Data Acquistion Hardware
Data Acquistion Hardware
(OP)
I am trying to set up a process in which we do incoming inspection on temperature device such as thermostats, thermistors and RTD's. I would like to be able to sample 30 devices in one setup. My proposed system would have a thermocouple located at each device and I would like to be able to record both the TC temp along with the state of the device. On top of this, I would like the data to be recorded in Excel. I'm not that familiar with data acquistioning and was wondering if anyone has any recommendations that may help me. I would like to have one set of hardware that would allow me to test all of these devices. Any help or advice is greatly appreciated. MB





RE: Data Acquistion Hardware
There are also the National Instruments devices that are programmed in a graphic language, which is efficient but needs a good deal of training. NI is rather pricey.
Many PLCs of today can do what you want. And they can often (not always)communicate with a PC.
There are also solutions with an AD board and multiplexers that sit right in the PC bus and which comes with drivers that can talk to Excel.
I think that you need to get a consultant to sort out what you need and - if it is a good one - also implement the system. But ask two or more guys and ask them for a budget pricing before you let them have a go. These things can get expensive. Not that they need to be, but if you assume a lot of things and the consultant also assumes things, you end up in a mess of misunderstandings - and high costs as well as a probably less than optimal system.
Gunnar Englund
www.gke.org
RE: Data Acquistion Hardware
Forsee some sort of T/C card or device with multiple channels that is compatible with the type of T/C's you plan on using. What programming languages do you know, this may dictate what hardware you choose and the interface method. You do not have to specifically use Excel (to record into). You can use tab or comma delimited text files if you desire, these are compatible with Excel. Forsee all of this running on a PC.
When you say state of the device, what does that mean? A themostat may have multiple states (off, heat, cool), while thermistors and RTD's really do not have a state, but rather a 'value'. Do you intend to input their signals into the above card too?
For the case of thermostat, will you be adjusting ambient environment to make sure the thermostat changes states?
Wheels within wheels / In a spiral array
A pattern so grand / And complex
Time after time / We lose sight of the way
Our causes can't see / Their effects.
RE: Data Acquistion Hardware
RE: Data Acquistion Hardware
Try "DataTaker" at www.datataker.com they have a wide range of dataloggers they also have very good analysis software that will export to excel.
Cheers
Mark Hutton
RE: Data Acquistion Hardware
TTFN
RE: Data Acquistion Hardware
m777182
RE: Data Acquistion Hardware
Reads themocouples,volts and amps.
The Intulink software for excel adds a tool bar to excel
to allow direct downloads. Software is free.
Data logger is a little pricey.
http://w
RE: Data Acquistion Hardware