This webinar is an engineer-focused guide to designing a reliable data acquisition (DAQ) system from the ground up. It walks through the key planning steps—defining system requirements, choosing the right sensor types for accurate results (discrete vs. analog), and selecting hardware that matches sensor outputs and the sampling speeds your application needs. The presentation explains practical sensor considerations such as avoiding false counts with proximity/photoelectric sensors, why 4–20 mA signals are preferred for long runs and broken-wire detection, and how to select thermocouple types based on temperature range and resolution.
From there, the video compares DAQ architectures—including small Modbus RTU systems using USB-to-RS-485 converters, Ethernet-based Modbus TCP remote I/O for easier scaling, and the role of protocol gateways and signal conditioners when you need to integrate mixed protocols or specialty sensors. It also reviews software options for logging and visualization, showing when EZ Data Logger is a good fit for small systems and when InduSoft Web Studio is better for larger SCADA-style projects with advanced alarming, reporting, and database connectivity. The webinar concludes with best practices for designing systems that are easy to expand and duplicate as production lines grow.
