Multi-channel data acquisition system with absolute time synchronization

Abstract

A low-cost, stand-alone Global-Positioning-System-time-synchronized data acquisition system is described. The constructed prototype allows recoding up to four analog signals with a 16-bit resolution in variable ranges and a maximum sampling rate of 1000 S/s. Additionally, two digital readouts of external sensors can be acquired. A complete data set is stored on a Secure Digital (SD) card or transmitted to a computer using Universal Serial Bus (USB). The estimated time accuracy of the data acquisition is better than ±0.2 s. The device is envisioned for the use in a global distributed sensor network (the Global Network of Optical Magnetometers for Exotic physics -GNOME), whose aim is to search for new particles and interactions.

The Global Network of Optical Magnetometers for Exotic physics (GNOME): A novel scheme to search for physics beyond the Standard Model

“…The outputs of the magnetometers are acquired using custom-made devices based on Trimble Resolution-T GPS (Global Positioning System) time receivers [55]. The data acquisition devices provides time markers separated by one second with a precision of about 80 ns synchronized with a quartz clock built into the devices.…”

Search for topological defect dark matter with a global network of optical magnetometers

“…First, in the preprocessing stage, a rolling average and filters are applied to the raw data from the GNOME magnetometer, which are originally recorded by the GPS-synchronized data-acquisition system at the rate of 512 samples per second (ref. 25 ). The rolling average is characterized by a 20 s time constant.…”

“…1 . The measurements from the magnetometers are recorded with custom data-acquisition systems 25 ; synchronized to the global positioning system (GPS) time; and uploaded to servers located in Mainz, Germany, and Daejeon, South Korea. Descriptions of the operational principles and characteristics of GNOME magnetometers are presented in Methods, Extended Data Table 1 , and ref.…”

Search for topological defect dark matter with a global network of optical magnetometers

“…It is composed of three stages to identify events likely to be produced by ALP domain-wall crossings: preprocessing, velocity scanning, and postselection [29]. First, in the preprocessing stage, a rolling average and filters are applied to the GNOME magnetometer raw data which are originally recorded by the GPS-synchronized data-acquisition system at a rate of 512 samples/s [25]. The rolling average is characterized by a 20 s time constant.…”