Teaching Modern Data Acquisition Systems with a Departmental Requirement for Student Laptop Ownership

The undergraduate laboratory sequence in mechanical engineering (ME) at Mississippi State University (MSU) begins with ME 3701—Experimental Orientation, a one-hour laboratory focusing on engineering measurements, instrumentation, and modern data acquisition (DAQ) systems. Instruction and student projects in ME at MSU concerning modern DAQ systems have changed considerably in past five years. One driving force in changing the DAQ instruction is the departmental requirement of student laptop ownership. Modern DAQ systems are currently introduced using National Instruments, Inc., PCMCIA data acquisition cards and DAQ signal accessories hosted by the students’ laptops. Using the students’ laptops with department owned PCMCIA DAQ cards has eliminated the need for large DAQ laboratories, has increased handson DAQ instruction, and has allowed expanded use of DAQ systems in ME 3701 and the other undergraduate laboratories. With the experience gained in the undergraduate laboratories, current graduate students are using their own laptops and the PCMCIA cards (on a check-out basis) to perform research. The history of DAQ instruction in ME at MSU, the current DAQ instructional methods, and benefits of the current ME 3701 pedagogy to the other ME laboratories and graduate instruction are detailed.