Remote Data Acquisition System Using FPGA

Abstract

Single cost-efficient VLSI chip nowadays turns out to be a solution to microelectronic design problems. In these designs embedded system architectures are used which are comprised of software programmable components accompanied with dedicated hardware processing modules integrated into the VLSI chip [1]. Also emerging new designs which are based on heterogeneous embedded system architectures, offer flexible low-cost design in a short design cycle, integrating multiple software programmable components together with dedicated hardware components into a single cost-efficient VLSI chip. With the help of new technology it has now become possible not only to introduce programmability in these single chip architectures but also maintaining most of the advantages of customized VLSI solutions [1].Once some applications which were too difficult for computing hardware, now with impressive advances in Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) technology are becoming more feasible[2]. Utilizing the prebuilt logic blocks and programmable routing resources engineers and designers now configure FPGAs (FPGA stands for Field Programmable Gate Array) to implement custom hardware. The configuration of FPGA is specified with the help of hardware description language. FPGA technology is now adopting among the engineers scientists at all levels of expertise as higher level tools evolve to deliver the fruits of reprogrammable silicon [2]. The “Remote Data Acquisition System Using FPGA” has been entirely implemented on the FPGA of the Spartan-3E Starter Kit. DAQs are complex systems which are the basis for building and monitoring tools that enable the supervision of local and remote systems. Data is transferred from the data loggers via radio telemetry, cellular, serial ports, Ethernet, satellite peripherals etc. The mobility and flexibility of the data loggers and sensors make the applications of this technology limitless. In everywhere we can see the magical touch of science and engineering in the present world which enables human being to have the maximum comfort and security of life. In that contrast our developed data acquisition system is such a device that could be used for biomedical applications, nuclear research, or data acquisition from such a place where the presence of human being is risky as well as harmful, for the example in the radioactive areas. The vi developed system will communicate through the SMSC LAN83C185 Ethernet PHY with remote pc via internet. Of course the Ethernet port of the Spartan-3E starter kit has to be interfaced with the personal computers as well as that pc should be connected with the remote pc through internet. The configuration of the PCs used in this R and D work- Intel® Desktop Board DG41WV mother board which has LAN support Gigabit (10/100/1000 Mbits/sec) LAN subsystem using the Realtek* RTL8111D Gigabit Ethernet Controller and Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor. The data transfer rate of the Ethernet port of Spartan-3E starter kit is 10/100 Mbits/Sec. So our developed system could transfer data at the rate of 10/100 Mbits/Sec. National instrument DAQ interfaced with the ADC of the Spartan-3E starter kit to acquire analog signal from the outer world. The ADC process the digital data to FPGA, therefore those data is processed through the SMSC LAN83C185 Ethernet PHY to the personal computer of the concerned person who intended to acquire and send that data through internet in a remote place. The graphical control of the system has been developed using the LAB VIEW program.