Data acquisition control boards and programs

[SRanney]

I ask the following question because there are a myriad of professions represented on this board and someone may be able to help me: Does anyone have any experience in data acquisition control boards and programs?

I am building a complex experiment that will require 24-h control (including diel fluctuations in two water-quality parameters) for my graduate research. Part of the construction I've decided upon will require me to know something about data acquisition and control boards and programs. I've found some information on different manufacturers' products and basic information on designing such systems, but would like to hear from someone who actually uses data acquisition hardware and software on a regular basis.

What say ye, TubeNet? Anyone out there even know what I'm talking about?

[iiipopes]

If NOAA can keep track of such things as changing temperature throughout the day and night and feed it through a sensor to a computer that will keep track of it in a managable format, maybe you should talk to them.

Or, if you live next to a water treatment plant that has a microbial stage in its processing and has to keep tabs on O2 levels in effluent, maybe they can help you as well.

[SRanney]

Thanks for your thoughts. I have the data acquisition part down. Connecting a pH or DO sensor to a computer is really quite simple. It's the experimental control (i.e., automated control of DO of pH in replicate tanks over a 24-h period) and software that I have questions about.

I figured it was a long shot, but couldn't lose anything by asking.

Thanks again.