An Arduino Based All-In-One Data Acquisition and Control System for Poultry Health Research

On-farm research often requires custom instrumentation and datalogging solutions for each study performed. Integration of many sensors, often with different power requirements and signal types, sometimes makes it difficult to find an all-in-one solution. Recent advances in electronics components such as microcontrollers and sensors, plus widespread availability of 3D-printing, make it possible to construct all-in-one dataloggers and control systems in purpose-built enclosures. In addition, microcontrollers can be easily reprogrammed for different purposes including datalogging and control of external devices. A custom-built all-in-one data acquisition and control (DAC) system was developed for animal health research studies. The system integrates an array of environmental sensors to detect and record luminosity, carbon dioxide and ammonia gas concentrations, dust particle counts, air speed, temperature and humidity. The DAC and external sensors were housed in 3D-printed enclosures, and interconnections to controlled equipment were made using ethernet cables. The developed system is presented along with two case studies for different applications in which the system was deployed.