UC San Diego

This chapter describes key topics in the design and operation of conventional data acquisition systems used for structural health monitoring. These systems are discussed by four sub-system modules: (1) the sensor module, which consists of the physical element(s) that interact with the system-under-test to sense the physical process(es) and convert that information into a detectable signal form (e.g., an electrical voltage); (2) the signal conditioning module, which may have any number of functions, which could be further subdivided into analog functions (voltage amplification, some types of filtering, and possibly telemetry) and digital functions (timekeeping, digitization, triggering, master control); (3) the output module, which provides an actual indication, in an appropriate form, of the measurement(s) desired; and (4) the control module, which contains some form of an active controller that interprets the output and feeds back that information to an actuator that can manipulate the physical process (only present in active sensing systems). In the discussion of each module, the relevant hardware and signal processing components that comprise its operation and function are described, and the chapter concludes with a short summary of key concepts and observation of trends in data acquisition for structural health monitoring. © 2014 Woodhead Publishing Limited All rights reserved.