steve@nuchat.UUCP (Steve Nuchia) (05/26/90)
A few days ago I asked for names of companies selling data
acquisition and experiment control stuff for Macs and PCs.
This is a summary of the answers I received.
Thanks, y'all!
----
Metrabyte has a large catalogue of interface boards for many kinds of computers
including PC's and Macs. I have bought from them for an AT bus and was very
satisfied.
----
Our company builds control systems for machine and process control,
data acquisition and analysis, UPS's, etc. What are your specific needs?
_
Kevin D. Quitt Manager, Software Development
DeMott Electronics Co. VOICE (818) 988-4975
14707 Keswick St. FAX (818) 997-1190
Van Nuys, CA 91405-1266 MODEM (818) 997-4496 Telebit PEP last
34 12 N 118 27 W srhqla!demott!kdq kdq@demott.com
----
I've had good experiences with hardware and associated software from GW
Instruments in Cambridge (maybe another suburb of Boston?) Mass. which
specializes in setups for the various Macs available. I don't have their
number handy; sorry.
----
I saw your request on Usenet for info on data acquisition. We use
several Macs in our labs here to do data acquisition and analysis. I
have dealt mainly with two companies: National Instruments and GW
Instruments. National has a big reputation, but when I was using their
equipment 3 years ago, their manuals were *atrocious* and I always
seemed to know at least as much as their technical support staff when I
would call to ask questions.
But I can recommend GW Instruments:
35 Medford Street
Somerville, Mass. 02143
617-625-4096
They make good, solid hardware, and their drivers and other software are
quite useful and easy to use. They are a fairly small outfit, and their
technical support staff is helpful and courteous.
----
Assuming your 'antiques' are pdp11-type things, you may want to look
into a company you probably already know about - data Translation.
Also, strawbery tree computer, National inctruments, and Metrabyte.
PS. get a copy of 'The Macintosh Buyers Guide'
issued 4/year for $14 - it's invaluable
----
GW Instruments
35 Medford st
Somerville, MA 02143
(617) 625-4096
National Instruments
6504 Bridge Point Parkway
Austin, TX 78730-5039
(512) 794-0100
----
I have been working on a Maciicx with a National Instruments
A/D board that includes some really fancy data acquisition soft-ware.
I'm not sure of the prices to commercial accounts, but they give a
hefty educational discount.
The board I am using is an NB-MIO16, with 16 single ended analog
inputs and two analog outs, with eight bits of digital i/o. I built
my own box pretty easily using MacDraw to make the template and the
terminal labels at one go. Shouldn't be to hairy to make a small run
of the things.
--
Steve Nuchia South Coast Computing Services (713) 964-2462
"To learn which questions are unanswerable, and _not_to_answer_them;
this skill is most needful in times of stress and darkness."
Ursula LeGuin, _The_Left_Hand_of_Darkness_