2022 Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) Symposium

Location

ScholarSpace, Rod Library, University of Northern Iowa

Presentation Type

Open Access Poster Presentation

Document Type

poster

Keywords

Science rooms and equipment; Electric resistance--Measurement; Physics--Study and teaching (Higher);

Abstract

Data acquisition (DAQ) systems are frequently utilized in lab settings. Basic DAQ systems are a common occurrence in lab courses for this reason. Commonly, however, the DAQ systems utilized in such courses are proprietary, and do not allow students to understand how they operate beyond a “plug in and go” nature as a result. A further consequence is that these systems are not capable of being programmed, such as is often done with equipment used in professional labs. The DAQ systems used in lab courses aren’t easily replaced by the test equipment they seek to emulate due to cost. Ideally, student labs have enough equipment such that each student may simultaneously carry out a task requiring it. However, pieces of high–end test equipment can easily cost many thousands of dollars. This is a result of such equipment’s robustness and guarantee of extremely precise and repeatable measurements. Much of the cost of such equipment results from the extent of these guarantees. As an example: the common 34420A lab multimeter is designed to measure voltages with a precision of 7.5 digits, has environmental compensations and self checks, and can endure 1kV over-voltages. While such features are desirable, they aren’t remotely necessary in most student labs. Generally, having subpar equipment is preferable to having no equipment.

Start Date

29-7-2022 11:00 AM

End Date

29-7-2022 1:30 PM

Event Host

Summer Undergraduate Research Program, University of Northern Iowa

Faculty Advisor

Timothy E. Kidd

Department

Department of Physics

File Format

application/pdf

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Jul 29th, 11:00 AM Jul 29th, 1:30 PM

A Lite DAQ System for Precision Resistance Measurements

ScholarSpace, Rod Library, University of Northern Iowa

Data acquisition (DAQ) systems are frequently utilized in lab settings. Basic DAQ systems are a common occurrence in lab courses for this reason. Commonly, however, the DAQ systems utilized in such courses are proprietary, and do not allow students to understand how they operate beyond a “plug in and go” nature as a result. A further consequence is that these systems are not capable of being programmed, such as is often done with equipment used in professional labs. The DAQ systems used in lab courses aren’t easily replaced by the test equipment they seek to emulate due to cost. Ideally, student labs have enough equipment such that each student may simultaneously carry out a task requiring it. However, pieces of high–end test equipment can easily cost many thousands of dollars. This is a result of such equipment’s robustness and guarantee of extremely precise and repeatable measurements. Much of the cost of such equipment results from the extent of these guarantees. As an example: the common 34420A lab multimeter is designed to measure voltages with a precision of 7.5 digits, has environmental compensations and self checks, and can endure 1kV over-voltages. While such features are desirable, they aren’t remotely necessary in most student labs. Generally, having subpar equipment is preferable to having no equipment.