Solving data acquisition problems with software-defined radio (.PDF Download)
Data acquisition (DAQ) is the process of acquiring raw data in the form of a measured electrical or physical phenomenon from various sources and converting it into a measurable signal for processing. Systems used must be capable of acquiring, converting, and transferring data to a processor as quickly and accurately as possible, which is becoming increasingly difficult as the amount of data and the rate at which it needs to be transmitted is constantly rising.
As technology continues to advance, the demands on data acquisition technology have similarly increased, making traditional systems insufficient. Closed architecture and hardware-based technology dedicated to specific applications require different frequencies, bandwidths, modulation modes, and protocols—each presenting very evident disadvantages. Limiting the deployment scenarios, signal types, and applications leads to further disadvantages in terms of cost, production cycle, and compatibility, as well as DAQ’s inability to handle testing and reconfiguration.