Data Acquisition System has open software platform.
Press Release Summary:
Portable 18-channel data acquisition system comes with Dash 18 software. System combines data acquisition to hard drive with tools to make customizable data analysis system. Open software allows third-party software programs to control data acquisition and analysis functions. Software comes with library of .DLLs that allow any custom-written C, Visual Basic or other program to access feature set of Dash 18 Open Software Platform system.Original Press Release:
18-Channel Portable Data Acquisitioin System With Open Software Platform
A powerful new eighteen-channel portable data acquisition system from Astro-Med, Inc. features an open software platform, allowing third-party software programs to control data acquisition and analysis functions. Designated the Dash 18 Open Software Platform, the system combines high-speed data acquisition to hard drive with the tools to make a completely customizable data analysis system.
Ideally suited for test cells and applications where software flexibility is required, the Dash 18 Open Software Platform provides a library of .DLLs that allows any custom-written C, Visual Basic or other program to access the feature set of the Dash 18 Open Software Platform system. This library provides a number of key features, including control of Dash 18 amplifiers, data acquisition settings and trigger setups. LabView drivers are also available to allow users to quickly and easily program the Dash 18 using the popular LabView graphical programming environment.
The Dash 18 Open Software Platform also allows a user to stream bursted, real-time data to third-party software packages for complete software integration. In addition, data that has been captured can be uploaded to third-party programs for post- acquisition review and analysis. The Dash 18 Open Software Platform retains many of the key features of the original Dash 18, including a 15.4" diagonal touch-screen monitor; 18 universal input channels; 9 Gbyte internal hard drive and on-board 250 Mbyte Zip drive; Ethernet interface for command and control; all built into a compact, rugged case for field or lab use.
Designed for applications ranging from process trending to transient capture, the Dash 18 Open Software Platform has a data sample rate of 100 kHz per channel, allowing data to rapidly stream directly to the hard drive. The unit is ideally suited for applications in the aerospace, automotive, electric utility, telecommunications, pulp and paper, metals manufacturing, steel mills, medical, and other industrial, scientific, and educational fields.
The System includes a 15.4" high-quality color monitor that features the largest viewing area of any product of its type, and permits users to view data from any angle. The 1280x1024 resolution provides superior definition and clarity for waveform viewing. The customizable touch-panel user interface makes the Dash 18 Open Software Platform an easy-to-use, dedicated data acquisition system for specific requirements.
Universal inputs accept isolated single-ended and differential voltages, thermocouples, pressure transducers and load cells, and eliminate the need for any signal conditioning. The versatile digital signal processing of the Dash 18 Open Software Platform provides a wide variety of filtering capabilities, including lowpass, highpass, bandpass and notch filtering. RMS conversion and differentiation functions are also included.
The Dash 18 is equipped with 10/lOOBaseT Ethernet for direct connection to a PC for recorder setup and data upload/review.
The Dash 18 can perform real-time interchannel mathematic calculations. The user can add, subtract, multiply or divide different signals in real time. Results can be displayed on the monitor, and can be viewed in Y-T or numeric format. Scaling can be customized by choosing output range, offset, filtering and engineering units for each channel. The math feature of the Dash 18 also provides powerful FFT analysis of data captured on the hard drive, with features such as windowing functions and selectable window sizes.
An optional high quality chart printer is available for the Dash 18. The user can design personal grids with custom formats of channel widths, number of divisions, etc., with complete flexibility.
Prices for the Dash 18 Open Software Platform start at $18,000. It will be available early in 2002.
