Portable Data Acquisition Devices

[Too_Many_Tools]

I have been looking for a portable data acquisition device that is
relatively low cost without any success.

If you needed one, what would you buy?

I have also looked for data acquisition accessories for PDAs, pocket
computers and laptops and again find little to buy that doesn't cost
significant money.

If you have any suggestions, I would appreciate them.

Finally, I have spent considerable time looking for information in
Google without success. If you are aware of any sites that have
circuits and software for a homebuilt solution, I would be interested
in hearing about them.

Thanks

TMT

 

[[email protected]]

Could you put some constraints on you system?
number of channels, analog or digital, data rates, #bits/ch?
Question is too open ended.

 

[Too_Many_Tools]

I would rather not limit myself to any constraints. I understand the
question is vague but I phased it that way for that very reason.

I can think of uses for a portable data acquisition system that would
use all the attributes that you mention.

Other than creating the solution myself, I am trying to discover what
might be available.

Is there anything that one can use with an old laptop?

How about an old PDA?

Heck, I even have some really old TRS Model 100s laying around that
would work for data acquisition gathering....anything around for them?

Again, what I am looking for is a relatively portable, flexible and
INEXPENSIVE system addon. From what I am seeing, it doesn't seem to
exist. Considering it would seem to be a common need, I figure I just
haven't stumbled across it yet.
Any pointers to any products would be appreciated.

TMT

 

[mark thomas]

The artist formerly known as Too_Many_Tools wrote:

| I have been looking for a portable data acquisition device that is
| relatively low cost without any success.

"Portable data acquisition device" is pretty general, but...

You might look into USB memory sticks that can plug directly into a laptop,
if that's what you mean by portable. Otherwise, if you're talking about
some sort of microcontroller system, you might look into something like
this:

http://www.bipom.com/datalogger.shtm

 

[Carl Ijames]

www.windaq.com I've used their 8 bit starter kit with a laptop before,
and now they have a 10 bit version. 4 channels of 10 bit at 240 Hz
total for $25 with software. Powers off the serial port, which might be
a problem - my ibm thinkpad 760 would only give about 4 V, not the >7 V
that it wanted, so I added a battery to help out.

 

[David DiGiacomo]

www.windaq.com I've used their 8 bit starter kit with a laptop before,
and now they have a 10 bit version. 4 channels of 10 bit at 240 Hz
total for $25 with software. Powers off the serial port, which might be
a problem - my ibm thinkpad 760 would only give about 4 V, not the >7 V
that it wanted, so I added a battery to help out.

That's the wrong URL, it's:

http://www.dataq.com/194.htm

 

[Joerg Hau]

I would rather not limit myself to any constraints. I understand the
question is vague but I phased it that way for that very reason.

.... yet the answer to your question could be a anything from a
notebook & pencil, over a handheld oscilloscope, up to a portable
mass spectrometer.

Please define "portable". Implant? Man? Motorcycle? Car? Airplane?

Please define "data". What kind of data? Supposed you want to capture
some electronic signal, what is it? Voltage? Resistance? Light?
"Counts"? Atmospheric Terpene levels? Seismic events?

Please define "acquisition". Entering via keyboard? Electronic
capture?

Supposed you want volts, what scale? Microvolts? Kilovolts? What
resolution (dynamic range) of the scale, what precision and what
accuracy do you need?

At what frequency do you need to acquire? Is it once a day, or in the
MHz range? How long do you acquire? How is the acquisition supposed
to be started: Trigger on an event, by timetable, by hand, ... ?

How is the device supposed to be operated? Under continuous
supervision, or at best one service visit per year?

How is the device supposed to store data? "On-chip", or is there
permanent connection to a computer?

Please define "relatively low cost". 1 EUR/pc, 1 kEUR/pc, or ...?

How many do you need?

Btw, I'm not joking here. The better you describe what you want, the
better are your chances to get a suitable answer.

Is there anything that one can use with an old laptop?

Generally anything that communicates over RS232, and many things that
interface via parallel port. And PCMCIA, GPIB, USB, IrDA, ...

How about an old PDA?

Even better: There is a kit around to convert a Gameboy into a DSO.

HTH,
 
- Joerg
 

 

[Carl Ijames]

That's the wrong URL, it's:

http://www.dataq.com/194.htm

Of course it is. Couldn't you read my mind, instead of what I typed?
Thanks for catching that.

 

[Too_Many_Tools]

I understand the desire for narrowing the scope BUT what I want is a
survey of what is available in a range of different options.

So for "portable". Implant? Man? Motorcycle? Car? Airplane? YES


Please define "data". What kind of data? Supposed you want to capture
some electronic signal, what is it? Voltage? Resistance? Light?
"Counts"? Atmospheric Terpene levels? Seismic events? YES


Please define "acquisition". Entering via keyboard? NO Electronic
capture? YES


Supposed you want volts, what scale? Microvolts? YES Kilovolts? YESWhat
resolution (dynamic range) of the scale 1-12 BITS, what precision and
what
accuracy do you need? DEPENDS ON THE APPLICATION


At what frequency do you need to acquire? Is it once a day, YES or in
the
MHz range? YES How long do you acquire? How is the acquisition supposed
to be started: Trigger on an event, by timetable, by hand, ... ? YES,
YES, YES


How is the device supposed to be operated? Under continuous
supervision, YES or at best one service visit per year? YES


How is the device supposed to store data? "On-chip"YES , or is there
permanent connection to a computer? YES


Please define "relatively low cost". 1 EUR/pc, 1 kEUR/pc, or ...?
DEPENDS ON THE APPLICATION


How many do you need? 1-100


Btw, I'm not joking here. The better you describe what you want, the
better are your chances to get a suitable answer.

I AGREE. Again the reason why I am asking is after looking around, it
would seem that there is little out there unless you want to spend
considerable money. Considering that I would think it is a common need,
I would think there is a range of products/homebrew solutions that I
have not come across.

Is there anything that one can use with an old laptop?

Generally anything that communicates over RS232, and many things that
interface via parallel port. And PCMCIA, GPIB, USB, IrDA, ...

SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS PLEASE.

How about an old PDA?

Even better: There is a kit around to convert a Gameboy into a DSO.
ANY LINK TO THIS?

Thanks for whatever you might be able to offer.

 

[Watson A.Name - \Watt Sun, the Dark Remover\]

I would rather not limit myself to any constraints. I understand the
question is vague but I phased it that way for that very reason.

Ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer.

I can think of uses for a portable data acquisition system that would
use all the attributes that you mention.

Other than creating the solution myself, I am trying to discover what
might be available.

Is there anything that one can use with an old laptop?

How about an old PDA?

Anything that has a parallel port can get digital data easily, with
simple and cheap hardware.

The game port can get a slo, simple low res analog input. Sound cards
accept analog data in the audio freqs.

Heck, I even have some really old TRS Model 100s laying around that
would work for data acquisition gathering....anything around for them?

Again, what I am looking for is a relatively portable, flexible and
INEXPENSIVE system addon. From what I am seeing, it doesn't seem to

BTW, if you want it cheap, then you have to make compromises in its
complexity. So if others ask you to narrow your choices, and you can't
do that, then expect it to be expensive.

 

[Watson A.Name - \Watt Sun, the Dark Remover\]

I understand the desire for narrowing the scope BUT what I want is a
survey of what is available in a range of different options.

So for "portable". Implant? Man? Motorcycle? Car? Airplane? YES

He reminds me of the "Deep Thought" computer in Hitchhiker's Guide to
the Galaxy. We'll give you the answer you want, but it'll take 7.6
million years. So come back in a few millenia to see how we're doing.
;-)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3983131.stm

Please define "data". What kind of data? Supposed you want to capture
some electronic signal, what is it? Voltage? Resistance? Light?
"Counts"? Atmospheric Terpene levels? Seismic events? YES

The question is "What is the answer to life, the universe, and
everything?"

 

[Too_Many_Tools]

Hi,

It would seem my simple request is harder than some of you would like
to admit.

I am not a troll. I am asking for SPECIFIC EXAMPLES of homebuilt data
acquisition projects that have been done using commonly available
platforms and accessories.

My general request is because I have a number of uses for data
acquisition that range the spectrum. As anyone who is familiar with the
field knows, the basic A/D is common to most platforms and the
interface and processing is where the customization occurs.

Yet no one has offered a single link that shows a writeup as to how
someone has actually done a homebuilt system.

Other than buying one of the commercial units that several of you have
been kind enough to point out, it would seem that there is little
homebuilt effort in the public domain available for this need.

If you have any recommendations of homebuilt/lowcost data acquisition
projects that cover hardware and software used, I would still be
interested in seeing it.

For those of you who are quick to condemn a request for information,
perhaps you should design a data acquisition device and post it for
public use so you would have something more useful to contribute to the
group.

Thanks for whatever assistance you might be able to offer.

TMT

 

[Joerg Hau]

I am not a troll.

"No, it wasn't me" ;-)

My general request is because I have a number of uses for data
acquisition that range the spectrum.

.... and still it would help us to help you if you were able to tell us
_what_ these uses are. The more detailed the question, the better are
your chances that the response is useful ;-)

Yet no one has offered a single link that shows a writeup as to how
someone has actually done a homebuilt system.

I daresay that this is because it is still not clear enough what you
are looking for.

it would seem that there is little homebuilt effort in the public
domain available for this need.

I contradict. How and where have you been searching?

Look for the right keywords: "data acquisition" is probably way too
broad ... I would not call a DSO a "data acquisition device" but by
its real name, i.e. a Digital Storage Oscilloscope. The issue is
similar to looking for details of a BMW R80GS motorcycle by googling
for "transportation" ;-)

If you look for things like "parallel port data logger", "gameboy
oscilloscope", "bitscope", "PC thermometer", "gameport data logger",
"seismic detector" etc., you will find quite some material. And do
not forget the application notes that are available on the websites
of semiconductor manufacturers involved in DAQ hardware.

Cheers + HTH,

- Joerg