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Very simple general question...

Hello

I am new to labview and data acquistion (background is mostly
theoretical stuff).

I am learning labview now (and some about data acquistion).

In the Labview for everyone book, I find these two sentences:

Although using GPIB is one way to bring data into a computer, it is
fundamentally different from data acquistion, even though both use
boards.
Using a special protocol, GPIB talks to another instrument to
bring data acquired by that device, while data acquisition involves
connecting
a signal directly up to a DAQ board on the computer.

Well...

I still have not got a clue as to the FUNDAMENTAL difference between
using a DAQ board or a CPIB board.

Could someone explain?

Thanks,
Tom
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....
> Although using GPIB is one way to bring data into a computer, it is
> fundamentally different from data acquistion, even though both use
> boards.
> Using a special protocol, GPIB talks to another instrument to
> bring data acquired by that device, while data acquisition involves
> connecting
> a signal directly up to a DAQ board on the computer.
>
> Well...
>
> I still have not got a clue as to the FUNDAMENTAL difference between
> using a DAQ board or a CPIB board.
>

To put a bit more explanation to it. The DAQ board has the signal
source brought straight into the computer. This signal may be
digital TTL pulses, but it is often an analog signal that needs
to be amplified, and digitized. With knowledge about the sensor
or other circuit attached to t
he DAQ board, it is possible to turn
voltage measurement into temperature, strain, or others.

By comparison, a GPIB board is closer to an ethernet or serial port.
It communicates to external devices which are used to digitize and
measure. The sensor voltages never come near the GPIB bus. Instead,
the device does most of the work, and communicates the results back
to the computer in encoded strings of either binary or text format.
Since the GPIB device makes the measurements, the bus is also used
to configure the measurements, again by sending binary or text
strings.

Greg McKaskle
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