This project seeks to provide data capture from 10MS/s for 6k samples (600us) to arbitrarily long capture for many channels.
Initially this project was intended to capture strain gauge data for ~16 channels at high data rates. Most DAQs for strain gauges (Omega, Vishay, National Instruments, etc.) max at 250kS/s for strain gauges, so custom capture is required. Additionally, these systems for balance/amplification modules are in excess of $1,500USD PER CHANNEL! A cost-effective alternative is needed.
For high speed capture (above 1MS/s) oscilloscopes are probably the best choice. However "good" oscilloscopes typically are VERY expensive and only have 4 channels. BitScopes (bitscope.com) offer modest-cost 2-channel analog/digital oscilloscopes that can be run by simple computers over USB. Their website shows BitScopes connected to networked Raspberry Pis.
Using this network principle, the data collection opportunity is limited only by the number of BitScopes and RasPis you connect to a network. Each BitScope can be controlled using programming libraries (provided by the manufacturer) so their collection is flexible and user-programmable.