Exploring the Data Acquisition Industry

For such an innocuous term, data acquisition (DAQ) is well on its way to being a billion dollar industry. DAQ is the process by which a company measures sound, temperature, pressure, voltage, current, or other physical and/or electrical phenomena. Though it wasn’t so long ago that these measurements were taken with simple mechanical devices and a chart recorder, the Computer Age has changed all that. You would expect a modern day DAQ system to consist of sensors, measurement hardware, and programmable software on a PC. Who are the top 10 vendors in the DAQ market? Grab a seat and we’ll give you our opinion.

Campbell Scientific

As a major vendor in the global DAQ market, Campbell Scientific produces systems intended for survival in rugged conditions associated with long-term, unattended monitoring. Typical applications would include collecting data from machines, soil, weather, water, and energy. As an industry leader, expect Campbell Scientific to stay on the forefront of developments in the PC-based world of data acquisition.

Rockwell Automation

If you’ve ever eaten food, there’s a good chance an integrated system from Rockwell Automation might have had a hand in the process. Though the company specializes in process manufacturing (recipes and formulas) related to large-scale food production, you can also find them at work in other industries like oil and gas, mining, metals, and life sciences.

Dewetron

Dewetron’s niche in the DAQ field is all areas of research and development, as well as specialized data acquisition instruments and custom built solutions related to the automotive, energy and power, transportation, and aerospace industries. With a focus on always moving the DAQ field forward with state-of-the-art technology advances, Dewetron is part of the larger TKH group and is headquartered in Austria.

Yokogawa Electric

Based in Japan, Yokogawa Electric has earned a solid reputation in the design, manufacture, and sales of information technologies, control systems, and measurement solutions. With a century of experience behind it, this company has managed to successfully reinvent itself to stay in step with changing industrial demands. For today’s world, Yokogawa Electric continues to satisfy clients with top-notch products and service, while emphasizing environmental sustainability.

Honeywell International

Make no mistake, Honeywell International is a multinational conglomerate with fingers in a whole bunch of different industrial pies. One of those pies happens to be DAQ. As well as the usual measurement and control products, this company enjoys a high demand for its circular chart and paperless recorders. Honeywell International presently focuses in particular on energy, safety, security, productivity, and global urbanization.

Pentek

As an ISO 9001-2015 certified company, Pentek prides itself on the manufacture and sales of cutting edge DAQ solutions, with a specialty in digital signal processing and software radio applications. You can expect to find Pentek embedded chips in rugged environments associated with military and defense applications. The ISO 9001 certification assures clients that Pentek products will meet the most rigorous standards for performance.

Ametek

With 15,000 employees and locations in 30 countries, one could say Ametek has created a rather large footprint in the DAQ industry. Equipment in high demand from this manufacturer includes programmable power equipment, industrial battery charges, analytical instruments, electromagnetic compatibility test equipment, and gas turbine generator sensors. Ametek is a leading provider of systems to the aerospace and defense industries.

Spectris

This UK company might have a name that reminds us of a secretive James Bond organization, but Spectris is anything but fiction. Specialty equipment includes a focus on improving productivity, streamlining processes, and delivering higher quality for laboratory and industrial applications. A corporate focus that encourages employer entrepreneurism keeps cutting edge products always in the pipeline.

Keysight Technologies

As another company that provides measuring equipment to the aerospace and defense industries, Keysight Technologies prides itself on not selling one-size-fits-all solutions off the shelf but rather provides a process that includes consulting, customization, and optimization that fits directly into the client’s product lifecycle. The result of almost eight decades of refinement and innovation, Keysight Technologies enjoys high name recognition for the future.

National Instrument Corp.

With more than forty years under its belt, National Instrument Corp. has created a solid spot in the niche dedicated to manufacturing virtual instruments and automated test equipment. A sampling of industries served includes academic and research, wireless, aerospace and defense, automotive, energy, and heavy equipment. National Instrument Corp. prides itself on creating more than singular products but rather entire ecosystems for clients.

These are just a few of the big players in the DAQ field. As the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) grows, expect this already important industry to become even more so.

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