Real-time acquisition and data analysis of skeletal muscle contraction in a multi-user environment

A data acquisition system is described which acquires data from contracting skeletal muscle. The system is designed to run in a multi-user environment while acquiring contractile data in real-time. Time dedicated solely to laboratory experiments is thus eliminated. A menu-driver is included to allow users to enter experimental commands with or without command arguments. Error monitoring functions prevent operator errors from causing data loss. Data storage in both ASCII and binary formats maximizes file flexibility, readability and accessibility. Finally, an on-line tutorial and help facility is provided for user training. The system developed is applicable to any experimental environment involving data acquisition, storage and analysis.