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

Test bench and Measurement specialist

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.

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

New GVT Gateway high volume production line installation and optimization in Manaus, Brazil at Jabil factory for Sagemcom

Test benches development and tester optimization Installation of 39 test benches and productions station Production fails analysis Improving and optimization of the production to reach 40 000 products / month Interface between suppliers (France, Brazil, USA, Israel, China, Tunisia) Dialogue with stakeholders in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese.

Technics:

Tools: LabWindows/CVI, TestStand, Visual Basic Instrumentation: Litepoint IQFLEX WIFI calibration, DSLAM, ADSL, VDSL, USB instrumentation, RS, TCP/IP, telnet

TestExec is a test sequencer software, available in G language for LabVIEW or in C for LabWindows/CVI.

He was replaced by TestStand of National Instruments, offering more flexibility and is compatible with the latest technologies.

Measurement libraries development the test sequencer of Screenphone, a phone/internet station.

Technical implementation:

Tools: C ANSI, LabWindows/CVI, TestStand, WINDOWS.

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.

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)

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

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)

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

This blog is dedicated to expertise and systems development of system of Supervision, Control, Test and Measurement and especially on LabVIEW, TestStand and LabWindows/CVI.

 

 

The aim of this test bench is to validate electronic measurements and audio signals. The system must be enough flexible to permit the test of several models of car radio.

Radio car validation bench

TestStand is a instruction sequences engine and a development environment for creating a test sequencer evolved several common test for different products. We have a generic software that loads, as the test product, sequences specifying actions, tests and tolerances, and components (such as DLLs) for communication with the hardware.

I am a supervision, control, test and measurement specialist. For this reason, my work consists to conceive and develop automatic or semi-automatic systems of measurement, validation or qualification of products for industrial or scientific applications.

With my experience since 1998 in the field of test and measurement, many of my clients appreciate my analysis and advice to optimize and improve both technically and in terms of production processes and validation. Indeed, test and measurement benches are central elements that identify with precision the problems caused by a malfunction or bad process: settings of production machines, manual actions or arrangement.

Technics

I support my expertise on the use of:

software solutions with: LabVIEW LabWindows/CVI TestStand Measurement Studio .NET material solutions containing: data acquisition card relay matrix card, DIO signal generator, DAQ oscilloscope, analyzer compatible with the following standards: PXI, PXI express, VXI GPIB, USB, FireWire PCI, PCI express, Compact PCI RS-232, RS-422, RS-485, AK protocol CAN, VAN, LIN, I2C, ARINC Job

I intervene in the various phases of life of the projects:

• Study/Research/Documentation

Feasibility study Analyzes and research solution Search for materials Helps with the documentary drafting Retro-engineering (analyzes systems without documentation)

• Software of tests (dregs to the material)

Development of advanced software functions Analyzes, second reading of source codes Debugging of software functions Drivers of instruments Development of simulators of instruments

• Software applicatifs (not dregs directly with the material)

Complete development of software Analyzes, second reading of source codes Debugging Course of specifications of tests

Project examples

I invite you to read articles detailing projects examples I have done, take a look to my experiences.

Price

To obtain the detail of the prices of my interventions and developments, please contact me by email or for telephone.