2.6-Capabilities of an advanced data acquisition system for mountainous regions.

Abstract

Capabilities of an advanced data acquisition system for hydrometeorological measurements in mountainous regions have been described, The system is capable of collecting data on hydrometeorological parameters through 12 analogue, 2 pulse and 8 digital input/output channels, with provision of expanding upto 192 channels using relay scanners/multiplexers. The system uses commercially available components, namely data-logger, portable computer, and telemetry device. Presently the system is in use for monitoring a few of the parameters like rainfall, soil suction, soil temperature and air temperature. Sensors for measurement of snow height, weight of accumulated snow, solar radiation, wind speed and direction, etc. can also be connected to the system. The instrument is programmable using a series of application-specific instructions to perform the measurement of sensor signals, mathematical computations, logic controls, data storage, and data output to peripheral devices. The data retrieval is possible on a portable computer either by direct connection to the data-logger or through wireless telemetry. A solar panel is provided for on-site charging of the batteries to ensure uninterrupted data collection.