Networked Data Acquisition and Control
OpenNet Instruments, LLC. is your source for Networked Data Acquisition Products that are
easy to use.
Networked data acquisition and control products that simplify making your process and system data
available across your computer networks and the Internet. Our specialty is making your life easier
by providing high quality products that are easy to use. We combine this ease of use with superior
customer service and on-time delivery.
Our products take sensor inputs from resistive, voltage and current devices and transfers (posts)
the information across computer networks and the Internet.
Use the integrated web server to host a web page containing the your acquired information. Use the
email server to send email alarms if acquired values are out of range.
Use XML (Extensible Markup Language) documents to quickly and easily
import and use your acquired data. As an open standard, XML allows your acquired data to be imported directly into your favorite
spreadsheet or database. Use your acquired data any where you wish, any way you wish, with your
favorite tools.
Make use of our XML documents (data files) and Microsoft's .NET technology to connect directly to
our products and import acquired data directly into your applications.
OpenNet-1000 Block Diagram
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- No PC is required to connect our products to your network or the
Internet, everything needed is built into our products. Plug into your network using
a standard CAT-5 LAN cable, apply power and your are ready to start acquiring data.
- Our products take sensor, voltages, currents or serial data and transfers (posts) the
information directly across computer networks or the Internet.
- No programming is needed to use our products. The OpenNet Configuration
Software allows you to define inputs, outputs, control logic, setup email alarms and
create a web page without writing one line of program code.
- Our data acquisition and control products act as stand alone ‘mini-servers’.
All the services needed to communicate and provide data on your computer
networks and the Internet is built into every unit we sell.
- All communication with our products is done via XML documents (data files).
XML (Extensible Markup Language) is the language of the Internet and by using
XML we bring two key benefits: 1) XML is an open standard. You will not be trapped with a proprietary
protocol. 2) XML is supported by leading databases, spreadsheets and other software.
Allowing you to import into databases with ease, and use your acquired data any way you wish.
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What is Special About XML?
The World Wide Web Consortium Extensible Markup Language (XML) Recommendation
(www.w3c.org/XML) defines a standard structure
for documents that contain structured data. More broadly and powerfully, it is also a
standard for developing structured languages for data interchange, a meta-language.
XML is not a computer language in the usual sense, but a standard for creating data
interchange documents and languages.
Because we use XML in our data acquisition products, your acquired data is ready
for use in a wide variety of third party applications. These applications include
spreadsheets, databases and browsers. XML is also a key component of Microsoft's .NET
technology and raw data from our devices can be used directly by applications
developed with this technology. We have created examples of importing acquired data
into Excel, Access and .NET.
Follow this link to our Primer on XML, "XML Basics".
What is 'Networked' Data Acquisition and Control?
Networked data acquisition and control is technology that allows user's to use computer
networks or the Internet to directly access and monitor processes and systems, acquire
application data, and maintain control points.
Networked data acquisition and control is technology that allows user's to use computer
networks or the Internet to directly access and monitor processes and systems, acquire
application data, and maintain control points.
Our data acquisition and control products act as stand alone 'mini-servers’.
With OpenNet Instruments' products, there is no need for a PC in the system to implement
these services. All the services needed to communicate and provide data on your computer
networks and the Internet is built into every unit we sell. These services include: data
acquisition and control logic, XML and JAVA support for data and system communications,
an email server for sending email alarms, a web server to host pages containing acquired
data and control points, and data logging.
No software programming is necessary to develop applications (configure the instrument)
or otherwise use our products, although the communication API (an XML Schema)
is available for developers and programmers who wish to develop custom client applications.
OpenNet Instruments' products are designed especially for Ethernet communication and come with full
networking support including TCP/IP and UDP.
Other terms for networked data acquisition include:
- Web based data acquisition.
Our products are self-contained 'mini-servers' that
contain everything needed to communicate with computers on the web.
- Web ready data acquisition.
Everything needed to use the web is built into all of our products.
- Data Acquisition over IP.
Use a standard CAT-5 LAN cable to plug our device
into an open LAN port on your router. Create a secure tunnel through your firewall
to allow http access to our products from the Internet. Access to our product's web
page is password controlled, only authorized users have access to your information.
- Ethernet data acquisition.
The common denominator for all these terms is the Ethernet,
or TCP/IP protocol that is the underlining protocol for this technology.
- XML data acquisition.
By using XML for communications, we have simplified making use of acquired data.
Import acquired data directly into your spreadsheets and databases.
- Embedded electronic control.
Our products are embedded electronic controllers with embedded web technology, or embedded
Internet services. The electronic control is integrated with everything needed to access the
controller and its acquired data using your favorite web browser across the your computer networks
and the Internet.
What do we mean by "network services"?
For a device to operate on a network, there needs to be both hardware and software in place to make this
happen. For our products, these services are integrated and a PC or other computer is not needed. The
following services are provided without the need for 'help' from a PC:
Web Server: Our technology generates the web page hosted by the device. This includes
all graphics and layout; chart supporting JAVA scripts and applets; insertion of acquired data into the
web page.
Note: The initial link can take 15- 30 seconds because the supporting graphics and scripts are
being loaded. Once loaded, updating of the data on the web page is done by short XML documents served
to the browser client. By doing this we significantly reduce the network traffic, and embedded control
bandwidth needed to support a web page.
Email Server: Our technology monitors the I/O, generates and sends the email alarms.
Once setup, our devices take care of everything. Again, there is no
need for a PC or other computer to perform these tasks.
XML Data Files: Our technology uses XML for all network
communications, both for instrument setup and data acquisition. Whether the
XML document is being transmitted or received, all XML parsing and generation is being done on-board.
Download XML data files from our online demonstration.
getData.cgi
is the XML file containing the current or 'live' data set.
getLoggedData.cgi
is the XML file containing the entire logged data set.
Download a spreadsheet that imports XML data from our online demonstration.
If you are using Excel (2000 or 2002/XP), we have created a macro
that imports XML data from our on-line demonstration unit. Please feel free to download
and use the following file:
OpenNetXMLtoExcel
(xls).
This spreadsheet works best if downloaded. If you would like the sources to this macro, please
contact us by email at
Sales@OpenNetInstruments.com.
Provide your name, company name, city and state along with email where you would like the
sources sent.
Data Acquisition and Control: Our technology conditions the incoming and outgoing
signals; maintains control and alarm points; serves acquired into web pages, email and the data log.
What sensors can be used?
Use sensors and transducers directly, with or without signal conditioners. Scale and offset parameters are
applied at the device and engineering units are used for the data on the web page and the XML data. Sensors
and transducers supported include:
- Resistive devices: RTDs (Resistive Temperature Devices),
Thermistors.
- Voltage signals: Single ended 0-5 and 0-10 volts. Differential +/- 5 and +/- 10 volts.
- Current signals: 0- 20 mA and 4- 20 mA.
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