PC-based data acquisition in an industrial environment

A major limitation of the IBM `PC/XT/AT´ family of computers in data acquisition and control applications is the fact that they were designed with office automation in mind. They were intended to be single user, single tasking, simple, low cost machines. One excellent solution to this problem is to put a high-performance processor right on the data acquisition board. This processor can assume control of the data acquisition functions, allowing the personal computer to act in a supervisory role. The PC can transfer programs to the data acquisition system and leave all the time critical operations where they are most effectively dealt with. The developments of such data acquisition and control processors are discussed