Vernier SensorDAQ™
Powered by National Instruments and Vernier
The Vernier SensorDAQ is a data-acquisition interface that offers unprecedented convenience and power to engineering students with USB connectivity and the ability to automatically detect Vernier sensors.
Vernier and National Instruments (NI), two of the most respected names in science and engineering, are collaborating on the powerful, affordable interface for use with over 50 Vernier sensors and NI's LabVIEW software.
Order Information
- Vernier SensorDAQ
- Order Code: SDAQ
- Price: $274
Vernier Engineering
Find sensors, interfaces, projects, and software for engineering on our engineering site.
Ease-of-Use Comes Standard
Connect the Vernier SensorDAQ to a computer with the included USB cable, and the NI-DAQmx driver software takes care of the rest.
Then plug in Vernier Auto-ID sensors to the SensorDAQ, and they are automatically configured and ready for data acquisition.
Custom Engineering Projects
The screw terminal connector provides the versatility needed for customized data acquisition and control projects.
Four Ready-to-Use Channels
Vernier sensors are trusted, high-quality instruments in the classroom. The Vernier SensorDAQ provides four channels to connect Vernier sensors.
Three 13 bit, single-ended analog channels are available for 45 different analog sensors, including temperature, dissolved oxygen, gas pressure, pH, force, and more.
One digital channel is dedicated for motion detectors, photogates, radiation monitors, rotary motion sensors, and drop counters.
See our full list of sensors to see what type of data you can manipulate.
NEW Vernier Lab Book on LabVIEW
Hands-On Introduction to NI LabVIEW with Vernier SensorDAQ
This book will introduce NI LabVIEW programming through a series of hands-on exercises using Vernier sensors and SensorDAQ. Besides learning the basics of NI LabVIEW programming, your students will get started collecting and analyzing data. This enhances the learning experience and helps them move to the stage of creating their own custom programs and independent projects.
Programming SensorDAQ with LabVIEW
SensorDAQ is designed to be programmed with National Instruments' LabVIEW software.
SensorDAQ LabVIEW Downloads
SensorDAQ with LabVIEW 2009/Education Edition installer »
NI LabVIEW Required
SensorDAQ requires NI LabVIEW. Buy LabVIEW for your school »
Free SensorDAQ Engineering Experiments
To get you started with engineering using SensorDAQ, we have several free experiments to download. Each is designed to introduce and teach the use of SensorDAQ and LabVIEW.
Each download is a self-extracting compressed file that includes the final LabVIEW virtual instrument (VI) and a word file with step-by-step instructions to be used as-is or modified to your needs.
If you have a experiment you would like to share, please let us know or share it on our forum.
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Analyzing Sound
Work with LabVIEW's Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) and a Vernier Microphone to analyze the frequency patterns of a touchstone phone and human vowel sounds.
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Build a Temperature Sensor
Build your own temperature sensor with a voltage divider circuit, and calibrate your data with an off-the-shelf sensor. This activity shows you how to create your own LabVIEW subVI.
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Building a Virtual Thermometer with SensorDAQ
This is a good introductory activity to learn the basics of LabVIEW programming with step-by-step programming instructions. Collect and display temperature data in degrees Celsius and degrees Fahrenheit.
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Concrete
Graph the hydration cycle of curing concrete and investigate the addition of sugar and salt to the normal mixture.
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EMG and Muscle Strength
Correlate hand grip strength with the electrical activity of a muscle after receiving visual stimulus.
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Monitor Force Threshold with LED
This project introduces the wiring and programming required to control the SensorDAQ digital output lines programmatically. The project will then demonstrate how to combine sensor input with digital output by monitoring a Dual-Range Force Sensor and turning on an LED if the reading goes above a threshold value.
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Monitor Heart Rate with LED
Visually track the status of your heart rate with LEDs wired in an open-drain circuit.
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Photodiode Switch
Control the on/off operation of an LED using light level readings from a photodiode.
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RC Servo Motor
Learn the basics of pulse-width modulation and control the angular position of a servo motor based on temperature readings.
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Solar Cell
Measure the current and voltage of a solar cell to investigate the effect of irradiance angle on the total power output.
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Strain Gage Measurement
Create a Wheatstone half-bridge circuit with two strain gages, and measure the strain on an aluminum cantilever beam as a load is applied.
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Sun Tracker
Build a single-axis sun tracker to balance a light source between two sensors. This is a good example of a sensor-based control system.
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Truss Bridges
Investigate the tensile and compressive forces in truss bridge components. Build a truss bridge out of manila file folders and load it to failure.
Technical Specifications
Computer System Requirements
- Windows 2000/XP/Vista
with USB port. - LabVIEW 7.1 or newer
Buy LabVIEW for Education - Not compatible with
Logger Pro software
What's Included with
Vernier SensorDAQ
- Vernier SensorDAQ Interface
- NI-DAQmx driver software
- LabVIEW examples
- Voltage Probe
- USB cable
- User's manual (7.1 MB PDF)
Data-Acquisition Specifications
- Up to 48,000 samples per second
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4 quick connect sensor channels:
- 3 analog channels, 13 bits single ended
- 1 digital sensor channel
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Screw terminal connector:
- 2 general-purpose analog input channels-13 bits single ended, 14 bits differential
- 4 digital I/O lines
- 1 analog output channel
- 1 counter
- Detailed specifications
(20.5 KB PDF)
Compatible Sensors
The Vernier SensorDAQ is compatible with over 50 sensors. See our sensor compatibility chart for details.
Popular Engineering Education Sensors
Product Images
Click on an image to see a larger version
Vernier SensorDAQfront view
Vernier SensorDAQ and included USB cable
3 analog quick-connect sensor channels
Using Vernier SensorDAQ's screw terminal connector output channels
Vernier SensorDAQ connected to 3 Dual Range Force Sensors
Setting up LED outputs from the screw terminal connector
Motion Detector connected to SensorDAQ's digital channel.
Testing bridge strength with Vernier SensorDAQ and Vernier Force Plate
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