI, Wide Fast SCSI, Ultra SCSI, Ultra2 SCSI, Ultra3 SCI (Ultra160), Ultra 320 SCSI, and Ultra640 SCSI.
	TTL		Transistor-transistor logic, a common type of digital circuit in which the output is derived from two transistors. More commonly, however, TTL is used to designate any type of digital input or device.
	Parallel Interface		A channel capable of transferring more than one bit simultaneously; parallel communication protocols include GPIB / IEEE-488 / HPIB Protocol.
	Ethernet		Ethernet is a local area network (LAN) protocol that uses a bus or star typology and supports data transfer rates of 10 Mbps. The Ethernet specification is the basis for the IEEE 802.3 standard, which specifies the physical and lower software layers. To handle simultaneous demands, Ethernet uses carrier sense multiple access / collision detection (CSMA/CD) to monitor network traffic.
	Modem		Modulator-demodulator. A modem is a device or program that enables a computer to transmit data over telephone lines. Computer information is stored digitally, whereas information transmitted over telephone lines is transmitted in the form of analog waves. A modem converts between these two forms.
	Radio / Telemetry		Communication from data acquisition device to host or storage unit via radio transmission.
	Other		Unlisted, specialized, or proprietary communication configuration.
	Search Logic:		All products with ANY of the selected attributes will be returned as matches. Leaving all boxes unchecked will not limit the search criteria for this question; products with all attribute options will be returned as matches.

	Transmission Rate:		Transmission speed in bits per second.
	Search Logic:		All matching products will have a value greater than or equal to the specified value.

	Web Enabled?		Device contains hardware and software protocols such as Hypertext Transfer Protocol (http) or Web Access Protocol (WAP) for being addressable to, or a node of, the World Wide Web for remote monitoring or communication.
	Search Logic:		"Required" and "Must Not Have" criteria limit returned matches as specified. Products with optional attributes will be returned for either choice.

Application


	Application
	Your choices are...
	General Lab & Industrial		General laboratory and industrial data acquisition systems. Special hardening against weather, shock, extreme heat, and other unusual conditions not necessary.
	Environmental		Designed for use in environmental applications such as groundwater monitoring or pollution measurement.
	Vehicular		Applications for vehicular motion, including provisions for factors such as high speed, shock, etc.
	Marine		Designed for use in water or salt water applications.
	Aerospace / Military		Designed for use in aviation, aerospace or other military or defense applications, including associated technical or military standards.
	Seismic / Geotechnical		Designed for use in seismic applications such as earthquake or volcano research, or industries such as mining.
	Weather / Meteorology		Designed to handle weather or atmospheric data; may include weatherproofing.
	Medical / Biomedical		Designed for use in medical, biomedical, pharmaceutical, or surgical applications.
	Search Logic:		All products with ANY of the selected attributes will be returned as matches. Leaving all boxes unchecked will not limit the search criteria for this question; products with all attribute options will be returned as matches.

Network Specifications


	Networkable System?		Device is designed to communicate with or be a node of a digital network.
	Search Logic:		"Required" and "Must Not Have" criteria limit returned matches as specified. Products with optional attributes will be returned for either choice.

	Network Options:
	Your choices are...
	Ethernet		A standard method of connecting computers to a local area network (LAN) using coaxial cable.
	Gigabit Ethernet		Gigabit Ethernet is a high-speed Ethernet standard from the IEEE 802.3z Gigabit Task Force.
	CANbus		CANbus is a high-speed serial data network engineered to exist in harsh electrical environments.
	DeviceNet		DeviceNet is a network designed to connect industrial devices such as limit switches, photoelectric cells, valve manifolds, motor starters, drives, and operator displays to PLCs and PCs. The network eliminates hard wiring while providing device-level diagnostics.
	SDS		Smart Distributed System (SDS) is an advanced bus system for intelligent sensors and actuators using CAN-based technology.
	Foundation Fieldbus		A bi-directional communications protocol used for communications among field instrumentation and control systems.
	Profibus		PROFIBUS is a vendor-independent, open field bus standard used in a wide variety of manufacturing and process automation applications.
	SERCOS		(Serial Real-time Communications System) is an open controller-to-intelligent digital drive interface specification, designed for high-speed serial communication of standardized closed-loop data in real-time over a noise-immune, fiber-optic cable.
	Beckhoff I/O		A communications system that couples open fieldbus protocols to Beckhoff's Bus Terminal I/O. This allows connectivity to a large variety of devices on the Bus Terminal (K-bus).
	IEEE 1394 (Firewire®)		The IEEE 1394 standard is a scalable, flexible, digital interface designed by Apple Computer, Inc., to integrate the worlds of consumer electronics and personal computers. The IEEE 1394 standard defines both a back plane physical layer and point-to-point cable-connected virtual bus implementations. FireWire, Apple's implementation of IEEE 1394, is a fast peripheral standard for use with multimedia peripherals such as video camcorders and other high-speed devices like the latest hard disk drives and printers.
	Other		Any unlisted network system; may include proprietary networks.
	Search Logic:		All products with ANY of the selected attributes will be returned as matches. Leaving all boxes unchecked will not limit the search criteria for this question; products with all attribute options will be returned as matches.

Filter Specifications


	Integral Filter?		A filter will allow certain signal frequencies to pass while attenuating others. Filters can operate on signal phase also.
	Search Logic:		"Required" and "Must Not Have" criteria limit returned matches as specified. Products with optional attributes will be returned for either choice.

	Programmable Filter?		Filter parameters such as cutoff frequencies may be interactively programmed by user.
	Search Logic:		"Required" and "Must Not Have" criteria limit returned matches as specified. Products with optional attributes will be returned for either choice.

	Anti-aliasing Filter?		Aliasing is the misrepresentation of a signal that comes from an improperly slow sampling of a signal. An anti-aliasing filter generally has a sharper cut-off than a normal low-pass filter to reduce this misrepresentation due to the influence of frequencies higher than desired. It is specified according to the sampling rate of the system and there should be one filter per input signal.
	Search Logic:		"Required" and "Must Not Have" criteria limit returned matches as specified. Products with optional attributes will be returned for either choice.

	Filter Function:
	Your choices are...
	Low Pass		Low pass filters block or attenuate signals at frequencies above the specified cutoff frequency.
	High Pass		High pass filters block or attenuate signals at frequencies below the specified cutoff frequency.
	Band Pass		Band pass filters block or attenuate signals at frequencies outside of the specified low pass and high pass cutoff frequencies. This is frequently done by combining or "cascading" low-pass and high-pass filters.
	Band Stop		Band stop filters block a portion of the frequency spectrum, allowing lower and higher frequencies to pass.
	All Pass		All-pass filters allow all frequencies to pass; they can be used to introduce desired phase shifts in signals.
	Other		Unlisted or specialized form of filter.
	Search Logic:		All products with ANY of the selected attributes will be returned as matches. Leaving all boxes unchecked will not limit the search criteria for this question; products with all attribute options will be returned as matches.

	Low Pass Cutoff Frequency:		Nominal frequency below which input signal is passed and above which the signal is blocked.
	Search Logic:		User may specify either, both, or neither of the "At Least" and "No More Than" values. Products returned as matches will meet all specified criteria.

	High Pass Cutoff Frequency:		Nominal frequency above which the input signal is passed and below which the signal is blocked.
	Search Logic:		User may specify either, both, or neither of the "At Least" and "No More Than" values. Products returned as matches will meet all specified criteria.

Amplifier Specifications


	Integral Amplifier?		Amplifiers multiply a signal to the matching scale of the input device. Amplifier gains, or multiplication factors, may be greater than one or fractional for signal reduction.
	Search Logic:		"Required" and "Must Not Have" criteria limit returned matches as specified. Products with optional attributes will be returned for either choice.

	Programmable Gain?		Amplifier gain may be adjusted according to the application needs. Adjustment may be from a local interface (such as a front panel) or from a computer interface.
	Search Logic:		"Required" and "Must Not Have" criteria limit returned matches as specified. Products with optional attributes will be returned for either choice.

	Gain Range:		Gain is the factor by which the input signal is multiplied. Gains are frequently greater than unity, but may be fractional when a reduction (attenuation) of signal amplitude is desired.
	Search Logic:		User may specify either, both, or neither of the limits in a "From - To" range; when both are specified, matching products will cover entire range. Products returned as matches will meet all specified criteria.

	Bandwidth:		Bandwidth is the difference between the high and low limits of the frequency response, typically defined by a variation from a nominal value by a stated value such as 3 dB.
	Search Logic:		All matching products will have a value greater than or equal to the specified value.

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