Industrial and Scientific Computing, Validation and Automation
LabVIEW, TestStand, LabWindows/CVI

Test bench and Measurement specialist

The fuses and relays box test bench has two functions in trucks assembly factory:

it displays to the operator the optional fuses and relays to be manually inserted according to the serial number of the truck it inspects the box by vision checking all standard and optional fuses and relays are in place

 

 Fuse box visual inspection test bench

 

IVI (Interchangeable Virtual Instrumentation) is a specification of instrument driver published by the IVI Foundation, formed by the biggest names in the instrumentation as Agilent, National Instruments, Rohde & Schwarz, Aeroflex, Tektronix, Teradyne, Pickering and other.

This specification defined instument classes (multimeter, oscilloscope, power supply, ...). All drivers in the same class have the same exported functions. This ensures instruments compatibility and interchangeability: measurement software is linked to the driver class that needle to the specific driver of the used instrument.

Example: I have a test application which measures voltage with a multimeter. My software calls the driver of the multimeter class. IVI refers to the specific driver for the X model from Agilent. Thus, we can change this multimeter by the Y model from Agilent or the Z model from Tektronix  with a simple configuration without modifying the software (for since we have installed the IVI driver of these three instruments).

List of instrument classes defined by IVI:

Digital multimeter (DMM) Oscilloscope Arbitrary waveform/function generator DC power supply AC power supply Switch Power meter Spectrum analyzer RF signal generator Upconverter Downconverter Digitizer Counter/timer Some specific instruments do not fall into this classification. In this case it is possible to create a new class.

LabWindows/CVI provides wizards for developing drivers and adding a new class.

IVI driver scan be called by any type of programming language. However TestStand, LabVIEW, and Measurement Studio can offer all the key functions in hand for their use.

This system allows the study of refrigeration systems and the implementation of the thermodynamic calculations applied to refrigeration. Its uniqueness is that it is fully controllable via the Internet directly from a web browser like Internet Explorer or Firefox.

It consists of two cold rooms, each with their own evaporator but sharing the same cooling fluid R134a system (compressor, condenser ...).

The control and configuration of this system can be done in two ways:

a classic console coupled to a regulator PLC type industrial PAC (programmable automation controller) Compact Fieldpoint

The Compact Fieldpoint adds the possibility of remote control via the Internet, viewing the evolution curves of temperature, air and refrigerant fluid, pressure and power at various points. This allows calculating the required cooling system features such as enthalpy, entropy, Mollier diagram and performance coefficients.

Refrigeration system with control panel and circuit fluid

 

Data acquisition cards are used to acquire electrical signals and convert them into digital data to allow software computation. These signals art images of a physical measurement such as, for example, pressure, temperature, speed or other electrical phenomena.

Specifications and development of gas production quality test bench.

Technical implementation:

Tools: LabVIEW Harware: National Instruments Compact Fieldpoint, DAQ, DIO, RS 232 implementing AK protocol, Emerson Gas analysers

Migration of a geophones test system, from FORTRAN to C language with LabWindows/CVI. Migration of well oil probes test systems, from FORTRAN to C language with LabWindows/CVI. Development of measurement software of pressure for concrete test-piece.

Technical implementation:

Tools: C language, LabWindows/CVI, Windows. Instrumentation : GPIB, multimeter DMM, PCI switches, acquisition card with integrated frequency analyzer, DC power supply.

Calibration system development for oil well probes. Persone in charge for the maintenance of the probes calibration system: problems gravity analyze, treatment, intervention at the customer.

Technical implementation:

Tools: C language, LabWindows/CVI, Windows, Access, Visual Basic, ODBC. Instrumentation: GPIB, RS-232, switches, multimeter DMM, DC power supply, temperature generator, pressure generator, barometer.

Migration of a test system of optical coder used by engines, DOS Qbasic to the TestStand sequencer with C libraries. Project leader; management of 2 developers; planning of tasks. Software expertise. Validation with the customer.

Technical implementation:

Tools: C language, LabWindows/CVI, Windows, Excel to ceate reports, TestStand. Instrumentation: GPIB, RS-232, digital multimeters DMM, DAQ, DIO.

Avionic calculators’ production support department (Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, Dassault, Embraer, Saab…)

Test libraries development for TestExe, a test sequencer. Tools libraries development. Development of a test sequencer under TestStand interfaced with a data base. Development of software of test and management of production of downloadable diskettes on calculator. Development of downloadable software of basic creation of data hard calculator. Calculators test software maintenance. Design of software architectures for the semi-automatization of test bench.

Technical implementation:

Tools: C , LabWindows/CVI, Visual C ++, TestStand, TestExe, Access, Excel, ODBC Instrumentation: ATHENA 7000 bench  : VXI chassis (switches, multimeter DMM, acquisition DAQ, signals generator, ARINC, RS-422)

Development of a system (hardware and software) to validate an electric consumption management calculator of the A380 from Airbus.

Technical implementation:

Tools: C, LabWindows/CVI Instrumentation: VXI chassis (switches, multimeter DMM, acquisition DAQ card, signals generator), CAN bus and SIS (I2C bus)

Development of a meteorology data transmission autonomous system on pocket PC communicating with a base situated at 5 km. The goal of this system is measuring the effect of the climatic effects on military tank fire. 5 km transmission using WIFI or UHF. The local transmission is BlueTooth.

Technical implementation:

Tools: Windows móvil, LabView for Pocket PC Instrumentation: PCMCIA acquisition DAQ board, WIFI, UFH, BlueTooth, directional antennas.

Migration of the car radio tuners test bench under the TestStand test sequencer Instruments drivers and measurement libraries development.

Technical implementation:

Tools: C, TestStand, Labwindows/CVI, Excel. Instrumentation: GPIB, audio generator AM/FM, audio analyser, matrix, multimeter, oscilloscope, I2C bus

ECM validation bench development

Technical implementation:

Tools: LabView 7.0 Instrumentation: continuous power supply GPIB, industrial PC: measurement software with instruments drivers, matrix PCI card, PCI acquisition card, PCI multimeter card, PCI signals generator card, PCI CAN bus card.

Migration of a transportable VXI bench which measures partial discharges of power transformers, to a compact and portable PXI / compact PCI bench. Drivers development.

Technical implementation:

Tools: Labwindows/CVI Instrumentation: portable PXI/Compact PCI chassis with high voltage acquisition card

Realization of 4 car radio test benches of the Peugeot 206 Project leader (4 developers) Subcontractors choice and management Import / Export (incorterm)

Implemented technique:

Tools: C language, TestStand, Labwindows/CVI, Instrumentation: PXI chassis, switches, multimeter DMM, DIO card, MXi3, GPIB, PCI cards (VAN bus and I2C bus), GPIB (audio generator AM/FM Panasonic, audio analyzer ROHDE & SCHWARZ, DC power supply)

Development: C++ to LabVIEW migration of an components and electronic cards aging measurement software.

Technical implementation:

Tools: LabVIEW Hardware: Sefelec MegaOhmMeter, switch cards in compact PCI chassis  linked to the laptop by a GPIB-USB gateway. Training: Instructor for National Instruments products:  LabVIEW, LabWindows/CVI, TestStand, Measurement Studio .NET (with Visual Studio C++, C# and Visual Basic)

Specifications of a sand quality control supervision system coming out of sand quarry for cement production.

Technical implementation:

Tools: National Instruments LabVIEW, Module LabVIEW Datalogging and Supervisory Control (DSC) Harware: PLC (Siemens, Mitsubishi, Twido) with OPC, RS 232, Compact Fieldpoint, DIO, DAQ

Development of software components to edit and configure mathematical models in aim of simulating environment for radar, civil and military, test and qualification.

Technical implementation:

Tools: DLL development with LabVIEW and integration with Visual Studio C++ and C#

Hardware:Measurement and test / validation solutions Computing languages and softwareC, Language G, C++, C#, Visual Basic, Fortran, Java, SQL, PHP, JSP, Pascal ObjectLabVIEW, TestStand, LabWindows/CVI, Visual Studio, Delphi, MySQLMethod: UML, RUP, RAD Protocols: GPIB, VXI, PXI , ARINC 429, RS (232, 422), TCP/IP, CAN, I2C, VAN, BlueTooth, WIFI, UHF Languages: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese EXPERIENCE