The purpose of this system is the collection of weather data, backup and transmission to the base located 5 km away. The system is portable and durable for outdoor use (rain, dust …).
System Diagram
Hardware Technology
The system is composed of :
Suitcase containing :
industrial Pocket PC (windows CE)
two RS ports
network port (RJ45)
PCMCIA acquisition card for special signals,
battery to extend power life
two wifi access points or UHF transmitters
two antennas
PC computer located in the base
Software Technology
PC operating software : MS Windows XP Pocket PC operating software : MS Windows CE Measurement software : NI LabVIEW Pocket PC and NI LabVIEW on the PC
How does it work ?
The operator connects the suitcase to the weather station. He opens the suitcase, switches on the Pocket PC and selects, via its touch screen, to transmit data. The weather station sent weather data to the pocket PC, on RS port and acquisition card. The Pocket PC computes data and sends these to the base via, depending of the hardware configuration, WIFI (RJ45 connected to WIFI access point) or UHF (RS port connected to UHF transmitter). In the base, a computer receives computes and displays data on the screen.
LabVIEW is a development environment specialized in industrial and scientific applications. Its uniqueness is that it relies on the G language, created by National Instruments, which is fully graphical. It can create complex software, while facilitating the programming and thus reduce development time. Through its library of functions for data acquisition, instrumentation, analysis of mathematical measures, but also through the rapid creation of GUIs and coding simplified, the engineer has more time to focus on specific functions of the instrumentation communication and measurement analysis.
LabVIEW is particularly suitable for developing control, supervision, test and measurement systems.
LabVIEW is used in this system to program a supervisor controlling the quality of sand in a career, before filling the trucks after the results of measurements of quality, we will inject a product to improve the characteristics of the sand to neutralize impurities (such as clay for example) and make them suitable for building. This pilot supervises three PLC (programmable logic controller), which each have a dedicated function: a sampler, a analyser and a divider.
Software for the supervising of the sand quality control
Programmable logic controller
Hardware technology
The excavation and filling trucks is completed by the sampler, analyzer and dozer system, wich is composed of:
a PC that monitors and controls the PLCs
three PLCs (and their mechanical components they control) linked to the PC via Ethernet:
Mitsubishi FX3U
Schneider Twido LCAE 40RDS
Telemecanique Micro TSX37
signal lights for alarms
Software technology
Operating system: Microsoft Windows XP Supervisor programmation: langage Graphique sous LabVIEW de National Instruments PC-PLCs communication: OPC servers
How does it work?
The supervisor is able to display PLCs measurement data, and pilote PLCs and save data of the all system. It works in automatic or manual mode. Special machines orders are also available for the operator.
After sand excavation, the sampler takes a small amount of sand that leads to the analyzer. It analyses the sand with various chemical and electronic processes. The results will be given in order to inject a dose of inertant in the sand but upstream. Trucks of 48 tonnes are filled in 1 minute and 30 seconds.
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
Hardware
USB-type and series instruments are made from various manufacturers, so we have different communication protocols. The software automatically identifies each device connected to the PC and select the appropriate protocol to configure the instrument and collect measurements.
Devices list for surface skin measurements compatible with this software:
corneometer for hydration: Courage-Khazaka CM 825
sebometer for sebum: Courage-Khazaka SM 815
pH-meter for acidity: Courage-Khazaka PH 905
mexameter for melanin et erythema: Courage-Khazaka MX 18
tewameter for water loss: Courage-Khazaka TM 300
reviscometer for elasticity and fibers direction: Courage-Khazaka RVM 600
cutometer for viscosity by suction: Courage-Khazaka MPA 580
thermometer for temperature : Courage-Khazaka ST 500
glossimeter for gloss (reflection) : Courage-Khazaka GL 200
colorimeter for colour: Courage-Khazaka CL 400
spectrocolormeter for colour: Konica Minolta CM 700
chromameter for colour: Konica Minolta CR 400
torquemeter for elasticity, friction and hydration by torsion : Dia-stron DTM 310
Software
Operating system : Windows XP, Vista et Seven
Development : LabVIEW for the software and C# with Visual Studio for the development of .NET components
Data exportation et importation for Excel and XML files
Liste des mesures après une campagne de mesures pour une étude clinique de produits cosmétique ou pharmaceutique sur différents sujets.
Fonctionnement
After creating and configuring a study specifying the list of subjects, analysis conditions (zones, time, products) and the instruments used, or by importing data, the operator performs measurements instrument in hand. The software communicates with the instrument to collect measurements, analyze, save or export to other software tools such as Excel and print reports. A calibration function can detect and control the excesses and / or launch calibration of instruments. Regarding traceability, all actions performed by the user previously logged by its type (administrator or operator), are well recorded and identified from a history.
Electronic Control Modules are subsystems consisting of CPUs and assorted signal inputs and outputs dedicated to controlling a component within the vehicle (cars, trucks…). The aim of this system is to check that all ECM actions are correct, conforming to the specifications. It performs design validation. It is a development bench, helping technicians and developers during design and developement phases.
Operating software : MS Windows XP Measurement software : NI LabVIEW, NI DAQ
How does it work ?
Using the measurement software, the operator selects stimuli to be sent to the ECM. Each ECM response is adapted by the bench, acquired by the acquisition card and computed by the measurement software. The results are displayed to the computer screen.
The role of this test bench is the analysis and quality control of gas cylinders used in metallurgical industries, chemical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical and food industry.
The control system of gas is functionally decomposed as follows:
Entering management and production information of gas
Measuring the gases composition,
Analysis of measures and results,
Archiving data to a remote database.
The bench contains the following elements:
Gas delivery system,
Measurement instrumentation,
Acquisition and control central,
Management and supervision software.
User interface of the supervision software for the gaz analysis bench
Harware technology
The supervision software is installed on a PC. The acquisition and control central is composed of Compact Fieldpoint modules of National Instruments. Gas analyzers are Emerson Process.
Compact Fieldpoint acquisition central and its cards
The supervisor, on the PC, is linked to central by a serial link (RS232). The central commands 0/24V switches to route gas to the analyzer. The central commands analyzers by 4-20mA.
Software technology
Operating system: MS Windows XP Supervisor programing: Graphical programation with LabVIEW of National Instruments Database: remote managed by WinDev Supervisor-remote database comunication: Citrix network via FTP gateway
How does it work?
The analysis of a gas is performed by a measuring instrument called analyzer. This analyzer detects only certain chemical compounds. Therefore, to test several gas, it takes several analyzers. The bench is composed nine analytical analyzers. To test the quality of a gas, it must send it to the analyzer which is sensitive to its characteristics. The gas analyzers are routed through a network of pipes. By actuating the valves manually or by the supervision software, it is possible to direct gas.
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 …).
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Fieldpoint (cFP) and Compact Fieldpoint (cFP) are PAC (programmable automation controller) for command and control industrial applications. They come in the form of a backplane hardened, 4 to 8 slots, to connect modules: DIO, DAQ, relays, voltage or current outputs, Ethernet, serial and other protocols, blocks connections and programmable controllers.
You can use Compact Fieldpoint with a programmable controller in LabVIEW to create an independent PAC, or else use without controller connected to a computer to order by LabWindows/CVI or LabVIEW.
