DAQ Cards for Fiber Optic Sensing (DAS, DVS & DTS)
PCIe and Ethernet data acquisition cards for distributed acoustic, vibration and temperature sensing — from DAS demodulation and chirp-DAS AWG boards to DVS/DTS acquisition and general-purpose continuous capture.
- 250 MSps – 1 GSps Dual-channel high-speed ADC for DAS/DVS/DTS rates
- PCIe & Ethernet Host PC or standalone embedded acquisition options
- FPGA demodulation On-board DAS phase demodulation & fading suppression
- AWG + DAQ Integrated arbitrary waveform output for chirp DAS
Fiber Optic Sensing DAQ Products
DAS Demodulation & Acquisition Cards
High-speed PCIe or Ethernet DAQ with hardware DAS demodulation, clock-synchronized trigger output, and coherent fading suppression. Pair with our DAS integration modules for OEM system builds.
DAS DAQ with AWG (Chirp DAS)
Combined 1 GSps acquisition and arbitrary waveform generator on one board — for chirped-pulse DAS research and advanced pulse shaping without a separate AWG instrument.
DVS & DTS Acquisition Cards
Ethernet DAQ boards tuned for distributed vibration sensing and Raman DTS temperature measurement along optical fiber.
Continuous / General-Purpose DAQ
Dual-channel continuous acquisition for general optical or RF lab use — not limited to pulsed φ-OTDR demodulation workflows.
How to Choose the Right Fiber Sensing DAQ Card
- Building a standard DAS system with a PC host? Start with GY-DAQ-2510DA or GY-DAQ-2510D for 1 GSps PCIe demodulation, or GY-DAQ-2480 for a cost-effective 250 MSps entry path.
- Need network deployment or remote acquisition? GY-DAQ-2480-E offers 250 MSps over Ethernet/10G fibre — no PCIe slot required in the field node.
- Portable or embedded DAS without an industrial PC? GY-DAQ-2680 integrates FPGA demodulation with an RK3588 ARM host for standalone acquisition, storage, and display.
- Developing chirp DAS or custom pulse waveforms? GY-DAQA-2510 combines 1 GSps DAQ with an integrated AWG on one board.
- DVS perimeter or DTS temperature only? Choose DVS-ETH-100-1 or DTS-ETH-250M-2A — lower data rates matched to those sensing schemes.
- General lab capture without DAS demodulation? DAQ50 provides continuous dual-channel acquisition for non-pulsed applications.
Match your DAQ to an optical front-end on our DAS modules page, or read the DAS Applications guide and How to Build a DAS System for full stack recommendations.
What Are Fiber Optic Sensing DAQ Cards?
In distributed fiber optic sensing, the data acquisition card (DAQ) samples the coherent backscatter signal from a photodetector, outputs clock-synchronized pulses to drive the AOM or laser, and — on advanced boards — performs FPGA-based phase demodulation for DAS (Distributed Acoustic Sensing). Without a suitable DAQ, even a well-designed optical module cannot deliver real-time vibration or acoustic data along the fiber.
YB Photonics DAQ cards cover the full sensing stack: DAS demodulation at 250 MSps–1 GSps, DVS vibration acquisition, DTS Raman temperature sampling, and general continuous capture. PCIe cards suit lab and rack integration; Ethernet models suit field nodes; the embedded GY-DAQ-2680 removes the need for a separate host PC entirely.
Key Specifications to Compare
| Parameter | Why it matters | Typical range in this category |
|---|---|---|
| Sampling rate | Bandwidth for IF/backscatter signal capture | 250 MSps – 1 GSps |
| Interface | Host integration vs field Ethernet node | PCIe 3.0 x8, Gigabit/10G Ethernet |
| Demodulation | On-board DAS phase processing vs raw ADC pass-through | FPGA coherent demodulation or raw capture |
| Trigger / AWG | Clock sync with optical module; chirp pulse generation | Trig out 3.3–5 V TTL; integrated AWG (chirp DAS) |
| Application | Match card to sensing type | DAS, DVS, DTS, or continuous general-purpose |
Frequently Asked Questions
- Do I need a DAQ card if I buy a DAS integration module?
- Most DAS optical modules require a separate acquisition board for sampling and demodulation. Some all-in-one systems (such as GY-DAS-CFS on our DAS modules page) include integrated acquisition. Check whether your module outputs raw IF for external capture or includes an on-board card.
- PCIe vs Ethernet DAQ — which should I choose?
- PCIe cards (GY-DAQ-2510DA, 2510D, 2480) offer the highest sustained throughput for lab and rack-mount hosts. Ethernet models (GY-DAQ-2480-E, DVS-ETH-100-1, DTS-ETH-250M-2A) suit remote or distributed nodes where a PC PCIe slot is not available at the sensing location.
- When do I need a DAQ card with integrated AWG?
- Chirp DAS and pulsed-RF research schemes require arbitrary waveform generation synchronized with acquisition. GY-DAQA-2510 combines 1 GSps DAQ and AWG on one board; alternatively, pair a standard DAQ with an external AWG and ensure clock synchronization with your DAS module.
- Can a DAS DAQ card be used for DTS or DVS?
- DAS demodulation cards are optimized for coherent phase OTDR at 80–200 MHz IF rates. DVS and DTS have different sampling and processing requirements — use DVS-ETH-100-1 or DTS-ETH-250M-2A for those applications, or consult sales for compatibility with your optical front-end.