“The estimated five largest worldwide application markets in 2007 for data acquisition products were industrial maintenance, military/aerospace, off-line production testing/QC and on-line discrete and process manufacturing,” according to a research report from electronics market researchers at electronics.ca. More than 20 years ago, PC-based data-acquisition devices were introduced, and graphical programming environments have grown to provide advanced analysis and visualization capabilities.

There also has been significant growth in use of external devices, especially USB PC front ends. As portable peripheral add-ons to computers, they can be moved easily to another platform in a different location. Distributed I/O products with Ethernet connectivity make DAQ easier and inexpensive.

The paperless chart recorder market also is growing. Acceptance of paperless chart recorders by regulators such as the U.S. FDA and EPA encouraged suppliers to add more channels and larger LCD screens.

Then, there are Web-based technologies. According to “Flourishing Trends in Data Acquisition, Monitoring and Logging” (ControlDesign.com/daqtrends), an article on the Indian business directory jimtrade.com, Web-based transfer of data eventually will replace HMI and will facilitate not only acquiring data but also control the operation. “Suppose,” reads the article, “a production manager of a plant receives an alarm on his pager while away from the plant. Instead of rushing to the plant, he goes to the nearest PC and via Internet connection and browser, can access the Web-enabled PLCs or a single-loop controller and take corrective action.”

Then there is wireless. According to “The Future of Data Acquisition,” a white paper from National Instruments, “Wireless technologies have undergone a consolidation and standardization of technologies similar to what occurred for plug-in and cabled PC buses. For high-speed continuous transmission, IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi) has seen incredible adoption in mobile computing applications, recently making the jump from your laptop to your Apple iPhone. Maybe even more important for data acquisition applications, vendors have improved the industrial ruggedness of Wi-Fi products. Additionally, IT requirements have significantly enhanced the security and reliability of Wi-Fi networks with technologies such as WPA2 data encryption. Today, Wi-Fi access points can be connected to Ethernet-based data acquisition systems.”

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	Shock Recorder Model OM-CP-UltraShock 101-50-EB battery-powered, three-axis shock recorder measures and records temperature, pressure and humidity while shock is recorded at the peak acceleration levels. It records up to 170,000 measurements per channel, more than 1 million measurements total. The recorder can be used for production and assembly lines of delicate electronics, IC fabrication, communications and computer components. Omega Engineering 203/359-1660
	Videographic Recorder Memograph M Graphic Data Manager includes up to 20 universal inputs, analyzes the raw data and stores analog values, counter values or quantities and simultaneously up to six different operating times or switch states. Up to 100 alarm setpoint values can be monitored and retransmitted using the six relays included in the basic version. By Modbus or Profibus, the device can be expanded to 40 channels connected to SCADA and PLCs. Endress+Hauser 888/endress
	Data Acquisition System ADRE SXP data acquisition system consists of the 408 Dynamic Signal Processing instrument (DSPi) and ADRE Sxp software for portable asset management programs where speed and flexibility in data collection are needed. It can operate standalone in test stands or remotely. It has true client/server architecture, WAN/LAN enabled, dynamic input cards, an onboard 130 GB hard drive, integrated display, scalability, industry-standard connectors and differential inputs. GE Energy 775/782-3611
	Data Collection Adam-5081 high-speed quadrature encoder and counter module for Adam-5550 programmable controllers has an isolation of 2,500 Vdc, a high-speed frequency mode (5 Hz to 1 MHz) and a counter code at 1 MHz. An advanced digital filter eliminates noise and interference for accurate data collection and transmission. The module has four counter modes and frequency mode supports up to eight. Advantech Industrial Automation 800/205-7940
	Videographic Recorder SM500F field-mountable videographic data recorder can be installed into a panel, wall or pipe without an enclosure. NEMA 4X/IP66 -protected recorder comes with color or monochrome display and a variety of display formats including chart, bargraph and digital indicators. On-screen logs provide operators access to alarm, totalizer and audit trail data. Data can be removed with 2 GB SD camera card. ABB Instrumentation 215/672-2684
	Look! No Software An EtherNet/IP-compatible communication interface for industrial recorders and data acquisition equipment passes the ODVA conformance test. The interface eliminates the need for dedicated software to connect data acquisition equipment with other devices such as PLCs or temperature controllers, simplifying system development. Yokogawa 800/888-6400
	Faster Data Collection cFP-22x0 controllers include a 400 MHz PowerPC processor and VxWorks RTOS for faster data logging. cFP-2200 has up to 128 MB of SDRAM and onboard storage; cFP-2210 has 256 MB of SDRAM and 128 MB of onboard storage; cFP-2220 has dual Ethernet ports, three RS232 ports and one RS485 port. The device has an additional USB port and a removable CompactFlash slot. National Instruments 512/683-9300
	Daq and ReDaq ReDAQ software with isoLynx SLX200 systems provides SCADA capability. It sets up the central server, which can connect to SLX200 units via one or more RS-485 networks, dedicated Ethernets or both. No application software is required;  the HMI is delivered via Web browser. Built-in data historian automatically and continuously captures data. Dataforth 520/741-1404
	Cast a Data Net DataNet OPC uses OPC technology to communicate live data from industrial devices to a Web page with no HTML programming required and provides a more unified approach to data display and logging. Dynamic colors allow users to determine the status of their plant operations at a glance, and a math tool executes calculations on the raw data before it is displayed. DataNet OPC is compatible with any device that runs on an OPC 1.0- or OPC 2.0-compliant server. AutomationDirect 770/889-2858
	Three-Tier Historian FactoryTalk Historian Site Edition (SE) helps manufacturers automatically identify, gather and configure high-speed data from any control system or HMI software. The three-tier architecture allows operators to view machine data, while supervisors view individual machines or lines in real-time against standards. Rockwell Automation 800/223-5354
	Improve Equipment Downtime Equipment Performance Module (EPM) 2.0 tracks and analyzes equipment, line or plant downtime. It combines ArchestrA architecture with InTouch 10.0 HMI and System Platform 3.0 software to correlate metrics such as downtime or OEE, with broader MES functions including formula management, traceability and SPC. Wonderware/Invensys 949/727-3200
	Eye on the Process Eycon visual supervisors provide multi-function control, recording and visualization of processes in one unit. The system can be a building block in larger systems communicating via Ethernet. It has touchscreens, pop-up navigational menus, recipe management, commissioning and diagnostic tools. Eurotherm 703/669-1324
	Log PLC Data to ODBC KepServerEX OPC server suite has a plug-in to log OPC items and tags to Access, Microsoft, SQL, MySQL and other ODBC-compliant databases. The data logger lets users standardize on KepServerEX to log data from exisiting KepServerEX PLC drivers into their ODBC-compliant database of choice. Kepware Technologies 207/775-1660
	Networked Data Acquisition DAQ Software Version 4.0 is designed to streamline setup and performance of Fluke 2680 Series and NetDAQ networked data-acquisition units. The software enables users to configure input type, alarms, math functions, totalizer function, digital I/O lines, scan speed, interval and trigger type. Fluke 888/308-5277
	USB Data Acquisition Eight-channel USB data-acquisition modules have multifunction I/O, digital I/O, and temperature measurement capabilities. They include plug-and-play PC setup and a software suite. The modules can be used for temperature monitoring, thermocouple applications, or general-purpose data acquisition. Cole-Parmer Instrument 800/323-4340
	Data Logger + Software Analyse-Plus software can be used to control Data Logger CVF2. Portability and electrical isolation make CVF2 suitable for diagnostic applications, optimizing automation equipment, maintenance and calibration of instrumentation. The self-contained unit, powered by AC, internal batteries, or an external DC source, connects to the printer port of any Windows PC or can collect data in standalone mode. Givens Control Engineering 905/631-8293
	Batch Recorders X-Series recorders and TrendManager Pro Batch offers a batch capability that provides users with the ability to view and analyze data in terms of batch. Users can create up to six batch recording groups in the recorder that can be Started/Stopped/Paused/Resumed/Aborted independently of the other groups. Each batch recording group supports an independent batch counter that can be used to set up to automatically increment the batch number. Batch information can be entered at the recorder by using internal pre-configured drop down lists for the batch information, by using the recorder’s keypad or by using the standard USB port to enter batch text information with a USB type keyboard or bar code reader. Honeywell Process Solution 602/313-4054