A comprehensive, 220+-page data-acquisition handbook is available free of charge from Keithley Instruments. The handbook, "Understanding New Developments in Data Acquisition, Measurement, and Control," contains nine sections that cover computer buses, choices in data-acquisition software, data converters, temperature and strain measurement with tutorial articles on sensor capabilities, and real-world applications to help better understand data acquisition. Copies of the handbook are available free of charge by calling Keithley at (800) 688-9951 or visiting the Keithley website at the special link for the handbook,
http://www.ggcomm.com/Keithley/MAR07DAQ_NR.html