🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <Dec.11.13.54.47.1990.10707@caip.rutgers.edu>, froncio@caip.rutgers.edu (Andy Froncioni) writes:
> My brother and I run a small karting team in Canada.  Lately,
> we've wanted to collect some engine data on-board in order
> to "profile" the race tracks.
> ...
> We are in need of a small, light data acquisition board that
> would collect data from about 4 channels every second or
> so, for about 20 minutes time.  The board should be able
> to download its data to an IBM compatible PC.  The most 
> important feature is that it should be self-contained (no
> external power supply).  

	Such data acquisition systems are available from a nuber of vendors.
One of the lower cost systems is sold through such distributors as Omega
Engineering (Stamford, CT), Cyber Research, etc.  This system has a maximum
of four channels, and it can be had fully equipped for less than $ 1K.

> With the same application in mind (namely, karting) we would
> also like to know if there are controllers that are available to use 
> input from a few ports (temperature, rpm's, etc...) and auto-
> matically determine settings for a couple of different stepper 
> motors (which control fuel/air mix, exhaust-port length, etc...).
> Again, the same requirements apply that the unit must be
> self-contained power-wise.

	You could use a small industrial PLC supplied with a battery power
option, but you may not like the price.  By the time you purchased the PLC,
I/O options and development software for use on a PC, you will probably
spend at least $ 3K.  You could also go the route of a single-board computer
with on-board basic interpreter and A/D, D/A, such as the Octagon SBS-2300,
with your initial cost being less than $ 1K.  However, while *I* would go
the Octagon route, there is less high-level programming support for control
applications than available with most PLC's.

Larry Lippman @ Recognition Research Corp.  "Have you hugged your cat today?"
VOICE: 716/688-1231   {boulder, rutgers, watmath}!ub!kitty!larry
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