Client:

Lehigh University
Lehigh, Pennsylvania

Product:

Series 6000 Data Acquisition System

Requirement

Provide specimen instrumentation for the new Real Time Multi-Directional (RTMD) facility located in the ATLSS Research Center at Lehigh University. The RTMD provides multi-directional real-time seismic testing, combined with real-time analytical simulations, to investigate the seismic behavior of large-scale structural components, structural sub assemblages, and super assemblages (systems). This is achieved through the combined use of dynamic actuators, reaction wall, and strong floor. This facility is also designed to support the development of new hybrid testing methods for real-time multi-directional testing of large-scale structures,where the substructures involved are at different geographic locations connected by the National Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES) network.

Solution

Engineers at the University selected Pacific’s Series 6000 integrated signal conditioning and data acquisition and PI660 software for acquisition, display and recording of specimen test data at the RTMD facility. The system consists of three enclosures with three types of signal conditioning-data acquisition modules: (1) Model 6013 for LVDTs, voltage and thermocouples; (2) Model 6014 for accelerometers; and (3) and Model 6033 for strain gages and bridge transducers. There are a total of 72 channels of Model 6013, 24 channels of Model 6014, and 160 channels of Model 6033. The 6000 Mainframe hosts a SCRAMNet card that broadcasts real time data over a fiber optical network to the RTMDsim and/or RTMDxPC for integrated simulation and control and to the RTMDtele for telepresence.

The 6000 was selected in part for its ability to condition and digitize a wide variety of transducer types, which assures that it will be able to accommodate future unforeseen measurement requirements. NIST traceability was important and implemented by the engineers at Lehigh using a Khron-Hite EDC522 calibrator and PI660 software that automatically calibrates channel gains and zeros. Shunt calibration for strain gages and bridge transducers is also employed. Independently programmable channel sample rates enable each type of measurement to be sampled at the optimum speed, conserving data storage space while providing high sample rates when needed. As a result, slow moving data such as thermocouples are sampled slowly while faster data from accelerometers is sampled at a high rate. All channels are sampled simultaneously, regardless of sample rate, providing time aligned data for analysis.

A unique feature of the RTMD system is the SCRAMNet data interface to the control system and data distribution network. The 6000 mainframe contains a built-in SCRAMNet node, allowing it to be directly connected to a shared-memory network. Data written to the SCRAMNet memory in the 6000 mainframe is available at other computers on the network in a few microseconds. This low latency data transfer is necessary for real-time control of forcing functions applied to the test structure. The 6000 mainframe also has local storage media that is used for backup data recording. This assures the continuation of acquisition and recording in the event of an interface or computer failure, while providing full data throughput rate to primary data storage media.

Special Features:

1. Wide range of input modules accommodating a wide range of transducers.
2. Independent, channel-programmable sample rates.
3. Time correlation (synchronization) of channels sampled at different rates.
4. On-board high-capacity data storage for primary or back-up data recording.
5. PI660 Software that supported all test operations without customer modification or development.
6. Inexpensive, Windows-based operator and display workstations that can be upgraded as new capabilities become available.

Installation

A description of the installed Pacific Instruments 6000 Data Acquisition System is available at NEES@Lehigh RTMD Users Guide Wiki at:
http://www.nees.lehigh.edu/wiki/index.php/RTMD_Users_Guide#Data_Acquisition

Learn More

Get more information about Series 6000 Data Acquisition and Signal Conditioning Systems.

Contact

For additional information about structural testing with Pacific Instruments Series 6000 signal conditioning and data acquisition, please contact us with your application.

Phone: 925-827-9010

Email: salesrequest@pacificinstruments.com