Tiny, very low power consuming data acquisition system

BOULDER, USA: A new, tiny and very low power consuming data acquisition system has been developed by Boulder Environmental Sciences and Technology. In operational mode, the system communicates on an Ethernet network as a regular node and uses Toradex Colibri models PXA or T20 computer-on-module (COM).

This Colibri carrier board and Colibri Analog-to-Digital Converter (CADC) can sample 24 single-ended analog channels with 12-bit resolution and it can be powered from a power supply operating from 4 to 17 Volts DC, consuming only ~1.6 Watts. All channels can be sampled at a frequency more than 1 kSPS (kilosample per second). The overall size of the CADC with Colibri COM attached is 76 x 48 x 10 millimeters (3"x 1.9" x 0.4") and its weight is only 34 grams (1.2 ounces).

In addition to the power supply, CADC provides digital-to-analog video signal conversion for system debugging. The Ethernet magnetic module allows the CADC to be connected to a regular switch or hub. A connector for a micro SD card enables significant data storage—64 GB micro SD cards are available on the market today.

For computer setup and debugging, the CADC can be connected to an external service board that provides traditional PC-like connections, such as keyboard, mouse, monitor, USB, JTAG and two serial ports (RS-232).