Developments in wide-area digital data acquisition network technology

This paper reviews the design and implementation of wide-area data-acquisition networks and discusses recent developments in applicable hardware and software tools. Following a discussion of the general philosophy of the design of such systems, the paper includes an overview of the hardware and software components, as well as communication protocols used. The design and implementation of a modern wide-area digital-data-acquisition networks requires proficiency in a range of disciplines, such as design of high-precision transducers, digital signal processing, long distance communication systems, protocols, real-time high data-volume acquisition systems, etc. The present paper summarizes how these disciplines are applied in the design and implementation of wide-area acquisition networks. Finally it elaborates tendencies of development of these networks.