Scientific Solutions ® Inc.
About Us - Company Information
Scientific Solutions Celebrating 45 years of "Solving Problems for Problem Solvers"®
Scientific Solutions Inc.
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Type | Private Corporation |
Founded | 1972 |
HQ | Mentor, Ohio USA (Cleveland) |
Industries served |
Automotive Industrial automation laboratories Manufacturering Medical Military Process control Product design & test R & D Universities |
Products |
Data Acquisition ElectroPhysiology Instrumentation Laboratory Equipment Analog-to-Digital Digital I/O Counter / Timers GPIB IEEE-488 |
Claim to Fame | First company to make add-on products for the IBM PC (1981) |
Company Slogan | Solving Problems for Problem Solvers |
Accrediations |
ISO 9001:2008 |
Scientific Solutions Incorporated ( also known as SSI ) is a privately held American corporation founded in 1972 and is headquartered near Cleveland, Ohio.
The company produces data acquisition and control products.
LabMaster PRO card
Products and Services
The products made by the company include circuit boards that are installed into general purpose computers to provide the data acqusition functionality, stand alone instruments that acquire data or provide some specific test or control function, and software that controls the companies products. The company provides both off-the-shelf, semi-custom and full-custom software and hardware products.
Data Acquisition....what is it?
Data Acquisition is the name for products that transform real world continuous “analog” waveforms into discrete “digital” signals that can be measured and manipulated by a computer. Computers represent information digitally, in terms of 1 and 0. To allow computers to make measurements of real-world analog signals these "analog" signals are converted to a "digital" representation. This transformation is accomplished by sensors that convert physical parameters such as temperature, pressure, vibration, acceleration, heart beats, etc into electrical waveforms. These continuous electrical waveforms are then converted into digital signals with Analog-to-Digital conversion, the basis of data acquisition equipment. These digital signals are then stored and manipulated, analyzed, tabulated and often displayed on the computer screen by software programs.
Control Products allow a computer to manage a process. Products such as the companies GPIB family of cards provides computers with the ability to control other laboratory equipment and perform complex control functions such as running an experiment, controlling factory automation equipment, or performing a task in response to a measured signal
All of Scientific Solutions' products are designed, manufactuered, sold and supported totally from in-house resources and engineering talent from the companies USA facilities. The company does not out-source any part of the product nor does it out-source its customer support. The company maintains strict in-house control of its products and services to provide a high standard of quality in the design and manufacturing of its products and to the support provided to its customers. The companies products and support are truely "Made In the USA" and the company is proud to serve customers worldwide.
SSI Laboratory Instrument
Customers
Scientific Solutions provides products directly to end-users; to developers and consultants who create products for their customers; and to Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) who incoporate SSI technology into their products for resale.
Scientific Solutions products are used for a variety of diverse industries including laboratory testing, industrial automation, medical research, product development, production testing, quality assurance and university teaching and research. Scientific Solutions products are also highly regarded and used in process control; energy management; measurement, monitoring and control of a variety of functions, equipment and processes.
Scientific Solutions provides products for may diverse projects and industries including:
- Test and measurement equipment used in the design of the original Cray 1M and XMP Super Computer
- Satellite pre-launch testing equipment for Lockheed Martin
- High-explosive data collection for weapons effects tests and counter terrorism experiments for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA)
- Monitoring equipment for GE Nuclear Energy Fuel Examination services, Belgium Nuclear Energy and Nova Scotia Power
- NASA Space Shuttle simulators and flight simulators for training military and civilian pilots.
- Amusement ride controls - If you have ever been on an amusement ride where your seat moves to match the action on a screen - it was probably controlled using Scientific Solutions' technology.
- Data acquisition and controls for automotive design, testing and running the manufacturing line.
- Sleep lab clinical and research equipment
- ElectroPhysiology cellular patch-clamp systems for biology and drug research
Scientific Solutions is also a proud supplier to the global medical, health, pharmaceutical and nutrition community and major diagnostic and research laboratories around the world, such as:
- Johns Hopkins - Baltimore, Maryland
- The Hungarian Academy of Sciences - Budapest, Hungary
- Keio University School of Medicine - Tokyo Japan
- The Institute of Neuroinformatics - Zurich Switzerland
- and many institutions in-between including the National Institute of Health and the US EPA.
Scientific Solutions' has a well established worldwide presence and relies upon their strong in-house engineering, purchasing, manufacturing, marketing and technical expertise to serve and support their many customers around the globe. Here is a short list of some of the companies customers:
3M
Abbott Labs
AGA Gas
Agilent
Allergan Pharmaceutical
Baxter Medical
Boeing
Boston University
Brigham Young University
Chattanooga Medical
Chrysler
Columbia University
Cornell University
Cray Research
Cutler Hammer
Dagan Corporation
Duke University Medical Center
Eastman Kodak
Exxon
Falex Corporation
Fluke Biomedical
FMC Food Tech
Ford Motor
General Electric Nuclear Energy
General Motors
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center
Harvard University
Hewlett Packard
Honeywell
Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest
IBM Corporation
Indiana University
Institute of Neuroinformatics, Switzerland
Iowa State University
Jaco Electronics
Jarvis Surgical
Johns Hopkins Univeristy
Keio Univ. School of Medicine, Japan
Kemet Electronics
Keystone Steel and Wire
Lawrence Livermore Weapons Lab
Lexmark Corporation
Litton Guidance & Control
Lockheed Martin
Mass General Hospital
Mass. Institute of Technology (MIT)
Mayo Clinic
Medical Systems Corp
Medical University of So. Carolina
Medtronic
Michigan Neurology Associates
Microage
Micromass
Motorola
Mt. Sinai Medical Center
NASA
National Institute on Aging
National Institutes of Health
Naval Research Laboratory
Neuro Scan Inc.
Neuorcare Inc.
Nielsen Media Research (Nielsen Ratings)
National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST)
Northern Illinois University
Northrup Grumman
Northwestern University
Nova Scotia Power
Ohio State University
Oklahoma State University
Ontario Hydro
Ontario Power Generation
Optonics Inc.
Oregon Health Sciences
Ortho Clinical Diagnostics
Oxford University
Oxy Homecare
Parke-Davis Pharmaceutical
Penn Sleep Center
Perks Leisure-Land Fun-World
Photon Technology Inc.
Polaroid Corporation
Processing Equipment Solutions
Pulmonary Medicine Associates
Purdue University
Raytheon Corporation
Reliable Automatic Sprinkler
Research Foundation of SUNY
RGP Computers
Rockwell Automation
Roto-Technology
Sandia National Laboratories
Scripps Research Institute
Siemens Corporation
Six Flags Theme Parks
Solar Light Corp.
SPX Corporation
Stanford University
Stillwagon Technologies
Target Electronics
TCOM LLP
Thomson Consumer Electronics
Tyco Healthcare Corporation
UCLA
University of California
Univ. of Cincinnati
Univ. of Colorado
Univ. of Illinois
Univ. of Kansas Medical Center
Univ. of Mass. Medical School
Univ. of Nevada
Univ. of North Carolina
Univ of Pennsylvania
Univ. of Texas
Univ. of Chicago
Univ. of Florida
Univ. of Georgia
Univ. of Michigan
U.S. Army
U.S. EPA
U.S. Space and Rocket Center
U.S. Weapons Arsenal
VA Medical Center
Valmet Automation
Vanderbilt University
Varian Chromatography
Vision Pharmaceuticals
Wake Forest Univ. School of Medicine
Warner Instruments
Westinghouse
White Plains Missile Range
World Precision Instruments
and even The White House.
A Brief History
Scientific Solutions was founded in 1972 to design and manufacture pulmonary medical equipment. As part of the development of the medical product, the company created certain components that weren't available for microcomputers, specifically Analog-to-Digital and Digital-to-Analog converters. These A/D and D/A products were developed in a general sense so they could be used in the medical product and also offered to the general market. These general purpose scientific data acquisition products turned out to have very large mass appeal to multiple diverse industries and started the growth of the company.
The company incorporated in 1974, and in 1975 marketed the world's first multi-functional data acquisition boards and GPIB boards for the S-100 microcomputer bus which was followed in 1977 by the world's first multi-functional data acquisition cards for the Apple II platform.
Scientific Solutions created the PC based data acquisition market in 1981 by introducing the world's first data acquisition, GPIB and control products for the then newly introduced IBM Personal Computer (the PC), and is considered a pioneer in the PC based data acquisition industry. In fact these products were also the world's first add-on cards of any type for the PC. In recognition of this pioneering contribution, Scientific Solutions was awarded "Best In Test" and "Product of the Decade 1981-1991" in 1991 by the reader's and editor's of Test and Measurement World, and again recognized in the 2001 (20th anniversary) issue.
Scientific Solutions was also a major player in the start of the computer multimedia revolution by creating the first 16-bit CD quality sound record/playback cards for computers, high-definition image capture cards, and products to produce full-motion video playback on the computer screen. Today, many of these types of products and the technology used are commonplace, but many of the ideas, technology and designs were first created at Scientific Solutions.
Scientific Solutions has been designing, manufacturing, and marketing PC based data acquisition products and computer peripherals longer than any other company in the world.
Scientific Solution products have been strong in the traditional laboratory market. The scientists in universities and engineers in R&D have been the innovators and experimenters with new technology and new products. Scientific Solutions position of being first with the LabMaster and IEEE products for the PC has provided strength in this market.
As a testament to the quality, reliability, and features of its designs, many of the original 1981 products an even a few products from the late 1970s) have provided continuous operation over the years and are still in use today. Scientific Solutions LabMaster for the pc has been continuosly available and supported since 1981 - setting a new standard in providing real value in their customers technology investments.
Throughout the years, the company has introduced many features and technologies to the pc-based data acquisition industry including software programmable gain amplifiers, high resolution counters/timers, virtual channel/gain array sequencers, analog multiplexing, unipolar/bipolar and SE/DI analog inputs, installable data acquisition device drivers, and acquisition software development kits
Select Company Highlights
- 1972 - Company Founded and operating out of Dr. Alpert's home
- 1974 - Incorporated in the State of Ohio
- 1974 - Introduces industry first multifunctional data acquisition board for S-100
- The LabMaster AD221 which was eventually ported to the Personal Computer
- 1975 - Introduces industry first GPIB (IEEE-488) Interface for S-100
- 1976 - Introduces High-speed multi-channel Analog Out for S-100
- The DADIO TM-DA100/102
- 1977 - Introduces industry first multifunctional data acquisiton card for the Apple
- The LabMaster AD211 for the Apple II
- 1981 - Introduces world's first add-on products for the IBM PC
- Actually introduced 20 add-on products 6 weeks after IBM PC announcement in October
- LabMaster, LabTender, DADIO, BaseBoard, IEEE-488, Expansion Chassis, etc
- Actually introduced 20 add-on products 6 weeks after IBM PC announcement in October
- 1986 - Introduces first DAQ product using DMA
- The LabMaster DMA
- 1987 - Introdces industry first DAQ cards for MicroChannel computers
- MC-IEEE GPIB card and the MC-DAS multifunctional data acquistion card
- 1991 - Awarded Best In Test and Product of the Decade for 1981-1991 for LabMaster products by Test and Measurement World
- 1991 - Introduces fully software configurable plug-and-play card LabMaster AD
- 1996 - LabMaster celebrates 15 years of continous availability, design is updated with surface mount components but remains 100% form-fit-function with original 1981 version
- 1997 - LabMaster ADEX updates LabMaster AD with smaller size and more features
- 1999 - LabMaster PRO PCI family of cards is introduced
- 2001 - LabMaster product celebrates 20 years of continuous availability and support
- 2002 - BaseBoard PCI is introduced as a 100% fully compatible to the BaseBoard / ISA which has been available since 1981
- 2003 - LabMaster DPCI is introduced as a 100% fully compatible to the LabMaster which has been available since 1981
- 2004 - IEEE-488-CL / PCI is introduced as a 100% fully compatible to the IEEE-488/CL which has been available since 1981
- 2006 - LabMaster product celebrates 25 years of continuous availability and support. A 2006 LabMaster card is form-fit-function equivalent to the 1981 version, runs all 1981 software and can use the same external A/D unit
- 2008 - LabMaster EP, ElectroPhysiology Solution is introduced