A SYSTEMS ENGINEERING APPROACH TO MASTER MEASURAND LISTS AND THEIR METADATA

Abstract

A systems engineering approach to master measurand lists allows the use of metadata to improve data organization and management. As data acquisition systems become more complex, the management of sensors and their measurands must also advance. Traditional tabulated measurand lists of several hundred measurands are typically generated from email or verbal requests. Modern data acquisition systems with thousands of measurands are more complex than ever, causing these tabulated spreadsheets to become unwieldy and unmanageable. Modern data structures can easily organize and archive these lists through measurand metadata. By aligning the requirements of the measurand database with data acquisition system requirements, designers can ensure their data acquisition system is within constraints such as bandwidth, storage capacity, power consumption, size, and weight.