Sensors Data Acquisition Special Issue


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Alphabet Soup


Editorial
The Survey Says . . . Barbara G. Goode
Cover Story
Java vs. ActiveX
A battle is raging, and the prize will be control of the market. The victor will influence not only the computer industry but also the realms of data acquisition and control. Mark Gibbs
Hardware
Consider the Options Before Tackling the Mixed-Signal Design
To compete in the sensor signal conditioning arena, you must evaluate the tradeoffs of speed vs. accuracy offered by the SAR and D-S A/D converters on the commercial market, and design-out their deficiencies. Bonnie C. Baker
Defusing the DA Time Bomb
To be sure that the sensor data you acquire are valid, you must understand aliasing and apply the appropriate remedies. (Hint: The problem must be solved in the analog domain.) Dale Lankford

Again, we address the important issue that Strether Smith raised in his article, The DA Time Bomb, in the last Data Aquisition special issue.

Hardware/Software
Designing the Noise out of DA Boards
When PC-based data acquisition boards became available, manufacturers and users alike thought the noise and interference inside computers made these systems poor candidates for applications requiring high accuracy. But if a board is designed properly, you can enjoy the benefits of PC-based systems and still get the accuracy you require. Mark Clarkson
A Do-It-Yourself Data Acquisition Card
(or, DA on the Cheap)

In most cases, buying a data acquisition card from a commercial vendor is your best bet, but occasionally the do-it-yourself approach makes sense. Ed Ramsden
Data Acquisition in the Fast Lane
Data acquisition systems are gaining speed through the use of new techniques and technologies. And the ability to move and manipulate data faster is drawing these systems into a new realm of applications. Dave Wilson
The Sensors Glossary of Data Acquisition and Signal Processing
This glossary was so popular last year that we're running it again, with a few additions. And you might want to visit www. sensorsmag.com/da98 for another helping of Sensors Data Acquisition Alphabet Soup, which spells out 105 terms you usually encounter as initials only. Ed Ramsden
Data Acquisition Alphabet Soup
This handy reference spells out 105 terms you usually encounter as initials only.

About the Cover About the Cover
There is a tug of war between the computer industry's David and Goliath over control of the software market. At issue here are two standards that define how software components can be reused in other programs. The outcome of the struggle between Sun Microsystems' JavaBeans and Microsoft's ActiveX will not only affect the computer market but will also determine how tomorrow's data acquisition and control systems will work. An article describing the two architectures and how they stack up against each other begins on page 6. (Photo courtesy of FPG International.)