The UK's RDP Electronics has joined forces with National Instruments and
six other European sensor manufacturers to coordinate the introduction of
plug-and-play sensors. The aim is to establish a common technical
standard between sensors and data acquisition hardware and software, so
reducing the amount of custom set-up and interfacing required with
existing measurement systems.
The benefits afforded by plug-and-play technology means that compatible
transducers can communicate directly with the software to ensure that the
system is automatically set up for any transducer used. An embedded
memory chip, holding technical data specific to its host sensor in TEDS
(Transducer Electronic Data Sheet) format, defines the sensor type and
characteristics. This information is interpreted by any compliant
software, such as NI's LabVIEW, to create an efficient and accurate means
for calibration, configuration and diagnostics.