Data Acquisition Toolbox

Making Measurements with DAQ Hardware

Data Acquisition Toolbox lets you make a variety of measurements directly from MATLAB without the need to convert the data. Most data acquisition hardware provides the general capability to convert analog voltage data to a digital signal that a computer can process. Some data acquisition hardware has additional capabilities that allow for collecting and processing data directly from thermocouples, RTD devices, IEPE accelerometers, current-based sensors, or bridge-based sensors. To facilitate making measurements directly from MATLAB, Data Acquisition Toolbox supports the following measurement types:

Voltage — Data from general purpose A/D cards and sound card recording devices

Current — Data from current-based sensors, such as 4-20 mA sensors commonly used for process control

IEPE accelerometer — Data from IEPE accelerometers that need a constant excitation current source on the same wire on which you measure the acceleration

Thermocouple and RTD — Data measured in degrees Celsius, Fahrenheit, or Kelvin

Bridge-based sensor — Data from resistive sensors, such as strain gauges in a variety of bridge configurations that require an excitation voltage