DATA ACQUISITION:

INTRODUCTION
The fundamental task of a DAQ (Data Acquisition) system is to measure or generate real-world
Physical signals. Data acquisition involves gathering signals from measurement sources and
Digitizing the signal for storage, analysis and presentation on a personal computer (PC). Data
Acquisition systems come in many different PC technology forms for great flexibility
, USB, Firmware, parallel, or serial ports for data acquisition in test, measurement, and automation
applications. The five
Components to be considered when building a basic DAQ system as shown in are
Transducers, signals, signal conditioning, DAQ hardware, and driver and application software.

1. TRANSDUSERS: Data acquisition begins with the physical phenomenon to be measured. This
physical phenomenon could be the temperature of a room, the intensity of a light source, the
pressure inside a chamber, the force applied to an object, or many other things. An effective DAQ
system can measure all of these different phenomena. A transducer is a device that converts a physical
phenomenon into a measurable electrical signal, such as voltage or current.
Every sensor is Transducer but every transducer may not be sensor!!
2. SIGNALS: The appropriate transducer converts the physical phenomena into measurable
signals. However, different signals need to be measured in different ways. For this reason, it is
important to understand the different types of signals and their corresponding attributes
Types analog and digital!

2.1 Analog Signals: An analog signal can be at any value with respect to time. A few examples of analog
signals include voltage, temperature, pressure, sound.

2.2 Digital Signals: A digital signal cannot take on any value with respect to time. Instead, a digital signal
has two possible levels: high and low.

Digital signals are commonly referred to as Transistor-to-Transistor Logic (TTL)

3. SIGNAL CONDITIONING: Signal

conditioning is the process of measuring and
manipulating signals to improve accuracy,
isolation, filtering, and so on. Many stand-
alone instruments and DAQ devices have built-
in signal conditioning. Signal conditioning
also can be applied externally, by designing a
circuit to condition the signal or by using
devices specifically made for signal
conditioning. National Instruments has SCXI
(Signal Conditioning Extension for
Instrumentation) devices and other devices that
are designed for this purpose.

Modular and integrated Signal conditioner:

Modular: it is rectangular block sized and purchased

separately it is communicated using data cables

Integrated Signal Conditioner: it is embedded type and

may or may not be purchasable separately, they
usually have dedicated slots for communication
purpose.

4. DAQ HARDWARE CONFIGURATION: Before

using a data acquisition board, you must confirm that
the software can communicate with the board by
configuring the devices. The Windows Configuration
Manager keeps track of all the hardware installed in the
computer, including National Instruments DAQ devices.
If you have a Plug & Play (PnP) device, the Windows
Configuration Manager automatically detects and
configures the device. If you have a non-PnP device, or
legacy device, you must configure the device manually
using the Add New Hardware option in the Control Panel. You can verify the Windows Configuration by
accessing the Device Manager.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------
Sampling fundamental:

Sample and hold cirucit:

Suppose Vin is actual signal that has to process, if Vin is used to drive directly a circuit component during
processing then Vin can get weak interms of voltage or current and hence desireable or processable
signals could be die or get too weak to process. Hence sample and hold circuit is used, here Vout is almost
mirror of Vin but a bit distorted in shape but can be processable by circuit component of without
damaging or weaking Vin,
CK is basically clock signal whose on off frequency is greater than or equal 2 times of Vin
frequency(nyquist sampling theorm).

When M1( MOSFET) is on then Vin charges Cs., due to negative part of CK
pulse M1 opens (off). Now Vout equal to the sampled Vin, while capacitor
dischargs in processing, meanwhile due to 2 times of sampling frequency
case, again capacitor charges to new value during M1 close (on) because of
next positive clock, this Vout can processable by the circuit components,
here important thing is that the Vin voltage or current not effected by the
circuit components, as capacitor and MOSFET isolate both Vin & Vout.

Nyquist sampling theorem: A continuous time signal can be represented in its samples and can be
recovered back when sampling frequency fs is greater than or equal to the twice the highest frequency
component of message signal. i. e. fs ≥ 2fm. fs is frequency of sampling signal and fm is frequency of message signal
There are three types of sampling techniques:
The minimum sampling rate is also called nyquist rate fs = 2fm ,
and sampling rate fs > 2fm oversampling.
1. Impulse sampling. 2. Natural sampling. 3. Flat Top sampling.

Impulse sampling natural sampling

Flat top sampling

Aliasing: Aliasing occurs when a system is measured at an insufficient sampling rate.
e. g Imagine a disk (or paper plate) with a dot near the edge. If the disk began rotating at one revolution
per minute, you could observe the angular velocity by looking at it. Now close your eyes. If you open
your eyes every 15 seconds and observe the dot, you can still measure direction of rotation and speed.
Every 30 seconds and it becomes difficult to determine the rotation of the plate (this is the NYQUIST
FREQUENCY.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------

BASICS OF FILE INPUT/OUTPUT

File I/O records or reads data in a file. File I/O operations pass data to and from files. Use the file
I/O VIs and functions located on the Functions» All Functions» File I/O palette to handle all aspects
of file I/O, including the following:
1. ● Opening and closing data files
2. ● Reading data from and writing data to files
3. ● Reading from and writing to spreadsheet-formatted files
4. ● Moving and renaming files and directories
5. ● Changing file characteristics
6. ● Creating, modifying and reading configuration files
Bus: When referring to a computer, the bus also known as the address bus, data bus, or local bus is a data
connection between two or more devices connected to the computer. For example, a bus enables a
computer processor to communicate with the memory or a video card to communicate with the memory.
Similarly bus are also available in Lab view hardware too
1. I/O bus 2. Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) bus
3.Compact Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus 4. Expand Digital Buses
5. General Purpose Interface Bus (GPIB) 6. Real-Time System Integration (RTSI) Bus
7. PCI eXtensions for Instrumentation (PXI) Trigger Bus

ADC: Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) converts an analog signal to a digital number and is used for analog
input.
Types of ADC
1. Flash ADC 2. Successive approximation converter 3. Dual slope converter. 4. Sigma-delta ADC

Flash (Simultaneous) ADC

The flash ADC uses comparators that compare reference voltages with the analogue input voltage. When the
analogue voltage exceeds the reference voltage for a given comparator, a High is generated. In general (2n -1)
comparators are required. So for an 8-bit conversion 255 comparators are required. However the flash ADC
provides a fast conversion time because of the parallel process.
3-Bit Flash Analogue to Digital Converter (ADC)

The reference voltage for each comparator is set by

the resistive voltage divider network. The output of
each comparator is connected to an input of the
priority encoder. The encoder is sampled by a pulse
on the Enable input and a 3-bit binary code
representing the analogue input appears on the
encoder output. The binary code is determined by
the highest order input having a High level.

Principle of Operation:
1. The flash ADC comprises an array of
comparators.
2. Each comparator is connected to a resistive
voltage divider and to the analogue input voltage.
3. The resistive voltage divider consists of equal
valued resistors connected in series with the ref.
voltage VREF.
4. Thus each comparator compares the analogue
input voltage with a slightly different voltage from
the divider.
5. Those comparators which are connected to
divider resistors where the divider voltage is lower
than the analogue input voltage will give a high output
6. The other comparators will produce a low output.
7. Larger analogue input voltages will result in more comparator high outputs.
8. The pattern of comparator high/low outputs is applied to encoder circuits which convert the data into a binary
output number which is proportional to the ratio of the analogue input voltage to the reference voltage.

DAC: Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC) converts a digital number to an analog signal and is used
for analog output.
Types of DAC
1. Binary Weighted Resistor 2. R-2R Ladder

Binary weighted resistor: The binary-weighted-resistor DAC

employs the characteristics of the inverting summer Op Amp
circuit. In this type of DAC, the output voltage is the inverted sum
of all the input voltages. If the input resistor values are set to
multiples of two: 1R, 2R and 4R, the output voltage would be equal
to the sum of V1, V2/2 and V3/4. V1 corresponds to the most
significant bit (MSB) while V3 corresponds to the least significant
bit (LSB).

Types of ADC

A/D Using Voltage to time conversion

BINARY-WEIGHTED RESISTOR DAC

The binary-weighted-resistor DAC employs the characteristics of the inverting summer Op Amp circuit. In this type
of DAC, the output voltage is the inverted sum of all the input voltages. If the input resistor values are set to
multiples of two: 1R, 2R and 4R, the output voltage would be equal to the sum of V1, V2/2 and V3/4. V1
corresponds to the most significant bit (MSB) while V3 corresponds to the least significant bit (LSB).
 The circuit for a 4-bit DAC using binary weighted resistor network is shown below:

DIGITAL I/O (DIO): NI MODULE for digital signals Having dual behavior can be used as a input and hardware at
once, based upon programming the address, digital means the pins have only two kind of output or input on that they
can provide response or can identify response also called DIO card, these input outputs are of very low voltages so
for getting higher voltages which can drive system we can use relay cards or Signal Conditioning Extension for
Instrumentation (SCXI) hardware.
COUNTERS/ TIMER: These are digital timing device. Counters are used for event counting, frequency
measurement, period measurement, position measurement and pulse generation. Timers are used for producing
delays. Pulse generation counter/timer circuitry is useful for many applications, including counting the occurrences
of a digital event, digital pulse timing, and generating square waves and pulses. You can implement all these
applications using three counter/timer signals—gate, source and output.
Count register—It stores the current count of the counter. You can query the count register with software.
Source—It is an input signal that can change the current count stored in the count register. The counter looks for
rising or falling edges on the source signal. Whether a rising or falling edge changes, the count is software
selectable. The type of edge selected is referred to as the active edge of the signal. When an active edge is received
on the source signal, the count changes. Whether an active edge increments or decrements the current count is also
software selectable.
Gate—It is an input signal that determines if an active edge on the source changes the count.
Counting can occur when the gate is high, low, or between various combinations of rising and falling edges. Gate
settings are made in software.
Output—It is an output signal that generates pulses or a series of pulses, otherwise known as a pulse train
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------
Direct Memory Address (DMA) : DMA is that the DMA controllers (DMAC) performs the data transfer. The CPU
is not tied up for the entire duration of the transfer; however it must still program the DMAC. In general DMA is
faster than programmed I/O and therefore useful for large data transfers.

Software and hardware driver installation:

1. Order of Installation: There is a proper order for installing National Instruments software due to how the
individual pieces work together. Here is the installation order required:
I. Development System (LabVIEW)
II. Software Toolkits and Modules (LabVIEW Control Design and Simulation Toolkit)
III. Hardware Drivers (NI-ELVISmx Device Driver)

2. Install Products:
Perform one of the following:
I. If you have a physical DVD, insert the LabVIEW Student Edition Double-click on setup.exe. or If you have
downloaded the software online or from a network location, double-click setup.exe.
II. Allow installer to initialize and then select Next.
III. Select I only want to evaluate products. You can activate the software with your serial number after
completing the installation as discussed in the subsequent tutorial.
IV. Select the products that you would like to install. To add a product, left-click and select Install. To remove
a product, left-click and select Do not install. Select Next after selecting all desired software.
V. Depending on when you install your software, it is possible that there have been updates released for your
products. At this point, you can choose to contact National Instruments to see if any updates exist. This is
 not required, and can also be done using the NI Update Service after installation. To proceed without doing
this, deselect the checkbox. Select Next.
VI. You can modify the installation path, but it is not recommended. Select Next to proceed without changing
the default path.
VII. You must read and agree to the License Agreements—two windows contain license agreements. For each
window, select I accept and then select Next to proceed.
VIII. Before you proceed, ensure that all desired products to be installed are listed accordingly. Select Next to
proceed.
IX. The installation will now begin. During the installation, the individual installers for each product will be
invoked and appear as seen below.
X. After all products have been installed, the installation summary will be displayed. Select Next to proceed
XI. The installation is now complete. At this point, reboot your machine before using any newly installed
software. This ensures the proper keys are written to the registry to allow the software to function correctly.

3. Install Hardware Drivers

Listed below are three of the most popular drivers:

I. NI-DAQmx provides access to the large majority of NI multifunction data acquisition devices such as NI
CompactDAQ, NI myDAQ, and the NI Educational Laboratory Virtual Instrumentation Suite (NI ELVIS).
II. NI-ELVISmx includes the NI-DAQmx driver, and also provides a suite of software instruments to use with
an NI ELVIS or NI myDAQ device.
III. NI-RIO provides access to the NI CompactRIO and NI Single-Board RIO devices.

Calibration: when developing a measurement system, you must make certain that the instrumentation you
are using is calibrated. Calibration is the process of determining and adjusting an instrument’s accuracy to
make sure it is within the manufacturer’s specifications. If your instrumentation hardware or hardware
components are not calibrated, you run the risk of taking false data. Decisions to be made based on such
data can potentially be incorrect. Furthermore, in a manufacturing test, improperly calibrated measurement
systems can erroneously pass bad parts or fail good ones.
Some imp parameter while calibrating a system
are.
I. Resolution—The smallest feature size on your
object that the imaging system can distinguish.
II. Pixel resolution—The minimum number of
pixels needed to represent the object under
inspection.
III. Field of view—The area of the object under
inspection that the camera can acquire.
IV. Working distance—The distance from the front
of the camera lens to the object under inspection.
V. Sensor size—The size of a sensor’s active area,
typically defined by the sensor’s horizontal
dimension.
VI. Depth of field—The maximum object depth that
remains in focus.

DAQ CARD INSTALLATION: Installing the DAQ Card

Basic steps to install the DAQ card or device in a PCI device..
PCI devices—Complete the following steps to install the PCI devices shown in Figure11.24:
Step 1: Power off and unplug the computer.
Step 2: Remove the computer cover and/or the expansion slot cover.
Step 3: Touch any metal part of the computer to discharge any static electricity.
Step 4: Insert the device into a PCI system slot. Gently rock the device into place. Do not force
the device into place.
Step 5: Secure the device mounting bracket to the computer back panel rail.
Step 6: Replace the computer cover, if applicable.