help with correct components for Fluid dynamic experiment and the circuitry

Projects General Guidance
1

I have a project that I am attempting to build and I know generically what I need to order but the detail is the problem.I have tried trawling though catalogs to find the appropriate component sensors and the connection cabling between them but have been unable to come up with the specs I need to run my experiment. I have drawn my project schematic if needed to help explain my problem. I am not an engineer so please excuse my attempt to ask the right questions or even the way I have asked the questions. I need the following;

1.Accelerometer +/- 50 g and analog type as I need continuous data not digital with PWM, and it must have a resolution of 10^-4 to 10^-6g

2.Data acquisition device (data logger) ....not sure if this would be a microcontroller, i.e. an arduino compatible using the ATmega32BP,

3.Do I need a signal conditioner if I purchase a data logger that perhaps already conditions the signal trace ?i.e. I think engineers either shift the level (voltage input up or down and also cut out the background noise of the signal)

4.A fluid static pressure sensor (i.e. a pressure transducer),

5.A small/compact size electrometer sensor to measure current (I) OR voltage,

6.The cabling that connects all of these devices.....not sure if RS232 or usb etc

7.I will use a microfluidic peristaltic pump (IPC-N) and it will have a RS232 so I need compatibility with the components above. Maybe I need to find some sort of adapter/s to connect up all the component sensors

Any help would be appreciated so I can order what I need or perhaps I have not identified something else that I also need? On board power supply will not be a problem as this has already been worked out.

2

I think you need to narrow down your choices before you can get any useful advice.

How many samples per second do you want to collect, and for how many seconds do you want to save them (i.e.how many bytes of storage do you need)? The answer to that will go a long way to identifying whether an Arduino has the capability you need.

An Arduino Mega has 4 hardware USARTs so may be a useful place to start your thought process. But it does not have an SD Card slot - you would need an add-on.

An Arduino Yun has a Linux computer plus an Arduino (Leonardo) and WiFi and an SD Card slot - but it does not have a free hardware USART.

Maybe a PC or a RaspberryPI in conjunction with a Mega would make sense. The PC or Pi could store the data.

...R

3

The place to start is narrowing down what ranges of readings/values you need from your sensors. Once you have picked suitable sensors then go on to consider if/what Arduino will suit your needs in reading them, and finally what modules will be needed to interface with logging and your pump etc.

Accelerometers that are not analogue output tend to use I2C/SPI interface and not PWM to supply readings to an MCU.

4

JohnBrisbane:
1.Accelerometer +/- 50 g and analog type as I need continuous data not digital with PWM, and it must have a resolution of 10^-4 to 10^-6g

A range of 10^6 to 10^8 is quite unlikely. Please explain.

2.Data acquisition device (data logger) ....not sure if this would be a microcontroller, i.e. an arduino compatible using the ATmega32BP,

3.Do I need a signal conditioner if I purchase a data logger that perhaps already conditions the signal trace ?i.e. I think engineers either shift the level (voltage input up or down and also cut out the background noise of the signal)

Will a CD card module be okay?

4.A fluid static pressure sensor (i.e. a pressure transducer),

Should not be a problem. Details depend on the fluid, range, abs/relative, thread...

5.A small/compact size electrometer sensor to measure current (I) OR voltage,

Electrometer - are you sure? Please explain.
Measuring DC voltages is available immediately (0-5V), or with voltage divider or amplifier for other ranges.
DC currents have to be translated into voltages, with efforts ranging from a single resistor to rectifiers (AC), isolation etc.

6.The cabling that connects all of these devices.....not sure if RS232 or usb etc

Depends on the chosen modules, see other replies.

7.I will use a microfluidic peristaltic pump (IPC-N) and it will have a RS232 so I need compatibility with the components above. Maybe I need to find some sort of adapter/s to connect up all the component sensors

Should not be a problem.

Any help would be appreciated so I can order what I need or perhaps I have not identified something else that I also need? On board power supply will not be a problem as this has already been worked out.

You know best what you want to measure, so try to find sensors matching your needs. If you are not sure, post links to the data sheets of the selected components.