Weekly Calendar
Below you will find a short summary of each weeks tasks, progress, problems, and results. For in depth schematics or figures, check the photo gallery or consult the lab notebook.
Upcoming Tasks
- Complete README/Presentation/Poster: I will begin working on an instruction manual with pictures and descriptions of operation to be circulated to those who wish to use the new system. The poster and presentation are about 95% complete.
Completed Tasks
- Complete LabVIEW
Client/Server with DAQ:
The TCP connection, loops, listens, and command conditioning are complete. The DAQ is connected to the server and is properly passing data and commands to and from the client over TCP. - Complete wiring diagrams for system
interfacing:
The wiring diagrams for the h-bridge/actuator system as well as the damper control, on/off, and measurement components are completed and in the notebook. - Control actuators using microcontroller ADC:
The microcontroller can correctly position the actuators using a PWM signal and direction signal to the h-bridges using an input position setting and feedback position on the built in ADC of the F120.
Weekly Updates
- 10/21/10
I arrived to find that someone had scavenged the H-bridges off of the circuitry that had been wired by the previous years group. I had to spend much of the day recreating the wiring diagram to pass on to Mr. Schmidt to wire. I also spent some following up on the progress of the computer purchase, DAQ purchase, and relay purchase. - 11/11/10
Today the new circuitry for the microcontroller/h-bridges/actuators will be complete. We dropped the system down to two actuators to make use of a DAQ that the ME department already owned, saving about $1000. I found manuals for the DAQ and connector block we will be using in the lab, followed up on getting the new computer setup with the old card, and revising my microcontroller code to use only two actuators. I also did some preliminary research on programming LabVIEW to work in our system. - 1/25/11
With working PWM control of up to three actuators, I am ready to move the system to the ME lab and begin adding the system to the wind tunnel. Over the next few weeks, I should be getting a new computer in the ME lab with LabVIEW and the DAQ installed. This will allow me to begin the wiring necessary to connect the DAQ, microcontroller, and wind tunnel components. We will need to verify operation of the system with the PC power supply and actuators already installed in the system, as well as test the operation of the relay circuitry designed earlier last semester to isolate the high-voltage components of the wind tunnel. - 2/22/11
The LabVIEW code is mostly complete and verified. Using the TCP connection .VIs, I was able to complete a client/server configuration for the wind tunnel. This system will use a DAQ attached to the server to read and write to the external connections such as the microcontroller and sensors. The data acquired by the DAQ can be quickly forwarded to the client application for near real-time analysis. The command signals from the client for the dampers and ON/OFF are being correctly passed to the server, but are not yet doing any control on the server side. - 4/5/11
Over the past few weeks, I have been debugging the Client/Server, DAQ, and wiring the system to the wind tunnel. I finalized the microcontroller code, installed it in the system, and connected the 12V power from the power supply to the circuitry. I then interfaced the networked server to the microcontroller, relays, and sensors via the DAQ. Using two ports on the microcontroller, I can do movement triggering and movement sensing through the system to the user. I modified the sliders used in the client to be shown as 0-100% of actuator height possible in the system. The input is restricted as to prevent damage to the wind tunnel by setting the actuator to be too high or too low. The relays are wired to digital outputs on the DAQ, but are untested and not connected to the high-voltage systems on the wind tunnel. I have verified that the DAQ is capable of sourcing the current required to switch the relays at low voltage, but higher voltages are still in question.
The key components of actuator control, networked client/server LabVIEW programs, and DAQ interface to the actuator and sensors are complete. The final presentation is being prepared, as well as the poster required for the Student Expo and the industry review board. Some testing and debugging of the relays, more and complete documentation, and presentation preparation are the focus of the remainder of the semester. Check the LINKS page for further updates of documents. The laboratory notebook contains all other pertinent information not found on this site.