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Build a data-acquisition system for about $30

Many vendors offer development boards for Arduino, an open-source hardware microcontroller with its own development environment, writes Casey Hare of Angstrom Designs. The latest board, the Arduino Uno, costs less than $30 and is available from a variety of vendors. Hobbyists have developed most of the Arduino applications to date, but that situation may be changing. With six 12-bit ADCs; 14 digital-I/O pins, six of which can perform PWM output; simple serial communications over USB; and a low price tag, Arduino is now showing up in professional applications. For example, Angstrom Designs has recently released a free driver that turns the Arduino into data-acquisition hardware. The LARVA (Lab- View Arduino) driver features automatic firmware uploading, onboard data averaging, and variable communication rates. It also accesses Arduino’s ADCs, PWM, and digital- I/O pins. Angstrom offers a free LARVA simple graph application at www.angstrom designs.com/larva/download. The installer includes the driver, the LabView source code, an executable file, and support files. You can use the source code as a starting point for projects, including data acquisition, temperature monitoring and control, and PWM motion control. Angstrom Designs also provides application notes on voltage and temperature data acquisition. Wi t h a 16-MHz, 8-bit Atmel microcontroller at its core, Arduino isn’t right for high-end test-and-measurement applications. With solid features and an affordable price, however, it meets the needs of many projects. It’s too soon to tell, but Arduino may mark the introduction of open-source hardware into professional test-and-measurement systems.

Angstrom Designs, www.angstromdesigns.com