I/O board solutions fall into several categories. However, simply stated, they are data acquisition boards that have both an input (I) and an output (O) function. An I/O board is made up primarily of a combination of four elements: analog inputs, digital inputs, analog outputs, and digital outputs.

An I/O board solution from Measurement Computing is also commonly referred to as a data acquisition board or card.

An I/O board combined with a personal computer makes a most flexible data acquisition and control system. I/O board functions are packed on a small printed circuit board or card that plugs directly into a PCI slot, in the case of a PCI-based personal computer.

With the four elements mentioned above, almost any measurement and control system can be configured using an I/O board and a personal computer.

A simple example using all four elements could be at an oil processing plant. The analog inputs can be used to measure the flow of oil through a pipe, while the analog outputs can be used to control a valve. The digital inputs can be used to monitor when a pump is on or off, and the digital outputs can be used to turn the pump on or off .

Going further with more detail: the analog inputs can be used to measure the volume of oil in a pipe, the viscosity of the liquid, the temperature, and the rate at which the liquid flows. Various sensors or transducers are used to convert the properties of the oil to voltage levels. The analog outputs can be used to control heaters or coolers, pumps and valves, while the digital inputs and digital outputs can be used to monitor and or control any on or off conditions.

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 boards to external systems based on USB, RS-232, RS-422, RS-485, and GPIB interfaces; Measurement Computing has everything you need for your PC-based data acquisition and control applications.