What is a data acquisition card?

The simplest answer is that it is a basic A/D converter coupled with an interface that allows a personal computer to control the actions of the A/D, as well as to capture the digital output information from a conversion. A data acquisition card plugs directly into a personal computer's bus. All the power required for the A/D converter and associated interface components on the data acquisition card is obtained directly from the PC bus.

Today, a data acquisition card is more than a simple A/D function on a board. A data acquisition card can offer measurements of up to 64 channels at a resolution of 16 bits, (one part in 65,536) with data throughput rates up to 20 million samples per second. A data acquisition card can and often does include discrete digital bi-directional I/O lines, counter timers, and D/A converters for outputting analog signals for control applications.

A data acquisition card designed for high-performance will work in a very wide range of test and measurement and control applications. A data acquisition card, combined with robust software will turn a personal computer into powerful measurement system that may be used to automate experiments, construct product test stands, monitor and control production equipment, or be embedded in products ranging from medical monitoring systems to automobile test simulators.

Measurement Computing Corporation offers the largest selection of PC-based data acquisition and measurement products. Shop our online catalog by selecting a category above. From PCI, USB, PC/104, ISA, and PCMCIA bus to RS-232, RS-422, RS-485, and GPIB interfaces; Measurement Computing has everything you need for your PC-based data acquisition and control applications.