ABSTRACT
At first, data acquisition devices stood alone and were manually controlled by an operator. When the PC emerged, data acquisition devices and instruments could be connected to the computer through a serial port, parallel port, or some custom interface. A computer program could control the device automatically and retrieve data from the device for storage, analysis, or presentation. Now, instruments and data acquisition devices can be integrated into a computer through high-speed communication links, for tighter integration between the power and flexibility of the computer and the instrument or device.
