Data acquisition and control is a great way of speeding up the flow of information and enhancing various business services. Whether your goal is to improve your own information-gathering abilities or to provide those services to your customers, the hints in this guide can get you started in the right direction.

You have lots of options when it comes to data acquisition system components. Internal and portable transducers, cubes and USB hubs as well as internal cards and related software are available for various signal- receiving and information-manipulating abilities. Increase the ability of your business with the following products:

1. External, mobile data acquisition ports

2. Secure PCI data acquisition cards

3. Digital data acquisition software

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Enhance your business abilities with digital data acquisition boards and cubes

One of the basic components of any DAQ system is the board, or hub. Fixed or mobile options are available for your data transfer and processing needs. Whether in your main office or at a remote location, having the equipment to acquire and manipulate signal data is important for your continued operations and the success of your business.

I recommend: Check out data acquisition and control solutions from IOtech, United Electronic Industries and DATAQ; various options for cubes and other ethernet data acquisition system products are available.

Install a PCI data acquisition card in your computer for enhanced ability

An alternative to an external or portable DAQ device would be a data acquisition card plugged directly into your computer. If you need to conserve space in your office and have no need of a mobile unit, a card might be your best option. Install an internal device and never worry about it coming loose or being damaged or misplaced.

I recommend: Look into your DAQ card choices at companies such as Signatec, Daytronic, Measurement Computing and National Instruments.

Complete your system with data acquisition software

The best data acquisition system hardware installed on your computers won't be much good without the appropriate software to manage the information. The program will do more than just run the components; it helps you manage the signals and data on your computers, making tasks easier and increasing the efficiency of your business.

I recommend: n addition to many of the companies mentioned above, there are other high speed data acquisition software packages available from Kepware, Microstar Laboratories, SuperLogics and The MathWorks.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  While you're shopping for DAQ devices, keep the accessories in mind, too. Many of the portable units will require ethernet or USB cables. Make sure that you have the extra cables available at remote sites or from your own supplies to connect to ethernet or USB data acquisition ports on your products.