Scireq flexivent, User Manual, Page: 15 / 86

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1.2.1 WORKSTATIONS
The
UnitWise
platform uses standard Ethernet connectivity as the backbone to connect the
high-level components of a UnitWise data acquisition and experimentation environment. The
list of high-level components includes the individual UnitWise instruments (see section 1.2.2),
experimentation and review workstations (both running flexiWare ), and the database server on
which data may be stored in a central location.
In the simplest scenario, a single stand-alone computer can serve as experimentation
workstation, review workstation and database server. On the other hand, the
UnitWise
/
flexiWare
architecture permits distributed multi-client environments where data may
be simultaneously collected from several parallel workstations into a central database, allowing
study directors to observe the evolution of the experiment in real time from the comfort of
their office.
1.2.2 INSTRUMENTS & SYSTEMS
In
UnitWise
terminology, “instruments” are compact laboratory instrumentation devices that
possess both an Ethernet connection and several ports for Universal Intelligent Transducers
(UNITs). Recent
UnitWise instruments also feature a display and local user interface on the
device. Instruments serve as the central building blocks of
UnitWise
data acquisition systems
and perform the large majority of all real-time data acquisition, control and automation
functions.
In
UnitWise
terminology, “systems” comprise one or more instruments as well as a variety of
UNITs selected according to the application at hand, connected together in such a way that the
specific data acquisition and control needs of this application are met. Every
UnitWise
system
must contain one primary instrument, and may contain one or more secondary instruments. The
secondary instruments are controlled by the primary instrument, permitting phase-locked data
acquisition systems with a virtually unlimited number of channels.