Sata acquisition and data logging

#99869

If you have projects that require data acquisition Ebay has several options but the gold standard would be Dataq. They offer a variety of data acquisition units, some are analog only, some feature analog and digital inputs.

Their software is amazingly flexible and can allow you to view the data you've recorded in a variety of ways.

Their most basic unit is about $50 but the drivers are for Windoze 10/11. It is possible to force an install under Windoze 7 64 bit professional but you risk breaking the install.

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I use Macrium Reflect disk imaging software so breaking an install takes about 6 minutes to boot the Reflect CD, snag the operational image and restore. There are many free disk imaging software packages out there, while I use Macrium Reflect, I won't pretend it is the best, but it was free and easy to learn to use. Being able to restore to a known good image makes it safe to try questionable software or configuration changes. I've broken ever version of Windows since Windows 3.11 For Work Groups.

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I went with the Dataq DI-1100 "Data Acquisition USB DAQ and Data Logger System, 12-bit, 20,000~40,000 Samples per second per channel.

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I actually have 4 DI-1100 in service. None has crashed.

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As of March 7, 2025 the DI-1100 costs $79 and comes with Dataq software. While the spec sheet says operation under Windows 7 will probably work, performance and unexpected errors are possible.

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I installed the drivers and software on a variety of HP PCs running Windows 7 64 bit professional. Your experience might be very different.

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I have an expensive data logger and analysis program that will only run under Windose, Wine and other Windose emulators for Linux don't work, yet. The software will load under Wine but doesn't properly work. So I'm stuck with Windows 7 64 bit professional for the foreseeable future.

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Dataq offers software for Linux but I have zero familiarly with Linux.

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The DI-1100 has 4 analog inputs with a +/10V range with a resolution of ±4.8 mV.

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[You can take a cheap sound card and bypass the input capacitor and use a resistive network to convert a cheap sound card to make a data acquisition unit. I've done this and it does work, might work pretty well, but is far less then optimal.]

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#99870

My first job working for HP as a Systems Engineer with Data ACQ hardware as my support product. I recall it being a large box with plugin boards for relays, thermo couples, digital ins and outs. Disturbing part was there were two different divisions of HP that made similar products. Trying to solve a customer problem became a knife edge tug to select the best match. These were controlled via HP-IB and the 9825 desktop computer. What a hassle when the customer had a Tektronix controller. There was a unique requirement for the command string to end with CR/LF. The Tek only ended with LF. It took a little addition to something, I can't remember what, 45 years ago, to change the termination.

Those boxes were thousands of dollars along with the need for a controller. There was one customer that did not care. Underwriters Labs. They had multiple units connected to devices in temperature chambers. It was quite interesting.

Dan Kahn

On Friday, March 7, 2025 at 12:41:42 PM EST, wn4isx via groups.io <wn4isx@...> wrote:

If you have projects that require data acquisition Ebay has several options but the gold standard would be Dataq. They offer a variety of data acquisition units, some are analog only, some feature analog and digital inputs.

Their software is amazingly flexible and can allow you to view the data you've recorded in a variety of ways.

Their most basic unit is about $50 but the drivers are for Windoze 10/11. It is possible to force an install under Windoze 7 64 bit professional but you risk breaking the install.

?

I use Macrium Reflect disk imaging software so breaking an install takes about 6 minutes to boot the Reflect CD, snag the operational image and restore. There are many free disk imaging software packages out there, while I use Macrium Reflect, I won't pretend it is the best, but it was free and easy to learn to use. Being able to restore to a known good image makes it safe to try questionable software or configuration changes. I've broken ever version of Windows since Windows 3.11 For Work Groups.

?

I went with the Dataq DI-1100 "Data Acquisition USB DAQ and Data Logger System, 12-bit, 20,000~40,000 Samples per second per channel.

?

I actually have 4 DI-1100 in service. None has crashed.

?

As of March 7, 2025 the DI-1100 costs $79 and comes with Dataq software. While the spec sheet says operation under Windows 7 will probably work, performance and unexpected errors are possible.

?

I installed the drivers and software on a variety of HP PCs running Windows 7 64 bit professional. Your experience might be very different.

?

I have an expensive data logger and analysis program that will only run under Windose, Wine and other Windose emulators for Linux don't work, yet. The software will load under Wine but doesn't properly work. So I'm stuck with Windows 7 64 bit professional for the foreseeable future.

?

Dataq offers software for Linux but I have zero familiarly with Linux.

?

The DI-1100 has 4 analog inputs with a +/10V range with a resolution of ±4.8 mV.

?

[You can take a cheap sound card and bypass the input capacitor and use a resistive network to convert a cheap sound card to make a data acquisition unit. I've done this and it does work, might work pretty well, but is far less then optimal.]

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#99872

I suspect the HP units had a wider Vin and higher "oops" Vin but the Dataqs work as advertised, the Dataq software is amazingly flexible and the $79 Dataqs are extremely stable. The Dataq software can demand a lot of system resources for some functions but, all in all I'm very satisfied with them.?

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A friend has the $49 Windows 10 unit and, if you can get it work under Windows 7, you have to do some registry tricks, always dangerous, they work very well, for Windows 10/11 they are extremely stable and an amazing value for $50.

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I hate, loath, dispise and fear Windows 10/11 because your PC has to phone home to Micro$sloth or you get nagged.?

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I had one PC that ran Windows 10 because SDRplays new software required Windows 10/11 or a Raspberry. A friend's daughter configured a Raspberry for me and I was able to kill Windows 10 and replace it with Windows 7,

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I'm amazed how well the Raspberry runs the new control software and you can access the SDRplay RSP-DX via Ethernet. I suspect you could build a very powerful compact Dataq/Raspberry Linux data acquisition unit for power limited remote situations. I use an HP Netbook, a rather dumb little Windows box but smart enough to rum the DT-1100 with no problem.??

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It is odd to see a "computer" roughly the size of the RSP-DX run the software with no issues, very low latency on the Ethernet connection.

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I suppose at some point I'll have to break down and learn Linux. But not yet. A friend says I should run Linuz with ?Virtualbox? shell running Windose when I need my fancy analysis program.

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And yes I know Wine is not an emulator. It's almost there. My fancy analysis program sucks resources like a man rescued from the desert might guzzle water.

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#99873

On Friday 07 March 2025 12:41:40 pm wn4isx via groups.io wrote:
I went with the Dataq DI-1100 "Data Acquisition USB DAQ and Data Logger System, 12-bit, 20,000~40,000 Samples per second per channel.
You can do a whole lot better than that,  and way cheaper:



-- 
Member of the toughest, meanest, deadliest, most unrelenting -- and
ablest -- form of life in this section of space, ?a critter that can
be killed but can't be tamed. ?--Robert A. Heinlein, "The Puppet Masters"
-
Information is more dangerous than cannon to a society ruled by lies. --James 
M Dakin

#99874

On Saturday 08 March 2025 02:59:53 am wn4isx via groups.io wrote:
I suppose at some point I'll have to break down and learn Linux. But not yet. A friend says I should run Linuz with ?Virtualbox? shell running Windose when I need my fancy analysis program.
I've run nothing but linux since 1999.  And yeah,  virtualbox is one way to go,  this email client is running under Slackware 12.2 (because I like the older version of kmail) on a Debian host system.  Works well for me...  I'm looking at moving to a different virtualization system on this new computer I have here,  I'm just not sure how I'm gonna port all this mail over.

We're a m$-free zone here.  :-)

My lady had a compact little box that ran XP,  until the hard drive croaked.  After putting another one in that box I handed her an Ubuntu CD that I had handy and said "Here,  try this and see if you like it" and she was fine with that.  Some hardware got replaced,  but that system was pretty dated.  There was a similarly small box on ebay with Linux Mint pre-installed,  and when I pointed that out she got it and has been using it ever since.  Today she turns 80!  If that non-technical person can handle it,  you can too.  There are a number of different versions of live CDs out there that you can boot and try out without having to install anything on your hard drive,  I'll be glad to post some recommendations if you want.

-- 
Member of the toughest, meanest, deadliest, most unrelenting -- and
ablest -- form of life in this section of space, ?a critter that can
be killed but can't be tamed. ?--Robert A. Heinlein, "The Puppet Masters"
-
Information is more dangerous than cannon to a society ruled by lies. --James 
M Dakin

#99877

Yes but I'd be forced to learn to use an Ardino, build a case, etc, the Dataq requies a USB cable and is ready to go, time saved at my age is well worth a few dollars.

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#99878

As I mentioned, I have one main program that was extremely expensive, cost me over $1000, I also routinely use Adobe Audition, while there are good audio programs for Linux like Audacity, they are not nearly as powerful or flexible as Audition. Until and unless I can get those programs to work under Linux, I'm stuck with Windoze.?

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Sata acquisition and data logging