TBM User`s Manual 003
Contents
1. 14 E 15 Standard 26 Ex Counts POMA un QM LAM 15 Calculation of Failure Stress 26 gc es nU PIE Calculation of the Stress Corrosion Parameter n 26 Data Analysis 15 Start Time 15 21 E 15 TBM for Windows Change History 27 16 Static Fatigue Testing System Contents System Overview trigger box monitor up to 8 four channel trigger boxes up to 4 a sensors per trigger box acoustic EE sensors testing precision bore tube in liquid testing in air Fibers Under Test A simple way to perform static fatigue on optical fibers 1s to insert short lengths of fiber bent double into precision bore glass tubes the deformation of the fiber is known as two point bending or flexure Since the stress experienced by the bent fibers is determined by the inner diameter of the tubes their precision ID means that all fibers in one tube see the same identical stress Failure of the fibers can be detected acoustically using a sensitive ultrasonic transducer sensor Since all the fibers are under the same stress it 15 enough to know when the breaks occur it is not needed to know which fiber broke when The tubes filled with fiber can immersed in any suitable test environment If tested in air or some other eas the sensor should be attached directly to the side of the tube If tested 1n a liquid bath the sensor can b2. the lifetime in service is then estimated by extrapolating the time to failure to lower applied stress more characteristic of the stress the fiber sees in service Service conditions are therefore usually modeled as static fatigue Fracture mechanics theory provides a relationship between the time so failure and the static applied stress 6 5 o 2 1 o AY n 2 1 B is a compound variable of several parameters which are described in detail in Reference 1 For our purposes b is just a scale parameters that depends on the nature of the glass and the test environment humidity temperature pH o is the initial or inert strength it is the strength that would be measured if there were no stress corrosion cracking When this equation is applied to service conditions is often replaced by the proof stress to give a worst case estimated of lifetime Static fatigue experiments are time consuming and require many specimens to be tested simultaneously The lifetime is very sensitive to the value of the exponent n which is known variously as the stress corrosion susceptibility parameter the stress corrosion parameter the fatigue parameter the n parameter or simply as n everyone in the reliability field will know what you mean if you say Higher values of Static Fatigue Testing System 3 System Overview n are desirable and typical values for fused silica optical fiber range from about 18 to
3. AE a AA AA AA A i I Ta amma mmi Three different log files are implemented that maintain a record of all program activity New log files are opened each day so that the files do not get too log The Event log contains messages relevant to the active channels breaks trigger power status changes efc The information log contains a variety of warning messages associated with functioning of the TBM program The Error log contains more serious messages that might affect the validity of data The Error log should be monitored carefully Click Log Files for more information Program Options Window PROGRAM OPTION Notifications Configure J Send email when a channel finishes logging Send email after given number of breaks 20 ia Send email after given number of errors 20 Currently the only program options concern sending email messages to the operator so that they can remotely monitor the progress of experiments and the status of the TBM program This window contains three check boxes which if checked enable the corresponding messages to be sent The PC must have an internet connection for the email notifications function to work Clicking the Configure button opens the Email Configuration Window Trigger Box Monitoring System e es Static Fatigue Testing System Email Configuration Window EMAIL CONFIGURATION SMTP server smpt hosting com Authentication IF required by server Use
4. One I have found useful is to have a chain one end is attached to a spring while the other end of the spring has as open hook The chain 1 passed around the container and the spring 1s hooked onto the other end of the chain under tension The sensor 15 then slipped underneath the chain and the spring tension holds the sensor in contact with the surface A flat surface 1s best and I have found glass battery jars inexpensive and useful A transparent container is helpful since the progress of experiments can be monitored The liquid in the container can be held at constant temperature using an immersion heater The precision bore tube can be immersed directly in the container or inside a tube with the desired test environment which is then immersed in the container Acoustic coupling between the fibers and the sensor 1s extremely good in a liquid so the sensor does not need to be close to the fibers However only one measurement can be made in one container of liquid since all attached sensors will pick up all breaks occurring in the container Sensor Attachment for Air or Gas Test Environments If testing in air the acoustic sensor should be directly attached to the side of the precision bore tube Fiber Sigma can supply optional assemblies for do this as shown below holes for precision spacer bore tube sprin pring connector The sensor is slid into a tube with a spring under it The spring 1 attached to a think acrylic spacer pl
5. be added to the top of the data the start time 1s for all data in the grid or at the bottom of the data for adding a continuation experiment Note that data files can contain multiple start time events and each break event 1s assumed to occur relative to the start time specified before the event The start time can be selected to be the current time or the directly edited useful option 1 to convert the first break event in the data file to a start event when an experiment is started the acoustic sensor can be tapped to generate a break event which is then converted to the start time Data File Area The data file associated with the channel is selected by either typing the file path and name or the Browse button can be used to browse the file system The Save as button copies the current file to a different file and continues logging to the new file The copy data file button causes a copy of the current data file to be made Logging continues to go to the original data file so the new file can be used for viewing or editing data outside the TBM program Static Fatigue Testing System 19 Trigger Box Monitoring System Actions Area Start continue logging button Click to return to the Main Window after setting the channel configuration Stop logging button Stops logging on the selected channel but continues to link the data file to that channel Disconnect data file from channel button After stopping logging the channel c
6. be explicitly inserted into the file by directly editing it or by setting the first event in the file to be the start event see the Analyze Data Menu The data file can contain more than one start event in this way data from multiple runs can be combined into one file for analysis These two types of event are reported by the TBM Controller when it boots which should not normally occur during testing It indicates that power to the TBM Controller was interrupted or the USB cable was disconnected and reconnected The event gives the date time when the TBM Controller was last alive and the B event is the date time when it rebooted Any events that occurred between the b and date times are lost R This event occurs when TBM for Windows starts Static Fatigue Testing System es Trigger Box Monitoring System These events occur when the trigger box for the relevant channel loses regains power Any breaks between the times of the and events will have been missed c C These events occur when a discrepancy is found between the PC clock and the TBM Controller s hardware c or software c clocks The correction applied to the TBM Controller clocks is given in the comments field e This event signifies that an internal error in the TBM Controller was detected the exact error 1s given in the comments field It signifies hardware issues If the error occurs repeatedly report the problem to Fiber Sigma Howeve
7. detection system a lack of sensitivity is usually due to excessive loss in the acoustic path rather than in the electronics Place the acoustic transducer as close as possible to the acoustic source Make sure the transducer makes good mechanical contact a flat faced transducer should always be fixed to a flat surface Always use an acoustic coupling jelly vacuum grease or Vaseline will do in a pinch Minimize the number of interfaces in the acoustic path Acoustic coupling is best through liquids and solids but if coupling through a gas is essential then sensitivity may be improved by replacing the transducer by a small capacitive microphone However spurious sounds may then become a problem talk quietly Radio Shack sells a small tie pin microphone with amplifier that works well in this application part number 33 1063 Multiple Triggers from One Event If the signal from an event continues for longer than the output pulse duration then the event may cause multiple triggering Decreasing the sensitivity might help but increasing the output pulse length will definitely help see the section Internal Adjustments If you are still having difficulties or have any comments about this document or any other matter please do not hesitate to contact John Matthewson Static Fatigue Testing System 295 Four Channel Trigger Box Precision Bore Tubes Two examples of precision bore tubes and a fiber insertion tool Precision bore tubes are
8. is green the corresponding trigger box 1s properly powered If the cell is red the corresponding trigger box has lost power or is not attached If the power status changes for any trigger box messages are sent to the log files and to the data files for any active channel on that So if a trigger box temporarily loses power the times the box lost and regained power are logged which will help identify when any breaks are lost Logging break events is stopped while a trigger box is without power Also break events are ignored for about a second after a trigger box regains power in order to avoid spurious break events during the powering up process Command Buttons Area File Data View Help Clear logs Event loi Options analyze data 14 0 P SS du dau SSS 0 Clear logs button Clicking this button clears the three log grids The information in the log files is unchanged but no messages are shown on the screen to reduce screen clutter and to quickly identify any recent activity Options button Opens the Program Options Window Analyze data button Opens the Channel Setup Window so that the contents of a data file can be analyzed The data file must not be associated with any of the active channels The behavior 1s functionally identical to the Data Analyze data file menu bar item Static Fatigue Testing System 11 Trigger Box Monitoring System Log Grids Area mep Event lag Error log Information
9. supplied by default cut into 150 mm lengths One end of the tube has a label showing an identifying number of the tube and the internal diameter ID in microns The ends of the tubes are not the same The end by the label is in the as cut condition with sharp edges This is so that the internal diameter can be accurately measured at that end either to identify the tube 1f 1t has lost its label or to check the indicated diameter The end opposite to the label 1s flame polished to remove the sharp edges Fibers should be inserted at this end but the flame polishing will affect the diameter so this end should not be used to measure the tube ID Fibers are inserted by bending a short length about 10 to 25 mm long depending on the tube ID into a loop and pushing the loop into the flame polished end The system 1 supplied with some wood sticks that have a notch filed into both ends The stick is used to catch the notch on the loop of fiber so the fiber can be pushed into the tube Slowly twisting the stick rotates the plane of the fiber to help with alignment with other fibers already in the tube The fibers should be spaced a few mm apart the separation should be roughly the tube ID or perhaps a little closer It is suggested that fibers are inserted in eroups of 5 with an extra large gap between each group this greatly helps counting the fibers during an experiment Up to 30 fibers or even more can be inserted into a 150 mm tube Sensor Attachme
10. supplied in the accessory box Additional cables can be ordered from Fiber Sigma or can be wired according to the following instructions Using good quality 6 core screened cable on one male and one female Canon D25 connector connect together pins 2 and 2 4 and 4 6 and 6 8 and 8 13 and 13 25 and 25 Connect the shield at both ends to pins 24 Also connect the shield to the connector shell on the male connector only The Trigger Box Monitor interface box accepts signals from the trigger boxes via fully optically isolated inputs The interface box contains a microprocessor module the TBM Controller that monitors the pulsed output from the trigger boxes and logs them In addition the power at each trigger box is Static Fatigue Testing System Trigger Box Monitoring System monitored so that if power 1 lost events from the affected channels will be ignored and the loss of the trigger box 1s logged The interface box 1s connected to the PC via a USB port The TBM for Windows program periodically checks the interface box and uploads any events and saves them to the appropriate data files Therefore the monitor box 1 still logging events even if the PC crashes or loses power However the internal buffer of the TBM Controller is of limited size so every effort should be made to keep the TBM for Windows program running in order to avoid buffer overflow Time Keeping The TBM Controller inside the Trigger Box Monitor interface box imple
11. the number of breaks detected continues to be shown in the status area but the area 1s grey as for channel 1D above Each channel information area also includes a tabulation of events logged for that channel the tabulation shows the contents of the data file attached to that channel Messages include breaks times status changes e g trigger box power changes and error messages that might affect that channel e g Static Fatigue Testing System mx Trigger Box Monitoring System timing clock updates Important messages that might affect the validity of the data are shown highlighted for example the magenta messages want of problems with synchronizing the software and hardware clocks Menu Bar Bro Data View Help Exit program E Options analiZe data i 12345878 File Exit Program The TBM program 1 closed and will not automatically restart Ow File View Analyze data file Options analize data Data Analyze data file Opens up the Channel Setup Window so that data in a file can be analyzed the file must not be attached to one of the channels being logged Because of this several options in the Channel Setup Window are grayed out disabled or hidden File Data Help Cleat Hide all grid contents no loss of data E Show all grid contents Optio analyze data View Hide all grid contents no loss of data Clears all the data grid
12. 1 V positive pulse an event on channel C A 1 V negative pulse an event on channel B and a 2 V negative pulse an event on channel A These outputs are designed for connection to an analog chart recorder Since the output pulses are short typically 100 ms the recorder will operate in ballistic mode and the output pulse will produce a blip on the chart The size and direction of the blips indicate the channel on which the event occurred For a chart recorder with left to right pen motion a left going pulse indicates a left channel when viewing the front panel of the trigger box and the larger the pulse the further left the channel For example a large right hand blip on the chart from the 2D C B 2A output indicates channel D the rightmost channel If the DC voltage appearing on the multiplexed outputs cannot be offset by the chart recorder it may be removed by capacitive decoupling by internal capacitors See the section Internal Adjustments for further information Note that a continuous monitoring chart recorder is required Some multichannel recorders sample their inputs succession and may miss pulses Acoustic Telltale The trigger box is fitted with a buzzer that beeps each time an event 1s detected The duration of the beep is the same as the duration of the output pulse for the corresponding channel As shipped a beep is given for events occurring on all four channels However beeps can be disabled for selected channels To ch
13. FIBER SIGMA 105 Hillcrest Road Flemington New Jersey 08822 7173 U S A Tel 908 377 0763 Fax 908 547 0095 E mail info fibersigma com Web http www fibersigma com STATIC FATIGUE TESTING SYSTEM TRIGGER BOX MONITOR SYSTEM TBM for Windows CONTROL PROGRAM FOUR CHANNEL TRIGGER BOX PRECISION BORE TUBES USER S MANUAL PRELIMINARY VERSION For TBM for Windows software version 0 03 Version 0 03 February 2014 Contents 1 Edit Existing Event Window 17 ATE 1 Edit New Event WIndoW 17 y ont DURO MON LU Add Comment to Data File Window aaa oaa 17 SML Cleanup Data File Window eee 18 Four Channel Trigger Boxes cc eeeseseseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaes 2 Export Data Window ccccsssseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaeeeeeeeeees 18 Trigger Box Monitor 5 2 Analyze Data Window serene 19 es iret 3 Fout Channel Tire ser oxi nid vro 20 Ba3ckSrourd ooo sages DE EI TEN EH Ed etae 3 20 Stale 3 Diane anam 4 OPTIO tu ze edad ses 20 y DUE desde EAE LL tede Power Supply Relic nie 20 Test laus vta eds 4 Ip eec tet ene ee ae eee 20 Trigger Box Monitor System 0 0 eesti 5 SEBSIEDV 20 5 ETT ERRORES 20 PC Minimum Requ
14. ION Data Analysis 14 01 11 13 33 06 Start was Break Add camment 14701711 13 33 49 Break Break Counts KE i Insert line d 114401411 3533550 o icc Delt ine Maximum break court 20 Breaks detected so far 5B move Up Breaks remaining p move Down Cleanup Time Set start time now Set first break as start time Export data Specify start time S Set at bottom of data Analze data Include breaks not yet occurred Set at top of data C minutes days Time ta Failure Units Data tile Actions Browse Start continue lagging save curent file with a new name and Stop laaain _ continue logging this channel to the new MEL make copy of the current file and continue Copy data file thie channelita Disconnect data file tram channel Exit discard any changes Trigger Box Monitoring System 14 Static Fatigue Testing System This window contains the functionality for setting up the behavior of a channel that is to be monitored Several parts of this window might be disabled grayed out or hidden depending on the context Information If an event occurs on the channel while the Channel Setup Window 1 open a timer starts countdown when the timer expires the Channel Setup Window and any windows below it is automatically closed so that the new ev
15. an 1 6930 LStdD ev 0 7624 LStdEm 0 3410 Weibull distribution by linear regression m 0 45 0 13 So 135 46 0 00 Weibull bu likelihood estimators m 0 44 0 19 1 02 85x 50 111 02 11 78 1335 12 dispz2b8 27 99 05 2023 02 mle 0 63 5 iterations b Copy input to clipboard Copy both to clipboard Copy output to clipboard Window will clase in 15 seconds The time to failure data in the data grid are shown in the left side of the window and may include censored data for break events that have not yet happened The right side shows the results of various statistical analyses of the data Either the input data or the output of the analysis or both can be copied to the clipboard for export Static Fatigue Testing System Trigger Box Monitoring System Four Channel Trigger Box Introduction The Four Channel Trigger Box contains four independent general purpose amplifier and trigger level detection circuits While they may be used for general analog voltage level detection they are designed specifically for acoustic detection and in particular the detection of failure of optical fibers under load in long duration fatigue tests especially the static two point bend test Reference 2 Each channel consists of an amplifier stage incorporating a band pass filter a comparator stage a monostable pulse generator and interfaces for communication with external equipment The two point be
16. ange the channel selection first remove the top of the cabinet by removing four screws A bank of four DIP switches should be visible on the power supply board When a switch is in the OPEN position beeps are disabled for the corresponding channel Switch controls channel A switch 2 channel B switch 3 channel C and switch 4 channel D Computer Interface The trigger box is fitted with a digital interface suitable for connection to a computer The signals are available via a Canon D25 female connector on the rear panel Note that ALL signals use NEGATIVE logic levels i e they are at TTL low when asserted true Interface Pin out pin signal 1 LA are latched outputs 2 PA PA Pp are pulsed outputs 3 Lp 4 Pp Static Fatigue Testing System ee Four Channel Trigger Box 5 Lc 6 Pc 7 Lp 8 Pp 9 Rp are reset inputs 10 Rc 11 Rp 12 RA 13 5 VDC 14 23 Reserved 24 Shield 25 Ground Pulsed Outputs P4 Pp These lines are TTL outputs that reflect the status of the corresponding front panel red LED i e when active TTL low an event is currently triggering on that channel For improved noise immunity these lines should be pulled up to 5 V by 5 resistors at the computer Latched Outputs L4 Lp These lines are TTL outputs that reflect the status of the corresponding front panel amber LED i e when active TTL low an event has occurred since the last reset on that channel For improved noise imm
17. ars and so provides a viable alternative to dynamic fatigue The method 1 described in detail in Reference 2 Dynamic Fatigue The purpose of this document is to describe static fatigue not dynamic fatigue However a brief discussion of dynamic fatigue is included for comparison purposes Static fatigue measurements relate the measured failure stress o f gt to the stress rate d dt 6 o7 nt Boor 2 The value of n can be obtained by such measurements and used to predict the behavior under static fatigue conditions Fiber Sigma sells a Two Point Bend System for dynamic fatigue measurements in two point flexure The method 1 described in detail in Reference 3 Test Environment The test environment should be controlled and monitored carefully so the nature of the environment can be reported in detail at the end of the experiment Standard test procedures should be consulted for suitable test environments However in my opinion the test procedures are a little incomplete For example one standard specifies a test environment of 22 3 C 50 5 humidity However if one compares measurements made at opposite ends of the permitted range i e 21 C 45 humidity compared to 23 C 55 humidity are noticeably different When comparing results and running round robin tests it 1 important to report the actual test environment it is not enough to report that the environment was within the limits specified by the test pr
18. ate primarily to stop the spring scratching the sensor Two different sizes are springs are available a shorter spring should be used for thicker tubes a longer spring for thinner tubes Extra spacer discs are supplied to adjust the position of the sensor The sensor is pressed down against the spring and the precision bore tube is inserted through the holes in the tube as shown below The sensor is then released and pressed to the side of the tube by the spring Hold the assembly up to the light and check that the tube makes a line contact across the entire face of the sensor Tube sensor assemblies should be kept separate from each other it would be best if they were laid on a foam mat The sensor case is connected to the ground of the electronics so a static discharge could Static Fatigue Testing System 25 References cause spurious break events on of the trigger boxes The foam mat should therefore be static dissipative Standard Test Methods The Fiber Sigma Static Fatigue Testing System is guaranteed to be fully compliant with the IEC 60793 1 33 standard The system is also compliant with draft TIA EIA documents that have as yet remain unpublished If you are using other standard test procedures please let us know so we can euarantee compliance Calculation of Failure Stress The peak strain in the surface of the bent fiber 1s given by d 5 1 198 1 3 C Where d 1s the diameter of the glass in
19. corrections to the TBM Controller clocks Fail Safe Operation It is planned that the TBM for Windows installation program will copy a shortcut to TBM for Windows to the startup program folder so that TBM for Windows will automatically start after a reboot Trigger Box Monitoring System 6 Static Fatigue Testing System While great effort has been made to ensure TBM Controller and for Windows program as robust as possible entirely fail safe operation 1s impossible A power brown out can crash the PC less of a problem or the TBM Controller more of a problem but not hard enough to cause a reboot This 1 best avoided by using an uninterruptible power supply for the system Unforeseen bugs in the TBM software and firmware could also cause the system to hang While such problems are unavoidable TBM for Windows logs the duration of the problem so that the significance to on going experiments can be assessed Data File Structure Data Files By default data files for the channels are stored in the Documents TBM folder N B Data files generated by TBM for DOS should be readable by TBM for Windows so that older files can be analyzed The data file contains plain ASCII text with one event per line Lines are terminated by the standard carriage return linefeed pair Each line 1 of the form yy MM dd hh mm ss comment The character represented by specifies the type of event represents the date in
20. e clamped to the side of the liquid container For more detailed information see Precision Bore Tubes Static Fatigue Testing System What is Static Fatigue Four Channel Trigger Boxes The four channel trigger box connects to up to four acoustic sensors The trigger box amplifies the signal from each sensor and detects when the signal exceeds a particular value when a fiber break 1 occurs This triggers the amplifier to output a digital pulse which 1 then logged to give the time of failure For more detailed information see the Four Channel Trigger Box section Trigger Box Monitor System The four channel trigger boxes are monitored by the Trigger Box Monitor TBM hardware Any break detections are logged in the TBM and stored The TBM unit connects to a PC via a USB connection and the TBM for Windows software on the PC collects the break detection events and displays them for the user TBM for Windows organizes the breaks for each of the 32 channels up to 4 channels for each of up to 8 trigger boxes keeping logs of a variety of events 1n addition to the break detection the experiment start time and any diagnostic events such as power failures on the trigger boxes The results for each channel can be subjected to a statistical analysis to determine for example the mean time to failure and the Weibull parameters describing the time to failure distribution The time to failure data can be exported for insertion into graphing s
21. e control clockwise increases the sensitivity until at full rotation continual triggering occurs Transducers with a resonance in the 100 kHz to 1 MHz range are best suited for use with this apparatus and are available from Fiber Sigma part number AE R15 Output The trigger output is available via the front panel BNC sockets labeled outputs and A B C and D A TTL high level pulse indicates a trigger event has occurred The red LED reflects the status of this output The output is non retriggerable so that events occurring while the output is high are ignored this prevents multiple triggering from a single intense input signal Four Channel Trigger Box 20 Static Fatigue Testing System Latched Output The amber LED indicates that an event has been detected since the last reset The LED may be reset by pressing the button labeled reset Multiplexed Outputs Multiplexed outputs from the four channels are available from three front panel BNC sockets on the right of the unit below the power input socket Each normally has an output impedance of 10 and sits at a DC voltage of 2 V Positive and negative voltage swings indicate which channel detected an event B A A 2 positive pulse indicates an event on channel B a negative pulse an event on channel A D C A 2 positive pulse indicates an event on channel D a negative pulse an event on channel 20 2 A 2 V positive pulse indicates an event on channel D a
22. e its clock using one of the internet timing signals Consult the Windows documentation on how to do this Windows greatly increases the precision of the PC clock by continuously adjusting a correction factor based on the differences found between the PC and internet clocks The clock in the PC is usually configured to automatically shift the clock as it passes from Winter Standard time to Summer Daylight savings time or vice versa If the local time were used for logging events calculation of experimental results would be greatly complicated since it would have to account for the specific clock bias for your specific time zone The simplify matters the time used by TBM for Windows 1 standard or winter time During summer daylight savings it will differ from local time by an hour in the US for example However when the local and standard times are different both are shown in the status bar at the bottom of the Main Window The time of events currently 15 logged in seconds this means that the error in the time of an event will not normally exceed one second but could be up to two seconds This is typically more than enough for a typical static fatigue experiment To summarize 1 Timing precision is about one second 2 But this assumes that the PC clock is that accurate Make sure that Windows is regularly updating its clock from an internet time server 3 Monitor the warnings region of TBM for Windows for excessively frequent or large
23. ectron microscopes The biggest defects are rare maybe only one per kilometer of fiber length so could be nearly impossible to find even if they could be imaged The biggest defects shorter lengths say less than a meter are of atomic dimension and so are effectively undetectable The presence of the defects can therefore only be inferred by measuring the strength The slow growth of the defects under the combined action of stress and environmental moisture means that the strength properties of optical fiber are time dependent In a dynamic fatigue experiment the strength 1s measured by loading the fiber up to failure at different loading rates the slower the loading rate the weaker 1 the measured strength since there is more time for the defects to grow subcritically In a static fatigue measurement the fiber is loaded rapidly to a constant stress the defects grow subcritically until failure occurs this phenomenon is also known as delayed failure In this case the higher the constant stress the shorter the time to failure Static Fatigue The practical concern 1 that an optical fiber 1 often subjected to applied stress during manufacture cabling installation and throughout its life if installed with a small amount of residual stress Delayed failure in service 1 clearly highly undesirable Reliability can be assessed by measuring the time to failure as a function of applied stress in an accelerated static fatigue experiment
24. ed from http www fibersigma com downloads The program name will be setup TBM nnn exe where n nn is the version number Running this program will install the TBM for Windows program and will also ask if you want to install the driver for the USB connection If updating TBM for Windows you can run the installation program without uninstalling the older version Also you probably will not need to reinstall the USB driver except for the initial installation Connect the Trigger Box Monitor interface box to power a 12 VDC power brick is supplied This should be connected to a reliable source of AC power It is a good idea to connect the Trigger Box Monitor to a battery backed uninterruptible power supply The PC can now be connected to the Trigger Box Monitor using the supplied USB cable and TBM for Windows can be started Connect the Trigger Box Monitor interface box to the trigger boxes using the cables supplied 10 cables of various lengths are supplied with each 32 channel monitoring system Wherever possible use the shortest cable length available that will reach this will reduce the possibility of electrical interference Secure the connectors using the screws installed in the connector shells but do not over tighten them The length of the cables in meters is marked on the connectors All ten cables are identical electrically They can be connected end to end for long runs Secure the cables to each other using the 4 40 stand offs
25. ent s can be recorded This is to avoid having the experiment and the data file getting out of synchronization If the timer starts counting down you have a few seconds to finish making any changes and close the Channel Setup Window Status Area This area shown green above shows the channel being configured and the color of the area indicates status for example green means the channel 1s currently actively logging breaks Break Counts Area The number of breaks expected on the channel the number of specimens 1s configured here For safety logging will continue after this number of breaks 1s reached until the specified maximum break count is reached at which time logging automatically stops Also shown in this area 1s the number of breaks detected so far as well as a calculation of how many breaks are left to be detected specimen count minus break count Data Analysis Area This area shows a grid containing the contents of the data file associated with the channel being configured In addition the last column includes the calculated times to failure for any detected breaks provided a start time has been specified The units are the time to failure can be selected using the radio buttons in this area The functions of the several buttons are Start Time Area This area of the Channel Setup Window provides various options for specifying the experiment start time Depending on the radio button selection the start time event can
26. ime Box 1 power on Cancel OF This dialog permits you construct a new line for the data grid it only permits creating valid events The data time for the event can be selected or edited and a message can be added Edit New Event Window EDIT NEW EVENT comment Far information Time Format Hours miniutes seconds in 24 hour Format Sat Feb 1 2014 18 01 13 Note the date time are standard time nat local adjusted such as daylight savings summer time note Cancel This dialog permits you to edit a line from the data grid This might be used to add a comment to a line or to modify the date time or comment out a spurious break event without actually deleting it Add Comment to Data File Window comment appears in output data file 7 comment for information Add comment to top of data file Add comment to end of data file Window will close in 18 seconds Exit A comment can be added to the grid either at the top of the grid e g to provide a title or testing information or at the bottom of the grid e g to add a comment on how many specimens are remaining The date time associated with the comment is the current date time There are two types of comment comments are kept with the data for example if it is to be analyzed or exported comments are stripped out before analysis or exporting Static Fatigue Testing System 17 Trigger Box Monito
27. irements eene 5 Patched OM puts 21 Software and Hardware Installation 5 Multiplexed Outputs 21 Zu Keeping 6 ZNCOUSHC Lelltale Eee eas sti els 2 Operation 6 Computer Interface eee dela aciei repe 21 Data File EUN 7 A S 21 Data Piles Pulsed Outputs 22 Log FAS Eo o o rots 3 Latched Outputs L Lp isst 22 The TBM Window System 9 Ixeset Inputs Is Rae Sete 22 D M T uU au MMMM Q 20 Channel Monitoring Information Area 2 Internal Adjustment S 22 Menu Bar 10 Trouble SHOOTING ua o poorer o doe e ERE Etre aet 23 Trigger Box Power Status Area H SDUFOUS PULSES ze cu unu oeuf oa 23 Command Buttons ATCA H Missed Trigger 23 AT in Hd Nds 12 Multiple Triggers from One Event 23 Program Options Window 12 v i PRECISION Bore 24 Email Configuration 9 13 About TBM Window 13 Sensor Attachment Issues esses 24 Undate Firmware Window MEM 14 Sensor Attachment for Liquid Test Environments 25 i Sensor Attachment for Air Gas Test Environments25 Channel Setup Window
28. ition e DC Decoupling the Multiplexed Outputs Trouble Shooting In any acoustic detection system there is a trade off between sensitivity to the events to be detected and susceptibility to extraneous noise both acoustic and electrical Here are some hints that may help if you are having difficulty detecting weak signals Spurious Pulses Spurious trigger pulses may come from several sources e Excessive noise on input power supply Make sure the 12V DC power supply is relatively clean with respect to high frequency noise and transients Move all power cables as far away as possible from the unit Check for sensitivity to high power equipment being switched on and off nearby and either screen from it or avoid its use e Inductive pickup from unused channels Set the sensitivity of unused channels to a minimum fully anti clockwise Short unused inputs to ground e Cable noise and microphonic pickup Flexing cables connected to the inputs may generate enough electrical noise to trigger the sensitive circuitry of this unit Wiggle cables to detect this problem Only use high quality cables and protect them from casual disturbance e Some acoustic sensors including the 15 sensors sold by Fiber Sigma have a case which is connected to the ground of the trigger box Avoid making electrical contact between the sensors and any other equipment which might put large voltages on the trigger box ground Missed Trigger Events In any acoustic
29. lick this button to disconnect the data file Once disconnected it is safe to access the data file from an application other than TBM Exit discard any changes button Click to discard any changes that have been made Add comment button Opens the Add Comment to Data File Window Edit line button Opens the Edit Existing Event Window so that the currently selected grid line can be edited Insert line button Opens the Edit New Event Window then inserts a new line before the currently selected line in the gird Delete line button Asks for confirmation then deletes the currently selected line from the grid Move up Move down buttons Moves the currently selected line the grid up or down Cleanup button Opens the Cleanup Data File Window Export data button Copies the time to failure currently displayed in the grid to the clipboard then showing the Export data window Analyze data Opens the Analyze Data Window The times to failure are collected from the grid and sent for analysis If the Include breaks not yet occurred check box is checked the data will include breaks yet to come as censored data Trigger Box Monitoring System 16 Static Fatigue Testing System Edit Existing Event Window EDIT EXISTING EVENT trigger box power on Time format Hours minutes seconds in 24 hour Format EE Feb 1 2014 17 05 37 PM Note the date time are standard time not local adjusted such as davlight savings or summer t
30. ments two precision clocks one in hardware and one in software clocked by a precision crystal The hardware clock is battery backed and keeps time even if the TBM Controller loses power The TBM Controller uses its software clock to log the time of events and so only uses the hardware clock to refresh the software clock when it reboots after a power loss This arrangement means that even though the controller loses any events that occur while it is without power it can immediately begin logging again when power is restored The controller has a limited buffer for storing events so it can operate for a reasonable amount of time without any interaction with TBM for Windows running on the PC The TBM for Windows obtains the date and time from the Windows operating system which is based on the PC system clock TBM for Windows periodically compares its clock with both clocks in the TBM Controller if there are any discrepancies the clocks in the controller are updated This means that the master clock is in the PC Any updates are logged by TBM for Windows so you can keep an eye out for clock problems repeated corrections or corrections larger than a second or two should be investigated Although the PC clock 1 typically less accurate than the clocks in the TBM monitor it can be independently checked via the internet and so using a single clock for defining time makes the software simpler The PC should be configured to automatically updat
31. nd system for determining fiber strength also available from Fiber Sigma contains a single channel identical to those in the four channel trigger box Much of this manual also applies to that single channel Operation Power Supply Requirements Power 15 supplied via a rear panel 2 1 mm jack socket The plug should have a positive center polarity the internal circuitry is protected from the application of reverse polarity The supply should be nominally 12 V 250 mA unregulated DC and is most conveniently supplied by the supplied wall transformer that plugs directly into the AC supply The wall transformers for international customers are universal can accept input AC voltage in the range of 100 to 240 V and 50 to 60 Hz and multiplug includes interchangeable plugs for a range of different AC sockets from around the world Specifications nominal 12 V 250 mA minimum absolute maximum 16 Input The analog signal input for each channel is via the front panel BNC socket labeled input The input impedance is approximately 10 k 2 and is capacitively decoupled The acoustic transducer or other analog input should be connected here Avoid connecting the metallic parts of the acoustic sensor to any other equipment that might apply large voltages to the trigger box input Sensitivity The potentiometer labeled sens may be used to adjust the sensitivity or the threshold level for triggering break event detection Turning th
32. nded methods for data analysis Precision Bore Tubes 26 Static Fatigue Testing System References 1 Mechanical Properties of Ceramics Second Edition by J B Wachtman W R Cannon amp M J Matthewson 2009 John Wiley amp Sons New York ISBN 10 0 471 73581 6 ISBN 13 978 0 471 73581 6 2 Matthewson amp C Kurkjian 1987 Static fatigue of optical fibers in bending J Ceram Soc 70 9 662 668 3 Matthewson Kurkjian amp S T Gulati 1986 Strength measurement of optical fibers in bending J Am Ceram Soc 69 11 815 821 4 CEMEC International Standard 60793 1 33 2001 Optical fibres Part 1 33 Measurement methods and test procedures Stress corrosion susceptibility IEC Geneva Switzerland 5 W Griffioen 1992 Effect of nonlinear elasticity on measured fatigue data and lifetime estimations of optical fibers J Am Ceram Soc 75 10 2692 2696 TBM for Windows Change History 0 02 Beta release 0 03 First release Static Fatigue Testing System vg es References
33. nearly 30 Measurements are primarily concerned with measuring while B is less important since for many reliability models it has the same value during laboratory testing and in service conditions and so cancels when calculating lifetime under service conditions Static fatigue measurements are generally consider less convenient to perform than the dynamic fatigue measurements described below This 1s because very long times to failure might be encountered if the applied stress 1s accidentally set too low Also the distribution in times to failure 15 extremely broad meaning again that the experimental duration can be inconveniently long Both these effects mean that to get results in a reasonable time a large number of specimens must be under test simultaneously typically hundreds or even thousands and the large amount of equipment needed can be expensive However static fatigue measurements more closely model the in service conditions and so are more meaningful Most measurements are made using dynamic fatigue as described below for the convenience of getting results relatively quickly However lifetime estimates require more extrapolation if based on dynamic fatigue and so are less meaningful The Fiber Sigma Static Fatigue Testing System overcomes the problems with static fatigue by loading the fibers in two point flexure using precision bore tubes The system can test large numbers of specimens simultaneously for extended durations out to ye
34. nt Issues For best performance of the system the acoustic signal reaching the sensor should be maximized so that the sensitivity of the four channel trigger box can be minimized hence maximizing noise immunity There are several sources of signal degradation in the acoustic path between the breaking fiber and the sensor The most important signal loss occurs at interfaces where reflection losses occur In contrast geometric attenuation and absorption losses are minor The distance between the fiber and the sensor has a minor effect the number and nature of interfaces the acoustic path dominates Reflection losses at an interface depend on the acoustic impedance mismatch acoustic coupling between solids liquids is reasonably good while interfaces into and out of air gas 1s have poor coupling and so their number should be minimized Therefore an air gap between the mounting surface and the sensitive face of the sensor the which ceramic disc is undesirable If the sensor is to be attached to a rough or uneven surface grease or acoustic jelly should be spread on the sensor face before attachment Petroleum jelly is a suitable coupling medium Precision Bore Tubes 24 Static Fatigue Testing System Sensor Attachment for Liquid Test Environments The acoustic sensor must be attached to the outside of the vessel containing the liquid with the white ceramic face of the sensor against the container Various attachment methods can be used
35. ocedure System Overview a Static Fatigue Testing System Trigger Box Monitor System Installation PC Minimum Requirements The Trigger Box Monitor system 1s controlled from an IBM PC or compatible The computer does not need to be particularly powerful since the time critical event logging is performed by the microprocessor in the Trigger Box Monitor unit events are then uploaded to the PC over a USB connection The PC therefore must have an available USB port TBM for Windows should run on any version of Windows since 98SE but has as yet only been tested on Windows XP SP3 and Windows 7 It runs on either 32 or 64 bit versions of Windows PC also needs to have the Microsoft Framework 3 5 or later This can be obtained directly from Microsoft contact us if you have any difficulty In due course it 1s planned that the TBM for Windows setup program will automatically install the NET Framework if needed Software and Hardware Installation Prepare the PC prior to installation by running Windows Update Also check that Windows 1s configured to regularly update its internal clock via the internet Consult Windows documentation to find out how to do this Also check that the PC has the correct time zone set changing the time zone later will introduce an offset error in any experiment spanning the standard time summer time change Run the TBM for Windows setup program The latest version of the program can be download
36. oftware or a spreadsheet Damage to the apparatus 1s possible if the equipment is not used correctly Therefore familiarize yourself with this manual before using the equipment For more detailed information see the Trigger Box Monitor System Precision Bore Tubes uec Static Fatigue Testing System What is Static Fatigue Background I recommend the book Mechanical Properties of Ceramics 2 Edition by Wachtman Cannon and Matthewson Reference 1 for detailed background on the phenomena discussed here I declare my interest in this book as a coauthor However I do not recommend it to generate royalties which are pitifully small anyway but because it lays out the topic in the way I like The most relevant chapters are 5 fracture mechanics 7 statistical aspects of strength and 8 subcritical crack growth stress corrosion fatigue which I completely rewrote for the second edition Glasses in general and optical fiber in particular are susceptible to stress corrosion cracking also know as subcritical crack growth or fatigue Tiny defects in the surface of the glass locally concentrate any applied stress causing the defects to be preferentially attacked by moisture or some other mildly corrosive environmental species The defects slowly grow and will eventually reach a critical size at which time the glass will fail by fast fracture The defects are submicroscopic they are too small to be viewed by an optical microscope and even by most el
37. r the real time clock was stopped recently suggests that the internal battery for the TBM Controller s hardware clock needs replacing It is a standard 2024 lithium coin cell which can be access by removing the lid from the TBM Controller interface box Disconnect the USB cable and power while replacing the battery x X These events report that errors have been detected in the communications between the TBM Controller and the TBM for Windows program Check the USB cable If the problem is persistent report to Fiber Sigma IO These events were used by TBM for DOS to signify censored data They are not currently implemented in TBM for Windows Log Files Log files which contain logs of all events as well as error messages are stored in the subfolder LOGS in the folder used for saving data files by default the log files are in the My Documents TBM LOGS folder There are three logs files named EVENTS_yyyymmdd INFO_yyyymmdd ERRORS_yyyymmdd yyyymmdd is the year month and day for the log file New files are created each day The contents of the log files are shown in the main window in the log file grid area Trigger Box Monitoring System 8 Static Fatigue Testing System The Window System Main Window S TEM File Data View Clear logs Event log Error lag Informatian Options 14 vr 00 0101 00 28 43 Break 00 0101 00 28 50 Break 99 12 31 23 59 59 1 powe 00 0101 00 28 51 B
38. reak 00201 01 00 28 08 Break 00701701 00 29 03 Break 00 01 01 00 28 08 Legging auti I 4 _ t 5 00 01 01 00 28 22 Start war 10 3 3c g E Elli Je le oo Far ual 14 02 01 15 31 01 Versions Software 0 03 Firmware 0 02 Channel Monitoring Information Area The above screenshot shows the main window of the TBM program Most of the area is devoted to displaying information about the individual channels 1A 1B 8C 8D The channel name 5C for example represents trigger box 5 channel C Each channel has a button which opens the Channel Setup Window for that channel Each active channel channels 1A 1B 1D and 2C in the above screenshot has a status region listing how many breaks have been detected and how many breaks are expected For example 12 breaks have been detected on channel 1A and a total number of 14 breaks is expected If the measurement is in progress i e the number of breaks is less than the expected number of breaks the status region is green If the expected number of breaks has been reached the status region 15 yellow for example channel 1B above The channel will continue to be monitored and will show yellow until the maximum number of breaks is reached as specified in the Channel Setup Window at that time the software stops monitoring the channel for any additional breaks and the status area turns red If channel monitoring is turned off in the Channel Setup Window
39. ring System Cleanup Data File Window SELECT EVENTS TO REMOVE FROM DATA FILE event types you want ta KEEF in the data file UNCHECK events want to REMOVE to clean up the data file B 6 TBM controller start and stop c hardware and software clock adjustments H TBM far windows restart Communication errors H TBM far Windows restart e TEM Controller internal errars check All Uncheck all Cancel The data files can get cluttered This window permits various classes of none critical items to be stripped out for the data file Note that break events and experiment start time S events can not be removed in this manner However they can be removed by explicitly deleting the line Export Data Window for Windows The following data have been copied to the clipboard units seconds 5 0 43 0 44 0 44 0 The data shown are exported to the clipboard comments are preserved and a comment is prepended to the data indicating the units of the data The results can be pasted directly into a graphing program Such as the Fiber Sigma Data Analysis Plugins for SigmaPlot or a spreadsheet for further analysis Trigger Box Monitoring System 18 Static Fatigue Testing System Analyze Data Window F4 DATA ANALYSIS RESULTS 5 measurements Normal distribution Mean 157 4 StdDey 238 8 StdErm 133 5 Log narmal distributian L Me
40. rname my user name WEXENXEXXENEXX Password SMTP part default 25 25 Use asecure TLS connection transport layer security From me hosting com To put each address on 4 new line poem Exit This window is used to configure the various parameters needed to send email notifications while in automatic mode Note that messages can be sent to multiple recipients If you are not sure what to use for these parameters check your email program which will already be set for sending mail in the same way or with your IT support department About TBM Window About TBM for Window TBM for Windows Trigger Monitor for logging breaking of optical fiber Version 0 03 build 0 Registered to Dell Latitude FS Copyright 2014 Fiber Sigma www fibersigma com Shows version and registered user interface The System Info button provides diagnostic information that might be requested by Fiver Sigma technical support Static Fatigue Testing System gt Trigger Box Monitoring System Update Firmware Window UPDATE TEM Controller The new firmware file will normally be found in the program folder for this application It will be in a file 5 nnn hex where nnn is the firmware version lf more than one hex file choose the one with the Step 1 Load new firmware file hex Hirmware file name firmware file loaded Follow the instructions Channel Setup Window i CHANNEL 1B CONFIGURAT
41. s those showing activity on all active channels as well as the log windows The underlying data in the data and log files are unchanged The purpose of this option is to remove clutter on the screen When the user comes back later to check the program only events that have occurred since the grid contents were hidden will be shown This makes keeping an eye on all activity easier View Show all grid contents Makes all the grid contents visible including those that might have been hidden by View Hide all grid contents File Data View Clear loge Help E Options Check for program updates Update TEM controller firmware analyze data RRR Help Help Opens the online help file Trigger Box Monitoring System 10 Static Fatigue Testing System Help Check for program update Checks the Fiber Sigma web site to see if a newer version of TBM for Windows is available The PC needs an internet connection for this function to work Help Update TBM controller firmware Updated versions of TBM for Windows might need the firmware in the TBM controller to be updated Selecting this option opens the Update Firmware Window Help About Opens the About TBM Window which shows version information and gives access to some diagnostic information Trigger Box Power Status Area mss analyze data The power status of the Trigger Boxes is shown in the grid of 8 cells If a cell
42. the fiber d is the outer diameter of the fiber coating and D 15 the internal diameter of the precision bore tube Reference 3 The stress 15 calculated from the strain via the Young s modulus E However the Young s modulus of silica 1s non linear it depends on the strain E E i as gt o sk l as 4 E is the young s modulus in the limit of zero strain and a value of 72 GPa is usually used is the large strain correction term For simple tensile testing the accepted value is 3 However in two point flexure the dependence of modulus on strain varies across the section of the fiber As a result the neutral axis shifts and the peak stress in bending is a little different For bending the corrected value of is 2 125 not 3 Reference 5 Consult a standard test procedure for more information Calculation of the Stress Corrosion Parameter n Equation 1 shows that a graph of Int versus Ino should be a straight line of slope n can therefore be simply determined by using an Excel spreadsheet to graph the time to failure data vs stress for several different tube sizes n can be determined from the slope of the trend line A better analysis is to install the Data Analysis Tool Pack into Excel not normally installed by default and then selecting Tools Regression analysis This provides a detailed description of the Int vs Ino behavior and includes an estimate of the error in n Consult a standard test procedure for recomme
43. unity these lines should be pulled up to 5 V by 5 resistors at the computer Reset Inputs H4 Hp These lines are TTL inputs that when asserted pulled to TTL low reset the corresponding channel s latch Pulling the line low 1s equivalent to pressing the front panel reset button These lines are pulled to 5 V internally via 4 7 resistors for improved noise immunity and the external device must be capable of pulling them low against this load The reset inputs may be hard wired together in order to reset all channels simultaneously from one control line 5 VDC This line makes available the 5 VDC internal regulated power supply for driving small external circuits No more than 50 mA or so should be drawn in order to avoid degrading the performance of the trigger box Internal Adjustments The buzzer that sounds when a break is detected can be turned on or off for each channel By default the buzzer 1 turned on for all channels The rear panel has an access hole A hooked rod can be inserted to adjust a four way toggle switch Pull the switch tab outwards to disable the buzzer for the corresponding channel push in the tab to enable the buzzer There are internal adjustments that can be made but they should not normally be made without consulting Fiber Sigma For your reference these are the adjustments e Output pulse duration e Gain control Four Channel Trigger Box 22285 Static Fatigue Testing System e Sensitivity zero pos
44. year month day format with two characters per field while this format is non standard worldwide except I think for Canada it has the advantage that a simple alphanumeric sort on the date and time puts all the events into chronological order nn mm ss specifies the time of the event in hours minutes seconds format the hours are in a 24 hours format running from 00 to 23 Some events are followed by a comment Note that the year represented by two digits is assumed to be 20yy If you import data files from TBM for DOS with events before January 1 2000 the dates will be assume to be in the 21 century Since this 100 years offset applies to both the start time and events times this should not cause any problems unless the data file contains events both before and after January 1 2000 Let us know 1 this 1s too much of a limitation Possible values for the event type characters and their meanings are Break event detected a signal was received from the trigger box A comment the comment can be explicitly appended to the data file from the Channel Setup Window or are added by the TBM for Windows program This is a comment which is appended to the data file by the user via the Channel Setup Window It 1s planned that comments will appear in statistical analysis output to annotate the results In contrast the comments are intended and informational only S This event signals the start time for an experiment Such events can either
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