Data Acquisition Moves to the Outside

Anew market study from Venture Development Corporation (VDC), Data Acquisition Products: Global Market Demand Analysis , sizes and forecasts shipments of data acquisition external chassis and modules and plug-in analog I/O boards to markets in three major geographic regions: the Americas (Central, North and South America); Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA); and the Asia-Pacific region.

The products covered in the study:

External Chassis and modules: data loggers, distributed/remote I/O, paperless chart recorders, USB PC front-end modules, other PC front ends, and standalone systems.

Plug-In Analog I/0 Board Types: CAMAC, CompactPCI, ISA, PC/104, PCI, PCI Express, PCMCIA (PC Cards), PXI, PXI Express, VME, and VXI.

Inside to outside

All of the regional markets and forecast regional market growth rates are higher for the external chassis and modules than the plug-in analog I/O boards. There continues to be an ongoing trend in data acquisition applications to the use of external devices, especially USB PC front ends instead of plug-in analog I/O boards. These external products are attractive as peripheral add-ons to computers that are portable, and can easily be moved to another platform in a different location.

The external products are attractive because of their portability and nature as computer peripherals rather than installed components that become permanent parts of a computer. These chassis and modules can be easily be moved from system to system, taken into the field, or used in a setting where having a computer would be impractical.

External products also have the advantage of not requiring a new system or additional upgrades so long as the communication bus for the device – most commonly serial, USB or Ethernet – is found on the computer.

Regional shifts

A major consideration in the Americas forecasts is the expected slow growth rate of the U.S. economy. There is also ongoing shifting of manufacturing operations out of North America, in many cases to the Asia-Pacific region.

Shipments to markets in the Asia-Pacific region for both the external chassis and modules and plug-in analog I/O boards are expected to overtake those to Europe, the Middle East and Africa within the next four years - because of the rapidly increasing manufacturing operations in countries there with emerging economies, particularly China.

Manufacturing businesses in these countries are being formed and expanded. In addition, manufacturers in other regions are moving operations to countries in this region with low labor costs. Part of the increases in capital investment by these firms will be in data acquisition products, both for use in manufacturing operations and in the design and testing of new products. In addition, these countries have growing needs for environmental monitoring, and in medical applications.