What is a DAS
A Data Acquisition System (DAS) is the term given to one or more units that are used to collect and condition data from one or more sources. The DAS would typically perform digitization and/or processing of the source data so that it’s ready for storage or transmission.
The components of a data acquisition system include:
- Sensors that convert physical parameters such as temperature, light, or sound to electrical signals such as voltage or current.
- Signal conditioning circuitry to convert sensor signals into a form that can be converted to digital values. Signal conditioning depends on the sensor type and can include amplification, attenuation, isolation, filtering and any other processes required to make sensor output suitable for processing after conditioning.
- Analog-to-digital converters, which convert conditioned sensor signals to digital values.
- Data acquisition hardware and software. The hardware is the interface between the sensors and the computer in which you can view and analyze the acquired data. The software is needed to set-up the DAS and analyze the data.