Book excerpt: Introduction to Data Acquisition & Control; Analog and Digital Signals; Signal Conditioning; The Personal Computer for Real Time Work; Plug-in Data Acquisition Boards; Serial Data Communications; Distributed & Standalone Loggers/Controllers; IEEE 488 Standard; Ethernet & LAN Systems; The Universal Serial Bus (USB); Specific Techniques; The PCMCIA Card; Appendix A: Glossary; Appendix B: IBM PC Bus Specifications; Appendix C: Review of the Intel 8255 PPI Chip; Appendix D: Review of the Intel 8254 Timer-Counter Chip; Appendix E: Thermocouple Tables; Appendix F: Numbers Systems; Appendix G: GPIB (IEEE-488) Mnemonics & their Definition; Appendix H: Practical Laboratories & Demonstrations; Appendix I: Command Structure & Programming.