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

Test bench and Measurement specialist

Development of a measurement software for non destructive EDDY measures detecting surface defects used inside nuclear power plant. This system is integrated in the MIS, a robot dedicated to the reactor vessels inspection.

Technics:

Tools: LabWindows/CVI Instruments : Ethernet with TCP and UDP communications, EDDY measurement device of IntelligeNT

Communication card validation dedicated to implement industrial network protocols. In this case the cards are added to PLCs to control the speed of electric motors.

DLL development of communication protocols: Metasys, BacNet, CClink, Ethernet IP, Modbus TCP, Apogee Test sequence developement Integraton in the existing test bench

Technics:

Tools: LabWindows/CVI, TestStand, Visual Studio C++ Hardware: test bench with DIO, DAQ and network cards, dedicated product interface

This software does the automation the characterization measurements of the skin during clinical trials of pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, using more than 15 instruments usually present in this type of laboratory: corneometer, sebometer, pH-meter, thermometer, glossimeter, mexameter, colorimeter tewemeter, reviscometer, spectrocolormeter, chromameter, cutometer, torquemeter. Therefore, it makes quicker measurement through a single software tool.

Example of a samples series of and analysis, for skin elasticity study , with the clinical testing software for pharmaceuticals and cosmetics products

The LIN, for Local Interconnect Network, is a recent communication bus used by the automotive industry, usually as a sub network of the CAN bus network, to connect microactuators and sensors. It works with 1 master and up to 16 slaves with a speed of 19.2 Kbps for 40 meters in length.

VAN, for Vehicle Area Network, is a communication bus between ECUs developed by PSA Peugeot Citroen and Renault.

CAN, for Controller Area Network, is a serial bus used for communication between computers in the automotive, aerospace and telecomunication among others. Two message standards exist: the CAN 2.0A with a 11-bit addressing and CAN 2.0B with a 29-bit addressing. The recommended rates are 20Kbits/s to 1Mbits/s (depending on the capacitance and therefore also the distance: respectively 1,200 meters and 60 meters).

I2C, for Inter Integrated Circuit Bus, is a serial bus used in general for communication between various electronic components. In current usage, the data rate is 10 to 100Kbits/s but can reach speeds up to 3.4 Mbps for latest versions of the I2C. It is a synchronous bus on 3 wires: a data signal (SDA), a clock signal (SCL) and a reference signal (ground). Up to 112 components can communicate over the I2C bus.

The AK protocol define a communication protocol over serial RS-232 or TCP/IP connection between devices, typically between a PC and measuring instruments.

The RS-232 is a standard for serial bus. It operates in point to point mode with one transmitter and one receiver, up to 15 meters in length. It operates with voltages of -15V to -3V for logic 1 and +3V to +15V for logic 0 (typically -12V to +12 V) and can reach speeds of 20Kb/s.

The RS-422 is a standard for serial bus. It is newer than the RS-232 and more efficient. The RS-422 cable contains a twisted pair. We can form a point to point network linking up to 10 devices (1 driver and 10 receivers) and up to 1200 meters in length. It operates in differential mode on levels +6V -6V and can reach speeds up to 10Mb/s. It can operate in half-duplex or full duplex with 4 cables.

The RS-485 is a serial bus standard. It is an evolution of the RS-422 and like it, the RS-485 cable is composed of a twisted pair. We can form a point to point network linking up to 64 devices (32 transmitters and 32 receivers, this is the diference with the RS-422), and up to 1200 meters in length. It operates in differential mode on levels -6V and +6V and can reach speeds up to 10 Mbits/s. It can operate in half-duplex or full duplex with 4 wires.

ARINC 429 is a standard describing a data format for civil aeronautics. It describes the functions, the physical and electrical interfaces to convey digital data on an airplane. ARINC 429 is now the most common bus on complex avionic systems.

MXI bus is a specification for high speed communications to connect the PC to VXI or PXI chassis, or between two chassis. MXI-1, MXI-2 MXI-3, MXI-4 are developments that offer higher and higher speeds  to measurement applications increasingly demanding data flow in industrial environments; for example, MXI-4 allows a flow of 1.5 Gbit/s.

PXI, for PCI eXtensions for Instrumentation, is a bus designed for instrumentation, test and measurement. It derives from the Compact PCI bus, with which it remains compatible, while adding some signals such as clocks and triggers to synchronize multiple cards.

It is used in 3U card size (10 cm) high chassis, 8 to 18-slot card.

VXI, for VME eXtensions for Instrumentation, is a communication bus originally designed for applications in test and measurement. It is most commonly used in 3U height (10 cm) 6U (23 cm) chassis to connect switch cards, DAQ, DIO, multimeters, controller, GPIB, MXI, USB...

GPIB or IEEE 488 is the specification that defines a parallel bus of digital communication over short distances. It is widely used in industry or scientific research to test applications and able to control instruments (multimeters, oscilloscopes, spectrographs, power ...).

Acquisition expertise to resolve measurement losses on the SOLEIL synchrotron of third generation. Optimization hard and soft of GPIB communication.

Technical implementation:

Tools: C++, Linux, Java instruments server, National Instruments drivers

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.