Development of an integrated data acquision system for research vessels

Abstract

This article describes an integrated data acquisition system (IDAS) designed and developed for multi-oceanographic research vessels. The prime motivation was to provide a flexible system, which could be used in the context of ocean related observational studies. It uses personal computers interfaced to the various scientific equipments on-board, which are then interconnected using a high speed Ethernet local area network. The system logs data from navigational, bathymetric meteorological and other connectable equipments that are available on the vessel. The system was successfully field-tested and installed on-board research vessel- ORV Sagar-Sampada in May-1995 and later, also on three other vessels