High-speed Data Acquisition and Signal Processing Using Cost Effective ARM + FPGA Processors

The paper describes the possibilities of data acquisition and data processing from optical sensing systems. There are some data acquisition cards and their disadvantages when used for more complex single fiber sensor systems in the paper. It is suitable to use some open source hardware because commercially available data acquisition cards are more complex and universal which means they have several different inputs/outputs and large dimensions. STEMLab 125-14 (Red Pitaya) appears to be the most suitable solution because offers 2 analog inputs and 2 analog outputs. Compare to standard data processing systems, this is supposed to be an advantage in preprocessing data using programmable logic. This can reduce the volume of transmitted data and can also speed up processing. Thus, the measurement system will be smaller and cheaper. The device contains DA converters, therefore pulses might be generated using the same clock which enables synchronization of backscatter signal.