Portable High-Speed Data Recorder

Astro-Med’s Test & Measurement Product Group has introduced the Dash 20HF, the latest addition to their high frequency data recorder family. Engineered specifically for long term capture of high frequency data and transient signals, the unit supports recording up to 20 analog channels to an internal hard drive at sample rates of up to 500 kHz and a bandwidth of 100 kHz per channel. Designed for applications ranging from transient capture to remote troubleshooting in the aerospace, automotive, electric utility, pulp and paper, metal manufacturing, medical, and other industrial fields, the Dash 20HF is portable and rugged enough to handle any environment. The Dash 20HF provides the user with a real-time display and analysis of data. High frequency data captures can be saved directly to hard drive for later review and analysis. The recorder contains four 250 Vrms isolated inputs, ideal for monitoring high voltage or power signals, and sixteen 35 Vrms differential channels for monitoring low level signals or inputs from sensors, signal conditioners and other devices. Each channel input can be independently configured and has a dedicated 16 bit A/D converter to assure the most accurate measurement. The versatile digital signal processing of the Dash 20HF provides a wide variety of data capture filtering capabilities, including low-pass, high-pass, band-pass, RMS and notch filtering. Frequency counter inputs are also included. The Dash 20HF includes a dedicated, 250 GByte internal hard drive for capturing data and a DVD burner for archiving data. Other features include 1000BaseT Ethernet for data upload and host control along with two USB 2.0 ports for archiving data to external peripherals. The system is built into a compact (16”L x 12.125”W x 6.628”H), light (under 23 lbs), and rugged case for field or lab use. Equipped with a 15” diagonal monitor for intuitive touch-screen control and real-time data viewing and analysis, the graphical user interface of the Dash 20HF is optimized for ease of use. Simple menus permit the user to set most parameters using button and checkbox controls. Operating on either 120 or 240 VAC, the Dash 20HF includes a capacitive backup to ensure proper shutdown without data corruption if power is lost. Free Windows-based AstroVIEW X software allows data to be imported to a PC for analysis and review. Using AstroVIEW X, a user can export data to popular spreadsheet and analysis programs including Excel, DADiSP and MathCAD with a simple conversion command. An optional high security version designated the Dash 20HF-HS is available for defense and aerospace applications. The high security version includes locking, removable hard drives for securing confidential data.