High Speed Data Acquisition Systems

Air Force systems testing today requires that more and more data be acquired to a higher degree of accuracy and in fewer flights. This necessitates a new approach to dynamic data acquisition system design. In the past data acquisition organizations used either direct or FM recording techniques of one sort or another to acquire data for post test processing. This paper will outline the direction that this organization is taking to reduce the size of the installed system as well as the time and money required to maintain the system during the testing process. The system discussed provides a capability to acquire both static DC data and dynamic data up to 10,000 Hertz and has a dynamic range in excess of 120dB. Keywords Multiplexers, Wideband, Instrumentation data acquisition, Signal conditioning automatic gain ranging amplifier.