LabVIEW related topics - Data-acquisition and Control

Introduction

The objective of this website is to introduce you to the world of data-acquisition and control. You can familiarise yourself with the terms and technologies involved. The information provided here should enable you to choose the best combination of software and hardware for your specific application

Here is an overview of the topics this website discusses:

• (interfacing) hardware: for converting signals from the real world to the digital world and the other way around.
  About analog-to-digital or digital-to-analog converters, signal-conditioning, digital input/output and counters.
• system types: for transporting the digital information to and from the computer.
  About anything between plug-in boards and 'PC in a PC' boards.
• software: for visualizing and manipulating the digital information.
  About generic and specific programs and languages that allow the hardware to actualy do something.

   

The world of data-acquisition and control comprises these topics and a fourth topic, not yet discussed on this website: the real world. In the real world sensor signals are converted to electrical signals (measurement) and electrical signals are converted to actuator signals (control).

In a control loop where a physical property must be kept at a desired level the following elements can be distinguished:

The world of data-acquisition and control can be represented with the following image:

Information will flow, through several layers, from the real world to the software and from the software to the real world. This website describes the inner three layers.