Data Acquisition Systems

Every aspiring technician should know the basics of data acquisition systems and how they apply to reading test results. Data acquisition technology changes almost daily, but keeping up with these changes can be difficult if you don't understand the basics of data acquisition and how data acquisition systems work.

Data acquisition (or DAQ) is the computerized collection of information such as temperatures, pressures, or currents. Data acquisition systems consist of specialized software and hardware, as well as sensors. Integrating these components, DAQ systems are used to take measurements, which can be analyzed in real time or can be stored for later analysis. But how does this happen? In most cases, a transducer (a type of sensor) converts a physical force (such as pressure), into an electrical current. This current is then passed to a computer system, where data acquisition software translates the electrical signal into a human readable form.

Data acquisition systems are the basis for common human and animal physiology assessments. For instance, electroencephalograms (EEGs), electrocardiograms (EKGs or ECGs), and electrooculograms (EOGs), are all physiological applications of data acquisition.

Many DAQ-based tests are popular because they can be performed using noninvasive procedures. For example, during an EKG or ECG, data is acquired by registering signals from electrodes that are applied to the surface of the body. Then the results of these signals form "waves" that each correspond to specific meanings. After the information is acquired and presented properly, an expert will read the results to determine the regularity or irregularity of the measurements. An EEG works in a similar manner, with electrodes applied to the scalp to analyze brain waves.

Being dependent on technology, DAQ progresses rapidly, constantly evolving with new discoveries. Standard data acquisition systems are widely used, but emerging technologies create new possibilities for logging important information and expanding the ability we have to make informed decisions. For example, wireless DAQ is now possible for some tests.

Data acquisitions systems are becoming more and more relevant in today's technological environment, and their applications are quickly expanding into the fields of secondary education and higher level education. In this regard, these tangible teaching systems allow students to gain a thorough understanding of physiology in a more hands-on, interactive environment. As most students and educators would agree, it is the practical application of this science that fosters learning; hearing a heartbeat with a stethoscope is a starting point, but seeing a heartbeat recorded by a data acquisition system builds a much stronger foundation for an in-depth analysis and discussion.

Academic programs like the Montessori method structure their curriculum around such a premise. The basis for this time-tested educational practice is inquiry-based exploration with hands-on resources. For students who are interested in physiology, the educational equivalent is a concrete data acquisition system. In many programs, the teaching staff can rely on these devices as a cornerstone to their curriculum. In addition to teaching the fundamentals of their use, these data acquisition systems offer a means to collect data from their physiological responses and later analyze it to create a relatable outcome. This process is enhanced when hardware and software are in inter-related.

Data acquisition systems for secondary education are powerful teaching tools that allow students to measure and record the signals produced by heart, brain, muscle, and eye activity. Software readouts can then convert these signals into analytical information in the form of ECGs, EEGs, EMGs, and EOGs. Whereas students used to learn this same curriculum through text and lecture alone, teachers can now couple these sources with handheld devices and computer readouts. Similar data acquisition systems have also been proven to effective teaching tools for higher levels of education, combining software, hardware, and computerized lesson plans. These integrated modules have a variety of potential applications ranging from Biomedical Engineering to Animal or Human Physiology.

Many of these same systems have professional applications, and their current use as research tools lends validity to their effectiveness at the educational level. Data acquisition systems are used by researchers in fields ranging from Vibromyography to Psychophysiology to Plethysmography to Virtual Reality.

The list of new data acquisition system products will continue to expand. As a result, the adoption of these products into the educational curriculum is becoming more of a necessity. With the exposure to these data acquisition systems during their educational years, students can graduate with an enhanced understanding of the technology that will define their future professions.