What is DAQ?

A Data Acquisition System (DAQ, also known as data logger) is an electronic measurement instrument used for collecting, monitoring, and recording various signals and data from the real world. These signals can come from sensors or other signal sources, and the goal of DAQ is to convert these signals into digital form for analysis, processing, and recording.

A typical DAQ system consists of the following components:

1. Sensors/Transducers: These convert physical or electronic phenomena into analog signals, such as temperature, pressure, light, voltage, current, etc.
2. Signal Conditioning: Acquired signals often require conditioning to ensure accuracy and compatibility. This includes amplification, filtering, linearization, and other processing steps.
3. Signal Conversion: Analog signals are converted into digital signals using ADC.
4. Digital Multimeters (DMM): Digital signals can undergo further processing within the DAQ system, such as mathematical operations, filtering, calibration, to derive more valuable data.
5. Data Storage and Analysis: Processed data can be controlled, stored, analyzed, and displayed.
6. Control Interface: DAQ provides a user interface for parameter setting, real-time data monitoring, and control operations.

DAQ has a wide range of applications across various fields such as scientific research, engineering testing, industrial automation, medical diagnosis, environmental monitoring, etc. They play a crucial role in achieving precise measurements, effective control, and data recording. Overall, DAQ helps users obtain valuable data for making informed decisions, optimizing processes, and enhancing efficiency.