The factory floor hungers for data. Factory managers want more of it, and they want it faster than ever with quick and easy access to accurate data that can help operations run more cost-effectively.
Although there might be an uptick in the desire for energy usage data, most of the key sensor inputs remain the same, measuring such parameters as temperature, pressure, flow and level, according to Tim Shea, senior analyst at VDC Research, which is in the midst of finalizing its report on the 2011 data acquisition solutions market. "However, there was a marked increase in respondents indicating a greater desire to collect more data and more data in real time," Shea says. "Certainly we saw increased desire for faster sample data rates, channels, etc."
Effective, consistent and successful transmission of the acquired data is almost as critical a need as the ability to accurately acquire the data, VDC Research found. When asked to pick the top factors in data acquisition solutions, respondents placed communications network capability almost as high as accuracy, Shea says.
Accuracy is the most important factor for the selection of external chassis and modules, and also for plug-in analog I/O boards. The most important factor for data acquisition software, however, is compatibility with the operating system, then ease of use, with accuracy appearing third on the list.
