Data Concentrator Requirements for a Safety Parameter Display System

The implementation of a SPDS System and a ERCS System require that they share a common front end data acquisition system. To achieve this, independence is necessary from the host computer or computers in the SPDS and the ERCS. True independence requires that functional capability previously found in host processors is now needed as a part of the data acquisition system. This extended capability in the data acquisition system has led to the creation of a data concentrator as an integral part of this system. This paper has examined the requirements necessary in a data acquisition system inclusive of the data concentrator function. It has reviewed these requirements in terms of system attributes and has concluded that with the evolution of micro processor technology and standard I/O front ends several different system configuration approaches are available and feasible.