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1. Graph speed 100 Ready NUM Large Font Display Figure 6 5 A data value exceeding an alarm value is shown in reverse video and the number of the exceeded alarm 1 or 2 appears in reverse video next to the data If the data value drops below the alarm value the data returns to normal video but the alarm number remains in reverse video C VALIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions ENGINEERING 53 Line Graph Display The Line Graph display as shown in Figure 6 6 presents the test data simultaneously on three channels in a graphical format with the channels plotted against time Each channel is tagged with its shortened label Scrolling with the up and down arrows permits all the channels to be viewed The current data value for each channel is printed in large font to the right of its graph along with its two alarm values in small font im VDAS Parl E3 File View Help a EL ah la Rtas Display Group 5 Line Graph Data Display Number of Records 9 Events Marked 1 First Sample i9 00 00 Data Groups Manual Sample i9 94 18 001 Tom 18 ALARM 1 ALARM 2 ax 704 4 002 Dick 299 ALARM 1 ALARM 2 in 56 7 ax 704 4 O003 Harry 250 ALARM 1 ALARM 2 In 356 7 1234567890 Start stop a data group F4 End of sub test F11 Event marker Pckl Space Take manual sample Dbl Pekl Tab Next step display group F1 Help LETI Exit F9 Event edit display OFF Graph speed 100 Ready NUM
2. 589 Note This equation is valid for R134a refrigerant only The equation can be altered in the field by typing the new data into the formula column Importing Channel Rows from Another File Note To combine new and imported channels always begin by importing then add new lines To import channels press F5 A message will appear warning the user that importing channels destroys the current list Choose one of the following To cancel Import and return to your current channels click No To continue with import click Yes The Open Channel Import File window appears as shown in Figure 5 3 and displays the files available from the current drive and directory Open Channel Import File Ei EY Look in Gq Vdas_pp zl c Help al Datal Include _ Rez alidyne_Cebug _ Validvne Release Warprine hy Files of type Channel Import Files cs Cancel Open Channel Import File Figure 5 3 2 QE VALIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions ENGINEERING 25 To set a different drive or directory click on the File Up arrow in the Open Channel Import File window until the appropriate drive or directory is found After setting the directory and obtaining a new list of available files click on the selection desired and click Open The Channel Select screen reappears with the imported columns Printing a Record of Screen Contents To print the current channel listing
3. Line Graph Display Screen Figure 6 6 When a data value exceeds an alarm value the data and the alarm value are shown in reverse video If the data value drops below the alarm value the data returns to normal video but the alarm value remains in reverse video C VALIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions EXNGIKEERIMG 54 Bar Graph Display The Bar Graph display shown in Figure 6 7 is similar to the Line Graph display Here however the three channel values are plotted as horizontal bar graphs rather than versus time and the two alarms for each channel are indicated by their numbers instead of alarm values Each channel is tagged with its shortened label Scrolling with the arrow keys permits all the channels to be viewed The current data value for each channel is printed in large font to the right of its graph E Vehicle Data Acquisition System File View Help 14 27 14 Display Group 2 Bar Graph Data Display Number of Records 9 Events Marked 1 First Sample i9 00 00 Data Groups Manual Sample i9 Q0 57 Gilg 001 Manifold Va Max Mant 96 F Max 260 0 002 Engine RPM Min 0 0 Max 5 0 003 Coolant Flo Mine Hobe Max 260 0 O04 Passenger C Min obsy Max 704 4 O005 Catalytic C 1234567890 Start stop a data group F4 End of sub test F11 Event marker Pckl Space Take manual sample Dbl Pekl Tab Next step display group F1 Help LET Exit F9 Event edit display OFF Grap
4. e Manipulating the raw data from selected channels into a desired form by formula unique to each channel e Structuring the real time display of test results as a selected type of presentation e Storing test results in files along with test information header for ready reference General Description of System Two of the three major components in the measurement system the chassis and the software controller are products of Validyne Engineering Corporation The third component is a computer running Windows 98 This is available commercially and is not included with the VDAS system VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions ENGINEERING 3 The Electronic Unit The VDAS 1500 electronic unit main chassis supplies data inputs for the Validyne Data Acquisition Controller It can provide up to 300 channels of digital data obtained from various analog measurement devices such as thermocouples and strain gauges This hardware unit consists of one communications module and up to fifteen card modules of selected types depending upon the measurements required by the planned test The unit can be placed at any convenient location within the test environment VDAS 1500 Figure 1 0 Computer Requirements The desk or laptop computer must be able to support serial communications at 115 200 baud or bi directional parallel communications per the IEEE 1284 specifications It must also provide a means to add an optional Ethernet interface th
5. Large Font Line Graph Bar Graph Mixed Line Graph two line graphs plus number and Mixed Bar Graph three bar graphs plus numbers The display type is determined by the selection made during setup of the display groups and by the automatic test sequences as recorded in the Test Configuration File These eight types are discussed and illustrated below lf there are test sequences the Controller brings up display group 1 which corresponds to test sequence 1 Otherwise the Controller brings up the first display group that has member channels QE VALIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions ENGINEERING 47 When test sequences are present testing is advanced from one sequence to the next with the Tab key When there are no test sequences the user can switch among the display groups with Tab and Shift Tab for next group and previous group respectively Screen Content Common to All Displays All eight real time displays have the same status information in the top section and the same control legends at the bottom as shown in Figure 6 2 The top of the screen shows the status information which is the same for every display type The current time appears in the top right hand corner The three elapsed times are described directly below e Total elapsed time since the user clicked OK from the Test Startup Parameters screen This action started the test running by causing the Controller to load the two input files into memory and
6. None i stsi is sY T Generate CSV File Automatically Set Colors Test Startup Screen Figure 6 0 Interpreting the Test Startup Screen The middle section has three fields for entry of file names two for input files TIF for test information and CFG for test configuration and one for output test results DAT On first time use these are all blank With later startups the names of the input files last used appear in their fields to facilitate continued testing Five fields for setting run time operations appear beneath the file names Normally these options will only be set once to adjust the parameters to personal preferences Thereafter it is just a matter of entering the file names and running the test The first run time option is Sample Tone an on off toggle field that controls a low pitched beep that indicates the instrument is taking data This option is useful for applications with low sample rates as a reminder that the instrument is still working QE VALIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions ENGINEERING 45 The Alarm Level option is a toggle field that cycles through three settings Visual Audible and Warning These settings determine how the instrument reacts to channel values that go beyond the alarm values that were set in the channel setup screen as follows Visual meaning visual only Displays visual cues that inform you the channel alarm values have been exceeded This function is alw
7. either a default value or a pick list in the Range field based on what is entered in the Type field The Resolution column is a toggle field that allows selection of a uniform precision for the output data values on the channel The choices are indicated in the pull down menu in the field with display of in the field tenths hundredths 4 and thousandths The Formula column is for a mathematical formula that is applied to the raw data before the main chassis delivers it to the controller A formula can be up to 50 characters long Such formulas can achieve several goals such as scaling a channel value to specific engineering units It can also be used to define computed Comp channels Note The syntax for a formula is described in detail under the next heading Constructing a Formula Entry The alarm channels Alarm 1 and Alarm 2 are for data values with special meaning to the user and are useful when monitoring critical channels When the channel data exceeds one or both of these preset values the program flags the channel and warns the user Deleting the text in either alarm column causes the program to display none indicating that no alarm is set Begin data entry by adding a row F2 which contains default data To move between fields use Tab next field and Shift Tab previous field As the entries progress into a list rows can be deleted F3 or inserted F4 Rows can be sorted in various ways F11 Sort
8. CA 120 Lee loccoca Pulse Freq j Hz Contant Temperature o 166 Carol Shelby Therm K yidegl 32 0 0 5555 5V 4myv Y Oil Pressure 3 188 Peter Rabbit Strain v 433 38 6 3 of 600 Entries Fi Help FS Import File F6 Open File F2 Add Entry Fil Sort Channels F7 Save File F2 Add Block of Entries F3 Delete Entry F8 Print File F4 Insert Entry F9 Close File ESCAPE Close File Ready NUM Channel Setup Screen Figure 5 1 The screen is divided into three sections top middle and bottom This configuration is used throughout the program The top section of this screen identifies columns for each channel entry The entry includes a name a symbolic channel number its physical channel number the type of channel its range its precision an optional scaling formula a DSP filter bandwidth a volt range a volt threshold percentage an input frequency range a pulse count reset interval and two optional alarm settings The middle section accepts entry of up to 300 channels rows The legends in the bottom section of the screen define the operations that can be performed and their associated function keys Here you will find operations to add delete insert import and sort channels as well as file management functions to open save print and close files The first column which is the channel name field can accommodate a name up to 50 characters in length The characters scro
9. Screen The strain gage calibration screen shown below in Figure 5 9 is a read only screen i e The operator can not click on any individual cell and type in data Changes can however be made by using the keyboard inputs listed at the bottom of the screen For the calibration feature to be useful the chassis must be powered up and the communication link must be working properly The keyboard inputs function as follows Alt L changes SLeg to SLeg and vice versa This operation determines to which leg of the wheatstone bridge the 100K shunt will be applied The default selection is SLeg which would be appropriate if calibration were being carried out in anticipation of a positive going output from the strain gage Alt B changes BExc between 10V 5V and OV ENGIKEERIMG Y VALIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions la VDAS C VDAS_PP Strain cfg File Edit Yiew Transport Window Help la x DEHE Channel 2 398 100071000 Not Saved Not Saved 5 Channel 3 26 1000 1000 Not Saved Not Saved 5Y Channel 4 74 5007500 Not Saved Not Saved 5Y Channel 5 847 500075000 Not Saved Not Saved 5Y Channel 6 68 500 500 Not Saved Not Saved 5 Channel 7 36 500 500 Not Saved Not Saved 5 Channel 8 337 2000 2000 Not Saved Not Saved 5Y No Shunt Alt_L SLeg PgUp PgPn Scroll Channels Alt_5 Save Zero Span Values Alt B BExc UP Down Arrow Select Channels Coarse Span Adjust 5 Shunt Left Right Arrow Fin
10. b and place that formula in the formula column First select a voltage channel in the configuration screen select View from the menu bar and choose Set Slope or enter Control B If the selected channel is Y VALIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions EXNGIKEERIMG 2 of type Volt as indicated in column 8 the following dialog will appear Set Slope Channel Hame Symbolic Physical Range Brake Pedal Pressure E E UL O05 Raw Data Scaled Output Slope Offset ee pe 7 y value Units High o set Cancel Set Slope Dialog Box Figure 5 5 Should the selected channel not be a voltage channel a warning dialog will appear instead The operation of this feature is to record the channel output data at two discrete points When data at the second point is recorded the software calculates m and b in the above equation Adjust the low point voltage input to the selected channel and observe channel output in the edit box captioned Raw Data Enter the proper y vallue and click on the Set button which is opposite the word Low as illustrated in Figure 5 5 Next adjust the high point voltage to the selected channel enter the appropriate y value and click on the Set button which is opposite the word High Observe the edit boxes marked Scaled Output Slope and Offset are now filled with data Observe also that the cell in the formula column now contains a formula reflecting the values in the dialog box VDAS Setup and
11. column Span or span will be used depending on whether the expected strain gage output is positive or negative As these keys are pressed and held the number in the value column changes which in turn causes the scale multiplier value in the formula to change This latter number will also be displayed in its own cell so the operator can verify it is a reasonable number Lastly as the number in the value column changes the number in the offset column will also change but not until the key is lifted QE VALIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions ENGINEERING 34 The operator will be obliged to alternately adjust both columns until no further adjustment is needed Up Down will change the channel selection If this option is used while the communication link to the chassis is active there will be a delay while the link is shut down Ctrl C is always the exit from the strain gage screen This brings up the channel configuration screen PreTest and PostTest The start test dialog and the test events dialog each contain a pushbutton leading to the strain gage screen In the Pre Test case strain gage screen invoked from the Start Test dialog execution will return to this dialog upon exit from the strain gage screen after passing through the channel configuration screen The test events dialog however treats the execution path differently In this case exit from the strain gage screen is still via the channel configuration screen b
12. first time this feature has been used on this machine the following will be displayed DAS The Remote in circuit Programmable Flash function is a privileged operation To continue you must set up a password which must be used each time this function i performed Cancel 7 i Password Alert Figure 3 6 This is a precaution to prevent unauthorized persons from modifying the chassis firmware Press OK to load the next dialog E VALIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions EXNGIKEERIMG 12 Hew Password Confirm new password za New Password First Time User Figure 3 7 Decide on a new password ten alphanumeric characters or less and enter it into the top and bottom fields of the new password dialog Click OK when you have completed your entry If this is not the first time the remote programmable flash feature has been used then a different dialog will be presented Enter Password E Existing Password Figure 3 8 Should the password have been forgotten or lost it will be necessary to contact VDAS tech support before proceeding further In either case once a password has been entered the dialog below will appear Remote In Circuit Programmable Flash amp Communication Module ThermocoupleVoltage Modules C Strain Gauge Modules Frequency Modules Cancel Remote In Circuit Programmable Flash Figure 3 9 Select the card type you want to re program and press OK The following
13. in the list and reports the minimum Upto 5 value Max Evaluates each channel in the list and reports the maximum Up to 5 value Avg Evaluates each channel in the list and reports the average Uptod5 value Dif Evaluates the difference between the first and second channel Sht Assumes the first channel in the list is a temperature channel and the second is a pressure channel Evaluates both channels and returns the superheat temperature based on the formula described below Sct Assumes the first channel in the list is a temperature channel and the second is a pressure channel Evaluates both channels and returns the subcool temperature based on the formula described below Channels in the list that are open or otherwise in error do not count in this computation When all listed channels are open this channel reports error 7 Reports error if either channel is in error kak Reports error if either channel is in error or the calculation results in overflow Formula Values Figure 5 2 Y VALIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions ENGINEERING 24 The forumlas for superheat and subcool temperatures are sht Tsat T 459 69 where T is the channel temperature in degrees F and adding 459 69 converts F into Rankine sct T 459 69 Tsat Tsat 214 459 69 7 1364 __ where P is the pressure in psi 7 1364 In P 14 696
14. of Records Events Marked 1 First Sample i9 00 00 Data Groups Manual Sample i19 900 42 O003 Harry 276 degC 004 Your Name 205 degC 1234567890 Start stop a data group F4 End of sub test F11 Event marker Pckl Space Take manual sample Dbl Pekl Tab Next step display group F1 Help LETI Exit F9 Event edit display OFF Graph speed 100 Ready NUM Full Display Screen Figure 6 2 If a data value exceeds an alarm value both are shown in reverse video These two visual cues constitute the Visual alarm type discussed above If the data value drops below the alarm value the data is again displayed in normal video but the alarm value stays in reverse video to indicate that the channel data has at one time exceeded that alarm Scrolling up and down with the arrow keys permits all the channels in the list to be seen QE MILIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions 50 Condensed Display The Condensed display uses three columns of shortened rows to show as much information on the screen as will fit as shown in Figure 6 3 This is a useful choice for monitoring many channels at the same time Each channel is tagged with the shortened label used in the channel selection list All three columns scroll together im YDAS MI I Ei Fie View Help 16 04 07 Display Group 2 Condensed Data Display Number of Records 9 Events Marked First Sample i9 00 00 Data Groups Manual Sample i9 9Q4 33 001 Tom 106 0
15. the chassis end to the Ethernet connector on the communication module and to the RJ 45 network connection on the computer end or Serial Connection A standard RS 232 cable is used to connect at the chassis end to the RS 232 connector on the communication module and the computer end to the serial connector or Parallel Connection This is a standard IEEE 1284 cable which connects to the ECP connector on the communication module and the parallel connector on the computer A widely available and acceptable type is Belkin F3D111 10 QE VALIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions EXNGIKEERIMG Installing the Software The VDAS Controller software which is provided on a CD ROM is identified on its label as VDAS To install the software onto your computer s hard disk the C drive use the following procedure while running Windows 98 1 Insert the CD ROM and follow the instructions which appear on the screen or 2 Click on the Start button at the bottom of the screen and choose Run from the pull up menu 3 Select the CD ROM drive and select the file SETUP EXE The next step running the VDAS program is described in chapter 3 VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions ENGINEERING 7 CHAPTER 3 STARTING VDAS Following completion of the installation procedure described in Chapter 2 start VDAS by double clicking on the desktop icon VDAS will load and present the opening screen shown in figure 3 0
16. time in seconds A channel value change will trigger a sample Any entry other than time in the Sample On column is interpreted as a channel number whose delta value will cause a data sample to be taken Column 7 can also be set to start data collection when a particular channel reaches a predetermined value QE VALIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions EXNGIKEERIMG 38 The Sample Interval value for a time based sample must be expressed in hundredths of a second No entry the default zero indicates a manual sample The Sample Count value is the number of samples to be taken before discontinuing testing with this data group No entry means indefinite sampling The two optional columns labeled Start and Stop Triggers define when the channels in the data group will automatically start stop sampling When the trigger is set to Manual the data group won t automatically start stop sampling To define a start or stop trigger click on the button at the head of the start or stop column respectively A trigger window displaying a list of available channels will open and data values can be set E VALIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions ENGINEERING 39 Creating a Display Group To access the first setup screen for the third main category of configuration data click View then select the Display Groups option from the Test Configuration menu or press Ctrl l The Display Groups setup screen as shown in Figure 5 10 is us
17. until its sample count is exhausted or until the user triggers it off Note A data group with an automatic start trigger starts sampling as soon as its trigger becomes true without user intervention Event Marking When some special event occurs during the test the user can record an Event Marker as shown in Figure 6 10 by pressing F11 At the end of the test sequence the Controller displays a Test Events screen which shows a list of marker numbers and the times at which they were recorded A description field in the right column enables the user to enter comments for each marker explaining its nature Test Events 14 52 50 Start Test 14 52 54 Entered test track 14 53 00 Cruising at SOMPH O1 rain started 14 54 03 Alarm 1 14 55 04 engine overheated 14 55 08 5top Test sl h oT fe ow Ro IP ol fin Sy Daal Test Events Figure 6 10 When test sequences are active the Controller automatically enters an event marker as the user moves from one test sequence to the next and enters a default comment that the particular sequence was completed
18. warning notice appears as illustrated in figure 3 10 VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions 13 WARNING Remote In Circut Programmable Flash Function destroys curent contents of Flash memory on Communication Module do you wish to continue Remote In Circuit Programmable Flash Function Warning Figure 3 10 Click Yes and another dialog box will appear Open Remote Programmable Flash RPF File E VDAS Pre Look in 12 05 00 a At_te tpi J430 com_010 rpi 3 29 01 fa frq_009 pt 4 03 01 thr_O016 rp aht_O02 rpt Ant comm rpt Files of type RPF Files rp Cancel Open Remote Programmable Flash File Figure 3 11 2 Select the appropriate file and click Open Continue by selecting OK through the dialogs which follow After the remote flash programming is complete it will be necessary to cycle chassis power ENGINEERING VE VALIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions 14 CHAPTER 4 SETTING UP THE TEST INFORMATION FILE To indentify test results you may enter descriptive information before initiating a test This data will be copied into the test results file at the start of each test Test Information Files can be prepared either before or after the other setups required for configuring the individual tests and their sequences described in the next chapter Creating a Test Information File From the the Main Menu Figure 3 0 click on File
19. 02 Dack Mahle 003 Harry 66 004 Your Name 308 1234567890 Start stop a data group F4 End of sub test F11 Event marker Pckl Space Take manual sample Dbl Pekl Tab Next step display group F1 Help F7 Exit F9 Event edit display OFF Graph speed 100 Ready NUM Condensed Display Screen Figure 6 3 When a data value exceeds an alarm value the data is shown in reverse video and the number of the exceeded alarm 1 or 2 appears in reverse video next to the data If the data value drops below the alarm value the data again appears in normal video but the alarm number remains in reverse video showing that the channel data at some time exceeded that alarm QE MILIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions ENGINEERING 51 Stabilization Display The Stabilization display as shown in Figure 6 4 shows the last five data samples recorded for each channel to reveal trends for stabilization test requirements Each channel is tagged with its shortened label and each data value appears in large font double height and double width at the side of the screen Differences in values indicate whether the test environment has stabilized into its steady state operating conditions im VDAS Par Ei File View Help abl apo fs ja We Display Group 3 Stabilization Data Display Number of Records 9 Events Marked First Sample i9 00 00 Data Groups Manual Sample i9 90 44 001 Tom None None 174 Fad ie 36 94 00
20. 2 Dick None None 64 65 244 110 OO3 Harry None None 276 276 103 46 O04 Your Name None None 205 40 308 240 1234567890 Start stop a data group F4 End of sub test F11 Event marker Pckl Space Take manual sample Dbl Pekl Tab Next step display group F1 Help F7 Exit F9 Event edit display OFF Graph speed 100 Ready NUM Stabilization Display Figure 6 4 When a data value exceeds an alarm value the data is shown in reverse video and the number of the exceeded alarm 1 or 2 appears in reverse video next to the data If the data value drops below the alarm value the data returns to normal video but the alarm number remains in reverse video QE ALIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions EXNGIKEERIMG 52 Large Font Display The Large Font display shows 10 data values in enlarged font as an aid in monitoring the channels while otherwise occupied Each channel is tagged with its shortened label The font is double height and double width for reading at a glance as shown in Figure 6 5 im YDAS M Es Fie View Help 16 10 14 Display Group 4 Large Font Data Display Number of Records 9 Events Marked 1 First Sample i9 00 00 Data Groups Manual Sample i9 92 40 003 Harry Name degC 309 1234567890 Start stop a data group F4 End of sub test F11 Event marker Pekl l Space Take manual sample Dbl Pekl Tab Next step display group F1 Help FI Exit F9 Event edit display OFF
21. D oe ti 2 Ready NUM Of Main Menu Figure 3 0 The first time the VDAS program is run users should refer to Setting up a Transport described later in this chapter Power up the chassis and wait until the green lights are illuminated on each chassis card Wait ten more seconds Verify that the chassis and the computer are connected to each other via Ethernet Serial or Parallel cable WE VALIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions ENGINEERING Setting Up the Transport On the main menu figure 3 0 click on Transport and select Transport Dialog from the drop down menu Observe the dialog box as shown below in figure 3 1 Select Transport Transport Ethernet C Parallel C Serial Select Transport Figure 3 1 When the dialog appears the OK button is grayed disabled Click on the appropriate radio button to select transport and VDAS will test that particular communication link If the transport is operating properly the OK button will be enabled If an ethernet transport is selected a dropdown box will appear as in figure 3 2 and you will be required to select an IP address before the transport is tested and the OK button enabled In either case a message Selected transport working will be displayed Select IP Address STICHS Transport 192 168 253 200 Ethemet Farallel C Serial Select IP Address Figure 3 2 E VALIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instruction
22. E AND OI IND ARA ARA AE AA ARRA 31 Strain Gage Calibration SCO c ccccccccccoescccnsccconssccnsescauescccssscauscccnassccusscccuseccuassccusececacecousssanecseas 32 RO NGC RS OE aa A E A E E eeeneenicueates 34 CREATING ADATA OOP e A AARAA 35 COREA PING Fis PU PO R AR AA AAAA 39 CREATING AN AUTOTESTS FOUENCE urerii reaa ATE A A E AEA ATE OEE EEANN 41 Viewing an Autotest SCreen oeeesessesseessesserssesserserssesserssesseessesseeserssersersersserseessesserssesserssesseeserseo 42 CHAPTER 6 RUNNING THE TEST eesescesescesceseccecoeccccecoesoecccsesoesocsesoecoesecsesoesccsessesoesecsessesocsesses 43 DISPLAYING A SCREEN FOR TEST STARTUP wick open escccsta vice sien voaeteeaadansoeusieevcaaeica shea state ieadas soeasdweteieadae ooeasiaaes 44 INTERPRETING THE TEST STARTUP SCREEN ccccccecccecececececececscecececeesecncucucscecscscesececsascecucuctceceeeesueueuees 44 MUS PUA a A Nena se estes se ts Sena es ee es ee he eee ow bee Ss Row eae Soham A 46 EFESE INEDI PATS ese ac tees cn cen ce ce aise tee a erie ee aw ee ees end Se eee OO 46 Screen Content Common to All DiSPlayS ccccccccccc cece eecc eee cence eee e eee e eee cece eee e eases case eae eee aetna essa eeaeeees 47 Behavior of All Graph DiSPlayS cccccccccscccccescccsessccnsescnessccusseccesecscasecceusceuecsccuaeecsesessuseecseseseneseeeuas 48 A ED DUG sieves tues E E EE E asia now E wast eaten EE E E estan Sine E EEA 49 Condensed DISPLAY aasre N A R S 50 SLADE AIO DIS Pla srn
23. Operating Instructions zee ae Coolant Temperature Carol Shelby Therm K Z v v ae 2 0 0 5555 gost oo Dil Pressure sts wiH 433 386 OOO Peter Reblet e a e a ooon N Set Slope Figure 5 6 Repeating 1 and 2 above can further refine the figures although it should not be necessary Click on OK The dialog will disappear and the formula will remain l A i VE VALIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions 29 RTD Channels The Resistive Thermal Device RTD card has sixteen consecutively numbered channels which operate in a similar fashion to the thermocouple channels The channel type is selected manually by the operator using the type dropdown menu See Figure 5 7 below m YOAS E DAS M ompli 2 Be Edt Mow inpoi hein Ho laj Dea 2 J M0 Enies FI lp FS Inpoct File Fi cen File Fi dd Entry Fil Soct Channels Fi Teve File FI Add Block of Entries Fl lete Eotcy Fo Preiot File Fo Insect Eoqtcr FF Close File icaAFE clos File Flesch M el f Figure 5 When the operator uses the mouse as described above to designate a channel as RID type the adjacent Range column will change to contain a dropdown list of RTD probe types The Formula column will become blank and the Channel Units column will contain the word Ohms See Figure 5 8 below A i VE VALIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions EN GIKEERIMG 30 i CAS M mal l EJ Be Edt go Danp
24. QE VALIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions ENGINEERING 1 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccces 2 GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF SYSTEM ssosccscsnsasacacascacseacstadnstuandesonunasd cada aantenesdadeaiaumagasesasatnedesaansenes amannnnanaeccas 2 TEE econ OM aseri a a 3 CPU T TS o E E E nated Seton e GU seot 8s Guknaaes yateabedemaconeeect eee 3 TE OPI GLE scala snips essa reais vhs as oa aston etna TS Rnb das ote chs alls GO RU wh Ga wea ED ooo AO ERNE aNe 3 GENERAL METHOD OF OPERATION ccececececececcccccccccccececscececscecececececeeecececececsessensceeeencesucucncesseeasueeeececs 4 CHAPTER 2 INSTALLING THE SYSTEM ccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccece 5 INSTALLING THE HARDWARE ccececccccceccceccececeucucececencecececcececencececencececeaeuceceucnceceeenceceeenceaenceceeseeneeceneess 5 COMIN TEINS cereis n AE E E E E E ATE EE 2 INSTALLING THE SOFTWARE cccccccccccccccecececececccececscecccncucecscesececsuencucesseseseecececececeneceecesucecesecstscsceusueeees 6 CHAPTER 3 STARTING VDAS rcino aaa aii 7 SETTING UP TAF TRANSPO T ee A E 8 CHECKING THE CHASSIS CONTENTS ccccccccccececececececececcecescececececececececececececeucecscseeeececeseceteceesnsececeeeusueeees 9 CHASSIS DIAGNOS FIC vrscocsscccncacasnemarsannensanenenses da nddecabanstwcdaaaddanabeialeaiiednaheaeaibamstuttaaiidusa
25. Ready NUM Configuration Data Figure 5 13 The legends for the data entry operations are listed at the bottom screen Click on column 2 Total Channels to open a second screen Y VALIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions ENGINEERING 37 This second screen shown below in Figure 5 10 is for channel selection and is called Data Group Channel Selection Data Group Channel Selection Group 1 x Available Channels Selected Channels Ck O01 Engine RPM O02 Coolant Temperature Cancel 003 Oil Pressure Data Group Channel Selection Figure 5 14 In the left column highlight the channels you wish to select and click the gt button The selected channels will appear in the rightmost column To select all the channels click on the gt gt button To deselect a channel in the rightmost column select the channel by highlighting it and click on the lt button To deselect all the rightmost column channels click on the lt lt button To highlight more than one channel click on the first channel and drag the mouse down the list Note A channel can be part of more than one data group This presents no difficulty in the selection procedure because each group employs its own data group number When finished with this data group the user is returned to the Data Groups Configuration screen where the entries for the row can be completed Columns 3 and 4 work together The default entry for Sample On is listed as
26. a a E E a 51 lare OME INPA Y ar a a E E E EA A E nested 52 E LEEB a EEEE E EA ETE EE E E E E E E eit 53 BAF GTAP D Pla wiesica tae ctuces aosasne SS gosbudie basin wine eawe ies S ees 54 VE VALIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions EXNGIKEERIMG 2 Mired LME GrP LISP ION ee ern eee eT CT ROTTER TT ET Meer ECT CECE ENTOTE OEN nter eC rere et Tere 55 Moea DO OTAPA DISON oii Ene EEEE N TEET OTOT EEG 56 D O E eee ee EE eT OO E EE E E E E EN 56 EVT MATINE nana EEE EE ean be uae EEEE ATEENA ER ENNA a7 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION The Validyne Data Acquisition System VDAS selects processes displays and records real time measurement data from a collection of sensors in accordance with user customized configuration files The measurement system is comprised of three elements a hardware chassis of electronic cards a computer and controller software The controller running under Windows 98 serves as the user interface with the measurement system This user manual primarily covers operation of the software the Validyne Data Acquisition System VDAS Controller Simple procedures for installing and connecting the various components of the system are covered in Chapter 2 The VDAS Controller s functions include e Delivering data from the electronic card chassis to the user during and after test sequences e Configuring individual tests by data channels and data groups e Controlling the execution of tests in designated sequences
27. and select New or enter Ctrl N A window entitled Select File Type will appear Test Information File is already chosen as the default as shown in Figure 4 0 Click OK to confirm Select File Type Select the type of file to create Cancel C Test Configuration File Select File Type Figure 4 0 QE VALIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions ENGINEERING 15 The Test Information File screen opens as shown in Figure 4 1 im VDAS TestFile SS Pres OOE Test Information File Figure 4 1 Like all of the main data entry screens the Test Information File screen is divided into three sections top middle and bottom VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions 16 Alate Wiridoe Auli Tas 5A nemi oor tii Channel Channel Ca viga ahon Channel Impait Fie Classe Lonbo Senile Hels Cnr et Lay rai F spal File Lialz Dale le Rere Dale aroud Conliguizt cr Deza Group Conliguieticr Help Test Information File Figure 4 2 To return to theTest Information screen press Esc Y VALIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions EXNGIKEERIMG 17 Interpreting the Test Information Screen A field for the name of the Test Information File is located in parenthesis at the top left hand corner of the screen as illustrated in Figure 4 3 below The middle section accepts up to 200 descriptive entries for a total of 5120 bytes The legends in the bottom section of the screen define the operat
28. ays active co existing with any other level selected and is the least distracting of the three e Audible Generates a short high pitched beep every time a channel value exceeds either of its alarm values The sound augments the visual cues to catch the user s attention e Warning Generates a long high pitched beep the first time a channel value exceeds either alarm value The VDAS Controller then pauses the real time display to place a warning message on the screen which the user must be acknowledge to continue testing This setting is the most distracting but it assures that the user is made aware of the threatening condition The Test Mode option field is another toggle with three values Normal Monitor and Simulation e Normal The mode most often used The VDAS Controller automatically provides a data backup file e Monitor Not yet implemented e Simulation For checking system operation by sampling a default configuration of channels without the added complexity of user configuration files The Communication Port option governs the mode of communication between the main chassis and the Controller The field cycles through three choices Ethernet LAN Parallel ECP and Serial RS 232 The last option is a checkbox marked Generate CSV file automatically A CSV file contains specially formated data which can be shown on a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet The normal operation is for the operator to exercise this option after
29. ckl Space Take manual sample Dbl Pekl Tab Next step display group F1 Help LET Exit F9 Event edit display OFF Graph speed 100 Ready NUM Mixed Line Graph Display Screen Figure 6 8 The graph channels are tagged the same way as in the Line Graph display and the digital channels at the bottom are tagged similar to the Large Font display Here however shortened channel titles appear above the data values Handling of alarm values is the same as in these other two displays C VALIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions EXNGIKEERIMG 56 Mixed Bar Graph Display The Mixed Bar Graph display entered on the Display Group Setup screen as type 3 Bar Nums is a mixture of the Bar Graph display and the Large Font display as shown in figure 6 9 It is well suited for applications where the user needs to monitor a few channels in bar graph format while also watching some other channels in digital format The first three channels in the channel list are displayed as bar graphs at all times The rest of the list is shown in Large Font format below the third graph eight channels at a time E Yehicle Data Acquisition System File View Help 14 39 18 Display Group 4 Mixed Bar Graph Data Display Number of Records 9 Events Marked 1 First Sample i9 00 00 Data Groups Manual Sample i9 9Q1 05 O01 Manifold Va Max 2 0 i Mant 56 7 Max 260 0 O02 Engine RPM Min 0 0 Max 5 0 003 Coolant F
30. dswawasaeucsdweataemseetiwsbeas 10 CHANGE IP ADDRESS ee csiccesescucacsatenssnnsesaueuduswaseacuceadenedvcseeabdacadsexeveneVesieawsSescseasdaatdansd sauewencdecevencsesdee anateas 11 REMOTE IN CIRCUIT PROGRAMMABLE FLASH cececececececececececececcccccecncucucncscscscscscecsceencncncncececseeueueuees 11 CHAPTER 4 SETTING UP THE TEST INFORMATION FILE w cccccccccccccccccccccccccces 14 CREATING A TEST INFORMATION FILE acsccdceveccadasseadadatwdinadavasndsdetelebadnosdibedaneliceadaasebadatwbieadawaenbsdetwhebadncsbede 14 INTERPRETING THE TEST INFORMATION SCREEN cccececececececececcccceccccecececececscececececeeeeseucscsceeececeesueueueas 17 TC cs ssn cesta siemens EEE E I E ENE E E E E E EEE E E IS COS TS N E EE E E E N E E E A E E E A E A ETE 19 CHAPTER 5 CREATING A TEST CONFIGURATION FILE ccccccscccccsccccccccccccccccces 20 MANUALLY SETTING UP A CONFIGURATION FILE cecececececcceccccccccecncucececscscscecececsessscscucscsceeeesueueeees 20 Consirucinge a Formula EN Yassera Sed sna Res N ices Du Sinn ie ddewsd Resi aes a a 23 IMPORTING CHANNEL ROWS FROM ANOTHER FILE cecececececececcccccccecccucececscecscecececeaesececscecececeesueueeees 24 Printing a Record Of Screen Contents ccccccccc cece cece cece cence eee c eee e eee eee eG eee Aa eee GE EE GEE EGE EEG A EEE EA EEE ESSE EE EEE EG 25 DEFAULT CONTOUR A TION etaar AAAA A AE AAE ARARA 26 PEE AAAA AATA AA 26 SMAN GAG
31. e Span Adjust Alt Coarse Zero Adjust Esc Exit Alt_Left Right Fine Zero Adjust Ready NUM Figure 5 11 S starts a sequence of events First the metrology data for all strain channels is examined and missing or obviously wrong data cause an error message If the metrology data is present and the communication link to the chassis is working a dialog warning the operator to apply no force to the strain gage appears The controller then begins to gather and display in the offset column the scaled output from the selected channel After several samples have been displayed the shunt is placed in circuit and the scaled output continues to be displayed but now in the value column At this point unless the channel has been calibrated earlier the offset in the formula is zero and the scaling factor in the formula is one in which case the scaling operation has no effect Alt is the coarse offset adjust Alt Left Right is the fine offset adjust The operator uses these keys to set the number in the offset column to zero As these keys are pressed and held the number in the offset column changes which in turn causes the offset value in the formula to change Since number in the value column will also be affected this will also change but not until the key is lifted is the coarse span adjust and Left Right is the fine span adjust The operator uses these keys to set the number in the value column to match the number in the span
32. ed to configure the real time display screens that will be viewed during the data collection process E YDAS C VDAS_PP Configuration1 cfg File Edit View Transport Window Help a laj x Deag OO LS a 1 of 20 Entries Fi Help F Save File F2 Add Entry FS Print File F3 Delete Entry F4 Insert Entry F9 Close File Ready NUM Configuration Display Figure 5 15 Data entry in this screen is performed in essentially the same manner as in Data Groups There are three columns for data entry for each display group the Group Number the Display Type and the Total Channels The middle section accepts up to 20 display groups each with its own channel list and its own display type There are eight display types available To select a Display Type use Tab or mouse click to put the cursor on the column and click on the pick list in the Display Type field to display the eight menu choices VE VALIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions EXNGIKEERIMG 40 The following table Figure 5 11 provides a description of the Display Types available Type Description Full For viewing each channel s symbolic number the full 50 character channel name the current data value and the two alarm values Condensed For viewing three columns of channel values to get as many channels on the screen as will fit Stabilization Displays the last 5 data samples recorded for each channel to reveal trends for stab
33. een is manipulated as follows Select individual channels by using the up and down arrow keys The selected channel will be highlighted Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to scroll if the number of rows of data exceeds the size of the display screen Coarse and fine gain adjustment can be accomplished using keys and Left Right arrow keys respectively The actual threshold is indicated by the appearance and disappearance of data in the frequency column Creating a Data Group To view the Data Sample Group Setup screen as shown in Figure 5 8 select View from the Test Configuration menu click then choose Data Groups The top section identifies seven columns for each data entry the data group number the v ALIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions ENGINEERING 36 channels in that group the basis for the sample rate time or channel value the channel delta sample interval sample count and start and stop triggers The middle section accepts up to 20 data groups numbered in sequence When each new line is added default data is shown as a positioning aid E YDAS C VDAS_PP Configuration1 cfg File Edit Yiew Transport Window Help x DEHE Data Total arsi Channel Sample Sample Start Group Channels Interval a Count _ a Time sec O 1 of 20 Entries Fi Help F7 Save File F2 Add Entry FS Print File F3 Delete Entry F4 Insert Entry F9 Close File
34. en the interval elapses the test proceeds with the next step The opening message might be a prompt for an inexperienced tester or an instruction or reminder to do something For example Go to track press tab at mile marker 0 0 or Take data at each compass point for 5 laps The message remains until any key is pressed Viewing an Autotest Screen After opening a test configuration file the four setup screens can be accessed in any order However they should generally be viewed in the order listed because some of the setups require information from previous screens In particular the channels must be selected before data groups and display groups can be set up To save a file at any time click on menu item File and again on Save or else enter Control S To rework an existing file begin with the procedure for opening a file QE VALIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions ENGINEERING 43 CHAPTER 6 RUNNING THE TEST To begin a test click on File and choose Start Test from the pull down menu or press Ctrl T A display window entitled Test Startup Parameters will appear with the latest tif cfg input files and dat output file files created as the default entries populating the appropriate fields These fields are for setting a few run time options Sample Tone Alarm Level Test Mode and Communication Port The testing then proceeds according to the conditions previously set up in the Test Configuration File ope
35. ght with F4 To print the current data listing press F8 Saving a File When entries are complete or to save them at any time during entry press F7 The current file name will be displayed in the File Name field of the Save As screen as shown in figure 4 4 Save As Ei Ea Bl ef les SI Warpnine File name Save a type Test Information tif Cancel Test Information Save As Figure 4 4 2 Click on the Save button or change the name of the file in the File Name field The suffix is always VEH set by default Press Esc to cancel this action or to start over With the correct directory and file name set in the Save As screen click the Save button When the Save operation is complete the program will return to the Test Information screen E VALIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions ENGINEERING 19 Closing a File When the Test Information File is complete press F9 to exit back to the Main Menu If the file has not been saved an overlay warning message box will appear prompting the user to save changes to the current file as illustrated in Figure 4 5 DAS AN Save changes to TestFile Test Information Save Changes Figure 4 5 To clear this message either press the No button to abort the changes and exit to the Main Menu or continue working by pressing the Cancel button To exit the program select File from the Main Menu then choose Exit from the pull d
36. h speed 100 Ready NUM Bar Graph Display Screen Figure 6 7 A data value exceeding an alarm value is shown in reverse video and the number of the exceeded alarm 1 or 2 appears in reverse video next to the data If the data value drops below the alarm value the data returns to normal video but the alarm number remains in reverse video QE ALIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions ENGINEERING 55 Mixed Line Graph Display The Mixed Line Graph display entered on the Display Group Setup screen as type 2 Line Nums is a mixture of the Line Graph display and the Large Font display as shown in Figure 6 8 It is well suited for applications where the user needs to monitor a few channels in line graph format but also needs to see some other channels on the screen in digital format The first two channels in the Channel List are displayed as line graphs at all times The rest of the list is shown in Large Font format below the second graph eight channels at a time fi ehicle Data Acquisition System File View Help a IR Sey hap tet Bly Display Group 3 Mixed Line Graph Data Display Number of Records 9 Events Marked 1 First Sample i9 00 00 Data Groups Manual Sample i9 QQ 11 O01 Manifold Va 256 ALARM 1 ALARM 2 002 Engine RPM a ALARM 1 ALARM 2 in 56 7 003 Coolant Flo 004 Passenger C HO5 Catalytie C 1234567890 Start stop a data group F4 End of sub test F11 Event marker P
37. ilization test requirements Large Font Displays 10 values with enlarged fonts Line Graph Displays each channel s values in line graph format Bar Graph Displays each channel s values in bar graph format 2 Las a urme Displays 2 line graphs with large font numbers 3 Bar Nums Displays 3 bar graphs with large font numbers Types of Displays Figure 5 11 Note For illustrations of these display types refer to Chapter 6 Running the Test under the heading Interpreting the Real Time Displays To identify the channels for this display group double click on the Total Channels column The Display Group Channel Selection screen will appear with its group number in the title as shown in Figure 5 12 Display Group Channel Selection Group 1 Line Graph X Available Channels Selected Channels OOS Oil Pressure O01 Engine APM O10 Coolant Temperature Cancel i s Graph Mir 56 66 Graph Wlar a8 04 37 re Abe Ek Graph Threshold Display Group Channel Selection Figure 5 16 VE VALIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions EXNGIKEERIMG 41 To make channel selections click on the desired channel from the list of Available Channels and then click gt to move the highlighted channel into the Selected Channel list For a real time graph display click on a selected channel in the rightmost column to activate the graph fields at the lower right of the dialog The graph fields are used for se
38. ing can be done according to channel name symbolic channel number physical channel number or channel type as shown on the channel sort screen There is also an option to sort in ascending or descending order Data can be imported from another file F5 see the section Importing Channel Rows from Another File in this chapter below QE VALIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions EXNGIKEERIMG 23 Constructing a Formula Entry A formula contains constants operators channel numbers and function names It can have up to 25 characters On non computed channels types other than Comp the formula represents a scaling transform f x specified as a mathematical expression The raw channel value is given by the special notation Allowable operators are unary binary and The operators are evaluated from left to right with no precedence considerations For example a linear scale of f x 3 45x 20 is achieved by entering 3 45 20 in the formula field Note that 20 3 45 is not equivalent because 20 3 45 would be evaluated before On computed channels type Comp the formula starts with a 3 letter function name followed by a list of symbolic channel numbers separated by commas The allowed functions are defined in the following table Function Description Number of channel parameters Min Evaluates each channel
39. ion screen as shown below E YDAS C VWDAS_PP Strain cfg File Edit View Transport Window Help laj x Demla mae o nnf anaa an ao i 200072000 100071000 100071000 5007500 500075000 5007500 5007500 200072000 8 of 600 Entries Fi Help FS Import File F6 Open File F2 Add Entry Fil Sort Channels F7 Save File F2 Add Block of Entries F3 Delete Entry F8 Print File F4 Insert Entry F9 Close File ESCAPE Close File Ready NUM Figure 5 9 Metrology lab data for Span Span Min Max BExc and SLeg must be entered for each strain channel prior to strain gage calibration The controller will be unable to calibrate any channel missing Span Span or Min Max data The meaning of these numbers is as follows Span is the expected excursion expressed in engineering units of the strain gage channel output scaled by the formula under the conditions of SLeg the 100K shunt in circuit and no force applied to the strain gage Span is the expected excursion expressed in engineering units of the strain gage channel output scaled by the formula under the conditions of SLeg the 100K shunt in circuit and no force applied to the strain gage Min Max is the expected full scale excursion expressed in engineering units of the strain gage output with maximum allowable force applied to the strain gage BExc is the excitation voltage applied to the strain gage Possible values are 10 v
40. ions that can be performed Begin data entry by pressing F2 to add a new row To move between rows use the Tab key to go to the next field Shift Tab to access the previous field or simply click the mouse in the desired field As the entries progress into a list rows can be deleted F3 or blank rows can be inserted into the list F4 To open an existing file press F6 or Ctrl O To save a new or modified file press F7 or Ctrl S Print a report of the screen data by using F8 or Ctrl P Press F9 or Alt X to return to the Main Menu Press F1 or Alt H to access the Help menu Press Esc to exit from Help im VDAS TestFile x File Edit View Window Help laj x Dem OOOO o o o o o Desario OOOO O O 12345678911234567892123456789312345678941234567895123456789612345678971234567898123456789912345678901234567891123456789212345678931234567894 Good Afternoon Good Evening Good Evening Good Night 4 of 200 Entries 190 of 5120 Bytes Fi Help F Save File F2 Add Entry FS Print File F3 Delete Entry F4 Insert Entry F9 Close File Ready NUM Test Information Screen Figure 4 3 Note You may enter a maximum of 200 rows and 5120 bytes A message at the bottom of the data portion of the screen keeps the user advised of the number of entries v VALIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions ENGINEERING 18 If the need arises delete a highlighted row with F3 or insert a row before the highli
41. ll to the left as data is entered into the field if the name is more than 25 characters in length The next two columns the symbolic and physical channel numbers provide a way to map channels The symbolic channel number Sym Ch allows the user to tag that channel in some convenient way The physical channel number Phy Ch is the actual channel location on the main chassis that provides the data These two numbers permit the changing of physical transducer connections without re sorting through the data list to generate equivalent output data QE VALIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions ENGINEERING 22 files Both numbers can be up to three digits long but must be unique The Type column is a toggle field that denotes the transducer type for each channel There are many types available and each has a four letter representation containing one capital letter To select an entry click on the pick list in that field to pull down a menu of choices and click on the appropriate choice The available input types are listed as follows Thermocouple J Thermocouple K Thermocouple T Voltage Pulse Frequency Pulse Width Pulse Count Duty Cycle Strain Gage Computed Channel A computed channel is a pseudo channel based on the data values of other channels The derivation of these values is described by the entry in the Formula column The Range is a four character field which corresponds to the entry in the Type field There will be
42. lo 004 Passenger C UO5 Catalytie C 1234567890 Start stop a data group F4 End of sub test F11 Event marker Pckl Space Take manual sample Dbl Pekl Tab Next step display group F1 Help FIN Exit F9 Event edit display OFF Graph speed 100 Ready NUM Mixed Bar Graph Display Screen Figure 6 9 The graph channels are tagged the same way as in the Bar Graph display and the digital channels at the bottom are tagged similar to the Large Font display Here however shortened channel titles appear above the data values Handling of alarm values is the same as in these other two displays Data Sampling The user can sample data manually by pressing the pickle switch or the Space Bar When there are no test sequences active the manual sample command causes the instrument to sample every data group that has a member channel If the sample tone is turned on a low pitched beep tells the user that sampling is occurring The sampling flags at the top of the screen also flash momentarily VE VALIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions EXNGIKEERIMG 57 When the instrument is operating under automatic test sequence control the manual sample command causes sampling of only the active data group The user can start or stop each data group s automatic sampling by triggering it individually by pressing the number keys 1 to start and 0 to stop Once begun the data group automatically samples at its specified sample interval
43. ol window Hep sil ETER Tom Tham E T dug T harm F ceil RTO imr af 50i Entries Fi Help FS Imporce File FR Open File Fi Add Eatey Fii Sore Chantels ET Save File Fe Add Block of Eeceies l Fa belete Enery Fe Print File Fa Tasere Encry Fo Close File ESCAPE Close File Aad THU Figure 5 8 The RTD card accepts eight types of temperature probes which can be selected using the drop down menu in the Range column as shown The probes types available from various manufacturers are 3 Wire 0 5 MA 3 Wire 1 0 MA 3 Wire 2 5 MA 3 Wire 5 0 MA 4 Wire 0 5 MA 4 Wire 1 0 MA 4 Wire 2 5 MA 4 Wire 5 0 MA The RTD channel output is always in ohms and this is the default Channel Units However the operator can choose to display the probe output directly in degrees using any temperature scale he chooses provided he enters the scaling algorithm in the Formula column For more information see the topic Constructing a Formula Entry above This formula itself is often printed on the probe C VALIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions ENGINEERING ALIDYNE 31 Strain Gage and 100K Shunt VDAS contains a feature to allow an operator to do pre test and post test calibration on strain gage channels This feature can be invoked from the configuration screen the start test dialog and the test events dialog Prior to pre test calibration metrology lab data must be entered on the configurat
44. olts 5 volts and zero volts The choice of 10 volts or 5 volts excitation has no effect on the channel output since this is expressed in millivolts per volt of excitation voltage E VALIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions ENGINEERING 32 SLeg refers to the leg of the wheatstone bridge to which the 100K shunt is applied The terms SLeg and SLeg are arbitrary and bear no reference to polarity From the configuration screen the strain gage screen can be invoked by selecting Bridge Amplifier from the View menu or by entering Ctrl G on the keyboard See figure 5 8 below E VDAS C VDAS_PP Strain cfg File Edit View Transport Window Help l x Urca Toolbar v Status Bar om une onc By mt seat oom om vom SS SS Channel 1 Data Groups Ctrl D M 637 337 200072000 5Y Channel 2 Display Groups Ctrl v 638 398 100071000 5Y Channel 3 Autotest Sequence Ctrl 4 126 26 100071000 5Y Channel 4 Frequency Threshold Ctrl F v 174 74 5007500 5 Channel 5 Bridge Amplifier Ctrl G i 1147 500075000 5Y Channel 6 Set Slope Ctrl B R hd 168 68 5007500 5y Channel 7 bd 136 36 5007500 5Y Channel 8 637 2000 2000 5 8 of 600 Entries Help FS Import File F6 idd Entry Fil Sort Channels F F2 Add Block of Entries F3 Delete Entry F8 Print File F4 Insert Entry F9 Close File ESCAPE Close File Open File Save File Nmf Figure 5 10 Strain Gage Calibration
45. owing the user to create a library of configurations for the various tests that are run QE VALIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions EXNGIKEERIMG CHAPTER 2 INSTALLING THE SYSTEM Before the VDAS system can be used to collect and or display data installation of the plug in cards power and communications port cables and controller software is required Installing the Hardware The electronic chassis must be properly configured with the necessary plug in cards Both the user and the chassis should be properly grounded prior to any handling The communication module always occupies the extreme left position in the chassis slot 0 The remaining cards can occupy any position within the chassis with each slot corresponding to a discrete set of channels Slot 1 corresponds to physical channels 0 19 slot 2 corresponds to physical channels 20 39 etc Connecting the Cables The following connections between the computer and the chassis are required Power cable This is a customer supplied item and supplies power at a nominal 12 VDC to PS914 at the left of the chassis One of the following communication methods is required to operate the system The type of method depends upon the length of cable required to go from computer to chassis and the amount of data setup in system Serial communication severely limits the data rate Ethernet and ECP do not Ethernet Connection This is a standard RJ 45 cable which must be connected at
46. own menu or simply press Alt X ENGINEERING Y VALIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions 20 CHAPTER 5 CREATING A TEST CONFIGURATION FILE To open a blank Test Configuration File begin at the screen shown in Chapter 3 figure 3 0 select File from the pull down menu and choose New or enter Ctrl N The dialog shown in figure 4 1 will appear Click on Test Configuration File and click OK A Test Configuration Menu screen appears as shown in Figure 5 0 im VDAS F x File Edit View Transport Window Help lej x Deag TERA 0 of 600 Entries Fi Help FS Import File F6 Open File F2 Add Entry Fil Sort Channels F7 Save File F2 Add Block of Entries F3 Delete Entry F8 Print File F4 Insert Entry F9 Close File ESCAPE Close File Ready NUM Test Configuration File Figure 5 0 There are three options for generating configuration files These are 1 Manual Import Default Manually Setting up a Configuration File To setup the channels press F2 and a new data entry field for a channel will appear For each new channel entry press F2 The screen begins to take on an appearance as shown in Figure 5 4 To enter a block of channels press Control F2 and choose the number of channels to add E VALIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions ENGINEERING E YDAS C VDAS_PP Configuration1 cfg File Edit Yiew Transport Window Help laj x DEHE
47. ph displays data as the instrument reads the values from the corresponding channels The graph limits min and max are the values entered during Display Group Setup When the data value exceeds the max graph value the Controller clips the display so that the entire graph is filled in Similarly when the data value is lower than the min graph value the graph is completely empty Therefore it is important that the setup reflect the desired range to be monitored Graphs without programmed min and max values use default values based on the channel type All graphs update at the same rate for each display group The user can decrease the update rate by pressing the key or increase the rate with the key Each display group has its own graph speed setting that can be controlled independently of the others At the beginning of each test the rate settings default to those set the last time the instrument was used QE MILIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions ENGINEERING 49 Full Display The middle section of the Full full size Display as shown in Figure 6 2 provides the most information about each channel of any of the displays Each line shows a symbolic channel number the full 50 character channel name the current data value and the two alarm values The data is shown with the precision specified for that channel im VDAS Datal dat Pari File View Help 16 0016 Display Group 1 Full Size Data Display Number
48. press F8 C VALIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions ENGINEERING 26 Default Configuration Warning This feature will delete every entry from the current configuration Every entry will also be deleted from existing data and display groups The default configuration feature is useful in that it places every channel on each card into the current configuration display In order for this feature to operate properly the chassis must be powered up and the transport link working properly Choose Edit from the configuration menu and then click on Default Configuration After VDAS has finished adding entries to the current configuration it will be necessary to re configure the data groups and the display groups E YDAS C VDAS_PP Configuration1 cfg ED Eile File Edit View Transport Window Help l x joe oe Add entry Delete entry Sort a Engine eee Bate 1 120 Lee loccoca Pulse Freq Hz 100 Coolant Display p lt n 166 Carol Shelby Therm K v deat 32 0 0 5555 Oil Pres a 188 Peter Rabbit Strain BV Al z 433 38 6 Default Configuration 4 r 3 of 600 Entries Fi Help FS Import File F6 Open File F2 Add Entry Fil Sort Channels F7 Save File F2 Add Block of Entries F3 Delete Entry F8 Print File F4 Insert Entry F9 Close File ESCAPE Close File NUM Default Configuration Figure 5 4 The set slope function will generate a formula having a format of y mx
49. r each card in the chassis and the Status button will be enabled Push the Status button and wait approximately thirty seconds The rightmost cell of each row will display the word PASSED or FAILED If a card is flagged as failing click in the rightmost cell and a message box will display the detailed status of that card Y VALIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions ENGINEERING 11 Change IP Address Click on main menu figure 3 0 item Maintenance then choose Programmable LAN Addressing or press Control L Observe the dialog as shown below in figure 3 5 LAN Address Dialog Chassis Settings IP Address fiz fise fas fmn Sub Wet Mask Ps 25 255 fo Set Chassis D atal LAN Address Figure 3 5 NOTE Dialog will not appear as shown unless transport link is working Change the data in the edit boxes and click Set Chassis Data Two dialog boxes will appear The first will warn that chassis data will be changed The second will inform that chassis data has been changed and you will be instructed to reboot the chassis Do this by cycling chassis power Remote In Circuit Programmable Flash This feature is used to update the on board software of all cards of an operator selected type Software updates are supplied by Validyne and must be available at the time this feature is used Click on main menu figure 3 0 item Maintenance then on Remote In Circuit Programmable Flash or enter Control R If this is the
50. rating under either automatic or manual control as specified As testing continues some events may be deemed worthy of recorded comment by the user These events can be marked as they occur for later annotation A test can be run any time after its Test Information File and its Test Configuration File have been defined Typically these files may be prepared by individuals other than the tester and as time goes on many tests may be conducted as repeats using files that have been run before For step by step instructions refer to the section titled Procedure for Beginning a Test and the other procedures later in this chapter It is assumed that the user has no previous knowledge of how to set up the necessary files so this chapter repeats the information needed to start a test from the computer turned off condition VE VALIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions EXNGIKEERIMG 44 Displaying a Screen for Test Startup To display a Test Startup screen begin at the Main Menu and click on File to display the pull down menu Choose Start Test from the File menu or simply press Ctrl T A Test Startup Parameters screen appears as shown in Figure 6 0 Test Startup Parameters ki x Vehicle File CAVDAS_PP TestFile ti Contig File CAWDAS_PP demol cfs Cancel Data File C WDAS_PPSDatal dat E Sample Tone Off Alarm Level Visual Test Mode RITE Communication Port Ethernet LAN Chassis Aun Fort
51. rough either a PCMCIA port or other equivalent hardware port The Software For ease of learning and operation the software is menu driven Pull down menus permit the user to control the electronic chassis configure tests view data record test results etc quickly and efficiently There are three types of screens Data Entry Display and Help All of these screens and their fields can be accessed through pull down menus with the mouse or on the keyboard with specific keys that govern selection and cursor movement These keys are described in the Keyboard Reference shown in Figure 1 2 QE VALIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions EXNGIKEERIMG Fi Help FE Topoer Fil Fe Open File Pa Add Eecey Fill cct Channels F7 Bay Tile EZ Ai Hlock ar Eacrie Fa Delece Entry Fe Princ File PQ Isero ECET Fo loas File ERC APE Close File Keyboard Entry Figure 1 2 Help screens which are accessed through a function key are in smaller windows so they can overlay the original screen without obscuring it completely General Method of Operation The Controller software is the user interface to the operating system This software is used for both configuration and testing In fact the only switch on the VDAS chassis is for power Data can be stored onto your computer s hard drive based on the configuration file that is created in the controller software Configuration files can be edited and saved for later use all
52. s EXNGIKEERIMG Checking the Chassis Contents On the main menu figure 3 0 click Maintenance then select Chassis Information Observe the dialog as shown below in figure 3 3 Chassis Information Chassis IP Address Sub Net Mask Ethernet Address 1952 168 253 200 250 265 550 00 50 c2 08 63 e7 Slot Serial Number Calibrated On Software Version Get Info Chassis Information Figure 3 3 Note The dialog will appear as shown only if the transport link to the chassis is working To obtain information on each slot in the chassis click the Get Info button Any slots not occupied by cards will be marked as EMPTY SLOT in the left most column Any occupied slot will display the serial number in the leftmost column the calibration date in the middle column and the software version number in the rightmost column VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions ENGINEERING 10 Chassis Diagnostic On the main menu figure 3 0 click Maintenance then choose Diagnostics or press Control Z Observe the dialog as shown below in figure 3 4 Chassis Diagnostic Slot Serial Calibration Software Yersion Card Status IF Address Subnet Mask Ethemet Address 192 168 253 200 255 255 255 0 00 50 c2 08 63 e SX Inventory Status Chassis Diagnostic Figure 3 4 Note The dialog will appear as shown only if the transport link to the chassis is working Click on the Inventory button Rows of information will appear one fo
53. the test is finished Checking the checkbox causes automatic CSV file generation C E ALIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions ENGINEERING 46 Display Appearance The button marked Set Colors brings up the dialog shown in figure 6 1 below In addition to setting the colors of the test screens this dialog also allows the operator to set the font style and size in each of the non graphic display screens Test Appearance Configuration a Color Preview Cancel _ aan Color Text Color Gize Display Courier Mew s Courier Mew 1 Full Courier Mew 11 lt Large Font Courier Mew 11 lt Condensed Restore Defaults Courier New 11 lt Stabilization Test Appearance Configuration Figure 6 1 Real Time Displays When a test is started by clicking OK from the Test Startup Parameters screen shown in Figure 6 1 the Controller loads the two input files into memory and initiates communication with the main chassis The Controller and the chassis then validate the data in the Test Configuration File to ensure that the hardware setup in the chassis is compatible with the channel definitions in the file Note Any mismatch between the test configuration and the hardware causes an error message followed by a shutdown of the test Assuming the setup has been performed correctly a real time display screen exhibits one of eight available display options Full Condensed Stabilization
54. to initiate communication with the main chassis e Time spent in the current display group If there are test sequences this value is the equivalent of the time spent on the current test sequence e Time in seconds since the last data sample A data sample whether automatic or manual from any data group resets this elapsed time back to zero At the top left hand corner the screen displays the total number of samples taken The number of events marked recorded is shown at the middle of the screen This is information that helps in gauging progress throughout the test Two sets of flags are located below the number of samples taken e The upper row of flags indicates which data groups are currently sampling in the automatic mode e The lower row of flags indicates which data groups are being sampled currently The bottom section provides instruction on starting or stopping a data group You may start a data group by typing the group number and stop by typing the group number again To take a manual sample use a pickle switch or the Space Bar Advance to the next display or test sequence by double clicking the pickle switch or by pressing the Tab key F11 enters an Event Marker to be discussed later in this chapter For graph displays the graph can be sped up or slowed down with the plus or minus key QE VALIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions EXNGIKEERIMG 48 Behavior of All Graph Displays Each line or bar gra
55. tting limits in the graphical display Enter values into the fields for Graph Max Graph Min and Threshold and click OK mple Display Group Setup Screen Creating an Autotest Sequence The Test Script Setup Screen is the final setup screen in the configuration file and is used for entering the steps in the test sequence Figure 5 13 To access this screen choose View and then select Autotest Sequence or press Ctrl A E YDAS C YDAS_PP Configuration1 cfg File Edit View Transport Window Help laj x c sa Se eer ee ec O Poa Auto 1 of 20 Entries Fi Help F Save File F2 Add Entry F8 Print File F3 Delete Entry F4 Insert Entry F9 Close File Ready NUM Auto Test Sequence Figure 5 17 This screen has four columns for the step number start condition optional time interval limit and a message to appear at the beginning of the step The middle section can accept up to 20 steps to annotate and possibly limit a test Adding a row enters default information with each row numbered in sequence With the cursor in the Start column the down arrow toggles the entry between Auto to start according to the start trigger for the active data sample group and Immediate indicating the sampling should begin immediately QE VALIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions EXNGIKEERIMG 42 The optional Interval value limits the time to be spent on this step during test The default value is 0 Wh
56. ut exit from this screen does not return to the test events screen Frequency Threshold VDAS contains a feature that adjusts frequency channel signal gain before testing begins This feature called Frequency Threshold Adjustment can be started by first clicking on menu item View and then on Frequency Threshold or by clicking on Control F after which the screen shown in figure 5 7 below will appear For the frequency threshold feature to be useful the chassis must be powered up and the communication link must be working properly Y VALIDYNE VDAS Setup and Operating Instructions ENGIKEERIMG im VDAS F x File Edit View Transport Window Help x Deag Slot Ch ChName Fomua EngUnits Frequency Threshoid Ranemi Exhaust Yalye Opening 100 00 500 Odometer 100 00 500 Dwell 100 00 500 Config Frequency Adjust Status PgUp PogDn Scroll Channels arrow Up Dn Line Up Down Coarse Theshold Adjust Arrow Lt Rt Fine Threshold Adjust IESCIREZIE Ready NUM Frequency Figure 5 12 lf there are no frequency channels present at this time the above screen will not appear Instead there will be a message box stating that there are no frequency channels present After the Frequency Threshold screen has appeared the operator can switch back and forth between the Channel Configuration screen and the Frequency Threshold screen The Frequency Threshold scr

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