What is the project about?

This project is a multi-channel industrial Data Acquisition (DAQ) board designed to interface with standard 4–20 mA industrial sensors. The board converts analog sensor signals into digital data that can be processed, monitored, or transmitted to external systems. The design integrates signal conditioning, protection circuitry, analog-to-digital conversion, power management, and microcontroller-based data processing on a single compact PCB.

Why did I decide to make it?

Industrial monitoring and automation systems depend on reliable acquisition of sensor data. While commercial DAQ systems are widely available, designing one from the ground up provides valuable insight into analog front-end design, power electronics, mixed-signal PCB layout, noise reduction techniques, and industrial interface standards. This project was undertaken to develop a practical, industry-relevant solution while exploring the challenges of designing a complete mixed-signal system at the PCB level.

How does it work?

Each input channel accepts a 4–20 mA sensor signal, which is converted into a measurable voltage and passed through protection and filtering circuits. The conditioned signals are sampled by a high-resolution ADC and processed by an onboard microcontroller. A dedicated power supply section generates the required operating voltages for the analog and digital circuitry. To improve measurement accuracy and noise immunity, the board uses a four-layer PCB architecture with dedicated ground and power planes, careful component placement, and optimized routing practices. The acquired data can then be communicated to external devices for monitoring, control, or logging applications.