Many users of data acquisition and SCADA systems and recorders are looking for higher speed and throughput capacity for the devices they use. Many are also investigating wireless data acquisition technologies because of the ease of setup and the savings in hard wiring costs.
In a recent study from Venture Development Corp., “Data Acquisition Products Global Market Demand Analysis,” researchers focused on external chassis and modules and plug-in analog boards. The most important product selection criteria for data loggers, distributed/remote I/O, paperless chart recorders, USB PC front-end modules, other PC front ends and standalone systems were accuracy, ease of use, durability, number of channels and communication network capabilities.
For the plug-in analog I/O board types, users ranked accuracy, ease of use, number of channels, compatibility with operating systems and reliability.
VDC forecasts that in five years, 28% of the external chassis and module products and 9% of the plug-in analog I/O boards will be using A/D converters with higher than 18-bit resolution.
The surge also is on for wireless data acquisition devices. Expect to see many more of these in the coming months. According to National Instruments, they have “undergone consolidation and standardization. IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi) has become rugged enough to meet the requirements of harsh industrial environments.”
On the SCADA front, security is a real concern for process industry buyers. Security vendors are making great strides in solving this problem, but this is a tough nut to crack, and we do have a way to go.
Patti Pool
Products Editor
[email protected]