Data acquisition for process monitoring and control

Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi recently finished equipping the Control Systems Laboratory with data acquisition systems and process training equipment. The laboratory provides several capabilities, including internet-based experimentation, data acquisition, process measurements, control system modeling and design, sensor technology applications, neural networks, and signal processing. This paper describes the major laboratory equipment and the implementation of online experiments that offer data acquisition, monitoring, and control from remote locations. A front panel in LabVIEW displays the results and allows storage of acquired data for later processing. A digital camera that provides real-time pictures of the monitored equipment is part of the system configuration.