telemetricsTelemetrics is a technology that involves the automatic measurement and transmission of data from remote sources. The process of measuring data at the source and transmitting it automatically is called telemetry . The two terms, telemetry and telemetrics , are often used interchangeably. In general, telemetrics works in the following way: Sensors at the source measure either electrical data (such as voltage or current) or physical data (such as temperature or pressure). These are converted to specific electrical voltages. A multiplexer combines the voltages, along with timing data, into a single data stream for transmission to the distant receiver. Upon reception, the data stream is separated into its original components and the data is displayed and processed according to user specifications. In 1912, the first telemetrics application in Chicago used telephone lines to transmit operational data from a power plant to a central office. Because telemetry was originally used in projects like this, the first telemetry systems were called supervisory systems. In 1960, the interrogation-reply principle was developed, which allowed a more selective transmission of data upon request. Modern-day telemetrics frequently uses wireless communication. Telemetrics applications include measuring and transmitting data from space flights, meteorological events, wildlife tracking, camera control robotics, and oceanography studies. Videoconference ing and the Global Positioning System ( GPS ) are also considered to be telemetric technologies.
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| Last updated on:
Sep 21, 2005 |
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