Signal integrity matters. Whether you’re designing a new jet engine or building a medical-grade freezer, you need bulletproof testing to ensure that your products are up to spec. The only way to do that is through proper data acquisition systems with uncompromised signal integrity.
Thermocouples are without a doubt the most popular type of temperature sensor, and the VTI Instruments EX1000A Precision Voltage Measurement Instrument Series provides 48 voltage channels and supports Type J, K, T, E, S, R, B, and N thermocouples. To help you avoid some common pitfalls when making thermocouple measurements and get the most out of your instrument, we offer the following tips:
When accuracy really counts, you should make four-wire resistance measurements. Sometimes referred to as the Kelvin method, the four-wire resistance method is often used in automated test applications where long cable lengths, numerous connections, or switches exist between the digital multimeter (DMM) and the device under test (DUT).
Testing that requires the use of strain gages often consume large amounts of resources and effort to prepare for. One way to reduce the amount of time and energy spent configuring a test is to use sensors that support the Transducer Electronic Data Sheet (TEDS) interface. Many VTI measurement instruments support TEDS sensors including the EX1629 48-channel high-performance strain gage measurement instrument, EX1403 16-channel bridge/strain gage instrument, and the RX1024 24-channel bridge/strain gage instrument.
Although thermocouples are the most commonly used temperature sensor in test applications, a close second is the resistance-temperature detector, or RTD. RTDs operate on the principle that the resistivity of a metal is proportional to its temperature. The higher the temperature, the higher the resistivity.
For many test applications, measuring the temperature is a necessity. For example, when testing an aircraft engine, you may need to measure manifold temperature or the exhaust gas temperature. To help you take those measurements, VTI Instruments offers a number of options, including the EX1000A series of precision voltage measurement instruments and the RX1032 rugged thermocouple measurement system.
Thermocouples are arguably the most common type of temperature sensor, although you can also use resistance temperature detectors (RTDs), or thermistors. The EX1000A series supports all three types of sensors, while the RX1032 supports only thermocouples.
A question that we often get is whether or not the IVI instrument drivers that we supply with our VTI Instruments products are compatible with Linux. The reason for this question is that many users prefer to have complete control over the software of their test system. And as a result, prefer to use Linux over Windows as their test system’s operating system. For users of LXI instrumentation, the question becomes whether or not the IVI instrument driver that comes standard with their LXI hardware work in Linux.
When performing functional tests, keeping test times as short as possible is often a critical requirement. Time is money, after all. One way to reduce test times is to reduce the latency in setting up signal switch paths, stimulus devices, and measurements. These can all have a significant impact on the overall time it takes to complete a full functional test of a particular DUT.
VTI Instruments' new RX0424 IEPE/Voltage Instrument is a cost-effective new device that is ideal for measuring acceleration forces and sensing static and dynamic movement or vibrations. Fully-integrated IEPE current excitation and tachometer input channels further enhance the instrument’s utility and functionality.
The automotive market is a highly competitive and complex business. In order to be competitive, vehicles must not only offer comfort and top-notch features at a cost-effective price but also ensure passenger safety. Long before any new model goes into mass production, a long series of sophisticated tests and validations are required at various stages to ensure that the vehicle meets all governmental standards and company performance standards.
Vehicles are often operated under test conditions for weeks or months, which requires logging and archiving massive amounts of data. In addition, in-vehicle tests often require the use of portable test systems, which are ideally compact, rugged, light in weight and free standing. Given the limited space within the vehicle, they typically must operate wirelessly with no connection to a computer. These in-vehicle datalogging systems must be compatible with a wide array of sensors.
