ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the functions of the elements that go together to make up an overall data acquisition and processing installation, with attention focused mainly on the general principles and their applications to PC-based systems. In many experiments of practical interest such as jet acoustics, a large quantity of data has to be measured within a very short period of time. For such measurements, a data acquisition and processing system for continuous and automatic acquisition of data becomes essential. The essential element in a modern data acquisition system is the instrument transducer, which furnishes an electrical signal that is indicative of the physical quantity being measured. The objective of signal conditioning is to modify the signal received from the sensor to suit the requirements of further processing. When the required data rates are sufficiently low, a cost-effective solution time shares a single transducer/amplifier by multiplexing the pressure lines using a scanning device.
