Abstract: Patient leads (101) are connected to a patient (100) and ECG signals are picked up by the leads and transmitted over a patient cable (102) to a 16-channel ECG data acquisition system (104) with a serial interface. The data acquisition system (104) filters, amplifies and digitizes the ECG waveforms and sends the digitized data to a microcomputer (110) via a high speed synchronous serial line (106). The microcomputer (110) processes the serial data stream in order to generate computed data arrays. These arrays are then used in conjunction with predetermined reference arrays to produce diagnostic indices. These indices are displayed on the graphics display (108). Printed output is available on the hard copy output device (116) which is connected to the microcomputer (110). Interaction between the operator and the system is provided by means of a keyboard (112) and pointing device (114) with feedback on the graphics display (108).

Abstract: The literature contains many examples of image acquisition and analysis which have been inappropriately applied and which have led to empirical results which may not be reproducible, or which are not conclusive. In this paper, we deal with eleven major assumptions which are implicit in the acquisition and in the analysis of passively sensed digital image data. It is hoped that an enumeration of such assumptions might lead to improved rules for image acquisition and analysis.

Abstract: A digitally synchronized parallel pulse processing and data acquisition system for a flow cytometer has multiple parallel input channels with independent pulse digitization and FIFO storage buffer. A trigger circuit controls the pulse digitization on all channels. After an event has been stored in each FIFO, a bus controller moves the oldest entry from each FIFO buffer onto a common data bus. The trigger circuit generates an ID number for each FIFO entry, which is checked by an error detection circuit. The system has high speed and low error rate.

Abstract: A system for managing a plurality of motor vehicles that are driven by different people is provided. A parking area having an entrance and an exit is provided with a data acquisition device for controlling user access, as well as a receiver that is disposed in the vicinity of a barrier and that receives vehicle operation data that is transmitted by a transmitter that is integral with the vehicle, with this data being transmitted to a central control unit that controls the barriers, the data acquisition device, and the receiver.

Abstract: A prototype system for the measurement and computation of air–sea fluxes in realtime was tested in the Humidity Exchange Over the Sea (HEXOS) main experiment, HEXMAX. The system used a sonic anemometer/thermometer for wind speed, surface stress and sensible heat flux measurements and a Lyman-α fast hygrometer for latent beat flux. A small desktop computer combining both fast analog to digital (A/D) capabilities, external bus (IEEE-488) operation of a slow voltmeter/scanner unit, and a plug-in board for computation of turbulence spectra by Fast Fourier Transform was used for acquisition of 17 channels of data. At the end of a ten-minute averaging period, air–sea fluxes were computed from the velocity, temperature, and humidity variance spectra using the inertial-dissipation method. A second computer and data acquisition system was used for simultaneous computations of covariance fluxes for comparison. The sonic anemometer/thermometer proved to be well suited for this application: the velocity data...

Abstract: A system for testing electronic devices includes a waveform generator, a data acquisition system, and a computer. The waveform generator continuously generates a test signal having adjustable parameters set by the computer in response to user input. The data acquisition system acquires data representing the output of the device under test in response to the input signal and stores the last N acquired data values. The computer transfers a data sequence from the acquisition system to another memory and generates in a window on a terminal screen a wagveform display representing the stored data sequence. The computer also displays menu items referencing mathematical operations that may be performed on one or more data sequences. When a user selects one of the menu items, the computer prompts the user to select one or more windows containing waveform displays. Thereafter, the computer performs the selected operation on the data sequence controlling the waveform displays in the selected windows. When the result of the operation is a new data sequence, the computer stores the new data sequence in memory and then produces in a user-selected window a new waveform display based on the new data sequence.

Abstract: A description is given of the acquisition and processing of data collected by a class of high-resolution sonar systems, the SeaMARC (seafloor mapping and remote characterization) swath mapping sonars. The SeaMARC system has two basic configurations: deep-towed, which acquires high-resolution backscatter imagery at slow survey speeds, and shallow-towed, which simultaneously acquires lower resolution backscatter and bathymetric information at higher speeds. Processing techniques applied to the data after acquisition are fairly independent of the initial towing configuration and include: compaction of the original data by decimation; radiometric corrections (noise removal, destriping, beam pattern correction, and contrast enhancement); derivation and merging of vehicle navigation with the sonar data; integration of backscatter and bathymetric information; and geometric corrections for plotting data in geographic coordinates. >

Abstract: Ground roll noise on land data sets overwhelms the desired reflection seismic signal unless special steps are taken in data acquisition and processing to control it. This is usually done in the field by the design of group arrays for data acquisition. On the other hand, if multicomponent data are acquired, it is possible to remove ground roll during processing using polarization analysis. Even though this processing is computation-intensive, the potential exists for obtaining results similar to conventional data acquisition, but with deployment of fewer sensors in the field with minimal group array effects. It also has potential for deriving new information.We describe a two-dimensional polarization-filter analysis for use with vertical and in-line sensors. A time-domain spectral matrix technique is developed since the recorded seismic signal is the superposition of multiple signals in the time domain, each with different frequency content and time-varying polarization. This technique is implemented by decomposing the signal into individual frequency components using narrow band-pass filters and defining the polarization characteristic using sliding time windows. We show that both incoherent noise and specific linearly polarized constituents can be successfully filtered.

Abstract: An acoustic data acquisition system for shipboard use is disclosed that allows for underwater acoustic data measurements at preselected submerged marine structural coordinates using a free swimming, quiet dynamically positionable remotely operated vehicle (ROV). Moreover, the disclosure provides a method of performing acoustic data acquisition with an ROV by first inputting the marine structural features by use of a computer aided design subsystem, determining the required trajectory path and hovering coordinates for data measurements, next, establishing the acoustic telemetry system for the remotely operated vehicle's control system to operate within and make an absolute positional fix to the marine structure's coordinates then, establish the ambient acoustic conditions of the worksite. The system is monitored and controlled from a computer based system. The system includes an ROV subsystem that operates in conjunction with a computer based long baseline underwater telemetry and positioning control subsystem, an acoustic transducer array attached to the ROV and a real time data-coordinate storage subsystem. A particular type of transducer suitable for use with this vehicle is a passive acoustic transducer array (hydrophones) that measures low level sound pressures and phase data that provides a detailed description of the sound power field emitted over the surface of the marine structure. Applications include oil/gas pipeline leak detection and location of malfunctioning underwater marine equipment.

Abstract: An expert system is used to perform surveil­lance, diagnosis and prognosis of a plant such as a nuclear reactor used in electrical power generation. The expert system uses one of real time actual plant data, previously stored actual plant data or simulated plant data as plant condition data to perform an evaluation of operating conditions in the plant. When real time actual plant data is used, a data acquisition system supplies the plant condition data. The expert system accesses the plant condition data, regardless of its source, periodi­cally as a surveillance frame is triggered by the rules in the root frame controlling the expert system. Other frames in the expert system perform diagnosis and prognosis of the plant condition.

Abstract: It has been shown earlier that efficient active triangulation methods for range data acquisition can be devised by employing an appropriate time-space encoding. In this paper we show that the necessary computational burden to compute range values by means of these techniques can be reduced drastically by introducing weak geometrical constraints for the projector camera configurations. Furthermore, we suggest the concept of a virtual measurement coordinate system reducing the triangulation to simple one-dimensional LUT operations. Thus, the range acquisition technique can be implemented very fast in a low cost PC based image processing environment. We show how to calibrate the system and give some experimental results.

Abstract: The authors report on an experiment to verify the accuracy of reject ratio predictions by the available approaches. The data collection effort includes instrumenting the wafer probe test to obtain chip failures as a function of applied vectors and running a fault simulator to obtain the cumulative fault coverage of these vectors. The accuracy of reject ratio predictions is judged by assuming earlier stopping points for the wafer probe, thereby gaining a measure of confidence in the final predicted value. The results of five different analyses are reported for over 70000 tested dies of a CMOS VLSI device. The five methods discussed predicted values for the reject ratio that vary by an order of magnitude at high values of fault coverage. It is shown that, with only an incremental effort during wafer probe, data collection that can be used to compare the relative accuracy of different models over a range of fault coverage is possible. >

Abstract: A braking distance verification system is disclosed which makes use of a specially designed pulse to voltage converter circuit and a portable computer-based data acquisition system to measure grade, speed, and distance information of any rail vehicle. The preferred embodiment of the device is particularly adapted for mass transit systems. It provides a method and apparatus for physical verification, under actual test conditions, that an adequate braking distance has been provided in each block of a signal block design system. The portable system may be used with any vehicle braking system which provides an electronic wheel tachometer or equivalent, or may utilize a portable doppler radar if tachometer information is not available.

Abstract: The results of a two-phase project regarding measurements of both voltage and current harmonics at numerous locations within a utility system are summarized. The voltage and current harmonics were measured, stored, and plotted at various substations during each phase of the project using a dynamic signal analyzer, a multipen plotter, and other data acquisition systems. This resulted in a total of 1120 measurements. Also, 24 h measurements were made at some locations to obtain time-of-day variations of the harmonic pattern. Various tables are presented to facilitate analysis of data and comparison of the voltage and current harmonics for multigrounded and unigrounded distribution systems and associated transmission lines. >

Abstract: A new digital seismic data acquisition system and accompanying software have been developed by Ifremer to replace the analog equipment commonly used in very high‐resolution (less than 1 m) shallow marine seismic reflection surveys. The acquisition part, based on a Hewlett‐Packard 9000 microcomputer, is capable of sampling rates of up to 15 kHz for one channel. Signal processing and image processing can be performed either during the survey by the acquisition computer or after the survey with a software system that runs on a Sun workstation. The system has been developed for the specific requirements of coastal studies; understanding of the sediment layers in such studies requires a vertical resolution of around 1 m in the top 10 m of sediment. This system has been successfully used for the study of subtidal sand waves off the Cherbourg peninsula (France). The results, which revealed the internal structure of sand waves from about 3 m to 8 m high, correlated well with synthetic seismograms that were create...

Abstract: A system and method for adaptively managing the behavior of, for example, a digital data processing system, using inductive learning techniques. The new system includes a data acquisition portion (10) that acquires event data in response to selected events. An inductive engine (11) generates profile knowledge in response to acquired event data during a learning phase, for storage in a profile knowledge store (15). A profile comparator (12), during an operational phase, subsequent to the learning phase, performs a verification operation in connection with comparing event data to said profile knowledge stored in said profile knowledge store (15). A control portion (14) enables event data acquired by said data acquisition portion to be directed to the inductive engine (11) during a learning phase and to the profile comparator (12) during an operational phase to thereby permit the comparator to perform a verification operation in connection with said event data acquired during the operational phase.

Abstract: The apparatus for monitoring and controlling electrostatic discharge control systems provides an automated sequence of electrostatic discharge control and soldering iron performance measurements that can be used to verify the continued integrity of the electrostatic discharge control systems. This is accomplished by a microprocessor controlled central data acquisition and control unit that controls a plurality of test units. Each work station in the manufacturing environment is equipped with a test unit that performs a number of measurements and tests of various electrostatic discharge control systems and soldering iron performance. The central data acquisition and control unit sequentially and automatically polls each individual test unit to perform or prompt the operator to participate in the designated measurements. The data obtained by each test unit is transferred to the central data acquisition and control unit where the data is analyzed and recorded. This data can be used to generate an alarm when one of the test units indicates a failure of the associated electrostatic discharge control systems or the soldering iron operation. In addition, the collected data provides an on-going record of long-term performance of the electrostatic discharge control systems and the individual soldering irons at each test unit.

Abstract: The experimental apparatus employed for monitoring fast polymerizing and crosslinking processes is described in detail. The measurement method for the particular application is widely discussed and the resulting performances of the measurement technique are reported. As an example, the experimental results for polymerization and crosslinking reactions of n-butyl acrylate and 1,6-hexandiol-diacrylate are shown and the accuracy of the data acquisition is demonstrated.

Abstract: Over several years, the demand for digital data has grown as geographical information systems were im- plemented. Because of the cost of database creation, data acquisition should unquestionably be automated as much as possible. Today, scanning devices produce a huge amount of data that still needs complex processing. This paper proposes an original approach using image processing tools coming from Mathematical Morphology theory to acquire GIs data from scanned thematic maps. These tools are used in order to obtain a segmentation prior to radiometric analysis. To illustrate the methodology, a subset of the Belgian soil map is treated. URING THE LAST FIFTEEN YEARS, dramatic growth in the use of geographical information systems (GIs) occurred in many disciplines. This technology provides multipurpose land infor- mation systems as a means of dealing with the land records modernization problem. Natural resources modeling and man- agement also benefit greatly from this technology by integrating a tremendous amount of data. By far, data capture is the most expensive task in a GIs ap- plication. To make full use of GIs capabilities, accurate and up- to-date information must be provided. The usual method of acquiring data from existing maps is by manually following lines on a digitizing table. Though advertising brochures usually show an operator happily at work, this method is actually a very tedious and boring operation with a high probability of errors due to either duplicating or omitting information (Doyle, 1978). To overcome this predicament, techniques for automated and semi-automated data capture have been developed during the past several years. Two major "automated processes being used today for data acquisition are line following and map scanning. Line following techniques are used for digitizing lines such as stream networks or contour lines while map scanning allows the extraction of point, line, and surface information. A recent opinion of map scanning (Faust, 1987) stated that "the existing multistep-inter- active procedure for creating point, line, and polygon structures with the appropriate attributes must be automated to a Kreater extent." 1i ibis paper, we present a method to automaLe data acquisition with the Belgian soil map which is of interest for natural resources oriented GIS as an example. The major feature of the method is its ability to segment the map into its different areas prior to radiometric analysis. This process makes use of Mathematical Morphology, a new image processing technique. The results indicate that the method is consistent with human interpretation of the map. However, it is not the claim of the authors to suggest that a methodology 'could be applied without distinction to any kind of thematic maps, because each has its own peculiarity. Nonetheless, our opinion is that some tools used here could be widely employed for processing other scanned maps.

Abstract: The invention relates to a control system for a remote controlled aircraft. This system comprises on one hand, an substructure on the ground provided with computing means, data acquisition means and radio transmission means, and on the other hand, an on-board apparatus provided with analogous means and sensors for the parameters of the behavior of the aircraft. The substructure on the ground and the on-board apparatus are adapted to exchange data in order to assure the stabilization and the piloting of the aircraft, and the provide specific orders as a function of the application.

Abstract: A VME‐based real‐time computer system for laser control, data acquisition, and analysis for the DIII‐D multipulse Thomson scattering diagnostic is described. The laser control task requires precise timing of up to eight Nd:YAG lasers, each with an average firing rate of 20 Hz. A cpu module in a real‐time multiprocessing computer system will operate the lasers with evenly staggered laser pulses or in a ‘‘burst mode,’’ where all available (fully charged) lasers can be fired at 50–100 μs intervals upon receipt of an external event trigger signal. One or more cpu modules, along with a LeCroy FERA (fast encoding and readout ADC) system, will perform real‐time data acquisition and analysis. Partial electron temperature and density profiles will be available for plasma feedback control within 1 ms following each laser pulse. The VME‐based computer system consists of two or more target processor modules (25 MHz Motorola 68030) running the VMEexec real‐time operating system connected to a Unix‐based host system (also a 68030). All real‐time software is fully interrupt driven to maximize system efficiency. Operator interaction and (non‐real‐time) data analysis takes place on a MicroVAX 3400 connected via DECnet.

Abstract: An identification and information card comprising an integrated electronic circuit including a processor. The electronic circuit is capable of contactlessly transmitting data to, and receiving data from, a data acquisition system in response to an electromagnetic interrogation field. The card is provided with a magneto/optical memory which contains data encoded according to a secret key. The coded data can be read by the data acquisition system and converted into electrical signals which are contactlessly transmitted to the card and are decoded by the processor. The card contains security data for protection against unauthorized use.

Abstract: Recent advances in vibrator electronics have made the use of encoded sweeps for multiple source point data acquisition possible in an operational setting. Alternatives to existing operational multiple source point data acquisition techniques, using complementary series and E‐codes, are developed in this paper. Most existing techniques are, at each source point, a series of linear sweeps of predetermined polarity that enables the cancellation of the contributions from the other source points in processing. The complementary series techniques developed here also choose polarities such that the contributions from other source points can be cancelled. Pairs of E‐codes have been found that produce no crosscorrelation, which makes it possible to use E‐codes to produce a dual source point technique that is fundamentally different from the more conventional techniques. Field tests are carried out using E‐codes in dual source point schemes. Records from the respective source points are readily separated from the c...

Abstract: A system is presented with which a computer can be used to provide electronic feedback nulling of a Wheatstone bridge measurement system used for data acquisition. This system provides compensation for drifts away from null resulting from the measurement setup or amplifier drifts with time or temperature. An example of the system in the case of a strain gauge bridge used with a cantilever beam is described. >

Abstract: An integrated data collection, analysis, and data visualization environment is described for a specific parallel system - the Intel iPSC/2 hypercube. The data collection components of the environment encompass software event tracing at the operating system with a program level and a hardware-based performance monitoring system used to capture software events. A visualization system based on the X-window environment permits dynamic display and reduction of performance data. A performance data collection, analysis, and visualization environment makes it possible to access the effects of architectural and system software variations.

Abstract: A versatile, user-friendly hardware/software system is described. It was designed for facilitating the testing, characterization, and application of complex integrated circuits intended for high- and low-energy physics instrumentation. The system consists of two CAMAC modules and a program generation and data analysis facility hosted by a VAX computer. Two higher-level applications of the system to studies made with the SVX chip are described. These are given as examples of the types of procedures which can be performed by this system. >