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Project Case Study Elevated Temperature Test of Aerospace Fuel Control Systems Mar 27, 2024 67409028-adbb-43b0-b542-bfcfcbdfdbd5 67409028-adbb-43b0-b542-bfcfcbdfdbd5 Home > Case Studies > *As Featured on NI.com Original Authors: Chris Woodhams - Argenta Edited by Cyth Systems Aerospace Fuel Control Systems The Challenge Engineers commonly test fuel metering units (FMUs) and the associated electronic interface devices (EIDs) at ambient temperature, which is not representative of the elevated temperatures they would experience when attached to an aircraft engine. This can lead to units being returned for repair after an airline has identified a temperature-dependent fault. The Solution We used LabVIEW software and CompactDAQ hardware to boost the efficiency of elevated temperature test, making it part of the standard test procedure for FMUs. This significantly improved quality control and saved hundreds of thousands of pounds in repair costs. Introduction A fuel metering unit (FMU) has several electronic interface devices (EIDs) that control the quantity of fuel delivered to an aircraft engine’s combustion system to ensure optimum performance. Commonly, during FMU testing, the EIDs are only subjected to ambient temperature, however, when the unit is installed on wing, near the plane’s engines, the operating temperature is significantly higher. Ambient temperature test may not identify temperature-dependant faults in the EIDs, which inevitably increases the volume of deployed FMUs being returned to repair facilities. This is a major issue because when an airline detects a fault in situ on the wing, the repair can cost hundreds of thousands of pounds. Left: Example of an FMU, Right: Environmental Chamber for Elevated Temperature Test We used CompactDAQ features such as: Analogue Input—Acquiring FMU measurements related to the resistance, voltage, and temperature through the harness and thermcouples. Analogue Output—Delivering an AC voltage supply to power the FMU Digital Input—Detecting when the FMU’s harness has been correctly connected to the interface box RS232—Communicating with the oven to control and monitor temperature The test setup is simple. The operator places the FMU inside an oven on the assembly line and connects the relevant harness between the acquisition system and the FMU. We initiate the test by logging into the LabVIEW software, entering the unit details, and pressing START within the main user interface. During testing, the system performs a series of operations and checks that include: Updating the temperature set point of the oven through the RS232 communications to ensure that the temperature correlates to a predefined temperature ramp Logging alarms relative to changes in analog inputs and temperature Ensuring that the system is shut down safely, if the test time exceeds three hours Updating graphs to visualize live test data on the user interface Streaming data to a technical data management (TDM) file for post-analysis LabVIEW was the perfect choice for this application as we could work in an agile manner and easily adjust the code to meet changes to the requirements. Additionally, the CompactDAQ platform not only gave us an easy solution to interface with the test software, but also met all the requirements for accuracy, reliability, and quantity of signals. High-Level System Diagram Direct Benefit to Our Client Our new test rig streamlined the elevated temperature test process, so our client could test all FMUs at elevated temperatures before they ship to airlines. As a result, our client boosted quality control, preventing potentially erroneous products from being shipped. This simultaneously minimized repair costs and improved our client’s reputation with its customers. One senior engineer explained that if an airline or an operator detects a fault in situ, on the wing, the cost to fix the problem could be hundreds of thousands of pounds. This rig increases reliability, enhances our client’s reputation with its customers, and provides a service not offered by competitors. Conclusion We used the NI platform to develop an intuitive, robust, and accurate test solution that met all the client’s objectives. Some elements of the software required high levels of accuracy to ensure the reliability of the results obtained. This tester can be left unmanned due to the built-in safety systems, so operators can perform other tasks in parallel to system testing. Finally, thanks to the flexibility of LabVIEW, we have been able to quickly modify the system to test several other aerospace technologies with minimal changes to the code. Original Authors: Chris Woodhams - Argenta Edited by Cyth Systems Talk to an Expert Cyth Engineer to learn more

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Project Case Study Machine Vision Solution Enables Steel Surface Defect Detection Mar 26, 2024 e52cefea-39b9-4e0a-ad80-a1788b99abf0 e52cefea-39b9-4e0a-ad80-a1788b99abf0 Home > Case Studies > *As Featured on NI.com Original Authors: J.A. Gutiérrez, Tecnalia Edited by Cyth Systems SURFIN 2.0 Installed in Olarra Steel Fabrication The Challenge Developing an online surface inspection system for hot conditions (above 1,000 °C) where lamination and rolling mill defects occur to reduce production cost through preventive maintenance. The Solution Using NI LabWindows/CVI, NI vision, and NI C Series hardware to create SURFIN (Pat.10382359.7-2204), a patented system that analyzes the surface quality of hot processed steel products using special lighting technologies, optical filtering, image processing, and machine learning to detect defects in products, including bars, tubes, billets, slabs, and beam blanks, in the early stages of the production process. SURFIN LabVIEW User Interface, Right: SURFIN 2.0 Real-Time Camera & Data Acquisition System Lighting is a core tool used in industrial machine vision applications. The system must control the light used in the application as well as the surrounding lighting, and, where applicable, the emission of the inspected item. This way, we can detect the surface features of the item studied as well as its color, texture, and finish. At times, the energy emitted by the object is greater than the reflected energy, as in the case of incandescent products. In these situations, it is difficult to discern the surface features of the object. To solve this problem, we developed the SURFIN system to filter the radiation due to high temperatures, and visualize the surface features. This technique provides images as if the object were cold. The solution has a special laser lighting system with wavelengths far from the radiation emitted by a hot metal, and it features a double optical filtration system. Example of steel rod with surface defect. An example of defects detected by SURFIN 2.0 when using vision technology to inspect seamless steel rods. System Description The SURFIN system incorporates a tailor-made management and detection application with an engine as a module for the analysis of image features (textures and sizes) and a defect classifier based on artificial intelligence. This module uses models of support vector machines (SVMs). The industrial conditions make the surface of the rolling mill dirty for inspection, causing spots and marks that are difficult to differentiate from true surface defects. Likewise, based on the type of material (batch, thickness, diameter), the product’s surface can greatly vary in appearance, so the system must adapt. We designed the SURFIN system to work in aggressive and variable conditions, including rough environments with extreme temperatures, rapid processing, presence of steam and oils, and varying levels of dirt. Each production line is different, so one of the key issues for the success of the SURFIN system is its flexibility to adapt to the specific needs of each client. With this flexibility, the equipment has evolved to include a number of improvements by the users. We use NI LabWindows/CVI as our standard programming tool. Its ease of programming, integration, and power make it particularly suitable for our applications. We also use NI vision to manage pictures, obtain image characteristics, and program the user interface features of the NI 9221 C Series module. To obtain the speed of a rolling mill as an analog signal, we use a USB interface. With this information, the acquisition speed is adapted to the pipe to inspect. System Improvement We installed the first SURFIN system in the factory of Tubos Reunidos in 2007 for the hot surface inspection of seamless steel tubes. The setup is composed of an inspection portico with three casings at 180 degrees, each with cameras, lighting, and the necessary optical and electronic devices. The SURFIN system sends images and data via fiber optics to a computer in the control room, where processing to detect and identify defects takes place. Different problems, including optical, mechanical, refrigeration, and cleanliness, were detected during the development of the first project that, in turn, led to a redesign and improvement of the system. The experience gave us important improvements in the installation of the SURFIN 2.0 system in the rolling mill of Aceros Inoxidables Olarra, which has a hot inspection of bars and coils. We installed the second system in October 2011. Some of the improvements in the 2.0 system model include: A more compact mechanical structure to achieve a quicker and simpler alignment of the optical elements as well as to maintain stability over the course of time for great quality images. A water cooling system for the placement of sensors and lighting closer to the product to inspect, irrespective of whether it is longer, goes through more slowly, or with a greater continuity (time between elements less than or equal to zero). Software improvements, such as a more flexible user interface with more information, bigger databases, and greater multiuser and remote management capacities. SURFIN Future We are working on a request for a new version of SURFIN for Tubos Reunidos for its final processing stages. This system requires real-time processing with speeds of up to 10 m/s to capture and obtain the image features of each element and the classification with the SVM strategy for all of the production. This implies the capture and processing of 36,000 lines per second (2,048 pixels per line times 8 bits per pixel times three cameras). The system provides a high-performing processing throughput of 216 MB/s. We examined several strategies to face this volume of data that are implemented in the new versions. An example is modular processing to execute the application threads in several machines. Another important issue is the guarantee of correct detection (calibration and verification). Although the software using prerecorded images is simple, the acquisition portion provides great challenges because it is difficult to simulate a defect pattern that can occur in real conditions. Additionally, we are working on the following improvements: real-time display, new approaches for an intelligent classifier, other active refrigeration systems, and new cleaning systems, one of which is based on self-cleaning nanostructures. Original Authors: J.A. Gutiérrez, Tecnalia Edited by Cyth Systems Talk to an Expert Cyth Engineer to learn more

Many sensors, like accelerometers and load cells, generate DC voltages for measurement, each with specific considerations to take into account. < Back Measuring Direct Current (DC) Voltage Guide | Cyth Systems Sensor Fundamentals Previous Next

Project Case Study Real-Time Defects Mapping on Integrated Circuits Using NI PXI & LabVIEW Mar 31, 2025 fa19df2d-4cc4-4110-b895-d087c3c73781 fa19df2d-4cc4-4110-b895-d087c3c73781 Home > Case Studies > An example of an PCBA which requires specific fault testing Project Summary Creating a system to localize failure mechanisms causing abnormal electrical behavior, including those linked to complex parameters (such as frequencies, amplitudes, and digital values contained in registers), in integrated circuits (ICs). Solution & Results Improving a conventional faults mapping system using NI PXI hardware and the NI LabVIEW FPGA Module. Industry Electronics, Manufacturing Technology at-a-glance NI PXI-1036 NI PXI-8102 controller NI PXI-7852R LabVIEW FPGA Module Help with Finding Faults Fault localization is complex due to decreased individual pattern sizes, increased metallization levels, and decreased voltage supplies. We needed to localize a defect measuring less than a few micrometers in a component of several square millimeters. There are several ways to do this, including using global fault isolation methods. One method uses a laser to scan an IC surface while measuring current or voltage variations induced by the laser’s photoelectric or thermal effects. With the thermal laser (λ≈1.3 m), the beam locally heats the component to change its electrical behavior. An analog system monitors some parameters (currents or voltages) during scanning. Dedicated software running on a PC then creates a map representing the circuit’s heat sensitivity. Faults are generally localized by comparing the map obtained for a reference circuit with the one resulting from a faulty circuit. We used a Hamamatsu Phemos 1000 that can create maps with 1,024 x 1,024 pixel resolution. Left: Mapping Acquisition Using a Laser-Scanning Phemos 1000 Microscope, Right: Software Developed Using LabVIEW FPGA Conventional Method Limitations With the standard Optical Beam Induced Resistive-Change (OBIRCH) laser thermal stimulation method, we can only measure voltage or current changes under local heating. We extended this method by mapping complex variables such as frequencies, amplitudes, and digital values stored in registers. Hardware System Setup We developed and validated our solution by analyzing a failure in a component that manages cell phone energy (battery power and voltage regulation) and conversions (audio, radio frequency, and supervision). This circuit contains an A/D converter (ADC) to measure various currents and voltages during phone operation. On failing components, conversion results shifted several bits (least significant). We used an NI PXI-1036 chassis equipped with an NI PXI-8102 controller and an NI PXI-7852R field-programmable gate array (FPGA) module. This NI system is inserted between the device interface board and the fault isolation equipment (Phemos 1000). This assembly ensures the component startup and the ADC control. It initiates conversions and collects the results via serial peripheral interface (SPI) bus. It performs scale conversion and transmits data to the fault localization equipment. The laser scans the chip in 72 seconds to build an image made of 1024 x 1024 pixels. Each point must be acquired and processed in less than 65 μs (pixel clock period). We chosed NI hardware because it fully met our requirements. The NI products are low cost, fast enough to process each pixel in less than 65 μs, and programmable with the LabVIEW FPGA Module . Software System Setup We created an autonomous system without requiring expertise in complex programming languages. We used LabVIEW FPGA to program the system because it provides the developer with all the needed layers: drivers, APIs, function libraries, graphical interfaces, compilation and synthesis chains. We downloaded and customized a free SPI controller from IPNet. This block can communicate with various SPI peripherals. We simplified it by removing unnecessary options and created a cell optimized for our needs. We initiated A/D conversions into the FPGA algorithm, retrieved the results, performed a scaling, and exported data to the Fault Isolation Equipment (Hamamatsu Phemos 1000). During the mapping construction, the Phemos 1000 is autonomous; it controls the scanning laser, makes voltage and current measurements, and builds laser excitation sensitivity maps. An external signal can be monitored by using an analog input of the equipment. We connected one of the analog PXI-7852R module outputs on this input. The Phemos 1000 and PXI chassis can operate asynchronously or synchronously. We validated both methods. The asynchronous method is simple to implement, but the pixel processing must be less than 65 μs. The synchronous mode is more complex and has a longer processing time. In our tests, processing was fast enough to use the asynchronous mode. Original Authors: Sébastien CANY, ST-ERICSSON Edited by Cyth Systems Talk to an Expert Cyth Engineer to learn more

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Project Case Study Monitoring Rocket Propulsion Testing Using CompactRIO Aug 12, 2023 3c5002eb-136b-4d43-b433-6b9a5f8eb681 3c5002eb-136b-4d43-b433-6b9a5f8eb681 Home > Case Studies > Rocket propulsion control and monitoring using CompactRIO The Challenge Our customer, a provider and developer of sustainably fueled rockets, approached us with the need for a system to measure over 50 I/O points critical to the research and development of their latest rocket. The Solution Using NI CompactRIO hardware, we were able to provide a benchtop monitoring and control system which enabled the real-time data logging and control of their rocket during propulsion tests. The Cyth Story//System Order of Operations The customer’s benchtop monitoring, and control system needed to provide valve control precise to the millisecond. Using NI CompactRIO hardware our engineering team developed a LabVIEW software architecture to acquire 150 data points at 50 KS/s. This enabled the programmable control and sequencing of oxidizers critical to the rocket propulsion’s chemical reaction. During Test: The fuel line is opened Ignition is fired to begin the initial fuel burn A temperature sensor measures that the fuel is burning Various valves are opened/closed in a precisely timed sequence to increase the chemical reaction Our system has enabled the valve timing to be reprogrammable between tests to allow experimentation and the development of new tests. We are working with the customer to develop an inflight control system using the NI sbRIO that will travel with the rocket in their upcoming launches. Delivering the Outcome Our monitoring and control system has improved the capabilities of our customer’s rocket propulsion testing as it has enabled the programmable control of individual I/O to a millisecond accuracy and allowed for the repeatability of rocket research development testing. NI cRIO-9074 Chassis (8 slot) Quantity I/O Type 1 NI-9237, 50 kS/s/channel, Bridge Analog Input, 4-Channel C Series Strain/Bridge Input Module 1 NI-9219, 100 S/s/ch, 4-Channel C Series Universal Analog Input Module 1 NI-9264, 25 kS/s/ch Simultaneous, ±10 V, 16-Channel C Series Voltage Output Module 2 NI-9264, 25 kS/s/ch Simultaneous, ±10 V, 16-Channel C Series Voltage Output Module 3 NI-9217, 4-Channel, 400 S/s Aggregate, 0 Ω to 400 Ω, PT100 RTD C Series Temperature Input Module Technical Specifications Qty 32 x K-Type Thermocouple Inputs Qty 16 x Bridge Completion Load Cell Input Qty 48 x 24V Industrial Digital Outputs Qty 16 x 24V Industrial Digital Inputs

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Events ||MD&M West 2025| MD&M West 2025 MD&M West 2025 February 4, 2025 Anaheim, California, USA MD&M West 2025 is a large, in-person trade show focused on medical device design and manufacturing , taking place at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, CA, from February 4-6, 2025. It is part of the larger Informa Markets Engineering (IME) West event. The event is a key gathering for professionals in the medical technology field, showcasing the latest innovations in medical devices, automation, design, and plastics.

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Project Case Study Millisecond Control for Simulating Human Lung Behavior Aug 5, 2025 851cd419-6fb6-4ebc-9558-1df8ab6589e7 851cd419-6fb6-4ebc-9558-1df8ab6589e7 Home > Case Studies > Cyth delivers lung simulation tool to MedTech startup, bringing complex mathematical models to life on NI sbRIO with FPGA millisecond control. Project Summary Medical technology startup developed a breakthrough lung simulator using Cyth's CircaFlex platform to achieve human-like respiratory accuracy for healthcare training, eliminating mechanical limitations of existing simulators through software-controlled parameter adjustment. System Features & Components Deterministic, closed-loop control to achieve microsecond-level motor control and millisecond response times for real-time simulation of lung physiology equations Software-controlled lung simulation to enable automated operation and seamless integration with existing heart simulation device to enable comprehensive training scenarios Linear actuator design to accurately simulate inhalation and exhalation volume exchanges with precise physiological feedback Outcomes Achieved human-like respiratory accuracy with nanosecond motor control and millisecond system response times Created simulator that is expected to disrupt the market, offering continuous programmatic parameter control at lower manufacturing costs than mechanical competitors Enabled comprehensive medical training across full spectrum of respiratory diseases and emergency scenarios through integrated cardiovascular-pulmonary system Transitioned manufacturing to Cyth Systems Technology at-a-glance NI sbRIO-9651 System on Module (SOM) Cyth CircaFlex-304 modular control board Cyth CircaFlex Stepper Drive Module LabVIEW Real-Time Module LabVIEW FPGA Module Mass Flowmeter and Controller (FMA-A2321) SICK Displacement Measurement Sensor (OD1-B100C50I14) SCN5 series Dyadic's Mechatronics Cylinder Round Bellow with Cuff Ends Revolutionizing Medical Training Today, you will take approximately 22,000 breaths of air ( Breathing , n.d.). Each one a part of the complex interplay of biological processes that many never need to think about. When it comes to medical emergencies and chronic respiratory issues, medical professionals must make split-second decisions about which life-saving interventions a patient might need. Many times, surgeons face an uphill battle when it comes to learning how to make those decisions. Opportunities to handle unique situations and uncommon issues cannot be properly addressed in medical textbooks or by operating on a cadaver. Furthermore, surgical teams must manage extensive patient profiles filled with complex cases, ones that are nearly impossible to learn during typical training. One medical technology startup recognized that this gap in respiratory training was putting healthcare providers and patients at risk. They set out to revolutionize how medical professionals can prepare for some of these critical moments: Emergency Medicine Training : Preparing doctors for asthma attacks, collapsed lungs, and respiratory failure scenarios Surgical Education : Training anesthesiologists and surgeons on ventilator management during operations Nursing Competency : Ensuring respiratory therapists can recognize and respond to changing patient conditions Medical Device Training : Teaching proper ventilator operation and troubleshooting across different patient scenarios Take me straight to the results Modeling Life-like Human Physiology Traditional lung simulators on the market were mechanical, inflexible devices that failed to adequately prepare medical professionals because they couldn't realistically replicate varying patient profiles and breathing models. The startup recognized their need for an advanced solution partner to help them improve: Training Realism Deficiencies: Existing lung simulators required manual adjustments to change airway resistance, meaning students couldn't experience the seamless, dynamic changes that occur in real patients. Mechanical iris systems and solenoid-based designs created jerky, unrealistic responses that failed to replicate the smooth, continuous characteristics of human respiratory function. Healthcare providers were lacking exposure to the full spectrum of respiratory diseases and emergency scenarios they could encounter. Integration & Complexity Barriers: The MedTech startup had already developed a sophisticated heart simulator, but existing lung simulators were challenging to integrate into a single system for comprehensive cardio-pulmonary medical training. Available solutions were either prohibitively expensive for educational institutions or so mechanically complex that they required extensive maintenance and specialized technical support, limiting their practical deployment in training environments. Designing-In Differentiation Considering the startup's ambitious vision to create the most realistic, responsive lung simulator ever developed, the system had to execute calculations and corresponding physical responses within milliseconds to maintain realistic human breathing patterns, as any delays would immediately break training realism and compromise educational value. Creating a life-like simulation required a system with dynamic range and continuity across the full spectrum of respiratory conditions, including: Continuous adjustment of airway resistance, from healthy breathing to severe disease states Dynamic changes in lung compliance based on simulated conditions like emphysema, collapsed lungs, and asthma attacks Precise parameter control for seamless transition between emergency scenarios Authentic physiological responses that match real patient variability The new lung simulator needed to function both as a standalone training device and as an integrated component with the medtech startup's existing heart simulator to help ensure surgical teams have access to comprehensive training simulations that demonstrate the intricate interactions between cardiovascular and pulmonary systems during medical emergencies. Striking a balance between advanced capability and economic viability was critically important to help encourage market adoption of the lung simulator. The final design had to be manufacturable at a cost point that would make it accessible to medical schools, hospitals, and training centers while maintaining the sophisticated performance characteristics required for effective education. Advanced Control Architecture The startup chose Cyth Systems because of their existing working relationship and proven expertise in solving complex real-time control challenges. Their team's expertise with precision motion control and LabVIEW programming made Cyth uniquely qualified to tackle the demanding requirements of human respiratory simulation. The system had to execute calculations and physical responses within milliseconds to maintain specified breathing patterns, as any delays would immediately break training realism and compromise educational value. The NI sbRIO-9651 was selected as the control platform to integrate into the final solution because it addressed the need for high-accuracy mathematical calculations alongside precise system control. What are the key benefits of NI sbRIO-9651?: 667 MHz dual-core CPU enabled multitasking and parallel processing Zynq-7020 FPGA provided deterministic, real-time system performance Compatibility with LabVIEW FPGA software streamlined FPGA programming because it abstracted away the low-level complexities of Hardware Description Languages (HDLs) Comparing CPU and FPGA-based processing The capabilities of the NI sbRIO-9651 were further expanded by the Cyth CircaFlex-304 . This COTS daughterboard for the NI sbRIO enabled: rapid connectivity to digital TTL lines and analog voltage input channels I/O expansion capability to enable comprehensive lung simulation control and futureproof the product CircaFlex-304 On top of this reliable hardware platform, Cyth designed a software solution that could execute the customer's complex lung function equations in real-time. Incorporated Cyth's proprietary, field-tested real-time software architecture to ensure system reliability and maximize the processing capabilities of the CPU Developed custom FPGA behavior to instantaneously calculate pressure and volume variables, based on the customer's mathematical equations, to control motor speed with life-like accuracy Explore FPGA Programming Precision Motion for Linear Actuation: Cyth developed a linear actuator system using a precision motor paired with a rubber bellows. Inhalation was simulated by actuating the motor expanding the volume of the bellows. Exhalation was simulated by the motor returning to the home position, decreasing the volume of the of the bellows. Integration of SICK displacement measurement sensor ensured all components operated within timing tolerances to continuously demonstrate critical organ interactions during medical emergencies. Software-Controlled Variability: Cyth's solution enabled programmatic control of airway resistance and lung compliance entirely through software, eliminating the need for manual adjustments required by most lung simulation solutions Cyth's custom software control provided smooth, continuous adjustment ranges Mechanical wear and continuous maintenance requirements mitigated by software-enforcement of hardware operating ranges Precision Timing Solutions: Initial testing revealed communication delays that compromised human-like responsiveness, so Cyth's engineers chose to bypass the stepper motor's control board: Spliced directly into TTL lines for step and direction control Replaced the RS232 communication with custom CircaFlex Stepper Drive module Achieved nanosecond-range motor operation and one-millisecond system response delays The NI sbRIO-based design, paired with Cyth's CircaFlex platform, enabled seamless integration with the customer's existing heart simulator. The integration of these two simulators created a comprehensive cardiopulmonary training system capable of demonstrating the critical interactions between these organ systems during medical emergencies. Cyth's LabVIEW FPGA programming expertise, paired with their field-tested control system software architectures, allowed them to create an intuitive solution that medical educators can use to program diverse disease scenarios while maintaining the mathematical precision required for authentic training experiences. Explore Cyth Engineering Capabilities With the integration of the lung and heart simulators into a single system at an optimized price point, the MedTech startup decided to entrust the manufacture of their products to Cyth's Manufacturing Engineering team in San Diego, California. Economically Viable, Technically Superior The medtech startup expects to disrupt the lung simulation market by outperforming their competitors with a solution capable of seamlessly and reliably delivering comprehensive training scenario coverage with realistic physiological responses. The simulator's nanosecond-level motor control and millisecond response times deliver life-like respiratory dynamics to prepare healthcare providers for real-world emergencies. For the MedTech startup, the most differentiated capabilities that the NI sbRIO and Cyth CircaFlex brought to the solution were: FPGA-enabled precision for calculating simulation parameters with continuous adjustment response times Hardware standardization across heart and lung simulators for improving system reliability and simplifying manufacturing processes Flexible hardware and software platforms for ensuring adaptability of system to future requirements The MedTech startup is primed to penetrate their target market of educational institutions with a clear business case: Technically superior simulations deliver high training effectiveness Economically viable price point facilitates capital equipment acquisition The MedTech startup and Cyth continue to collaborate on advancing cardiopulmonary simulation. Their goal of continuous improvement in healthcare training technology ensures that these products will remain at the forefront of medical education industry. Let's Talk Citations Breathing . Breathing | Canadian Lung Association. (n.d.). https://www.lung.ca/lung-health/lung-info/breathing

Events ||Interphex| Interphex Interphex April 1, 2025 New York City, NY NTERPHEX is the leading global pharmaceutical and biotechnology event that fuses essential industry innovation with expert-led conferences. It’s a critical gathering where the newest ideas are shared, groundbreaking technology is unveiled, and the power of science through commercialization comes to life. No matter where you are in the pharmaceutical development lifecycle, INTERPHEX provides indispensable solutions to drive growth and fuel scalability for your business.

Project Case Study Hardware-Timed Automation Accelerates Gas Meter Testing Aug 26, 2025 ebb19eb2-e31a-46d6-adbf-ae7a268be0ae ebb19eb2-e31a-46d6-adbf-ae7a268be0ae Home > Case Studies > Industrial gas meter manufacturer improved product quality and validated accuracy by incorporating NI CompactRIO into end-of-line piston prover test. Cyth Engineer with high-precision calibration & prover system Project Summary Industrial gas meter manufacturer automated their end-of-line piston prover testing with an NI CompactRIO solution that improved quality control processes and validated product accuracy to meet the United States’ units and measures standards. System Features & Components cRIO instrumentation incorporated 80+ sensor inputs/outputs for handling comprehensive flow, valve control, temperature, pressure, and humidity measurements Custom closed-loop PID algorithm for precise piston control, integrated safety control loops, and pressure release valves for safe operation at high pressures Positioning system achieved accurate measurements, with nanometer-level precision, using linear encoder and laser detection technologies calibrated with standard gauge blocks Outcomes Achieved the nanometer-levels of precision and accuracy required for fiscal gas meter calibration and validation by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Office of Weights and Measurs (OWM) Enabled continuous, automated testing through implementation of the cRIO system that simultaneously manages both the control of actuating hardware and the measurement of necessary sensors Successfully deployed system within project timeline constraints despite equipment access limitations making remote development necessary Technology at-a-glance NI cRIO-9074 NI C Series Modules NI 9425 industrial digital input module NI 9477 industrial digital output module NI 9208 current input module (flow, temperature, pressure, and humidity sensors) NI 9217 analog input module NI 9401 5VTTL digital input and output module NI 9263 analog output module NI LabVIEW Real-Time & LabVIEW FPGA Modbus and Ethernet/IP industrial communication protocols Custom PID control algorithms Safety and Compliance in Fiscal Custody Transfer In the natural gas industry, accuracy is not just important, it’s legally mandated. Industrial natural gas meters are fiscal custody transfer devices, the critical measurement point where customers are charged for their energy consumption, making measurement precision a requirement for protecting the interests of consumers and providers. These measurement devices must meet stringent accuracy standards set by the Office of Weights and Measures (OWM) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The accuracy of these meters directly impacts: Consumer trust and fairness – ensuring customers pay only for what they actually consume Regulatory compliance – meeting strict standards set by government agencies Economic stability – supporting fair trade within the multi-billion dollar energy market Safety and reliability – maintaining proper pressure and flow monitoring in gas distribution systems Every industrial gas meter must be rigorously tested and calibrated before deployment and must also be re-certified annually to maintain accuracy. This calibration process relies on specialized piece of equipment, a natural gas prover. Provers are reference standards capable of generating known, precise volumes of gas to enable the verification of a meter’s readings. Modernizing Legacy Equipment A leading manufacturer of industrial natural gas meters was at an inflection point - their competitive position could change due to the age of their existing piston prover design. As an exclusively analog system, it could no longer meet the demands of modern infrastructure expansion and industrial customer needs. They were experiencing several pain points that were becoming increasingly problematic: Quality Control Bottlenecks: Slow, inconsistent manual testing processes created production delays and strained customer relationships. Each gas meter required extensive manual intervention during testing, making it difficult to scale production to meet growing customer demand. Accuracy Concerns: With analog controls, achieving repeatable, precise measurements was challenging. The lack of digital precision meant potential variations in test results, which could lead to meters being incorrectly certified or requiring costly retesting. Compliance Pressure: US Units and Measures boards maintain strict accuracy standar ds for fiscal measurement devices. Any uncertainty in their calibration process could result in regulatory issues, customer complaints, or even legal liability if meters proved inaccurate in the field. Competitive Disadvantage: Other manufacturers were modernizing their testing capabilities, offering faster delivery times and more rigorous quality assurance. The company needed to modernize or risk losing market share to competitors with more advanced testing systems. Fully-Automated Testing The manufacturer's primary goal was transforming their analog piston prover into a state-of-the-art, automated testing system capable of handling the most demanding accuracy requirements while improving production throughput and quality consistency. They needed a fully automated, gas meter testing solution that could achieve nanometer-level precision in control and measurement, handling over 80 different sensor inputs and outputs, all while maintaining the safety standards required for high-pressure gas testing operations. The greatest engineering challenges for their team were: Dual-System Architecture: The modernized prover needed two separate but coordinated subsystems—one to control the mechanical operations and another for automated testing and measurement tracking. These systems had to communicate seamlessly to coordinate the entire test process. Precision Requirements: The system needed to meet the exacting accuracy standards required by regulatory bodies, with the ability to calculate air volume versus meter readings within tolerances that would satisfy US Units and Measures board requirements. Multi-Rate Testing: The prover had to test meters at three different flow rates, determined by precise piston head acceleration and speed control, requiring sophisticated motion control capabilities. Understanding the Physical System The main chamber of the piston prover was a cylindrical drum body measuring 6 feet in diameter and 20 feet in height. A piston pushed air out of the drum body and into the meter via an outflow valve and pipe system. The piston’s movement had to be precisely controlled to calculate the exact amount of air pushed out of the body. The calibration and certification process for a natural gas meter compares the calculated air volume pushed through the system with the measurement of the gas meter to determine its accuracy. Sufficiently accurate meters are rated as ready for market deployment; inaccurate meters would undergo further calibration to ensure they would be deployment-ready. The prover system’s repeatability and accuracy were critical, as each validated meter required annual re-certification to maintain their functional accuracy certifications. Complex Remote Development The gas meter manufacturer chose to enlist the help of Cyth Systems to tackle their technical challenges because of our expertise developing precision control systems and capability to develop complex automation solutions remotely. Cyth’s engineering team selected the NI CompactRIO (cRIO) platform to fulfill the system’s control and automation requirements. A couple of key features of the cRIO influenced this decision: Real-time performance: The programmability of the NI Linux Real-Time Operating System (RTOS) and FPGA, using LabVIEW Real-Time and LabVIEW FPGA, enabled the implementation of hardware-timed programming loops to run at 25-nanosecond intervals. These tight timing tolerances were necessary for meeting the system’s safety relay requirements. Comprehensive I/O coverage: The system had a high channel count and a large mix of I/O and sensor types including flow, valve control, temperature, pressure and humidity sensor readings. The compatibility of the cRIO platform with NI’s C Series modules enabled the rapid and reliable integration of all the I/O required. despite the high channel count and high mix of I/O. Automated measurement system handling 80+ sensor inputs and outputs Cyth designed a precision control system with advanced closed-loop PID algorithms programmed in LabVIEW Real-Time and FPGA modules. The system continuously monitored piston speed and pressure feedback to enable precise acceleration and deceleration control across three different flow rates, ensuring reliable operation over thousands of measurement cycles. Advanced motion control: Custom closed-loop PID algorithms managed piston acceleration and deceleration with continuous speed and pressure feedback adjustments throughout the testing process. Nanometer-precision positioning: Linear encoders combined with laser detection systems and metrology standard gauge blocks ensured absolute accuracy in piston positioning for fiscal meter calibration. Flexible multi-rate testing: System operated reliably across the full range of loads and flow rates required for comprehensive meter validation. The piston prover’s two separate systems: control and automated test. Implementing Comprehensive Safety Systems Considering that pressure inside the prover could reach over 200 PSI, operational safety was critical for this system. Cyth's development team implemented two distinct safety loops that continuously monitored all critical parameters, including pressure levels, piston position, and system status to provide multiple, redundant protection mechanisms. Automatic Safety Override: An independent, dedicated safety control loop was implemented to instantaneously override the system if any unsafe conditions were detected. Emergency Stop: A comprehensive emergency stop sequence, including a pressure release valve and a hard stop for the motor driving the piston, was incorporated to enable operators to immediately halt testing in case of emergency. Piston prover control system. Overcoming development obstacles The project's most significant challenge was developing and testing the prover's control systems remotely, since the massive equipment located in Texas was too large and cost-prohibitive to ship to Cyth's San Diego facility. Cyth overcame this challenge by developing hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation and conducting rigorous factory testing to enable rapid deployment within the customer's two-day integration window. Hardware-in-the-loop simulation: HIL model developed on NI cRIO-9074 enabled comprehensive testing of piston controls and sensor validation through physical transducer actuation without access to actual equipment. Rigorous pre-deployment testing: System pre-assembly and Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) performed in San Diego to ensure all components were verified and ready for immediate integration at the gas meter manufacturer's facility. Rapid site deployment: Full system integration and Site Acceptance Testing (SAT) performed within the customer's maximum two-day downtime window The piston prover control systems during installation. Operational Excellence Through Test Modernization The comprehensive two-part control and automated testing system upgrade enabled the industrial gas meter manufacturer to successfully modernize their end-of-line testing capabilities. Their quality control processes were dramatically improved while expanding their testing capabilities and streamlining regulatory compliance processes. Precision Achievement: The deployed system achieved the nanometer precision accuracy required by the piston prover's air delivery system, meetin g all US Units and Measures board standards for fiscal custody transfer applications. Operational Excellence: Since deployment, the system has been running consistently and reliably, helping the customer validate their industrial natural gas meters for both consumer and provider applications. The automated nature of the system has improved testing throughput while maintaining the high accuracy standards required for regulatory compliance. Platform Advantages: The NI CompactRIO hardware platform met all high-speed communication requirements while managing over 80 sensor inputs and outputs through LabVIEW programming. The platform's modularity and programming flexibility were critical to the system's development success and ongoing maintainability. Let's talk

Project Case Study Modular Control of MRI Robot Using CompactRIO and LabVIEW Real-Time Mar 27, 2024 95619829-2b88-4711-aed6-24d825f5acce 95619829-2b88-4711-aed6-24d825f5acce Home > Case Studies > *As Featured on NI.com Original Authors: Paulo Carvalho, Worcester Polytechnic Institute Edited by Cyth Systems MRI Robot The Challenge By combining MRI 3D intraoperative imaging with robotics, we have been able to create healthcare professionals can create guiding interventions with precise closed-loop instrument delivery. But because MRI is highly sensitive to electromagnetic interference (EMI), healthcare professionals need a low-noise, modular control system for use with MRI-safe surgical robots. The Solution By combining MRI 3D intraoperative imaging with robotics, we have been able to create a surgical guide robot that assists surgeons during minimally invasive brain surgery. This has been made possible by creating an NI CompactRIO-based multi-axis piezoelectric motion control system. The Story The Automation and Interventional Medicine Robotics Research Laboratory (AIM Lab) at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), was founded to enhance healthcare through smart medical robotic systems. The lab supports a wide array of projects related to healthcare cyber-physical systems. The AIM Lab’s core capabilities range from low-level embedded system hardware to robot design and high-level control software. A primary focus area is an image-guided intervention, for which primarily MRI is used to provide “closed loop” surgical interventions. Left: Left: NeuroRobot Inside the MRI Bore Right: A Closeup of the CompactRIO SOM in the Top Left Corner of the Completed Control System Prototyping Challenges Our surgical robots operate inside the bore of an MRI machine. The MRI both injects noise into electrical sensors and is sensitive to electrical noise. The machine’s intense and fast-changing magnetic fields require carefully designed systems that operate in or near it. The sensitivity to electrical noise in the megahertz range also requires the drive systems to produce clean signals that do not overlap the frequency band used by the MRI for imaging. Furthermore, a surgical robot requires precise coordination among all its motion axes so that paths are followed precisely as the surgeon intends. Our first prototypes used a SOM that contained the Xilinx Zynq-7030 system on a chip and met most of our needs. However, the lack of an integrated programming environment significantly increased prototyping time. As a result, we redesigned our system to incorporate the NI CompactRIO SOM that uses a developer-friendly FPGA hardware description visual programming language in NI LabVIEW and exports a C API in easy-to-use header files. This enabled faster software development so our team could focus on our core value proposition instead of infrastructure work. An established development environment and commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware also enhance our ability to validate the system as we move towards scale-up and commercialization. How It Works The control system is composed of five different types of boards: backplane, daughtercard, power input, power distribution, and breakout (Figure 1). This architecture ensures we meet the system’s modularity requirement while maintaining all the required safety features of a medical device. The backplane connects the entire system and provides a gateway to external control. It is the largest circuit board in the system. The backplane interfaces the CompactRIO SOM to each one of the up to 10 daughtercards with individual sets of LVDS SPI lines, a heartbeat, a card detect line, and a card reset line. Gigabit Ethernet over a fiber-optic connection jack serves as the primary connection between the backplane and external entity (Figure 4). The CompactRIO SOM runs the NI Linux Real-Time OS on which our custom control software runs. A LabVIEW implementation of hardware SPI blocks and a packet parser for each daughtercard connection offloads processing from the ARM core. The use of the LabVIEW FPGA Compile Cloud Service reduced our FPGA image creation time by approximately 25 percent. Each daughtercard attaches to the backplane via PCI Express-style connectors and handles the low-level control of one robot axis. This includes motor actuation, sensing, and encoder-counting functionalities. The number and type of daughtercards can vary depending on the system. The power input board receives raw power from the power supplies, measures current usage, and switches on and off power for the motor supply rails. This board is a key member of the safety chain. It analyzes the state of each of the heartbeat signals, detects which slots have daughtercards physically present, emergency stops the system, and independently determines whether the switched rails should be powered. The power distribution board provides voltage rails to the daughtercards. The robot-dependent breakout board connects one or more daughtercards to the cable that connects to the robot inside the MRI. The Application This motion control system is the first to be modular enough to work with multiple MRI surgical robots; operators simply replace the daughtercards that drive each axis to match the motor and sensor types of that specific robot. The control system is currently used as a controller for two different MRI-compatible surgical robots: the NeuroRobot (in preclinical trials) to ablate deep brain tumors and the ProstateRobot (a previous variation was used in a clinical trial) to conduct targeted biopsies. See figures 2 and 3, respectively. Stereotactic neurosurgery is a form of minimally invasive surgery that uses a 3D coordinate frame to target locations inside the brain through a single burr hole. However, the requirement to use preoperative images for surgical planning can lead to errors of up to 20 mm due to brain shift when the actual procedure takes place. The NeuroRobot addresses this issue by remaining in the bore with the patient during MR imaging and aligning itself with the target locations based on interactively updated intraoperative image feedback. The robot has a total of 7 degrees of freedom including insertion and probe rotation. We are experimenting with using the robot to ablate brain tumors using interstitial needle-based high-intensity focused ultrasound transducers; it can also be used for other procedures such as biopsy, electrical stimulation, gene therapy delivery, and brachytherapy, which involves implanting small radioactive seeds near or inside a tumor. Accurate prostate biopsies are an important step towards the diagnosis of prostate cancer, which is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men in the United States. Although intraoperative imaging is sometimes used in clinical prostate biopsies, manual open-loop insertions suffer from decreased targeting accuracy due to unmodeled needle deflection and target shift. The use of real-time MRI alongside a robot for closed-loop active compensation to steer the needle towards the target can help address this issue. We are also experimenting with virtual fixturing as a way to program the robot to guide the needle around sensitive structures. This adds an extra layer of safety to the procedure. The strong magnetic fields in the MRI do not allow for the use of common electrical actuators such as DC motors. Instead, these robots use piezoelectric resonant motors. These actuators have a thin lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ring attached to a copper stator that when vibrating at resonance creates a traveling wave that leads to the rotation of the rotor through frictional coupling. To properly control these motors, the control system needs to identify the resonance point and tune the drive frequency around it based on the desired velocity. Original Authors: Paulo Carvalho, Worcester Polytechnic Institute Edited by Cyth Systems

Project Case Study Precision Control System Advances Global Health Jul 25, 2025 e4d12765-15be-46c2-a5ff-6808e232fb7c e4d12765-15be-46c2-a5ff-6808e232fb7c Home > Case Studies > Learn how a pharma process startup is exceeding vaccine quality metrics with their disruptive microfluidics technology built on the NI cRIO platform. Project Summary A pharma process startup needed a robust control system to integrate their disruptive pharmaceutical manufacturing IP into a full-scale production line. Cyth delivered a cRIO-based control system with a scalable software architecture for enabling future volume deployments. System Features & Components Enable reduction in cost per dose of vaccine through scale-out of biopharmaceutical production in flexible, localized deployment models Mitigate risks to project completion, due to cash flow constraints, through rapid prototyping and extensive parallel testing Develop and deploy a cRIO-based system that can be optimized for future deployments on NI's sbRIO platform Support the solution's regulatory compliance through highly-vetted system BOM, detailed project documentation and regular weekly collaborations Outcomes The beta system exceeded initial purity and homogeneity metrics, demonstrating superior vaccine quality and compelling a multinational pharmaceutical manufacturer to integrate this startup’s technology into their full-scale production line. The precision, reliability and scalability of the solution are helping to further global health initiatives by driving vaccine production costs down and enabling highly-localized manufacturing. Technology at-a-glance Hardware NI cRIO-9066 NI C Series modules Peristaltic pumps Mass flow controllers Stepper motors Customized industrial enclosure and electromechanicals Software NI LabVIEW NI LabVIEW Real-Time NI LabVIEW FPGA Reduce Cost with Scalable Technologies Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for equal, global access to high-quality vaccines has become evident. In many parts of the developing world, vaccines are difficult to access and prohibitively expensive. To achieve a 70% vaccination rate, low-income countries would need to increase their health expenditure by 30-60%, while high-income countries would only need to increase theirs by 0.8%. (1) To help reduce the cost of vaccines in the developing world, and further global health equity, one biopharmaceutical startup is determined to leverage their rapidly scalable microfluidics technology to: Increase the shelf life of injectable drugs through precise control in manufacturing Enable local production of vaccines in areas with limited infrastructure Facilitate the implementation of precise and repeatable vaccine production into continuous manufacturing workflows To prove the quality and efficacy of the mRNA vaccines manufactured with their novel microfluidics technology, they needed to provide their pharmaceutical manufacturing end-customer with a beta system capable of: Precisely and deterministically controlling fluid flow Occupying a relatively small footprint, compared to typical manufacturing “skids” Seamlessly integrating into a continuous manufacturing workflow To meet this demand, this startup turned to Cyth Systems to bring their vision to life in a few months, ensuring they could deliver an industrialized, robust system to a global biopharmaceutical manufacturer. Flexible, Deterministic Process Control Biopharmaceutical production tasks require a delicate orchestration of variables, including temperature, pressure, mass and flow rate. Slight, unexpected variations in any of these variables could compromise the quality and shelf life of the biopharmaceuticals produced, which could result in decreased efficacy of the drug for patients or high costs to manufacturers if regulation compliance is breached. To ensure the delivery of high-quality and cost-effective vaccines to patients, it’s necessary to: Optimize the scalability of bioprocesses from drug development through manufacture Mitigate the total cost of goods by minimizing batch failures and maximizing yield Maximize the ROI of capital assets through continuous manufacturing processes with minimal downtime To overcome these challenges, this startup needed a high-performance and versatile platform. They needed instrumentation capable of deterministic, high-reliability process control, while being flexible enough to adapt to changes in interconnected processes in the manufacturing line. Even though they had clear requirements for the platform they would integrate with their IP, their limited experience with advanced control system design put them at risk of missing delivery deadlines or running out of cash before a final solution was completed. Scalable and Flexible Architecture To implement an advanced control system and deliver a high-reliability product to their end customer in a few months, this biopharmaceutical startup partnered with Cyth Systems, an expert in industrial process automation and embedded control systems design. The solution was built on NI’s CompactRIO (cRIO) platform, a flexible, high-performance control system ideal for complex biopharmaceutical applications. With such high levels of precision and control needed, the platform’s real-time operating system (RTOS) and field-programmable gate array (FPGA), were critical. NI cRIO-9066 chassis RTOS key features: Deterministic performance: predictable and consistent execution of tasks with minimal jitter Real-time control: precise timing and low-latency responses Reliability: stable platform for mission-critical applications, reducing the risk of system failures Security: native support for Security-Enhanced Linux FPGA key features: High-speed performance: control loop rates can exceed 100 kHz, enabling rapid response for time-critical processes Custom timing and triggering: precise, reliable control of system operations through the implementation of advanced timing and triggering directly on the hardware Parallel processing: inherent parallelism of the FPGA enhances overall system efficiency through simultaneous execution of multiple tasks Flexibility and customization: software implementation of custom logic, signal processing and control algorithms Learn more about NI's Embedded Platform Cyth worked closely with the startup throughout system development process. Their objectives were twofold: To meet the startup’s immediate beta-testing requirements. To establish a clear, scalable path to long-term product development goals by implementing a scalable and flexible software architecture. Custom user interface alongside cRIO with custom breakout boards and wiring, all developed and built by Cyth. The core aspects of the solution included: Real-time control: High levels of time determinism were essential to ensure precision operation and seamless orchestration of processes in the production line. Integrated inline sensing : Sensors for temperature, pressure, flow rate, and mass were integrated inline to ensure continuous, closed-loop monitoring of the production process. Iterative Development: Regular project meetings were held to incorporate feedback, allowing for ongoing refinement of the system to meet evolving needs. Scalable Architecture: The system was designed with scalability in mind, ensuring it could grow alongside the startup’s expanding production capabilities. Additionally, the cRIO security features facilitated secure, remote access to the system, enabling Cyth to help the biopharma startup incorporate adjustments and optimizations to the system during Site Acceptance Testing. The final solution was a package of hardware and software: Hardware: cRIO-9066 NI C Series modules Peristaltic pumps Mass flow controllers Stepper motors Custom, folded aluminum enclosure with printed vinyl labels Software: NI LabVIEW NI LabVIEW Real-Time NI LabVIEW FPGA NI C Series Modules Localized Manufacturing Cyth transformed the biopharma startup’s requirements into a robust and flexible platform for producing vaccines. The beta system delivered to the biopharmaceutical manufacturer was integrated into a small-scale production line. The vaccines produced exceeded the initial metrics for purity and homogeneity. Recently, this multinational biopharmaceutical manufacturer decided to integrate this pharma process startup’s technology into their full-scale production line because of its exceptional performance and ability to adapt to future production requirements. Specifically, they highlighted: Excellent quality of manufactured mRNA vaccines High levels of precision in process control Expandability of I/O for more complex, or higher throughput production in the future High reliability of system throughout continuous manufacturing testing This novel microfluidics solution enables the production of superior quality vaccines in highly localized settings. The high precision, reliability and scalability of this solution are poised to dramatically reduce the cost of vaccine production. As this technology is integrated into full-scale manufacturing, it brings the biopharmaceutical startup closer to realizing its vision of eliminating global vaccine inequity by increasing access to life-saving biologics worldwide. Let's Talk Citations United Nations Development Programme. (2021, April 18). Global Dashboard for vaccine equity: Data Futures Exchange . Data Futures Exchange. https://data.undp.org/insights/vaccine-equity

Project Case Study Custom EMF Measurement Solution Doubles End-of-Line Test Throughput Sep 3, 2025 67a7648a-5837-418e-8c73-8e8dba312df5 67a7648a-5837-418e-8c73-8e8dba312df5 Home > Case Studies > Medical manufacturer automated EMF device testing with dual-station NI PXI system, reducing test cycles from hours to minutes while doubling throughput. Dual-station test system built on NI PXI platform Project Summary Medical manufacturer automated EMF device testing with dual-station NI PXI system, reducing test cycles from hours to minutes while doubling throughput. System Features & Components Dual-station automation enabling single operator to manage two test stations simultaneously High-speed PXI analog I/O integrated with fluxgate magnetometers for precise electromagnetic field measurement Automated firmware uploading and multi-level power testing to simulate battery conditions LabVIEW user interface with automated pass/fail determination and database integration Seamless integration with existing Helmholtz coil test fixtures Barcode scanning and automated data logging for quality control traceability Outcomes Reduced testing time from hours to five minutes per device with automated measurement protocols Doubled testing throughput through dual-station operation managed by single operator Turnkey solution delivered within 8-week timeline and project budget Technology at-a-glance NI PXIe-6341 Multifunction DAQ NI PXI-4110 Programmable DC Power Supply NI PXI-2564 16 SPST Relay Module NI LabVIEW software architecture LabVIEW Database Connectivity Toolkit MEDA Fluxgate Magnetometers Barcode scanners Dell Embedded Industrial PCs Ruggedized, custom mobile cart design Electromagnetic Compatibility Electromagnetic field (EMF) medical devices are regularly used to support patient well-being in applications like pain management, nerve stimulation, and muscle rehabilitation. These EMF medical devices rely on precisely controlled magnetic pulses to deliver therapeutic benefits, and therefore must meet rigorous safety and performance standards to ensure therapy efficacy and patient safety. The FDA requires EMF medical devices to comply with Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) standards to ensure these devices are compatible with their electromagnetic environment. Compatibility entails: Immunity: medical device must not malfunction when exposed to electromagnetic interference (EMI) Emissions: medical device’s own EMF emissions must not interfere with other medical devices or electronics in its environment Due to the complexity of EMF medical devices and the high-stakes associated with patient safety and capital expenditure investments in medical equipment, the manufacturing and quality control of EMF devices has traditionally required labor-intensive, manual testing methodologies. End-of-line Test Bottlenecks A leading medical device manufacturer faced significant production and end-of-line test bottlenecks because of this paradigm. Production was constrained by slow, manual testing procedures which prevented them from scaling up their operations to keep up with growing market demand. When regulatory compliance requirements and quality control standards demanded faster, more consistent testing processes, the manufacturer realized their manual approach would no longer suffice. Our client had an industrial test fixture that incorporated a Helmholtz coil to produce a region of uniform magnetic field. When there is a change in the magnetic field of the Helmholtz coil, a current is induced because of the detected magnetic waves. This concept was incorporated into the client's design of their industrial test fixture to test their product—an electromagnetic medical device. The greatest limitations of their existing test workflow were: Manual Testing Inefficiencies: Their existing electromagnetic field measurement process was labor-intensive and time-consuming, creating quality control bottlenecks Single-Station Limitations: Their current testing setup created workflow bottlenecks, with operators managing only one test station at a time To produce a high-quality, EMC product, keep up with customer demand and protect their market position, they required: Increased Testing Throughput: Growing market demand required faster, more automated testing procedures to meet delivery timelines (Leads to need for automated test) High Measurement Accuracy: Precise electromagnetic field measurements were essential for regulatory compliance and ensuring therapeutic device effectiveness The company needed an automated solution to measure and quantify the electromagnetic waves their medical devices emitted while simultaneously increasing testing throughput and maintaining high accuracy standards. Automated, Parallel Testing This medical device manufacturer approached Cyth Systems for help mitigating the testing bottlenecks that threatened their growth and capture of market share. Cyth designed and built a turnkey automated solution using NI PXI hardware and LabVIEW software capable of: Powering and pulsing the devices-under-test (DUTs) Interfacing with the industrial test fixture to induce and read current measurements Automatically acquiring and analyzing all measurements Parallel Test System Architecture: The system's architecture enabled a single test operator to simultaneously interface with and run two industrial test stations, dramatically increase testing efficiency and throughput. A LabVIEW user interface and software architecture provided operators with simple controls that logged acquired data directly to the client's database via Ethernet. Explore Cyth ATE Capabilities Custom EMF Measurement Solution: Our engineering team designed the system to measure and quantify the electromagnetic waves the client's medical device emitted using fluxgate magnetometers that measure the direction, strength, and relative change of magnetic fields. We acquired these measurements using high-speed PXI analog inputs for maximum precision and speed. At all times, the device's provided power was precisely controlled to measure the power consumption of the device under test (DUT). The analog output lines of the PXIe-6341 were used to generate waveforms to enable the measurement of changes in the pulsation of the device's electromagnetic field (EMF). HMI for test operators using dual-station test cart System Order of Operations: An operator loads the EMF medical device into the client's industrial test fixture, scans the barcode, and connects the required wiring The operator begins the test on the LabVIEW user interface (UI) menu Our system uploads firmware to the client's device and performs a low-level power on before testing the client's device at different power levels (to simulate battery power conditions) The device is pulsed, and our system automatically reads and acquires the electromagnetic signals using the NI PXI high-speed analog I/O, with readings measured using the fluxgate magnetometer The percentage error between control and measured magnetic field readings is calculated by LabVIEW algorithms and deems the device a pass or reject sample on the user interface The measured data is automatically uploaded by our system into the client's database via Ethernet Once the test is complete, the UI prompts the operator to load the next sample and repeat the process Cyth Consulting Capabilities Sustainable by Design The automated parallel testing solution delivered transformative results that exceeded the medical device manufacturer's initial expectations for operational efficiency improvements, product quality improvements, and streamlined regulatory compliance: Operational Efficiency: Five-minute test cycles: Test time reduced from hours to approximately five minutes per device. Dual-station capability: Single test operator enabled to manage two test stations simultaneously, parallelizing testing and doubling testing throughput. Automated data management: Manual data entry errors eliminated through automated datalogging. Streamlined compliance: Automated datalogging to servers ensured accurate, consistent regulatory compliance and device calibration documentation. Quality and Compliance Benefits: Enhanced precision: Fluxgate magnetometer measurements ensured measurement accuracy levels compliant with FDA regulations. Improved repeatability: Automated testing protocols eliminated human variability and increased product quality consistency. Real-time pass/fail determination: Immediate pass/fail results enabled rapid decision-making for operators and reduced bottlenecks impacting test throughput. Technical Achievement: 8-week delivery: System design, build and testing completed within client's aggressive, two-month timeline requirement. Budget compliance: Solution delivered within the client's fixed budget. Seamless integration: Final solution interfaced flawlessly with medical device manufacturer's existing industrial test fixtures and database infrastructure. Market Position Impact The automated testing solutions's impact extended beyond operational improvements by strengthening the medical device manufacturer's competitive position in the market. The high test throughput achievement enabled the company to meet growing market demand without sacrificing the quality required for medical device regulatory compliance. The precision measurement and automated documentation capabilities of the automated testing solution became key differentiators for the medical device manufacturer, as they could now to guarantee consistent, repeatable testing results that exceeded industry standards. The automation framework was designed with adaptability to future customer and product requirements in mind, leveraging the I/O modularity of NI PXI hardware, with the flexibility of the LabVIEW software to position the medical device manufacturer for sustainable future growth. Let's Discuss Sustainable Test Design

Project Case Study Cyth Pairs AI Software with Robotic Arm to Sort Organic Seedlings Sep 22, 2023 ae1e88b8-7db9-4f05-b57b-209723f3d040 ae1e88b8-7db9-4f05-b57b-209723f3d040 Home > Case Studies > Cyth Pairs AI Software with Robotic Arm to Pick and Place Organic Seedlings The Challenge Agriculture is one of California’s largest industries. Due to the increasing costs associated with agriculture (land, water, labor), the industry is more frequently looking to automation as a potential solution for many of the processes of getting food from farm to table. One area in which traditional methods have begun to be replaced is handling, sorting, and processing raw plants. A client, representing multiple seedling nurseries within California, came to us with this exact need in mind. Utilizing Neural Vision software, we were able to use machine vision and deep learning to identify key plant features to optimize our client’s ability to determine plant viability. The Solution Integrating NeuralVision machine learning with a Denso SCARA pick-and-place robot we were able to automate the process by which seedlings are identified and selected for growth viability along an agricultural conveyor system. The Story Our client is a fruit seed starter and grower who nurtures seedlings to their midlife just before they bear fruit. While in this stage of development they are removed from the ground and guided via a conveyor line to sort which seedlings are considered of a high enough quality for distribution and planting at nurseries around the country. The identification process has traditionally been performed manually with workers stationed on an assembly line as they pick and choose plants that are healthy enough for packaging. A decade ago, our client implemented an early attempt at artificial intelligence into their automated system to increase efficiency. They saw marginal success but were limited in their ability to handle the variation of plant breeds they encountered. Limited to a small image data set size, their original system was restricted in its capabilities and lacked customization options. The customer was looking for cutting-edge technology that would give them greater control, trainability, and handling when paired with a pick-and-place robot for seedling processing. Recognizing Cyth’s expertise and track record of integrated solutions they approached us with their needs in mind. Robot claw manifold The Cyth Process The project started with an initial prototype – Phase Zero, capturing images of raw seedlings for testing and evaluation in Neural Vision. Leveraging Deep Learning, Neural Vision builds a model pixel by pixel to sort, grade, and classify objects. This way, the client has total control of their system’s performance without having to depend on software engineers to adjust or modify the code. The software was designed to allow a person with no experience to be able to train their system to inspect and classify products with a simple click. Neural Vision interface. Upon Phase Zero’s success, our engineering team moved to the next phase where we designed a vision robot assembly to work along the client’s conveyor. Our engineers began the mockup by pairing a Denso SCARA robot arm with the conveyer. After optimizing lighting, cameras, and lenses our team began to run test samples to see the vision system’s performance and the accuracy with which the claw was able to select seedlings. Overcoming the Obstacles The greatest challenge our engineers faced along the project timeline was pairing our Neural Vision with the high-accuracy conveyor tracking. Pairing a machine vision system with a conveyer presents difficulties as the robot arm has to take into account the displacement distance of the moving belt. This required calibrating the robot arm to the vision system as well as calibrating it to the moving belt using algorithms in the software. We collaborated with Denso’s robotics team to learn how to best utilize the robot's features for a fully integrated solution of our hardware, software, and their robot. After fine-tuning the Denso SCARA robot and Neural Vision’s capabilities, the system worked seamlessly to identify, pick, and place off of the conveyer the seedlings that met the client’s criteria. Delivering the Outcome By partnering with integration firms like Cyth farms can apply modern integration techniques and processes to more efficiently deliver food from farm to table. The client has been thrilled with the integration of robots and Neural Vision machine learning into their processing line as they have successfully scaled it into multiple conveyors. From identification to categorization and even decision making, Neural Vision and the Cyth Solution has given our clients and the agricultural industry alike a new step forward in the automation of their plant processing systems. Technical Specifications · Cyth’s Neural Vision Software · LabVIEW 2017 32-bit · 2 x Basler 5MP, 17fps, Area Scan, CCD Global Shutter, Color Camera · 2 x Edmund Optics 16mm, 300-2000mm Primary WD, HP Series Fixed Focal Length Lens · 1 x Medium Size 4-Axis SCARA HM-G Series Denso Robot · 1 x Incremental, Resolution 1000P/R, 40-dia., 5 to 5 VDC, Line driver output, Pre-wired models (2 m) OMRON Encoder Hardware configuration. Talk to an Expert Cyth Engineer to learn more

Project Case Study PCBA Functional Test and Device Verificational Test Scaled with Cyth PCBACheck Oct 15, 2025 bdb4e947-beb6-430e-b827-4299fb913fba bdb4e947-beb6-430e-b827-4299fb913fba Home > Case Studies > Scalable automated PXI testing solution enables comprehensive functional verification of Bluetooth earpiece devices. Left: Clamshell bed-of-nails test fixture for enabling parallel test of PCBAs. Right: Bluetooth audio device Project Summary Consumer electronics manufacturer accelerated time to market and drove high product quality through an automated PCBA and functional verification test (FVT) solution. System Features & Components Custom bed-of-nails fixture simultaneously tests eight printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs) Ultra-low power measurements to test consumption in device battery-saving modes RF shielded enclosure for ensuring high-quality Bluetooth transmission quality measurement PCBACheck reference architecture with test automation and sequencing built on Cyth's architecture built on NI LabVIEW and TestStand software Outcomes Comprehensive automated validation of circuit board functionality High throughput testing capabilities with parallel testing Automated data collection with pass/fail results and automated reports for regulatory compliance purposes Technology at-a-glance Cyth PCBACheck Reference Design Hardware: PXI-1082 PXI Chassis PXI-4138 Source Measurement Unit (SMU) PXI-4081 Digital Multimeter (DMM) JTAG Programmer RF Enclosure with RF signal generator & analyzer Software: NI LabVIEW NI TestStand Bluetooth Audio Device Testing The electronic devices we used on a daily basis, like smartwatches, wireless keyboards, heart rate monitors and many others are built on printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs) that integrate capabilities like transmission, power management, and a seamless user experience into a package sometimes smaller than a postage stamp. Circuit board manufacturers are pressured to deliver reliable products while simultaneously maintaining high throughput. Every board that is produced must function perfectly before final assembly to ensure high product quality, bolster customer satisfaction and support strong brand reputation. A leading consumer electronics manufacturer was on the verge of scaling up the production of their new device, a premium Bluetooth earpiece, but they were limited by their manual testing processes. Bringing their product to market was dependent on the implementation of circuit board functional verification test (FVT) pre-assembly and final production test of the final device post-assembly. Scaling Production Capacity through Automation The bluetooth earpiece manufacturer needed guidance on an overall testing methodology and technology stack to meet their high-throughput production metrics. Bringing a high-end product to market required rigorous quality assurance to ensure seamless, reliable functionality across multiple complex functions: Wireless integration with cellphones Touch-sensitive controls Automatic, intelligent power management Each capability required unique, specialized testing and validation before final assembly into the consumer product. Throughput metrics required that they test eight boards simultaneously to meet production demands while ensuring comprehensive validation of every component. An automated solution was critical to avoid production bottlenecks and ensure comprehensive validation coverage across every component. Accurate measurements necessitated an enclosed RF test environment; the process included: Verifying firmware upload Measuring power consumption across states Confirming Bluetooth signal quality To get their product to market sooner they couldn’t afford to take the time to learn best practices as they went; they decided to bring in a testing expert to help bring their PCBA and end-of-line testing needs to life. They decided to partner with Cyth Systems because of their custom bed-of-nails design experience and expertise in transforming complex test requirements into reliable, scallable end-of-line testers. FCT through FVT Cyth Systems delivered a turnkey solution with the capabilities to perform functional circuit testing (FCT) of eight audio device PCBAs and perform final verification (FVT) test once the PCBA was built into the final product. The solution, built on cyth's PCBACheck reference architecture, integrated three core technology platform components into a single automated workflow: 1. NI PXI hardware for comprehensive I/O coverage 2. LabVIEW programming for custom signaling and control 3. TestStand for test sequencing and operator interface Cyth customized a clamshell bed-of-nails fixture to the accommodate the board features and connectivity requirements. The primary hardware is detailed in Table 1. Learn about PCBACheck Component Model Key Specifications Function PXI Chassis PXI-1082 8-slot capacity Chassis for connectivity with measurement instruments and control hardware Source Measure Unit PXI-4138 4-quadrant, ±60V, ±3A, 100fA resolution Ultra-low power consumption measurement Digital Multimeter PXI-4081 7.5-digit precision, ±1000V, 1.8MS/s High-precision electrical characterization Programmer JTAG Firmware & audio file upload Automated device programming Test Fixture PCBACheck Bed-of-Nails 8-board capacity Simultaneous board contact and testing RF Testing RF Enclosure Signal generator & analyzer Bluetooth signal quality validation in isolated environment Embedded PC Embedded PC Operator interface and system coordination Table 1. Critical hardware for system processing and measurements The LabVIEW software provided seamless device communication and natively supported device drivers. TestStand orchestrated ted test sequences with intuitive guidance for test operators through the embedded PC’s HMI, shortening training times and ensuring consistent test execution. NI PXI chassis installed into rackmount unit The PCBA probing and testing was enabled through the integration of: Custom clamshell bed-of-nails fixture that can accommodate the test of eight parallel units RF testing environment including signal generator and analyzer for Bluetooth connectivity and performance validation JTAG programmer for firmware and audio file upload Power consumption testing during simulated device “sleep” and “wake” modes Comprehensive device driver integration for seamless hardware communication Left: Bluetooth earpiece device printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs) before FCT. Right: Probes located on the test fixture’s hood. Bottom: single earpiece device PCBA. The automated test process included an eight-step sequence: Test operator loads eight PCBAs into clamshell bed-of-nails fixture Clamshell and RF enclosure cover are shut by operator to enable electrical contact between the fixture’s probes and the circuit board and block out external electromegnetic interference (EMI) Firmware and audio files automatically loaded onto boards LabVIEW and NI TestStand software execute test sequences with pre-defined final verification test parameters Power consumption test performed, simulating the device's “asleep” vs. “awake” modes Bluetooth features and signal performance are validated using an RF signal generator & analyzer, to simulate transmission between the earpiece and a cellphone Pass/fail results displayed for operator; next steps recommended if fail results displayed Data is acquired by the PXI hardware and automatically saved in pre-defined storage locations Test operator opens the enclosure cover, removes tested boards, and repeats. Designed for Scalability The PCBACheck reference architecture, based on LabVIEW, TestStand and NI PXI hardware, shortened test development timelines and delivered significant manufacturing and quality improvements for the bluetooth earpiece manufacturer. Testing throughput increase: automation of previously manual processes and capability to simultaneously test eight units greatly mitigated quality issues and dramatically increased production throughput Complete functional test coverage: Comprehensive validation of RF communication, power management, touch sensors, and firmware integration to ensure readiness for consumer use Zero-defect launch: Validation of every manufactured unit ensures reliable field performance and increased customer satisfaction Automated compliance documentation: Automated data capture, analysis, report generation and storage performed for every device under test (DUT) for regulatory compliance and traceability Reduced manufacturing costs: Reduction of manual testing processes streamlined operator workflows and improved test consistency and reliability Cyth’s proven PCBACheck reference design built on a critical technology stack enabled rapid production scaling. The turnkey and intuitive system helped operators ramp up quickly, with the LabVIEW and TestStand based architecture abstracting away complex test processes into an improved workflow that is adaptable to future product variations and testing requirements. The automated test solution also enhanced the device manufacturer’s ability to perform reliable, repeatable RF testing to ensure the support of advanced wireless protocols. Test automation is a key differentiator for the device manufacturer, as the products they now ship to their clients are reliable, high-quality and delivered on-time. The scalable architecture of the automated testing solution will be adaptable to future product requirements and testing needs to continue high product quality and reliability. Autoamted functional validation for every single device helps to protect brand reputation and strengthen market position within the wireless audio market. Let's Discuss Your Project Read More Articles about Circuit Board Test: The Benefits of Automated PCBA Testing in Modern Manufacturing | Cyth Systems Implementing Automated Testing in Your PCBA Manufacturing Process | Cyth Systems Components of Automated Testing System for PCBA | Cyth Systems

Project Case Study Controlling a Stepper Motor Using the RIO Platform and LabVIEW Mar 30, 2025 0a7d5cb3-6153-4778-a104-5333aa9c3ff9 0a7d5cb3-6153-4778-a104-5333aa9c3ff9 Home > Case Studies > Stepper motors are widely used in applications requiring precise control of position and speed, such as robotics, CNC machines, and camera positioning systems. In this article, we'll explore how to control a stepper motor using National Instruments' Single-Board RIO (sbRIO) platform and LabVIEW, specifically utilizing LabVIEW RT and LabVIEW FPGA for real-time control and precise signal generation. What Is a Stepper Motor? A stepper motor is an electromechanical device that moves in discrete steps rather than continuous motion like a DC Motor. Each step corresponds to a fraction of a revolution, enabling precise control of angular movement. Typical Stepper motor Stepper motors are typically driven by a series of digital pulses that modify a waveform sent to electromagnets in the stepper. The common wiring setup of the electromagnets includes two main windings: A/A' (A and A not) and B/B' (B and B not). These windings represent the coils that, when energized in sequence, cause the motor to rotate and go to a designated rotary position. The diagram below illustrates a typical stepper motor wiring setup, which helps to convey this concept. A typical stepper motor wiring setup. Role of the RIO Platform and LabVIEW and CircaFlex™ in Stepper Control National Instruments' Single-Board RIO (sbRIO) and CircaFlex™ boards offer a flexible, powerful platform for controlling stepper motors. However, they cannot directly connect to the stepper motor's windings, as they do not supply the necessary current and voltage in the correct waveform. This is where a stepper motor driver comes into play. The sbRIO, programmed using LabVIEW RT and LabVIEW FPGA, handles the logic of motor control—deciding how far to move, how fast, and in which direction. These decisions are based on various inputs, such as user commands, sensor data, or image processing algorithms. Example of Stepper Motor Movement Calculation To control a stepper motor effectively, we need to calculate the steps required to achieve a desired movement. Suppose you want to move an object a certain distance based on an image captured by a camera. The sbRIO processes the image and converts the necessary movement from pixels to millimeters. Then, using system specifications like the ball screw's pitch and the stepper motor's resolution, you can calculate the exact number of steps required. Let’s assume: The ball screw pitch is 5 turns per millimeter. The stepper motor has 2,000 steps per revolution. If the software determines that the motor needs to move 3 mm, the necessary number of steps can be calculated as follows: Steps required = Distance in mm × Turns per mm × Steps per revolution Steps required = 3 mm × 5 turns/mm × 2000 steps/turn =30,000  steps This example demonstrates how easily sbRIO and CircaFlex™ can convert real-world units into precise motor movements. Outputting the Steps: Velocity and Frequency Calculation Once the required number of steps is calculated, the system needs to output the steps at the correct frequency to control the motor's speed. If we want the object to move at 10 mm per second, we can calculate the required step frequency: Frequency (steps per second) = (Steps required / Distance to travel ) × Speed Frequency (steps per second) = (30,000 / 3  mm) × 10 mm/sec = 100,000  steps/sec The software in sbRIO and CircaFlex™ can then output these steps to the motor driver at the correct frequency. Controlling Duty Cycle and Direction Each stepper motor requires a pulse signal with a duty cycle, which is typically 50%. This means that for every pulse, the signal is high for 1 microsecond and low for 1 microsecond. The sbRIO outputs these pulses through its FPGA using LabVIEW FPGA, which gives precise control over timing and signal generation. Additionally, the software determines the direction of movement, either forward or reverse, based on system logic or user inputs. The correct signal is sent to the stepper motor driver, which then outputs the appropriate waveforms to the motor windings. Acceleration and Deceleration Profiles It’s crucial not to start or stop the stepper motor abruptly. Rapid acceleration or deceleration can cause missed steps or mechanical issues. Instead, an acceleration profile should be calculated to gradually increase the motor's speed. For example, if we want to reach 3 mm/sec, the software can apply a 30 mm/sec² acceleration, which brings the motor to full speed in 100 milliseconds. In this diagram, the motor accelerates over the first 100 milliseconds, maintains the target speed, and then decelerates to zero before stopping. Note, in more sophisticated systems, the acceleration does not have to be strictly constant, even the acceleration can speed up and slow down. This more advanced calculation takes into consideration a desired value of "jerk", which is the rate of change of acceleration, or the second derivative of velocity. Therefore the amount of change in acceleration (m/s²) per second, jerk is measured in mm/s³! Integrating sbRIO and CircaFlex™ with the Stepper Driver Once all the necessary parameters—steps, frequency, duty cycle, and direction—are calculated, the sbRIO or CircaFlex™ outputs the corresponding signals to the stepper motor driver. The driver amplifies these signals and converts them into the correct waveforms for the motor windings, enabling precise motor control. The stepper motor driver has its own variety of settings, depending on the manufacturer. Conclusion Controlling a stepper motor using the sbRIO platform and LabVIEW provides a robust, flexible solution for embedded applications requiring high-precision motor control. By leveraging LabVIEW RT and LabVIEW FPGA, engineers can create complex control algorithms that are executed in real time, ensuring smooth, efficient operation. The combination of sbRIO and CircaFlex™ is ideal for embedded control projects, offering powerful integration capabilities with stepper motors and other systems. Whether you're moving an object based on sensor data or controlling motion in a CNC machine, this platform offers a comprehensive, scalable solution. For more information on how to implement stepper motor control using sbRIO, CircaFlex™, and LabVIEW, or to inquire about our integration services, feel free to contact our engineering team. We're happy to assist with any embedded control project. We have the experience and skills to help you choose the correct products to operate a stepper motor, and we can also help demonstrate equipment or provide startup assistance with any equipment you purchase.

Project Case Study Automated Test of Secondary Surveillance Radar Transponders Aug 16, 2023 36698fd7-79b8-4f62-b43a-b2ca22a0f13e 36698fd7-79b8-4f62-b43a-b2ca22a0f13e Home > Case Studies > *As Featured on NI.com Original Authors: Tomasz Marzec, Becker Avionics Polska Edited by Cyth Systems SSR transponder technology serving as an air traffic control beacon. The Challenge Creating a flexible, scalable, and automated test system that allows various test scenarios for secondary surveillance radar (SSR) transponder (XPDR), compliant with Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast (ADS-B) technology, that can perform RF communication test and simulate, monitor, and control real airborne environments, from power supply to all variants of communication buses like ARINC429, CAN, TIA-422. The Solution Using NI PXI products to facilitate the functionality tests of the SSR transponder in accordance with RTCA/ICAO required documents to develop the XPDR Test System. Becker Avionics developed the XPDR Test System using NI PXI products to facilitate the functionality tests of the SSR transponder in accordance with RTCA/ICAO required documents. Functionality tests included simulators of multiple ground stations, onboard navigation systems (real-time trajectory motion), cockpit instruments, displays, and switches (flight control and management system). We chose the NI PXI system with RIO (Reconfigurable I/O) for fast development of complex RF stimuli generation and RF response analysis. The flexibility of the hardware and software platform (LabVIEW and the LabVIEW FPGA Module) from NI allowed performing even the most complex tests described in DO-181E and DO-260B documents. The RF communication capability of the software we developed was separated and released as the XPDR Communication Library. We qualified this software tool internally according to DO-178C and DO-330. Introduction to SSR and ADS-B SSR is a radar system used in air traffic control (ATC) to detect, identify, and measure the position of aircraft. Compared with the primary surveillance radar system that measures only the range and bearing of targets by detecting reflected radio signals, SSR relies on targets equipped with an SSR transponder that replies on each interrogation signal by transmitting a response containing encoded data. The transponder is a radio receiver/transmitter, which receives on 1,030 MHz and transmits on 1,090 MHz. SSR essentially provides two-way air-to-ground data communication and operates in several modes of interrogation (for example Mode A, Mode C, and Mode S). Each mode produces a different response from the aircraft (identification, altitude, and multipurpose—flight ID, latitude, longitude, altitude). Modes A and C use simple pulse–position modulated interrogations and replies. Mode S uses differential phase shift keying modulation for encoded data in interrogation. A Dataflow Graph of the SSR’s communication protocol and library. Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast (ADS-B) technology automatically transmits, through data link, position data derived from the onboard navigation system. ADS-B provides real-time surveillance information to ATC (as a replacement for SSR) and to other aircraft for situational awareness and self-separation. Selected Technical Challenges Testing SSR transponders is an exceptionally demanding task that requires understanding various complex engineering areas and technologies that are not separate, but depend heavily on one another. Specialized knowledge and experience is crucial for success in such test development and involves: RF generation and analysis—short duration, non-periodic pulses Dynamic range considerations and weak signals of interest in the presence of strong interferers Real-time signal analysis RF multichannel timing and synchronization High bandwidth and low-latency data streaming We used commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technologies from NI to reduce our efforts related to the aforementioned topics. System Bandwidth Total system bandwidth is one of the most important issues when dealing with RF instruments. The NI PXI Express chassis delivers a high-bandwidth backplane to meet a wide range of high-performance test and measurement application needs. NI peer-to-peer technology ensures high-throughput and low latency (~10 us) module-to-module data transfer. In the XPDR Test System, we can group the data transfers by the following links: § FPGA to VSG peer-to-peer links—100 MS/s, 4 B/S, 2X TX channel gives 800 MB/s § VSA to FPGA peer-to-peer links—50 MS/s, 4 B/S, 2X RX channel gives 400 MB/s § Host to/from FPGA DMA links—up to 16 DMA channels, depends on system load, average 10 MB/s Total system bandwidth exceeds 1.2 GB/s. System Timing and Synchronization Proper timing and reliable synchronization methods are key elements of a test system. The PXI backplane of the NI PXI Express chassis supports timing, synchronization, and triggers to meet long-term and stable RF measurements. Synchronization is achieved by sharing a PXI 10 MHz reference clock. To ease timing alignment, the NI PXI modules share start triggers. Generations and acquisitions begin at precisely the same time (strictly defined for the rest of the XPDR Test System). Example Test Procedures XPDR desensitization and recovery test procedure (2.4.2.6 from DO-181E document) checks that the XPDR receiver shall recover sensitivity within 3 dB of the minimum triggering level (MTL approximately 74 dBm), within 15 us after reception of desensitizing pulse having signal strength up to 50 dB above MTL. For example, high power Mode S interrogation signal (such as 50 dB over MTL) is transmitted to the transponder and just after that high-power signal (a few µs later), there is a Mode A interrogation signal arriving at a MTL +3 dB level. The transponder needs to react with defined reply efficiency on such dynamic range RF signals at its inputs. XPDR maximum susceptibility test procedure is a load test, in which hundreds of interrogations are generated within 4 s (Mode A, Mode C, and Mode S with varying delay, period, power, content, and interferences). After 4 s, the transponder is interrogated for 1 s with almost 2,000 ADS-B In signals. The transponder later should not only generate back RF replies, but also repeat all received ADS-B message stream by Ethernet interface. This test is very important for analyzing the behavior of the system in extreme situations, where tens, if not hundreds, of airplanes are in close proximity of the airport and collision avoidance system. These two example tests show the power of the solution based on software-defined instruments and NI RF solutions in PXI form factor. The system can schedule large numbers of signal interrogations with highly-customizable delays, powers, and shapes, including the possibility of generating interfering signals. Business Results and Next Steps We developed the XPDR Test System across multiple stages of transponder research and development. Thanks to the nature of FPGA, which are easily reconfigured, we could quickly adapt tests set to new functions. The innovative NI approach to test platforms with open, software-defined firmware (FPGA) with commercial off-the-shelf RF hardware, reduced the time needed to prepare and perform complicated test scenarios. NI delivers completely new technical capabilities to automated test systems. This enables new levels of performance and reliability confirmed by long-term development testing (a full set of tests takes two weeks 24/7, single test set works for months). Any failure of the test system would significantly prolong the test time and consequently could delay further product development. It is also worth noting that NI supported the project by providing important information, benchmarks, and LabVIEW FPGA examples of streaming capabilities between FlexRIO and RF instruments, which streamlined the process of moving into the NI PXI RF platform. Original Authors: Tomasz Marzec, Becker Avionics Polska Edited by Cyth Systems Talk to an Expert Cyth Engineer to learn more

Project Case Study Enabling Automotive Grade Inertial Sensor Calibration with PXI-Based ATE Mar 27, 2024 0965601d-8840-4b6d-844d-5b101865b14c 0965601d-8840-4b6d-844d-5b101865b14c Home > Case Studies > *As Featured on NI.com Original Authors: Ari Kuukkala , Afore Edited by Cyth Systems Automotive Grade Inertial Sensor The Challenge Chip-scale-packaging (CSP) technologies are gaining popularity for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), but engineers with traditional test systems are challenged by the small size of the sensor and constant pressure to reduce costs. They need solutions that can test and calibrate the sensor with real stimuli. For example, the test solution for a low-g accelerometer typically must be able to tilt the sensor to known angles to measure against Earth’s gravity. The Solution The Afore KRONOS wafer-level test handler, with integrated PXI-based tester electronics, enables the testing of low-g accelerometers and gyroscopes with real stimuli on dicing tape. With this new approach, sensor manufacturers can remove multiple pick-and-place processes, increase throughput, and reduce their cost of test. Afore has been developing advanced systems for sensor test, including special wafer prober test solutions for MEMS, since 1995. Advanced packaging technologies like wafer-level CSP have been around for more than 10 years, but they have only recently become suitable for high-volume manufacturing. CSP can be smaller and cheaper to manufacture compared to traditional plastic or ceramic packages. This enables new use cases in health monitoring and other wearable devices. Still, sensors must be calibrated, and small dimensions create challenges for this. Traditional pick-and-place handlers put sensors on trays after packaging and singulation. A machine takes the sensors from these trays and places them on the stimulus unit, which, for accelerometers, is tilted to different orientations. The sensors are connected through contact sockets and cables to automated test equipment (ATE), which measures sensor outputs and writes correction parameters to the sensor memory as directed by the test program. When dealing with such small sensors (1 mm x 1 mm), these traditional machines and approaches don’t work well. Mechanical handling could easily damage the sensors, and the airflow makes them fly out of the trays. To address these problems, we at Afore developed a system that avoids any pick-and-place operations. Instead, it directly performs accelerometer and gyroscope tests and calibrations on a film frame that is available directly after the sawing process. This approach removes additional steps within the sensor manufacturing process and the overhead of trays and the time consumed by multiple pick-and-place processes. Our test cell solution shown in the top image is built around a wafer prober combined with a rate table featuring two rotating axes that enable 6 degrees of freedom (6DOF). The tester is integrated on top of the wafer, which eliminates moving and, thereby, the wearing of cables. Rotating axes via sliprings enable communicating with and supplying power to the tester and prober. The axes also make infinite rotation possible without wearing any cables. Left: A 200 mm Sensor Wafer With About 15000 Sensors Placed on a Film Frame Right: Comparison of Manufacturing Processes This solution gives our customers in the semiconductor industry the most effective way to test CSP motion sensors. It helps them cut manufacturing and investment costs and improve yield without compromising test accuracy. In the long term, this approach can lower the price of sensors to a level where customers can afford to embed them everywhere. This would further fuel the Internet of Things (IoT) trend and help, for example, provide better patient care, increase our achievements in sports, and improve our health. Realizing Our Solution With the PXI Platform Because the tester in an Afore KRONOS system is on top of the wafer prober and rotating with the other system, we needed a high-end and accurate but small form-factor test solution. The size of our test platform was critical, so we chose PXI. Its compact size, wide range of instruments, and industrial specifications with great mean time between failures gave us everything we needed to develop our high-end test solution. The modularity of the PXI platform allowed us to customize our solution with the right instrumentation based on our customers’ needs and preferences while keeping everything small and robust enough to rotate our prober. These days sensors typically include digital communication like I2C or SPI. They also need programmable power supplies such as source measure units (SMUs) for diode test and sometimes even frequency measurements. With NI and the PXI platform, we know we have ways to provide all these capabilities without having to redesign our solution. For example, a sensor has one ground pin and five active pins. We could implement digital communication, power and current measurements, and current sinking with an NI PXI Pattern Digital Instrument (PXIe-6570) and SMUs. Because we needed to store all the data from a particular device based on x- and y-coordinates, we used TestStand software with the NI TestStand Semiconductor Module™ for test flow management. This also allowed us to configure pins and control a multisite factor of 32 without touching any LabVIEW code. In addition, we could create Standard Test Data Format (STDF) result files. Original Authors: Ari Kuukkala, Afore Edited by Cyth Systems Talk to an Expert Cyth Engineer to learn more

Project Case Study Solar-Powered Car Using CompactRIO & LabVIEW Sep 17, 2024 9e49ac93-bf48-4eb1-85c5-81eea73e7910 9e49ac93-bf48-4eb1-85c5-81eea73e7910 Home > Case Studies > *As Featured on NI.com Original Authors: Alisdair McClymont, Cambridge University Eco Racing Edited by Cyth Systems Solar-powered car The Challenge Using remote data analysis and telemetry to reliably monitor and control the electrical systems of a solar-powered car. The Solution Using NI CompactRIO hardware as the in-car embedded controller to interface with the vehicle controller area network (CAN) bus, to implement the vehicle control algorithm programmed in NI LabVIEW software, and to send and receive data via telemetry radio. Cambridge University Eco Racing (CUER), a student team from the university’s engineering department, designs, builds and races solar-powered cars. Our goal is to win the World Solar Challenge, the world’s premier race for solar vehicles. This 3,000 km race across Australia pushes efficiency and reliability to their limits. CUER first entered the race in 2009 with our car called Endeavor, which averaged more than 70 kmph and achieved a top speed of 121 kmph. However, we finished 14th due to reliability problems. This encouraged us to seek an alternative solution built with National Instruments products. Solar Car Electrical Systems The key electrical components of a solar car are simple – a battery, solar array modules, and a motor. A battery management system (BMS) monitors the state of each battery cell. The motor connects to the high-voltage bus through a high-efficiency three-phase inverter (motor controller), and each solar array module connects to the high-voltage bus through a high-efficiency switch-mode converter known as a maximum power point tracker (MPPT). Each of these devices has a CAN interface and outputs information, such as current, voltage, speed, temperature, and error, about the relevant electrical devices. Vehicle Control The motor controller actively controls the vehicle. It can limit both the current drawn from the high-voltage bus and the motor speed. Therefore, the motor controller requires a “desired velocity” and an “allowed current” via CAN. This message is sent by an on-vehicle processor, which monitors the driver inputs and the states of the other electrical systems and decides the values to send to the motor controller. Initially, we used a student-made device to perform this task. Although functional, the device was not reliable and, critically, failed during the 2009 race in Australia. We decided that a more reliable solution was essential for future success. Vehicle Control Using CompactRIO National Instruments, a key sponsor of CUER, provided CompactRIO products for use on solar cars. We used a 2-port, high-speed CAN module to connect to the CAN bus so the cRIO could receive information from the motor controller, BMS, MPPTs and driver inputs. We wrote a LabVIEW program to process this information in real-time and to send control messages to the motor controller and condensed information to the driver display. We used the NI-CAN driver to quickly and easily create a database of all the CAN messages sent out by each device on the network. The program then called on the CAN Frame to Channel Conversion Library to decode and encode messages. This offered a quick, reliable way to process the information on the CAN bus. We wrote the control program in LabVIEW using an object-oriented structure for easier modularization, maintenance, and understanding of the code. We created a class for each device on the bus, including functions to decode and encode messages for that device. We used a state chart to determine the nature of the messages sent to the motor controller. The modes of the car include: “normal” driving mode where the driver’s accelerator controls the current drawn by the motor controller, and “cruise control” mode where the vehicle maintains a constant speed (we use this mode for almost all of the race), and “reversing” or “braking” mode where the motor controller uses regenerative braking to minimize the energy lost. Using LabVIEW state charts, we can easily define the actions carried out in each mode and the requirements to transition between states. Most importantly, it is a reliable way to implement vehicle control. The last thing the team wants is for a driver’s actions to result in a burnt-out motor. A distinct advantage of using LabVIEW is the ease of running several processing loops in parallel. For example, one loop can send control messages to the motor controller at a constant rate and the system immediately processes CAN messages whenever they are received. Telemetry A reliable telemetry system between the car and the chase vehicle, which follows the car throughout the race, is essential. The driver sees a limited display inside the car, so team members in the chase vehicle must monitor in-depth data and look for any faults or suboptimal performance. CompactRIO gave us a simple solution for implementing this system. We connected a telemetry radio to the serial port on the cRIO module and the control program simply sends packaged data via the serial port. A second telemetry radio in the chase vehicle receives this data and it’s processed, again using LabVIEW, on a laptop. The system presents this data so that operators can quickly detect errors or other significant changes in the vehicle state. We also use the telemetry system to send the optimum cruise control speed to the solar car. We calculate the optimum speed using a complex optimization algorithm in LabVIEW, which integrates directly with the weather instruments on board the chase vehicle. Testing To date, using CompactRIO and LabVIEW for vehicle control and telemetry has proven 100 percent reliable. This means we can concentrate on improving the efficiency of the other systems on the car, such as modifying the algorithms run by the MPPTs and the battery voltage. Thanks to National Instruments, we look forward to a much-improved performance in the World Solar Challenge. Original Authors: Alisdair McClymont, Cambridge University Eco Racing Edited by Cyth Systems Talk to an Expert Cyth Engineer to learn more

Project Case Study Bullet Train Test using LabVIEW & TestStand Software Mar 30, 2025 2ef67923-c0ea-4530-bc96-eba27668d05c 2ef67923-c0ea-4530-bc96-eba27668d05c Home > Case Studies > Bullet Train Test. The Challenge High-speed and commuter trains are extremely complex systems with thousands of components. The validation process is timely, highly complex, and expensive. Siemens Mobility Rail Solutions sought to develop a cost-efficient way to test high-speed and commuter trains. The Solution Siemens used NI hardware, TestStand software, VeriStand software, and the LabVIEW FPGA Module to build a fully functional digital twin of a whole train, including a functional simulation of all the wiring. Train control, traction, and brake controllers are integrated as real devices, but the system is easily extendable for any other controller. Introduction In 1879, Werner von Siemens invented the first electric locomotive. Today, Siemens Mobility Rail Solutions focuses on rail infrastructure and rolling stock. As a part of the rolling stock segment, we develop solutions for high-speed and commuter rail customers and are a global player in 60 countries around the world. The rail and transportation industry has grown since the industrial revolution, with many regional differences. Each train is a customer-specific solution that must be integrated in an operator-specific environment. For regulated homologation processes, many requirements must be validated and approved. The train itself is a rare and expensive asset, so we need to find solutions that address the validation and homologation requirements with a more cost-efficient test environment. There have been different train simulation solutions in the past, but they usually implemented a behavior of the interfaces to test a dedicated single controller. This application realizes the complete logic behind the interfaces and creates a realistic behavior of the train, including its whole electrical construction. Compared to earlier solutions with fixed dedicated test environments, this application is a highly scalable solution. An iron train is a physical, mocked-up train that emulates all the inputs and outputs of a real train. We could run the digital twin of a train on a laptop as well as at the level of an iron train, which makes this application the first of its kind. We designed it for use with many different variations of trains requested by our customers. This strategic investment is the backbone of all future Siemens Mobility projects in the high-speed and commuter rail market. New Train Control Architecture In 2011, the German rail company Deutsche Bahn AG ordered 170 high-speed trains with an option of up to 300 trains for more than $7.4 billion from Siemens Mobility. These trains, known as ICx, are completely different than conventional constructions, which reflect the changing demands of our markets. We based the architecture on a power car concept and a flexible train configuration. Left: Live Feed from Train Driver’s Controls Front Panel, Right: Variant Schema of the Main Configurations. This concept should address high flexibility in terms of train length and passenger count. We invented a new car-based train control architecture. Each single car of the train has an encapsulated train control system. Every new architecture introduces changes such as new communication bus technology, new automation systems, and new interfaces. To address the changes and the corresponding risks of new technology, we need adequate quality assurance. The Application Using PXI real-time devices, NI EtherCAT chassis, VeriStand, and a variety of I/O modules, we created a test bench that simulates complete train functionality of 40 different subsystems. We took advantage of the NI product portfolio for a complete set of I/O interfaces, a stable run time, and tooling setup, which is difficult in many industrial applications. There was no other solution that better suited our various interfaces and requirements in terms of modularity. The main feature of our solution is the functional simulation. The core of this functional simulation is the representation of the electrical schema of the train in the simulation environment, which can be visualized and manipulated in real time. We import this electrical schema into VeriStand as an electro-mechanical logic model, which, combined with models that represent the functional logic of the physics and complex elements, like simulated controllers (for example, a door controller), enables us to build a complete digital twin of a train. Overall, we created a model library with 350 intelligent elements, like controller models, and 150 electrical models, like connectors, switches, and relays. Out of this library, a VeriStand project generator automatically creates a complex hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) system with more than 58,000 simulated components. Vigorous testing is performed on high-speed rail in Germany before it is deployed and to passengers. Finally, the test bench consists of 16 test racks: 12 cars of the train and four additional racks with test bench functionality such as fault injections. Each car test rack includes a complete train control system, communication buses, two brake controllers, and, in the power car types, the traction controller. We could integrate real components like this because the high reliability and determinism of well-integrated FPGA technology helped us simulate all necessary I/O interfaces (for example, 192-speed sensors). Each single rack is like a complete HIL environment. We realized the simulation hardware with 12 PXI systems and and 42 NI-9144 EtherCAT chassis. We use PXI-6683H timing and synchronization modules to synchronize the PXI systems. We also use several different analog and digital CompactRIO and PXIe-2727 programmable resistor modules as interfaces to the train controller devices. Our test bench implements CAN bus, PROFINET bus, and other TCP-based protocols. We could automatically generate nearly 70 percent of the model logic and VeriStand mapping from engineering and construction data sets. We imported the electrical schema data set out of an ECAD system. We generated the bus interfaces from digital interface specifications of the individual communication participants. This leads to a 100X cost reduction compared to an iron train. Original Authors: Matthias Reinholdt, Siemens AG Mobility Division Edited by Cyth Systems

Project Case Study Extending Plasma Lifespan for Fusion Science Using CompactRIO System With FPGA Mar 27, 2024 1fe8ed10-ef8c-44f6-90f3-96b9f23c0242 1fe8ed10-ef8c-44f6-90f3-96b9f23c0242 Home > Case Studies > *As Featured on NI.com Original Authors: Shuji Kamio, National Institute for Fusion Science, Department of Helical Plasma Research Edited by Cyth Systems The Large Helical Device, instrumental for plasma research, is controlled using NI CompactRIO hardware programmed in FPGA. The Challenge Sustaining confinement of a high-performance plasma at more than 10 million °F and 10 trillion/cc, which requires extremely complex processing during the experiment. The Solution Developing a steady-state plasma control system using CompactRIO with FPGA to sustain high-performance plasma an extended period of time. One of the most critical issues for the realization of the fusion reactor is sustaining high-performance plasma at a steady state and for a long duration. To achieve a steady-state fusion reactor, we must demonstrate the confinement of high-performance plasma and examine such physics as plasma-material interaction. However, high-temperature plasma has not yet been sustained longer than several minutes. Thus, we need to research and analyze the plasma behavior and the fusion reactor when the plasma is confined for a long duration. Figure 1 and Figure 2 show our experimental device, the Large Helical Device (LHD). Figure 1 provides an external view of the LHD and the numerous heating devices on it. Figure 2 shows one part of the inside of the LHD vessel. Inside the vessel, a plasma at a temperature of more than 10 million ˚F (20 million ˚C) is generated and sustained as a long-duration plasma. One of the important missions of the LHD is to sustain the high-temperature plasma at a steady-state. To sustain the plasma for a long period of time, we need to continuously supply plasma heating and gas fueling as required. When we supply less gas fuel, the plasma becomes thinner and vanishes. When we supply too much gas, the plasma vanishes either by cooling or by thickening. Heating plays an important role here. If the heating is not strong enough, the plasma becomes cold and vanishes. Maintaining the health of the devices while sustaining high-power heating (at megawatt levels) requires sophisticated heating technology. We collect and then measure data for the purpose of calculating solutions for gas fueling and heating power requirements. We need this procedure for feedback control and to sustain the ideal condition. For this, we must develop an integrated system we can use to control the plasma parameters. This type of complex control for the steady-state plasma is also important for the future fusion reactor. Left: Schematic View of the System Configuration, Right: Main Control Room and RF Heating Room for the LHD. The challenges for the success of a steady-state operation are stabilization of the plasma parameters and stabilization of the injection heating power. To stabilize plasma parameters, various observed information such as plasma density, temperature, and optical emission are important for feedback to the constant parameters. Using these parameters, we need the quantities of the gas fueling and the heating power to decide the next quantities for gas fueling and heating power. However, heating power control is difficult because it is greater than thousands of household microwave ovens. The voltage of the transmission lines exceeds 30,000 V, and accidental power reflection causes the transmitter to breakdown or the cooling water to leak onto the antenna head. These types of accidents sometimes cause terrible damage to the heating devices. Thus, in the past, we required two or three operators for complex monitoring and response. Our experiment on the LHD is a large science project. We cannot stop or delay the experimental schedule even when the system or the device encounters difficulties. We must replace the system immediately after a problem occurs. In that sense, FPGA suits this system because we can easily modify and copy with high reliability and performance. Stabilizing the plasma parameters and stabilizing the injection heating power are distinct challenges, which are also linked to each other. Therefore, we developed an integrated system using CompactRIO with FPGA. This empowered us to complete the complex operation, which includes the data collection, calculation, and control signal output, at high speed. Also, in our experiment we have two control rooms and many experiment operators in each room. The LabVIEW system we developed enables the operators to control the devices from both rooms. The GUI of the LabVIEW program makes operation intuitive. This system is very useful for inputting the target plasma parameters and for discussing strategies and approaches during the experiment. Thus, we could reduce the number of people involved in the operation, which means that responses to problems become quicker and more accurate. Furthermore, the operator can engage in another task during the experiment. The system also helps prevent unexpected equipment damage. This system’s fast interlocks prevented a critical accident on the heating devices. By developing this advanced control system, researchers can discuss with other experiment participants the plasma operation and related issues during the experiment, as seen in Figure 3. As a result of the CompactRIO system with FPGA, we have sustained high-performance plasma for more than 48 minutes at more than 10 million ˚F and 10 trillion/cc in an experiment that required extremely complex processing. This temperature is higher than the temperature on the surface of the sun. This total heating power of 3.4 GJ exceeded by more than three times the world record of 1.0 GJ set more than a decade ago. Original Authors: Shuji Kamio, National Institute for Fusion Science, Department of Helical Plasma Research Edited by Cyth Systems Talk to an Expert Cyth Engineer to learn more

Project Case Study Pipette Manufacturing Quality improved by NI PXI and cRIO Automation Oct 30, 2025 27949a03-f20c-440a-bb9e-adc2f76013db 27949a03-f20c-440a-bb9e-adc2f76013db Home > Case Studies > Pipette manufacturer partnered with Cyth to reverse-engineer and automate their proprietary manufacturing process, achieving microscale precision at high volumes. Fully integrated and enclosed pipette manufacturing station. Project Summary Improved product quality achieved through automation of multi-stage glass fabrication process using high-resolution vision inspection and precision motion control. System Features & Components NI CompactRIO-based system coordinated multi-stage glass fabrication process High-resolution video capture to ensure continuous quality inspection throughout manufacturing Precision motion control for sub-micron positioning accuracy to ensure fine precision manipulation of delicate glass pipettes Automated thermal management systems for heating element control and monitoring Custom LabVIEW software for image processing, motion control, and thermal regulation Outcomes Microscale manufacturing precision with sub-micron positioning accuracy for medical-grade pipette production Reverse-engineered manufacturing process mitigated sustainment risks by enabling access to low-level process IP Automated multi-stage quality inspection replaced manual verification, significantly improving test times and quality assurance Technology at-a-glance NI CompactRIO-9064 chassis NI-9512 motor drive interface module (obsolete) PXIe-1073 chassis NI PXI-6521 industrial digital I/O module NI PXIe-4113 power supply LabVIEW software High-resolution cameras Precision servo motors and drives Custom thermal control hardware High Accuracy Application Successful in vitro fertilization procedures rely on an instrument with precision finer than the width of a human hair, the insemination pipette. These microscale glass tools require ultra-precise manufacturing; the beveled tips must be capable of penetrating an egg cell to deliver genetic material without damaging the cell membrane. Delicate procedures like these require precision tools manufactured of the utmost quality. Microscale Manufacturing A global leader in IVF solutions was faced with an inflection point in their pipette manufacturing process. Due to IP restrictions, they needed to find a partner to reverse-engineer their precision manufacturing system with limited additional specifications. They needed a partner that could develop and build an automated manufacturing solution on a microscale. Their pipette manufacturing process required high levels of precision at every stage. The manufacturing process began with glass tube stock, which was then heated and pulled to create ultra-fine threads. These threads were then cut, beveled, inspected, and sharpened to create a medical-grade instrument. The technical challenges included: Microscale manipulation : Each operation was performed on a pipette finer than the width of a huma hair, which required sub-micron positioning accuracy Multi-stage quality control : Pipette width verification, length cutting, bevel angle inspection, and pathway validation were performed in tight sequence. Proprietary process constraints : IP restrictions required the independent development of a system capable of matching or exceeding the performance of the previous manufacturing solution Complex thermal processes : Precise heating and thermal management were required to control glass pulling, melting and sharpening processes Fully Automated Manufacturing Cyth brought expertise in high-performance imaging and precision motion control critical to ensuring manufacturing quality and measurement accuracy. Cyth developed an automated pipette manufacturing fixture through incorporating the limited details and customer requirements and performing an in-depth research phase for learning about the system to be able to reverse engineer its functionality. Stations in the process of being built by Cyth's Manufacturing team in San Diego, CA. The NI CompactRIO platform’s high-speed data acquisition and real-time control capabilities enabled the implementation of key manufacturing system capabilities, including: Glass tube heating and pulling for pipette thread stock formation Real-time width measurement and verification with micron-scale resolution Precision cutting and length tolerance verification Beveling and angle inspection Multi-camera vision for continuous process monitoring and quality assurance Sub-micron level positioning accuracy of motion control systems Learn more about NI cRIO The NI PXI platform was critical for: Precision control of forges for heating filaments to precise temperatures for shaping operations Synchronization of LED illumination for visual inspection with ionizer operation Parallel processing for thermal, optical, and environmental subsystems Improved Quality Consistency Cyth’s reverse-engineered solution exceeded expected accuracy and throughput metrics and provided the pipette manufacturer with reliable, repeatable testing capabilities. The seamless integration into production and long-term sustainability of the manufacturing systems helped to quickly establish a beneficial ROI for system development. Production and quality improvements: Microscale manufacturing precision with sub-micron positioning accuracy Automated multi-stage quality inspection eliminated manual verification steps Reduced human handling of delicate instruments improved quality consistency Let's Talk

Project Case Study Hyundai Improves Production Test Time using PXI, LabVIEW, and TestStand Mar 30, 2025 79046d6e-ab61-4ab4-b9ce-3922952e95ce 79046d6e-ab61-4ab4-b9ce-3922952e95ce Home > Case Studies > Hyundai Kefico ECU Functional Test Fixture The Challenge We needed to sustainably meet manufacturing test deadlines for increasingly complex powertrain electronic control units (ECU) with over 200 pins and 20,000 test steps; while ensuring test times comply with throughput needs and cost of tests is reduced to remain competitive in the market. The Solution Using the PXI, LabVIEW, and TestStand platforms to build a standard architecture, we achieved flexible test system configurations of all powertrain ECU types and reusable test scripts and procedures that guarantee test coverage alignment from R&D to manufacturing while allowing global, standard test deployment and operation. Introduction Automotive technology is accelerating faster than ever before. Trends like powertrain electrification, wide adoption of advanced safety systems, and enhanced driving and comfort functionalities significantly increase the amount of software needed. As a result, electronic control units (ECUs) are more complex and in higher demand. One of the most important of these is the powertrain ECU. Beyond ensuring proper operation of the powertrain that moves the vehicle, these ECUs impact the environmental performance of the vehicle, its economy, and driving experience, which are factors buyers seriously consider. Hyundai Kefico, a subsidiary company of Hyundai, has provided powertrain automotive electronics since 1972. Like other automotive suppliers that want to remain competitive on the market, our engineers at Hyundai Kefico faced increased test demands and tighter emission regulations while also managing budget and timeline challenges. When our powertrain ECUs reached 200 pins and the functional test needed to ensure quality stretched to 20,000 test steps for an increased variety of ECU types, it became clear that we could not use traditional test engineering approaches to keep up with the pace of vehicle electronics. We needed a change. The NI PXI hardware platform can test complex ECUs upwards of 200 pins. A New Approach In the past, an ECU functional tester required that we design sensor/actuator emulators, vehicle communication modules, test execution engines and applications, test procedures, and test result management tools for each type of ECU. In other words, we developed a new tester for every new ECU, with minimum reuse of test engineering assets and a negative impact to the cost of test. To solve this problem, we started with the development process and created the Common Platform Tester (CP-Tester), and the standardized ECU Functional Tester development process (Figure 1). We based the CP-Tester on standardized test assets called CP-Standard, which define sensor/actuator emulation, vehicle communication, test execution (test engine), operator interface (test application), and test result management. System Success The CP-Tester has a few key components that streamline the test development process. R&D or product engineers can use a test scripting modeling tool called CP-Editor to configure each test step and parameter by choosing from over 200 prebuilt functions to develop test sequences. They can map these test steps to the appropriate hardware I/O and reconfigure them for different ECU types. The CP-Server is another component that engineers can use to effectively manage test result data to improve upon new test requirements. Our engineers can realize these three benefits from the CP-Tester: Shorter tester development times because of its adaptability to various types of powertrain ECUs Efficient use of test engineering assets because it can reuse and reconfigure test steps from R&D to manufacturing More value out of manufacturing test data due to data handling and traceability in standard format We chose the NI PXI platform because it is better suited to deal with the complexity of our powertrain ECUs. Benefits of NI PXI solutions include: High and flexible channel counts (over 200 pins) with different layouts I/O configuration with source and measurement capabilities Ability to connect dummy loads (resistance and inductance) to properly test ECUs Wide variety of switching options and ease of use with NI-SWITCH to increase I/O flexibility Ability to customize I/O through FPGA to implement special sensor communication protocols such as SENT (Single Edge Nibble Transmission and SAE J2716) Most turnkey ECU testers on the market require 10–12 months to adopt new test plans for new products, and they still require significant interaction with the vendors and high costs. Given the importance of a short development time, we took advantage of NI’s automated test solutions to become independent and develop our own flexible standard tester within three months. This resulted in an 80 percent reduction of development time, while giving us the ability to add functionality like CAN with flexible data-rate in the future, as product requirements evolve. At the company level, given the higher demands for ECUs, the NI PXI timing and synchronization features improved our test time by 15 percent and cut the test system cost by 30 percent, which has helped us be more competitive in the market. In addition, we can procure and assemble the CP-Tester at any of our manufacturing sites around the globe thanks to NI’s global presence. For the first 17 CP-Testers, we achieved a 45 percent better project ROI and saved over $1M compared to our previous solution. Original Authors: Minsuk Ko, Hyundai Kefico Edited by Cyth Systems

Project Case Study Reduce Milk Spoilage in India using Single-Board RIO and LabVIEW Real-Time Mar 26, 2024 6bc438b0-d6e2-4189-a138-d8a093fcd5d1 6bc438b0-d6e2-4189-a138-d8a093fcd5d1 Home > Case Studies > *As Featured on NI.com Original Authors: Sorin Grama, Promethean Power Systems, USA Edited by Cyth Systems Promethean Power uses the NI Single-Board RIO platform to create a milk chiller for rural Indian dairies. The Challenge Every day, dairy processors are challenged with transporting milk between millions of individual farmers in villages throughout India to central processing facilities in distant cities. They rely on twice-a-day collections of warm milk, which results in high transportation costs and frequent spoilage. The Solution Using the NI Single-Board RIO control platform, Promethean Power Systems built a thermal battery-powered refrigeration system to cool and store raw milk at the villages where the milk is produced, which cuts both transportation and chilling costs for dairy farmers. In India, roughly $10 billion USD of perishable food items spoil each year because of the poorly developed cold supply chain and unreliable energy sources in rural areas. The dairy industry is particularly vulnerable to spoilage because approximately 80 percent of animals are kept on small farms scattered across rural India. This makes collecting quality milk time-consuming and costly. Farmers can experience as much as 30 percent spoilage in the hot season. Currently, to keep milk from spoiling before it reaches the dairy plant for processing, farmers can use specialized bulk milk chillers (BMC) to keep milk cool. However, the unreliable grid electricity supply in rural India means the refrigerators must operate using diesel-powered generators, which is an undesirable solution that increases capital and operating costs. Sorin Grama and Sam White, the founders of Promethean Power Systems, recognized these challenges and set out to design a milk refrigeration system better suited for remote, rural areas. Left: Promethean Power rapid milk chiller, Right: A farmer in India, pouring milk inside the collection center. Developing a Rapid Milk Chiller Grama designed a rapid milk chiller (RMC) for village-level collection centers that could consistently keep milk cool until it was picked up and transported to a dairy plant or a central collection center. However, a milk cooling system is a mission-critical application that must run 24 hours per day, 365 days per year, so they supplemented the poor grid infrastructure with a thermal battery for a superior system that can operate even during extended periods of power outage (Figure 1). A key component of the system’s design was the control system that manages the operation of the entire system. It controls a refrigeration compressor that converts the electrical power to cooling power and stores the energy as thermal energy—a specialized ice tank. This ice is later used to cool the milk during the morning and evening collection times when grid power may not be available. The control system monitors and controls all temperatures, records data for food safety validation and communicates via SMS with a central facility if there are any emergencies. Grama knew he needed to design an embedded control system to perform these tasks, yet provide a very simple operating interface for the farmers, so they used the NI Single-Board RIO platform and the LabVIEW Real-Time Module as the heart of their system. Benefits of the Rapid Milk Chiller Capable of chilling up to 500 liters per collection, the RMC stores cold energy in the form of a thermal battery, providing farmers with the ability to chill and store milk even when the power is out. Using the stored energy, the RMC can cool raw milk to 4 °C in a matter of seconds, arresting bacteria growth and drastically improving milk quality. The system also creates more flexibility in the supply chain by eliminating the need to route milk through costly central chilling centers, which can reduce transportation costs by up to 40 percent. Furthermore, by eliminating the use of diesel generators the system can reduce operating cost by 50 percent. With the potential to install as many as 1000 milk chillers in the next 3-5 years, each new RMC system has the potential to impact more than 30-40 farming families thereby having a direct impact on approximately 30000 dairy farmers and 1 million milk drinkers in India. This will be achieved by eliminating large amounts of milk spoilage and providing higher quality milk. The Benefits of Working with the Planet NI Program The founders of Promethean Power Systems wanted to work with the Planet NI program because they knew the goals of the program are to nurture innovation and assist companies developing technologies that will have a social impact. Planet NI provided hardware and software for Promethean Power Systems to use to design, prototype, and deploy its RMC. As a result of the project, Indian village collection centers can now preserve the hundreds of liters of milk collected each day. Prior to the RMC, dairy processors had to quickly transport the milk to central chilling centers, and milk often spoiled because it could not reach these centers in time. Cooling the milk at the source results in premium-quality, healthier milk that can be used for higher value products like cheese and baby formula, which positively impacts the economies of small farming villages by providing higher revenues for dairy farmers. The solar photovoltaic array powers the refrigeration system located in the blue-roofed building. Original Authors: Sorin Grama, Promethean Power Systems, USA Edited by Cyth Systems Talk to an Expert Cyth Engineer to learn more

Project Case Study Force Plate Measurement System for Physiotherapy using NI Hardware Mar 27, 2024 20f2a069-64fe-4d04-864a-9590e9abfce7 20f2a069-64fe-4d04-864a-9590e9abfce7 Home > Case Studies > *As Featured on NI.com Original Authors: Karina Taylor, EnvisEng Pty Ltd Edited by Cyth Systems Force plate in use at St. Vincent hospital's physiotherapy uses NI CompactDAQ and LabVIEW to acquire pressure data. The Challenge EnvisEng set out to provide a system that consistently measures and analyses human balance on one leg to assess the progress of patients under their rehabilitation treatments to regain mobility. The Solution Utilizing NI’s compact and modular CompactDAQ platform, EnvisEng delivered a custom-built hardware and software analysis system to St Vincent’s Hospital Physiotherapy Department at a lower price point than any off-the-shelf force plate measurement system. EnvisEng is an NI Partner in Sydney, Australia, that specializes in scientific and medical applications of LabVIEW-based data monitoring, analysis, and control. The founder of the company is a Certified LabVIEW Architect, a Certified Professional Instructor, a physicist, and an electrical engineer with many years of experience in project management and software development. The Musculoskeletal Outpatient Physiotherapy Department at St Vincent’s Hospital provides rehabilitation treatments to its patients. Physical therapists needed a method of consistently measuring human balance on one leg, over multiple physiotherapy sessions, to assess patients’ responses to their prescribed exercise programs. Off-the-shelf force plate measurement systems were prohibitively expensive to St Vincent’s Hospital, which needed only a subset of the features in these systems. St Vincent’s had a small but specific list of requirements that could easily be met using a simple NI data acquisition solution. Left: Force Plate System in Use at the Hospital, Right: LabVIEW user interface giving balance monitoring feedback of the force-plate sensor in real-time. Application Overview EnvisEng designed and built a custom hardware and software analysis system for St Vincent’s Hospital using the NI cDAQ-9181 single-slot Ethernet chassis with an NI 9237 four-channel bridge/strain measurement module. This compact, Ethernet-connected DAQ product provided the most simple, accurate, and cost-effective solution for the customer. The 750 x 750 mm force plate itself was fabricated out of steel. A load cell was placed in each of the four corners of the force plate. The top plate that the patient stands on was covered with a non-slip flooring laminate for safety and aesthetics. The NI data acquisition hardware and power supply were housed in an electrically safe enclosure adjacent to the instrument, which was connected to the main power and monitoring PC via Ethernet. The whole setup is like an accurate, industrialized Wii-fit-style balance board. Original Authors: Karina Taylor, EnvisEng Pty Ltd Edited by Cyth Systems Talk to an Expert Cyth Engineer to learn more

Project Case Study CompactRIO & LabVIEW Monitor and Control a Tokamak for Plasma Research Mar 27, 2024 2d64b7e8-5057-4f01-85f6-6154f4b082fb 2d64b7e8-5057-4f01-85f6-6154f4b082fb Home > Case Studies > *As Featured on NI.com Original Authors: Paul Apte, Tokamak Energy Edited by Cyth Systems Tokamak for Plasma Research The Challenge Designing and building tokamak systems for accelerated research of magnetic confinement fusion, which is actively forwarding the viable use of fusion power. The Solution Using NI CompactRIO hardware and NI LabVIEW software to develop a powerful NI CompactDAQ control system for the control and monitoring of a tokamak, a toroidal system for producing controlled fusion reactions in hot plasma. Demand for electricity is increasing at a rate of 5 percent a year worldwide, which creates a pressing need for new and sustainable forms of energy. A viable form of this is fusion energy generation. Annual global expenditure on fusion energy R&D is about $3 billion, and any serious scientific effort requires a tokamak for fusion research with the latest magnet technology. Our company, Tokamak Energy, develops tokamak systems intended for use as neutron sources and plasma research instruments in 300 plasma research centers around the world. We have built an early prototype of a small, fully operational tokamak (the ST25) with the potential to speed up the fusion R&D process to make fusion power widely available. While huge experiments such as JET (Joint European Torus) and ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) tackle major problems in fusion R&D, small tokamaks can address many fusion challenges and are amenable to rapid development with a small device. The projected cost of ITER is well over $15 billion USD, whereas a small ST25 Tokamak costs a few million dollars to build and run. In other words, Tokamak Energy aims to provide research tools for rapid incremental innovation in fusion that complements and speeds up mainstream fusion R&D. System Overview A tokamak is a device that uses magnetic fields to confine plasma in the shape of a torus. A stable plasma discharge requires a magnetic field that moves around the torus in a helical path. This is accomplished by combining a toroidal field, which orbits the vertical axis of the torus, and a poloidal field, which encircles the central axis of the torus. Confining plasma with magnetic fields is necessary as plasma can reach temperatures of millions of degrees, which would melt through any solid confinement barriers. In a tokamak, electromagnets that surround the torus produce the toroidal and poloidal fields. A third electromagnet, the solenoid, induces an electric current that flows toroidally within the plasma, ionizing and heating it in the process. The ST25 uses eight 1-farad capacitors switched by insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) to provide the necessary kiloampere-level current discharges to copper windings around the tokamak, which create a toroidal field of 0.2 tesla. Working with the poloidal field and solenoid coils supplied by separate high-voltage capacitor banks, the system induces a plasma current of 10 kA to 20 kA. We can increase both field and current by adding extra capacitors. The plasma is also ionized and driven using 2.45 GHz microwaves generated by a 3 kW magnetron for long pulse operation. We sustain it by injecting hydrogen gas from a piezoelectric valve synchronized with the electrical discharge, which we can dope with other gases if required. Design and Implementation NI LabVIEW software and NI CompactRIO hardware handle the plasma control and data acquisition in our system. An NI PCI Express frame grabber captures video of the plasma discharge. We chose NI because LabVIEW is well-known and widely used in big physics, giving us a well-established community for support. LabVIEW integrates seamlessly with the CompactRIO platform and third-party hardware and software, which cemented the choice. In addition to CompactRIO and the NI PCIe-1433 frame grabber, the ST25 systems incorporate a Siemens programmable logic controller (PLC) for the interlock and safety systems, The MathWorks, Inc. MATLAB® software for data analysis, an Ocean Optics spectrometer to analyze the plasma for impurities and contaminants such as water and other gases, and various vacuum pump controllers and pressure gauges. The wide variety of instrument drivers available from the NI website helped us integrate the third-party devices. Two CompactRIO devices run two separate parts of the system. The first CompactRIO system collects data from voltage loops and coils mounted around the tokamak vessel. These tell us about the plasma conditions and position within the vessel. We also digitize signals from photodiodes to measure plasma duration and intensity. We networked this system to a second CompactRIO controller that manages the synchronization of the capacitor bank discharges into the coils via IGBT devices and keeps the plasma discharge stable. This CompactRIO controller also manages hydrogen injection into the plasma chamber. The speed necessary to acquire waveform data, process signals, and react to control the plasma discharge means that CompactRIO and the LabVIEW FPGA Module are perfect for this application. Using the FPGA, we can control triggering the IGBTs and other devices to initiate the plasma discharge with microsecond resolution. The LabVIEW and CompactRIO approach allows for the processing speed of a custom chip with the reconfigurability of software. The NI PCIe-1433 frame grabber uses NI-IMAQ drivers to collect high-speed video of the plasma at more than 1,000 frames per second from a Basler ace acA2000-340kc camera running Camera Link for monitoring and discharge analysis. With the NI-IMAQ drivers, we can easily configure the acquisition, and the system can easily convert the video files to AVI. The whole system runs on a master PC controlled by LabVIEW which networks the CompactRIO systems, the video capture, and, using NI-VISA and an RS232 link, the spectrometer, the PLC, and the surveillance cameras. We enclose the ST25 within a Faraday cage and control it from a safe room. Future Developments The ST25 paved the way for the design of a new tokamak, the ST25 HTS. Tokamak Energy is working with Oxford Instruments to develop and demonstrate the world’s first tokamak with magnets made from high-temperature superconductors (HTS). All of the ST25 code is new and written specifically for this application; however, we can reuse the code in the ST25(HTS) and future iterations and take full advantage of the NI graphical system design benefits. The small tokamak is easy for students to use and researchers can perform groundbreaking plasma research and fusion science. Specifically, it will sustain intense hot plasmas for long pulses, capitalizing on the low energy dissipation in superconducting magnets. Simplified Design, Reduced Time Using a networked CompactRIO approach simplified the control system and DAQ design. Without these devices, the cabling and layout would be more complicated and have taken longer to implement. We can also use this scalable design to control much larger and more complex devices, which is another advantage. Overall, NI products simplified the whole setup. We quickly brought together hardware and software from many manufacturers into an incredibly compact, powerful, and cost-effective tokamak. The ST25 took less than six months to design and build, of which the control system took about three months to plan and implement. This working prototype has yielded promising results in a short time. We used LabVIEW and CompactRIO to construct a scalable, distributed embedded control and DAQ system without the need for specialist embedded electronic engineers. We will continue to use this approach as the project scales up in size and complexity so engineering physicists can work closely on the system implementation for HTS magnet control, plasma control, and advanced diagnostics. Original Authors: Paul Apte, Tokamak Energy Edited by Cyth Systems https://www.cyth.com/talk-to-expert-engineer

Project Case Study HIL Simulator for Testing Wind Turbine Control Systems Mar 27, 2024 a7254fd8-f455-4312-8ee4-d12ba084c801 a7254fd8-f455-4312-8ee4-d12ba084c801 Home > Case Studies > *As Featured on NI.com Original Authors: Morten Pedersen, CIM Industrial Systems A/S Edited by Cyth Systems Off-shore wind turbines. The Challenge Improving the automated testing of frequent software releases of Siemens wind turbine control systems as well as testing and verifying the wind turbine control system components in the development phase. The Solution Creating a new real-time test system for hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing of the embedded control software releases of Siemens wind turbine control systems using NI TestStand, the LabVIEW Real-Time and LabVIEW FPGA modules, and the NI PXI platform. Testing the Control System Software A wind turbine system consists of several components including the rotor, gear, converter, and transformer used to convert kinetic wind energy to electricity. Wind Turbine Components The control system interfaces with these components through hundreds of I/O signals and multiple communication protocols. The most complex part of the control system is the embedded control software executing the control loops. Because our software developers regularly release a new software version for the controller, we need to test the software to verify that these releases will execute reliably in the wind park’s conditions. With every software release, we perform factory acceptance testing before the software can be used in the field. This new test system gives us the ability to automate this process. Lessons Learned from the Previous System Our previous test system was developed 10 years ago and based on another software environment and PCI data acquisition boards. The test system architecture and performance did not meet our new requirements for test time and scalability. It was difficult to maintain and did not have sufficient automation capabilities for efficient testing. It also lacked automatic test result documentation and test case traceability and did not provide the required remote control capabilities. In addition, the old HIL test environment did not support multicore processing, which prevented us from taking advantage of the computing power of the latest multicore processors. Our Decision for Future Systems After evaluating the available technologies, we selected LabVIEW software and PXI-based real-time and field-programmable gate array (FPGA) hardware to develop our new test solution. We believe this technology gives us the flexibility and expandability to meet our future technical requirements. Also, we have established confidence in the solution with the high level of service and quality of the products from NI. Because we did not have in-depth development expertise for test systems in-house, we contracted the development to CIM Industrial Systems A/S in Denmark. We chose CIM because they had the test engineering capabilities and LabVIEW architects available. A Flexible Real-Time Test System Architecture The new test system simulates the behavior of the real wind turbine components by running simulation models for these components in the LabVIEW Real-Time system to supply simulated signals to the system under test. Left: Siemens Wind Power Test System Architecture. Right: The host computer’s LabVIEW graphical user interface (GUI). The software on the host computer communicates with the LabVIEW Real-Time target in a PXI-1042Q chassis over Ethernet. LabVIEW Real-Time runs simulation software that typically consists of 20 to 25 simulation DLLs executing in parallel. This solution can call user models built with almost any modeling environment such as the NI LabVIEW Control Design and Simulation Module, The MathWorks, Inc. Simulink® software, or ANSI C code. A typical execution rate of our simulation loop is 24 ms, leaving plenty of processing capacity to meet future expansion needs. FPGA Boards for Custom Wind Turbine Protocols and Sensor Simulations There are a lot of custom communication protocols used in wind turbines because of the lack of existing standards. Using an NI PXI-R Series FPGA-based multifunction RIO module with the LabVIEW FPGA Module, we can quickly interface with and simulate these protocols. In addition to protocol interfacing, we are using the device to simulate magnetic sensors and for accurate three-phase voltage and current simulations. The other FPGA board is connected to an R Series expansion chassis to further increase the system channel count. The ability to design software to run on an FPGA with the same graphical development environment used for real-time control was extremely helpful in increasing our productivity. The Benefits of the New Test System NI technology played a critical role in the improvements to the new Wind Power test system. The openness of the LabVIEW development environment, which allowed us to import third-party simulation models, combined with the tight integration of NI real-time and FPGA-based hardware, enabled us to quickly move from a concept to a functional prototype. LabVIEW’s ability to automatically take advantage of the latest multicore processors helped us maximize system performance, leaving plenty of processing capacity to meet future expansion needs. Finally, the highly customizable front panel enabled us to easily design an intuitive graphical user interface for our end users, The new Siemens Wind Power test system is more modular than the previous generation, making it easy to improve, adapt, and further develop. The system under test can be quickly replaced without any changes in the test system architecture. The remote control capability and simple replication of the system gives us the flexibility to copy the system to other sites as our operations expand. Finally, the simulator provides an environment to effectively verify the new software releases and test special situations in our laboratory. It also gives us a tool to test new technologies and concepts we are working on. Future Plans LabVIEW’s graphical system design allows us to design modular software that can be easily scaled to meet the growing requirements of evolving wind energy technology. In the future, we envision expanding the simulation to multiple LabVIEW Real-Time targets to meet our future testing needs. We are also using NI TestStand to further automate test execution. Original Authors: Morten Pedersen, CIM Industrial Systems A/S Edited by Cyth Systems Talk to an Expert Cyth Engineer to learn more

Certified LabVIEW Associate Developer (CLAD) The Certified LabVIEW Associate Developer (CLAD) Certification indicates a broad working knowledge of the LabVIEW environment, a basic understanding of coding and documentation best practices, and the ability to read and interpret existing code. NI offers the Certified LabVIEW Associate Developer (CLAD) exam using either LabVIEW or LabVIEW NXG. 1 Review the Requirements 2 Prepare for the Exam 3 Schedule an Exam 4 Share your Success 5 Recertify Review the Requirements Step 1. The Certified LabVIEW Associate Developer (CLAD) certification is an entry-level certification that is valid for 2 years. Recertification is required to maintain credentials. Benefits include the use of the professional certification badge logo and related digital credentials. NI recommends that you have six or more months of LabVIEW development experience. Completing the LabVIEW Core 1 and LabVIEW Core 2 courses may substitute for three months of LabVIEW development experience. Exam Details Prerequisite: None Format: Multiple Choice Duration: 1 hour Location: Online Prepare for the Exam Step 2. Preparing for Your Exam CTA Exam Topics TestStand Advanced Architecture Series Step 3. Schedule the Exam Once you have completed your exam preparation and have met all prerequisite requirements, you are ready to schedule your exam. For in-person exam registration, please email us at solutions@cyth.com Share your success Step 4. 1. When you complete the CLAD exam, you will be advised if you passed or failed. -If you passed, and after any flags have been reviewed by our certification team, you'll receive a notification email with your digital credential. This email may come within a few minutes of passing, but it can take 24 hours. -If you have not received your notification email within 3 days of passing the assessment, email solutions@cyth.com 2. To share your badge, please follow these instructions: a. Log into your account at Credly b. Click on the profile icon at the top right-hand corner of the page and go to “Badge Management” c. Click on the badge you are looking to share d. Scroll down and click “Share” e. You will be brought to the “Share Badge” screen where you can find different tabs directing you to connect your social media accounts and share your badge Recertify Step 5. To recertify as a Certified LabVIEW Associate Developer, simply retake and pass the CLAD exam. Recertification Interval -2 years Enroll

Project Case Study Compact Data Logger for Train Performance Validation Aug 28, 2023 72403638-ce45-4b85-b358-cf5fcaa4619f 72403638-ce45-4b85-b358-cf5fcaa4619f Home > Case Studies > *As Featured on NI.com Original Authors: Arunkumar Manoharan - Apna Technologies & Solutions Pvt Limited Sriram Iyer - Apna Technologies and Solutions Pvt Ltd Edited by Cyth Systems Indian railway Background and Process The Research Design and Standards Organization of the Ministry of Railways of India uses validation trials to set standards for Indian railway conditions. During validation trials, we test trains with certain load and speed criteria on a new or existing railway line. We also test locomotives and railway vehicles with modified designs under different track conditions. Knowing parameters such as twist, gauge, alignment, and unevenness is critical for gauging the performance of a train when running along a track. We needed to create a product to digitize, store, and analyze the data of the train while it is running meanwhile maintaining flexibility in sensor connection and appropriate signal conditioners. The logger needed to withstand the high vibration and electromagnetic interference common in the railroad environment. We used NI CompactRIO hardware and LabVIEW software to create the Apna Versatile Data Acquisition System (apnaVDAS) data logger. The CompactRIO controller, chassis, and respective modules gave us the input and output configuration we required for the system. We developed a LabVIEW application to detect the configuration of the modules and load the appropriate user interface and analysis. The required sensors including strain, accelerometer, displacement, pressure, temperature, and speed were integrated with ease. These sensors help us in real-time to measure the impact loads caused by wheel defects, and measure axle speeds, and help us gauge the dynamic load for all the wheels. The application featured in our Wheel Impact Load Detector (WILD) creates a live track chart with measurements from sensors and marks corresponding to events (locations such as curves, straight lines, bridges, rise, fall, and stations) recorded by the imaging sensor and corresponding manual entries. Online and offline analysis software analyzes recorded information. The apnaVDAS data logger has a modular front panel and built-in signal conditioning modules. The front panel provides signal-specific LEMO connectors for ease of handling and is optimized to acquire measurements in the rugged and demanding conditions of a running train. Apna Technologies WILD (Wheel Impact Load Detector) System. Measurement Architecture We connected sensors mounted on different measurement points in the oscillograph car or test vehicle to the apnaVDAS with a shielded cable. The other end of the shielded cable features LEMO connectors. The connector size and mating notches are different for different signal types to avoid problems in the field. After we configure the test and initialize the CompactRIO controller, the NI cRIO-9014 controller collects the data from other CompactRIO modules at 100 S/s and transfers the data to a rugged laptop. Data Logger We used an 8-slot NI cRIO-9104 chassis that we can configure to meet any test requirement. LEMO connectors interface from the field sensor to the enclosure front panels. The connectors feed required excitation voltage and current via sensors through customized module printed circuit boards. The data logger features battery backup for up to four hours in case of an emergency. The enclosure complies with the IP65 rating and is rugged enough to work in train-running conditions. Software We used LabVIEW to develop the apnaVDS software. Customers can configure the display and sensor scaling parameters in the apnaVDAS software per test requirements. They can save and retrieve data for similar trials. Conclusion We used LabVIEW and CompactRIO to develop a reliable, rugged data logger with field-configurable plug-and-play I/O modules to meet stringent transportation requirements. We successfully have conducted several railway trials across India to expand our customer base to Mumbai Metro, Chennai Metro Rail, and Jaipur Metro amongst many more. LabVIEW software and CompactRIO hardware provided a deterministic platform that reduced our development time and increased the reliability of our system for rugged environmental conditions. Original Authors: Arunkumar Manoharan - Apna Technologies & Solutions Pvt Limited Sriram Iyer - Apna Technologies and Solutions Pvt Ltd Edited by Cyth Systems Talk to an Expert Cyth Engineer to learn more

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Our team of LabVIEW Consulting Developers is here to provide domain, application, and overall test development to help your team advance on the NI platform. LabVIEW Consulting & Development LabVIEW engineering services for automated test, measurement, and control applications. View services Speak to Engineer LabVIEW Engineering Services View services Hourly LabVIEW Consulting Get up and running with a new application or fix critical bugs  Get in touch  LabVIEW Code Reviews  Our experienced developers help audit your test and automation software for best practices and potential issues, improving quality and maintainability. Schedule a call  Architecture Consulting  Design in best practices for performance, scalability, and maintenance for complex automation applications Case Study  Legacy System Upgrades  Migrate existing code, add support for new hardware, or build in new functionality Case Study  Schedule a free consultation Explore Applications “Working with Cyth is refreshing. Status reports, budget updates, design meetings... they've perfected the way projects should be done.” -R.J., Senior Quality Engineer, Medical Device Manufacturer Why Partner with Cyth? De-risk complex projects Automation architecture expertise Our end-to-end engineering experience helps you avoid costly architecture mistakes and integration challenges so you can deploy solutions faster.  Flexible by Design Scalable development approach  Modular code architecture and adaptable service models allow you to evolve applications throughout development cycles and changing requirements Never Start from Scratch Build on proven foundations Accelerate development with our tested LabVIEW templates and design patterns for common automation tasks. Applications & Expertise Applications & Expertise Research & Development Tools Accelerate innovation with custom R&D software for repeatable measurements and process control Read the case study Test Automation & Measurement Systems Automate tests with precision, speed, and repeatability. Read the case study Production & Reliability Test Ensure product quality through comprehensive test coverage and results tracking. Read the case study Data Analysis & Visualization Transform test and measurement datasets with custom processing, robust UIs, and flexible data storage. Read the case study NI Platform Expertise As an experienced NI Systems Integrator, Cyth can help you overcome challenges and deliver scalable test and automation solutions Why LabVIEW? Let’s start building Success Stories  See Cyth and LabVIEW in action through real-world applications. Automated Battery QA Ensures Medical Device Reliability Robotic Automation Triples Sample Preparation Throughput CompactRIO Enables Automated Circuit Board Testing 1 2 3 4 5 Talk with an Engineer

Project Case Study LabVIEW Real-Time Defects Mapping on Integrated Circuits Mar 27, 2024 749b359f-6772-4b5f-9727-6e7d1949ff06 749b359f-6772-4b5f-9727-6e7d1949ff06 Home > Case Studies > *As Featured on NI.com Original Authors: Sébastien Cany, ST-ERICSSON Edited by Cyth Systems Integrated Circuits The Challenge Creating a system to localize failure mechanisms causing abnormal electrical behavior, including those linked to complex parameters (such as frequencies, amplitudes, and digital values contained in registers), in integrated circuits (ICs). The Solution Improving a conventional faults mapping system using NI PXI hardware and the NI LabVIEW FPGA Module. Fault localization is complex due to decreased individual pattern sizes, increased metallization levels, and decreased voltage supplies. We needed to localize a defect measuring less than a few micrometers in a component of several square millimeters. There are several ways to do this, including using global fault isolation methods. One method uses a laser to scan an IC surface while measuring current or voltage variations induced by the laser’s photoelectric or thermal effects. With the thermal laser (λ≈1.3 m), the beam locally heats the component to change its electrical behavior. An analog system monitors some parameters (currents or voltages) during scanning. Dedicated software running on a PC then creates a map representing the circuit’s heat sensitivity. Faults are generally localized by comparing the map obtained for a reference circuit with the one resulting from a faulty circuit. We used a Hamamatsu Phemos 1000 that can create maps with 1,024 x 1,024 pixel resolution. Conventional Method Limitations With the standard Optical Beam Induced Resistive-Change (OBIRCH) laser thermal stimulation method, we can only measure voltage or current changes under local heating. We extended this method by mapping complex variables such as frequencies, amplitudes, and digital values stored in registers. Mapping Acquisition Using a Laser-Scanning Phemos 1000 Microscope Hardware System Setup We developed and validated our solution by analyzing a failure in a component that manages cell phone energy (battery power and voltage regulation) and conversions (audio, radio frequency, and supervision).This circuit contains an A/D converter (ADC) to measure various currents and voltages during phone operation. On failing components, conversion results shifted several bits (least significant). We used an NI PXI-1036 chassis equipped with an NI PXI-8102 controller and an NI PXI-7852R field-programmable gate array (FPGA) module. This NI system is inserted between the device interface board and the fault isolation equipment (Phemos 1000). This assembly ensures the component startup and the ADC control. It initiates conversions and collects the results via serial peripheral interface (SPI) bus. It performs scale conversion and transmits data to the fault localization equipment. The laser scans the chip in 72 seconds to build an image made of 1024 x 1024 pixels. Each point must be acquired and processed in less than 65 μs (pixel clock period). We chose NI hardware because it fully met our requirements. The NI products are low cost, fast enough to process each pixel in less than 65 μs, and programmable with the LabVIEW FPGA Module. Leak Detection We used the previous development to the conversion results of a reference unit and a failing one. The two circuits had significantly different results. The laser strongly altered the ADC behavior when scanning two capacitors on the defective part. Simulations showed that a 100 fA leakage of the identified elements explained the electrical fault. Thus, with the method we developed, we could identify two defects: a silicon manufacturing process defect generating an abnormal leakage in some capacitors, and a component design weakness where the converter architecture was too sensitive to a very low leak rate. We made changes at the application level to correct this problem. Conclusion The solution we created using NI PXI and LabVIEW FPGA is economical. We developed it without the help of programmable logic circuit experts. It greatly increases the possibility of classical faults isolation methods, giving capability to analyze complex parameters such as frequencies, amplitudes, and digital values contained in registers. With the FPGA, we mapped heat-sensitive areas on an IC in just a few minutes. It would take many hours with a production tester system. We used this solution to localize a defect in an ADC. The obtained mappings were pointing to internal capacitors. These components had a 100 fA leak, which produced a shift in conversion results. We confirmed this mechanism failure using simulations, and corrected the problem at the application level. We can now use this system in the ST-Ericsson quality laboratory for all failure-analysis cases involving complex quantities and adapted to thermal laser stimulation. *As Featured on NI.com Original Authors: Sébastien Cany, ST-ERICSSON Edited by Cyth Systems Talk to an Expert Cyth Engineer to learn more

Project Case Study Highly Dynamic Steering Test Bench with NI VeriStand, LabVIEW & PXI Mar 26, 2024 94f245af-d062-46d9-bca5-16c7c568abb8 94f245af-d062-46d9-bca5-16c7c568abb8 Home > Case Studies > *As Featured on NI.com Original Authors: Marc Scherer, ITK Engineering AG Edited by Cyth Systems Mechanical structure of the steering test bench from ITK. The Challenge The requirements for testing steering systems have increased enormously. Along with mechanical tests, highly dynamic tests of electrical steering systems on test benches are now common and are increasingly being performed under realistic conditions. Additional requirements result from the use of active test objects with their own actuators, whose behavior is strongly influenced by the contained ECU. The Solution ITK Engineering AG (ITK) has delivered a highly dynamic steering test bench for realistic testing to an Asian automobile manufacturer. It features full automation based on National Instruments (NI) PXI, VeriStand and TACware®, ITK’s software for test bench automation, developed with LabVIEW and LabVIEW Real-Time. Left: Overview of the utilized software functions of VeriStand, Right: Data from high dynamics test. A Highly Dynamic Test Bench for Testing Electric Power Steering Systems To minimize costly road tests with test vehicles, test benches must enable realistic testing. For one of their customers, ITK therefore developed a highly dynamic test bench for electric power steering systems that enables haptic tests in addition to automated and simulation-based test sequences. To create realistic test conditions, the same physical quantities are applied to the steering system on the test bench as would occur during test runs with the system installed in a test vehicle. A hydraulic load actuator generates forces or assumes positions that act on the steering system and are equivalent to real street loads. Target force values, for example recorded during previous test drives, can be reproduced on the test bench and controlled dynamically over a range up to 25 kN. To enable realistic testing and fulfill stringent requirements for dynamics and precision, highly effective technologies such as synchronized hydraulic cylinders and mechanical structures with optimized vibration characteristics are used. Furthermore, automated steering wheel angles and torques are regulated by a steering machine. If necessary, steering motions can also be performed manually with a steering wheel (“Driver-in-theLoop”). This allows haptics and subjective driving feel to be evaluated directly on the test bench. (Figure 1) Test Bench Automation Due to the high requirements for performance and real-time capability, ITK chose the powerful NI PXIe-8135 system as the run-time platform for test bench automation. Communication with the actuators and sensors of the test bench was implemented with the versatile multifunction NI X Series PXIe-6363 data acquisition modules and NI Industrial Communications for EtherCAT. NI VeriStand provides the basic software environment for real-time based tests in the test bench automation. With its integrated functions for test sequence definition and execution using the NI Stimulus Profile Editor, integration of simulation models and capability for user customization of the GUI during operation, VeriStand hit the right buttons with the developers. VeriStand’s open architecture was a key factor in the selection process. This allowed additional LabVIEW elements and functions to be integrated and extended in the VeriStand workspace (user interface). Also, functions needed in the real-time system could be added with LabVIEW Real-Time in the form of an asynchronous custom device. Precise Control for Realistic Testing The quality of test bench feedback control is crucial for realistic testing. In addition to the highest possible control accuracy, target values must be regulated quickly and efficiently. Furthermore, it must be possible to adjust test bench feedback control design, for example for different steering system variants, flexibly and with low user effort. The main sources of the high control system requirements for the steering test bench are the interaction between angle feedback control (steering machine) and force feedback control (load actuator) and various non-linear effects, such as stiction and mechanical play. The negative influence of angle feedback control on force feedback control is amplified by the active power assist of the steering system under test. Combined with increased dynamic characteristics of the control loop, this can easily lead to instability. Suitable feedback control algorithms with optimal parameters, minimal signal latencies and 20 kHz control sampling rates provide effective compensation for disturbances, cross-coupling and non-linearities, as well as extremely high stability. Figure 3 shows a test run with angle and force control under highly dynamic conditions. In this case the control target values came from measurements in a real vehicle, but they can also be calculated online using a simulation model. In that test mode the test bench would be “in-the-Loop”, which means in the same control loop as the steering system and a vehicle model. To ensure test bench feedback control performance even with new steering variants or with altered control loop transfer characteristics, test bench operators can automatically redesign the feedback controller, including controller parameters, on the test bench without any need for expert knowledge. This significantly reduces setup times. This methodology is provided by ITK’s in-house developed automation solution TACware®. After just nine months of development time, ITK delivered a turnkey custom test bench for highly dynamic, realistic testing of electric power steerings. It is built on the combination of NI PXI, VeriStand and the TACware® software, which is based on LabVIEW and LabVIEW Real-Time. Along with basic tests such as manual target value setting and automated test sequences, steering system testing “in-the-Loop” and “Driver in-the-Loop” are equally possible. In addition, the integrated methodology for automated feedback controller design and parametrization significantly reduces setup times for changing test object variants or modification of constraints. Original Authors: Marc Scherer, ITK Engineering AG Edited by Cyth Systems Talk to an Expert Cyth Engineer to learn more

Project Case Study Automated QR Code Printer & Verifier Enables Inventory Tracking Mar 27, 2024 4c3dce29-d56a-42b2-8133-c87b937a7c0b 4c3dce29-d56a-42b2-8133-c87b937a7c0b Home > Case Studies > Automated QR Code Printing & Verifying System The Challenge A global pharmaceutical manufacturer came to us with the need for a system to automate the printing and scanning of QR codes for their product labels. The Solution Using programmatically controlled commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware, a high-definition camera, and vision inspection software we built the customer a turnkey solution for the automated printing and verifying their product QR codes for improved inventory tracking. Right to Left: 1. Label Roll Holder, 2. Thermal Press QR Code Printer, 3. Cognex Barcode Reader & Pneumatic Hole Punch Manifold, 4. The Label Reroller (Retrieves Labels). System Order of Operations A blank label roll is placed on the machine’s right side label holder by an operator(1). The first label is fed into the thermal press printer’s grip manifold (2). The operator begins the system via the user interface. The printer presses a film that adheres to the label under high heat and prints the required QR Code. The printed label passes under the Cognex barcode scan camera (3). This camera verifies each barcode’s print quality. If the quality meets customer criteria it is a pass. If the quality does not meet the criteria, it is a reject. The reject barcodes are punched through by the pneumatic hold punch manifold. After verification, the labels pass to the label holder on the left which rewinds the labels back into a roll (4). The system logs each verified QR Code into a .CSV file which is then communicated to the customer’s internal network via Ethernet. Delivering the Outcome Our automated QR Code printer and verifier has greatly improved our customer’s inventory tracking capabilities. Our system’s rejection capabilities allowed the end-user to decrease the application of inadequate labels, eliminating the need for multiple technicians to remove labels and issue new SKUs prior to shipping. Ultimately resulting in an on-time shipment increase of 7% and thousands saved in excess labor. Technical Specifications 1 x Zebra ZT610 Printer [600dpi, Ethernet] 1 x Thermal Transfer Ribbon 1 x Zero Tension Rewinder Z-CAT-6 (Right Side) 1 x Cognex Fixed Mount Barcode Reader Kit 1 x Cognex M12 Ethernet Cable 1 x Acer Monitor 1 x Fixed Mount Pneumatic Solenoid 1 x Pneumatic Hammer-Driven Small Hole Punch 1 x NPT Manifold 1 x Threaded Track Roller (for Labels) 1 x Thermal Transfer Ribbon Talk to an Expert Cyth Engineer to learn more

Our team of LabVIEW Consulting Developers is here to provide domain, application, and overall test development to help your team advance on the NI platform. LabVIEW Consulting & Development LabVIEW engineering services for automated test, measurement, and control applications. View services Speak to Engineer LabVIEW Engineering Services View services Hourly LabVIEW Consulting Get up and running with a new application or fix critical bugs  Get in touch  LabVIEW Code Reviews  Our experienced developers help audit your test and automation software for best practices and potential issues, improving quality and maintainability. Schedule a call  Architecture Consulting  Design in best practices for performance, scalability, and maintenance for complex automation applications Case Study  Legacy System Upgrades  Migrate existing code, add support for new hardware, or build in new functionality Case Study  Schedule a free consultation Explore Applications “Working with Cyth is refreshing. Status reports, budget updates, design meetings... they've perfected the way projects should be done.” -R.J., Senior Quality Engineer, Medical Device Manufacturer Why Partner with Cyth? De-risk complex projects Automation architecture expertise Our end-to-end engineering experience helps you avoid costly architecture mistakes and integration challenges so you can deploy solutions faster.  Flexible by Design Scalable development approach  Modular code architecture and adaptable service models allow you to evolve applications throughout development cycles and changing requirements Never Start from Scratch Build on proven foundations Accelerate development with our tested LabVIEW templates and design patterns for common automation tasks. Applications & Expertise Applications & Expertise Research & Development Tools Accelerate innovation with custom R&D software for repeatable measurements and process control Read the case study Test Automation & Measurement Systems Automate tests with precision, speed, and repeatability. Read the case study Production & Reliability Test Ensure product quality through comprehensive test coverage and results tracking. Read the case study Data Analysis & Visualization Transform test and measurement datasets with custom processing, robust UIs, and flexible data storage. Read the case study NI Platform Expertise As an experienced NI Systems Integrator, Cyth can help you overcome challenges and deliver scalable test and automation solutions Why LabVIEW? Let’s start building Success Stories  See Cyth and LabVIEW in action through real-world applications. Automated Battery QA Ensures Medical Device Reliability Robotic Automation Triples Sample Preparation Throughput CompactRIO Enables Automated Circuit Board Testing 1 2 3 4 5 Talk with an Engineer

Project Case Study Smart Turf Harvesting Machine Boosts Productivity and Reduces Cost Mar 27, 2024 9b71e0bc-1522-41be-9e14-977783ec1df7 9b71e0bc-1522-41be-9e14-977783ec1df7 Home > Case Studies > *As Featured on NI.com Original Author: Steve Aposhian, FireFly Equipment Edited by Cyth Systems Smart Turf Harvesting Machine The Challenge Delivering a high-performance, automated turf harvester that reliably and efficiently palletizes turf in a variety of farming conditions while increasing farm productivity, reducing machine operating costs, and providing a secure Internet gateway to remotely monitor and control the turf harvester. The Solution Using LabVIEW software and CompactRIO hardware to design the ProSlab 155, a smart machine harvests turf 20 percent faster, and uses half the diesel fuel than other turf harvesting machines on the market. FireFly Equipment, a maker of smart and efficient automated turf harvesting equipment, designed a revolutionary new turf harvesting machine, the ProSlab 155, which combines cutting-edge mechanical, electrical, and software systems based on the LabVIEW RIO architecture. Using the NI platform, our mechatronics domain experts quickly and seamlessly integrated their design process with machine automation programming to rapidly prototype an entirely new smart machine and significantly reduce the time required to deploy their product to market. CompactRIO controls Figure 1. CompactRIO controls everything in this machine–including 40 hydraulic valves, 5 axes of high-performance motion, over 150 channels of analog and digital I/O, the operator interface, and over 30 parallel control loops–eliminating the need for separate subsystems in the design. Traditional Approach Hand-stacked turf harvesting is still widely used in the industry. Farm equipment companies have tried to build machines to automate turf slab cutting and stacking over the years to improve productivity, but the machines’ traditional approach makes them either perform inconsistently or increase productivity only slightly more than the hand-stacking process. They incorporate common mobile equipment such as electrically operated valves that control fluid power to hydraulic cylinders and motors for motion control. Though reliable for simpler systems, these components have been less effective for performing many parallel operations in tight synchronization with other processes as well as implementing the complex math needed for advanced signal processing and high-speed motion control trajectory generation. In addition, limited data processing power and closed system architectures limit advanced functionality and remote monitoring and diagnostics. The FireFly Approach Recognizing these shortcomings, we worked to build a smarter machine that manages and synchronizes multiple parallel processes to automate cutting and stacking turf grass. First, a cutter lifts the turf from the ground and cuts it into slabs that conveyors transport to the rear of the machine. A stacker attached to a gantry then moves the cut slabs from the conveyors to the pallet. As each turf slab is stacked onto the pallet, a set of pallet forks lowers the pallet of turf closer to the ground. Once stacked to the desired level, the fully loaded pallet of neatly stacked turf slabs is placed on the ground as a pallet magazine holding empty pallets inserts a new, empty pallet onto the pallet forklift, enabling the cutting and stacking process to continue uninterrupted. A self-propelled tractor moves the entire automated system through the field. These systems must work in a continuous, synchronized flow for the machine to perform the work of harvesting and stacking the turf reliably and efficiently. In total, the machine includes nearly 80 analog and digital sensors and 100 digital outputs. We incorporated servo electric systems with coordinated multi-axis trajectory generators to provide the high-speed, efficient, accurate, and smooth motion control necessary for the complex stacking process. The machine can consistently stack turf slabs over millions of cycles per year, which improves speed and reliability greatly. We chose traditional fluid power systems for the less complex tasks of the harvester including operating the cutter, forklift, pallet magazine, and propulsion systems. To facilitate future development, we required an open, flexible, and powerful platform for designing, prototyping, and ultimately deploying its new machine around the world. Figure 2. Left: ProSlab 155 harvesting turf. Right: ProSlab 155 cutting and sectioning off the sod. LabVIEW RIO Architecture Using the LabVIEW and CompactRIO platform, we combined traditional fluid power systems with servo-electric systems on a machine to perform many complex parallel operations. CompactRIO’s modular I/O enables users to flexibly implement a wide array of sensor types and industrial connectivity. The CompactRIO real-time controller and reconfigurable FPGA chassis provide a customizable platform to implement complex, highly synchronized control systems. LabVIEW’s inherent ability to implement many parallel loops on the FPGA and real-time controller, its rich set of complex math functions, and its integration with the LabVIEW SoftMotion Module and Kollmorgen AKD drives and motors make it powerful software to control all aspects of a smart machine. Additionally, the open and flexible nature of LabVIEW helps implement reliable communication architectures for local operator interfaces and centralized resource management, diagnostics, and remote updates. These functions are essential once the machines are deployed around the world and need maintenance. Original Author: Steve Aposhian, FireFly Equipment Edited by Cyth Systems Talk to an Expert Cyth Engineer to learn more

Certified LabVIEW Embedded Developer (CLED) A Certified LabVIEW Embedded Systems Developer (CLED) demonstrates proficiency and expertise in designing, developing, debugging, and deploying reliable mission-critical embedded control and monitoring applications based on CompactRIO, Single-Board RIO, and/or R Series hardware. A CLED efficiently uses the LabVIEW Real-Time and LabVIEW FPGA modules in accordance with best practices and software engineering principles to design modular, scalable, and maintainable embedded systems. 1 Review the Requirements 2 Prepare for the Exam 3 Schedule an Exam 4 Share your Success 5 Recertify Review the Requirements Step 1. The Certified LabVIEW Embedded Systems Developer (CLED) certification demonstrates the ability to develop and deploy reliable embedded control and monitoring applications. This certification requires passing the exam in two parts: first the multiple-choice CLED-1 and then the performance based CLED-2. This certification that is valid for 5 years. Recertification is required to maintain credentials. Benefits include the use of the professional certification badge logo and related digital credentials. NI recommends that you have 18 to 24 months of experience in developing medium- to large-scale LabVIEW control and monitoring applications with CompactRIO, Single-Board RIO, and/or R Series hardware or that you have mastered the content in the Developing Embedded Applications using CompactRIO and LabVIEW FPGA and Developing Embedded Applications Using CompactRIO and LabVIEW Real-Time Training Courses. Exam Details Prerequisite: CLED-1: Active Certified LabVIEW Developer (CLD) or Certified LabVIEW Architect (CLA) certification CLED-2: Passing grade on CLED-1 exam. Format: CLED-1: Multiple choice CLED-2: Application development using Single-Board RIO hardware Duration: CLED-1: 1 hour CLED-2: 5 hours Location: CLED-1: Online CLED-2: Onsite only (At your location with minimum 5 or more attendees) Prepare for the Exam Step 2. Preparing for Your Exam CTA Exam Topics TestStand Advanced Architecture Series Step 3. Schedule the Exam Once you have completed your exam preparation and have met all prerequisite requirements, you are ready to schedule your exam. For in-person exam registration, please email us at solutions@cyth.com Share your success Step 4. 1. When you complete the CLED-1 exam, you will be advised if you passed or failed. -If you passed, and after any flags have been reviewed by our certification team, you'll receive a notification email that includes information on how to schedule the CLED-2 exam. This email may come within a few minutes of passing, but it can take 24 hours. -If you have not received your notification email within 3 days of passing the assessment, email services@ni.com 2. When you complete the CLED-2 exam, your exam will be graded by engineers at NI. Once the grading process is complete, you will be advised if you passed or failed. -If you passed you will receive a notification email with your digital credential. -If you have not received your notification email within 3 days of receiving the notification that you passed the assessment, email services@ni.com To share your badge, please follow these instructions: a. Log into your account at Credly b. Click on the profile icon at the top right-hand corner of the page and go to “Badge Management” c. Click on the badge you are looking to share d. Scroll down and click “Share” e. You will be brought to the “Share Badge” screen where you can find different tabs directing you to connect your social media accounts and share your badge Recertify Step 5. Certified professionals can recertify using one of two methods: -Recertification exam -Recertification by points Recertification Interval -5 Years Recertification Exam Details Format: -CLED-1: Multiple choice -CLED-2: Application development using Single-Board RIO hardware Duration: -CLED-1: 1 hour -CLED-2: 5 hours Location: -CLED-1: Online -CLED-2: Onsite only (At your location with minimum 5 or more attendees) Recertification by Points By participating and completing approved activities, certified professionals can earn and accumulate points redeemable toward recertification. For information on recertifying with points. Enroll

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Project Case Study CompactRIO Delivers Impact in PCB Assembly Inspection Mar 27, 2024 79438c50-96b4-4410-b598-0136952b6eee 79438c50-96b4-4410-b598-0136952b6eee Home > Case Studies > *As Featured on NI.com Original Authors: Alan Smith, Amfax Limited Edited by Cyth Systems Using twin laser-based metrology and NI CompactRIO high-speed data acquistion to accurately inspect PCB assemblies. The Challenge Designing and developing a revolutionary XYZ measurement-based inspection technology to help companies improve the quality of their manufactured PCB assemblies. The Solution Combining the benefits of CompactRIO and FPGA and the user interface qualities of LabVIEW software to develop the world’s most accurate PCB assembly inspection system, enabling OEMs and CEMs to reduce their life-cycle PCB assembly inspection costs. In the PCB manufacturing industry, an accurate and repeatable inspection of PCB assemblies has been a challenge many companies have attempted to overcome. By creating automated test equipment centered around NI CompactRIO hardware we were able to ensure many board aspects such as component placement, solder joints, etc., critical to board reliability and function. AOI systems work by comparing recently acquired images against gold reference images. Any difference between the images results in the system reporting a failure. Many of these failures are not legitimate failures but are flagged by the AOI as potential failures. The local system operator then makes the final decision as to whether the board has failed or not. These potential failures are known as false calls. Left: Main a3Di System User Interface Developed Using LabVIEW , Right: CompactRIO at the Heart of the a3Di Control System . AOI systems work by comparing recently acquired images against gold reference images. Any difference between the images results in the system reporting a failure. Many of these failures are not legitimate failures but are flagged by the AOI as potential failures. The local system operator then makes the final decision as to whether the board has failed or not. These potential failures are known as false calls. The rate of false calls on 2D and 3D AOI systems means that an operator must always be present when the PCB assemblies are inspected. This incurs additional operating costs, and the operator must halt the machine every time a potential fault is identified so that he/she can visually inspect the PCB assembly before deciding of it is a true failure or not. What Makes a3Di Unique? The Amfax a3Di system takes a completely different approach to address these challenges. It uses a twin laser-based metrology technology to take millions of XYZ measurements with accuracies of under 3 microns. The system scans the whole of the PCB assembly being inspected in a few seconds. We can then test these measurements against the original CAD data to identify any problems with solder joints, component location and orientation, foreign objects, or board warpage. As a3Di performs real measurement testing, we do not need an operator as there are zero false calls—either the board passes the test or not. That is the benefit of testing against real 3D measurements instead of relying on a comparative methodology such as AOI. This means that a3Di users save the cost of at least one operator and significantly improve their product throughput as they can continuously test without pausing the machine. One consumer electronics manufacturer in Asia is testing over 18,000 boards per day on one a3Di, a significant improvement on their previous solution. CompactRIO: The Heart of the Machine The a3Di control system manages all aspects of the machine’s operation. We chose a CompactRIO control system for a3Di that includes FPGA and NI-9375 digital I/O hardware. This CompactRIO solution can control all of the following I/O and sensors on the a3Di: • Machine motors • Control switches • Optical position sensors • Inverters • Up and downstream SMEMA (Surface Mount Equipment Manufacturers Association) conveyor control • Light tower • Pneumatics • Operator manual controls for width PCB control • System emergency stop The a3Di was a brand new design for Amfax. As an NI Partner, we immediately considered using CompactRIO. The CompactRIO system has proven to be a dependable, reliable, and cost-effective solution for this high-performance, ground-breaking application. Using CompactRIO as the product management system significantly reduced our development time and helped us get the various autonomous state machines of the multiple product control cells running with far tighter timings than the normal 1 ms tick of most PLCs. LabVIEW: The Obvious Choice for User Ergonomics We decided early in the a3Di product specification phase to use LabVIEW software to not only provide the control code but to control the system from the user interface perspective also. The ability to design product-quality operator interfaces and the flexibility of LabVIEW for creating an engaging user interface environment for the operator makes the software front end of a3Di a unique selling point. We used NI components within the a3Di product so we could deliver a world-class, unique, and well-supported solution to those OEMs and CEMs looking to improve their PCB assembly inspection process and significantly reduce their operational costs. The a3Di is also revolutionizing the way PCB assembly manufacturers compete for business. By using a3Di, these manufacturers have a unique selling proposition to their own customers. They can pass on savings made by using a3Di and guarantee that the boards being manufactured are tested by the most accurate system available. Original Authors: Alan Smith, Amfax Limited Edited by Cyth Systems Talk to an Expert Cyth Engineer to learn more

Our team of LabVIEW Consulting Developers is here to provide domain, application, and overall test development to help your team advance on the NI platform. LabVIEW Consulting & Development LabVIEW engineering services for automated test, measurement, and control applications. View services Speak to Engineer LabVIEW Engineering Services View services Hourly LabVIEW Consulting Get up and running with a new application or fix critical bugs  Get in touch  LabVIEW Code Reviews  Our experienced developers help audit your test and automation software for best practices and potential issues, improving quality and maintainability. Schedule a call  Architecture Consulting  Design in best practices for performance, scalability, and maintenance for complex automation applications Case Study  Legacy System Upgrades  Migrate existing code, add support for new hardware, or build in new functionality Case Study  Schedule a free consultation Explore Applications “Working with Cyth is refreshing. Status reports, budget updates, design meetings... they've perfected the way projects should be done.” -R.J., Senior Quality Engineer, Medical Device Manufacturer Why Partner with Cyth? De-risk complex projects Automation architecture expertise Our end-to-end engineering experience helps you avoid costly architecture mistakes and integration challenges so you can deploy solutions faster.  Flexible by Design Scalable development approach  Modular code architecture and adaptable service models allow you to evolve applications throughout development cycles and changing requirements Never Start from Scratch Build on proven foundations Accelerate development with our tested LabVIEW templates and design patterns for common automation tasks. Applications & Expertise Applications & Expertise Research & Development Tools Accelerate innovation with custom R&D software for repeatable measurements and process control Read the case study Test Automation & Measurement Systems Automate tests with precision, speed, and repeatability. Read the case study Production & Reliability Test Ensure product quality through comprehensive test coverage and results tracking. Read the case study Data Analysis & Visualization Transform test and measurement datasets with custom processing, robust UIs, and flexible data storage. Read the case study NI Platform Expertise As an experienced NI Systems Integrator, Cyth can help you overcome challenges and deliver scalable test and automation solutions Why LabVIEW? Let’s start building Success Stories  See Cyth and LabVIEW in action through real-world applications. Automated Battery QA Ensures Medical Device Reliability Robotic Automation Triples Sample Preparation Throughput CompactRIO Enables Automated Circuit Board Testing 1 2 3 4 5 Talk with an Engineer

Project Case Study Industrial Flow Batteries Use Circaflex to Help Support the Power Grid Sep 22, 2023 92a1e0ae-4d4a-434b-9c05-467e5be17248 92a1e0ae-4d4a-434b-9c05-467e5be17248 Home > Case Studies > Energy storage devices The Challenge A designer and manufacturer of complex flow batteries approached us with the need for a system to control and monitor the function of their long-term energy storage devices. The Solution Using our embedded control system Circaflex paired with the NI Single-Board RIO we designed a system for the control and monitoring of flow battery cells in their proprietary energy storage devices. The Story and The Cyth Process Industrial flow batteries are batteries created to help support the power grid. They do so by charging and storing energy from the grid at high densities and then discharging energy later when needed. In doing so, these devices stabilize the electrical grid by providing power when production cannot meet demands. Zinc bromide diagram System architecture diagram of a zinc bromide flow battery. (Credit: flowbatteryforum.com) The customer, a producer of zinc-bromide flow batteries, approached us with the need for a system to control and monitor the function of their long-term energy storage devices. Zinc-bromide batteries are rechargeable and use a reaction between zinc metal, bromine, and an aqueous solution to produce an electric current. The liquid electrolyte presents an alternative to lithium-ion batteries that is less prone to overheating and/or fire. Each of these Zinc-bromide reactions is contained in a compact battery cell that requires an electronic controller. This is where the NI Single-Board RIO paired with our Circaflex control board excelled. The customer required a set of control boards that could handle high voltages, condition signals, and support high-speed communication. Using our Circaflex design framework were able to design this in a pair of boards tailored to the specific needs of their application enabling us to create a proof of concept within weeks. Flow battery energy management system diagram. Our engineering team began by developing a Battery Control Board (BCB) that controlled and individually communicated with each of the 16 flow cells that made up the unit’s battery. Through wired connections, our board effectively monitored each of the cell’s voltages, currents, performance, health, and temperatures. Since each of the customer’s energy storage units contained two of these large battery packs, a System Control Board (SCB) was required. This board continuously directed the unit’s BCBs to one of three modes: charging, idle, or discharging. Likewise, the SCB gives reports to a user interface on the system’s overall health status which operators use during maintenance and repair. The flow battery unit’s Battery Control Board (BCB). Overcoming the Obstacles The largest obstacle our team faced in the design of the flow battery’s control boards, was designing the board-to-board communication without an electrical connection between them. Normally when data is sent or received on any circuit board, an electrical connection is a requirement. The customer’s boards presented two hurdles in this area as no two components on the board could have any electrical connection, and the boards couldn’t have any electrical connection between each other as well. This was due to the high-voltage nature of the customer’s system. Each of the system’s zinc bromide batteries totaled 480V and if they weren’t isolated the voltage would short the boards and hence the entire system. Our team designed signal isolation into the battery control board so that each of the battery cell’s channels were isolated. This required an “air gap”, (additional space on the PCB) between channels. Likewise, for communication between the boards, our engineers found fiber-optic connectors to be the best solution. To enable communication between the SCB and BCB control boards, and between the BCB and battery cells, our engineers used Modbus TCP/IP communication protocols facilitated by a fiber optic design network. In doing so, our team was able to finalize the system of control boards needed to fulfill the high-speed communication requirements of the flow battery and was able to prepare the device for deployment. Industrial flow battery featuring Circaflex Delivering the Outcome Our engineering team designed a system of two boards to control and monitor zinc-bromide battery cells located in our customer’s energy storage device. The pairing of a battery control board and a system control board was the solution that best enabled high-speed communication, monitoring, and control of all the battery cells located in the customer’s unit. The Circaflex platform enabled our team to fast-track the design and development of our customizable circuit boards. If there was any ability that our board’s base design didn’t support, such as fiberoptic communication, we were able to add it using a custom module and connector. This allowed us to deliver a proof of concept within weeks and have the final boards ready for deployment within three months. We were able to help the customer accelerate the path to market of their industrial flow batteries while helping deliver a high-quality design that fit well within their project needs and deployment budget. Technical Specifications Battery Control Board 16 x Battery Voltage Analog In Channels, -5V to +15V 20 x SPDT Relays, 250 VAC,30 VDC, 8A 1 x Industrial Digital Out, 24V, 20 kHz PWM 2 x Industrial Digital In, 24V 1 x Fiber Optic, Transmit and Receive, 820 nm, ST 1 x GIGE 1 x CAN 1 x RS232 Serial Comm 1 x RS485 Serial Comm 1 x 24V Power Input 2 x O – 24mA Analog Current Output 3 x Thermistor Input 3 x 4 – 20mA Analog Current Input System Control Board 1 x RS232 Serial Comm 1 x RS485 Serial Comm 5 x SPST Relays, 250 VAC,30 VDC, 8A 2 x Industrial Digital Output 5 x Isolated Industrial Digital In, 24V, 20 kHz PWM 2 x Industrial Digital Input 2 x Industrial Digital Out, 24V, 20 kHz PWM – used for Pulse Width Modulation 1 x Thermistor Input 1 x Fiber Optic, Transmit and Receive, 820 nm, ST 4 x Analog Out 3 x Industrial Analog Industrial Differential 3 x Industrial Analog Single Ended Citation: What Is a Flow Battery? – the International Flow Battery Forum . flowbatteryforum.com/what-is-a-flow-battery. Accessed 14 Oct. 2022. Talk to an Expert Cyth Engineer to learn more

Project Case Study Load and Torque Testing of Cargo Drive Trains Using CompactRIO Mar 27, 2024 9466c09d-8d4e-48c6-9a68-117360b99c9e 9466c09d-8d4e-48c6-9a68-117360b99c9e Home > Case Studies > *As Featured on NI.com Original Authors: Paul Riley, Computer Controlled Solutions Limited Edited by Cyth Systems Testing the drive trains of shipping container loading cranes using CompactRIO. The Challenge Overland and maritime transport of shipping containers using railways and cargo vessels is the most fuel-efficient shipping method relative we have today. To load railcars and cargo vessels requires colossal drive trains capable of safely moving shipping containers several tons in weight. To ensure the success of these drive trains, we needed to create an equally colossal test rig capable of safely applying hundreds of kilonewtons of torque and move a 25-ton positioning platform with submillimeter accuracy. The Solution Creating a data acquisition and control system using LabVIEW and CompactRIO for deterministic control so that one can safely handle and test a 30-ton drive train with high accuracy. We used the CompactRIO platform, with its user-reconfigurable FPGA and real-time deterministic operating system, to develop a solution that would not have been possible using existing programmable logic controllers (PLC). Left: Hydraulic load and torque testing rig, Right: Container cranes (also known as gantry cranes) contain drive trains tested using CompactRIO. Finding the Best Electronic Solution Maritime transport is crucial to the world’s economy. With 90 percent of the world’s trade shipped by sea, it is the most cost-effective way to move bulk cargo across the globe. Ocean freight services also have a smaller carbon footprint than air freight. Efficiency continues to improve with the newer, larger generation of container ships exceeding 400 m in length and weighing up to 200,000 tons. Moving these giants requires a power plant the size of a three-story office building to drive gearing and propellers of huge proportions. To ensure this drive train succeeds, we needed a colossal test rig. With a rig of these proportions and vast power capabilities, we needed an approachable development platform that keeps all aspects of control, acquisition, and safety in one system. Normally, when a rig like this is designed, there is a logger from one supplier, multiple PID control systems from another, and logic handling from yet another. The downside with this approach is that it can end up separating responsibilities and skills across suppliers with each expecting to work on their own specialty as there is no commonality between the tools. Integrating the individual components can be complicated and costly, in both time and budget. Identifying the root cause of problems can take time as everyone oversees only their specific area of specialty. Many different vendors are used, which limits scalability due to the time spent on integration when any single component changes. This makes future proofing a design challenging. We chose LabVIEW and CompactRIO as they have simple integration and expandability. Because they are part of the same platform, everyone can be familiar with every part of the system. This makes fault finding significantly easier. Scalability becomes straightforward too as CompactRIO features an expandable chassis for new I/O and sensible programming in LabVIEW makes adding new features a quick process. Left: Electronics Control Cabinet, Right: NI-9038 & NI-9063 cRIO Controllers Why CompactRIO? We use CompactRIO and its I/O because the platform is: Modular—Off-the-shelf hardware is available quickly and worldwide. Parallel—All logic is efficiently coded in FPGA firmware with a 25ns response. FPGA use is a key decision; it means all the critical control and acquisition is handled at the same time instead of using microprocessors that must execute all logic in a series where one process can hang all the others. A Single Development Environment—The whole project is self-contained in a LabVIEW project file, so no third-party add-ons can upset maintenance in future years. Expandable—The modular nature and rack mounting of the CompactRIO product means we can easily expand the system in the future. Here, we used three CompactRIO systems all synchronized and handling hundreds of I/O with a high-bandwidth acquisition of data. Moving 25 Tons and Applying Large Load The test rig has a 25-ton platform that supports the 30-ton drive train. We raise and lower this with submillimeter accuracy to engage splines and then apply up to 400 kN of tensile or compressive load. We also accurately apply 300 kNm of torque to the unit whilst it is rotating at constant speed. Considering the average sports car can produce 0.5 kNm of force, we were dealing with considerable torque. We applied the load using two large actuators precisely synchronized and able to swap between a displacement and load control mode. We based our solution on custom-written closed-loop control code on the FPGA. Based on standard PID control loops, the CompactRIO platform helped us design more complex algorithms to account for precise dual control of load and displacement. For accurate and noise-free measurement, we used digital devices wherever possible wired directly to the FPGA. We measured the torque frequency signal and absolute encoder data, which results in total calibration accuracy, 100 percent linearity, and high-speed measurement for critical feedback channels. Flexible Software Design Criteria: How DIAdem and TDMS Are Essential As this was a new machine for testing units at the end of production, we still faced questions about how to apply the high loads and torques, rather than just simply testing, analyzing, and reporting. Our engineers needed ultimate flexibility in using this rig for research, quality testing, and production test processes. The solution was to design the software with a clear status ribbon along the main screen. This ribbon clearly indicated the full range of loading, installing, and testing the unit in such a way that the operator could step forward and backward at any time along the process. If required, the operator could then go once through a whole test process or skip parts or perform retests at will. The issue with this approach is: how do you acquire all this data in a tidy format, in one file, and analyze it with any popular package when you don’t know what data you will collect and in what order until runtime? This is where saving in a Technical Data Management Streaming (TDMS) format helps. We open a new file when the unit under test is loaded and can then save separate data blocks at will, with full calibration information, varying channel count, and frequency as required. Data is grouped by type so that if an engineer performs a retest, the new data can be logically stored next to the data of the first test. This data is in a compact, single file that can easily be loaded into Excel, DIAdem, The MathWorks, Inc. MATLAB® software, and more with very clear metadata for analysis and reporting. Fast Fault Detection Detecting a transducer fault quickly is critical with a test rig of this power and size. Writing algorithms in LabVIEW on the FPGA allowed us to constantly monitor all critical transducers. Any failure instantly puts the rig into a controlled and safe shutdown procedure and clearly indicates the nature of the fault and its location to the operator for quick repair. Original Authors: Paul Riley, Computer Controlled Solutions Limited Edited by Cyth Systems

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Project Case Study Universal ECU System Using CompactRIO Sep 17, 2024 db48e980-15e8-4528-a7a0-58c62b458623 db48e980-15e8-4528-a7a0-58c62b458623 Home > Case Studies > *As Featured on NI.com Original Authors: Kristof Ceustermans, Karel de Grote University College, Department of Applied Engineering Edited by Cyth Systems Engine Control Unit The Challenge Developing a high-efficiency, low-emission adaptable engine control unit (ECU) to control engines running on standard gasoline as well as hydrogen, natural gas, and diesel. The CompactRIO Solution Using the NI LabVIEW FPGA Module and NI CompactRIO to simulate, test, and control our engine and perform on-the-fly control adaptations. Engine Control Units Engine Control Units or sometimes called engine control modules help us program and tune combustion engines to maximize fuel efficiency and provide a sustainable power method. Programmable ECUs are a necessity when working with any fuel sources and accelerate research on cutting edge fuel sources such as hydrogen. Several ECUs take data from the rotations per minute (rpm), request the torque/throttle position or boost pressure in the turbocharged engine, and determine the optimum ignition time and period as well as the optimum fuel injection amount and time. We use additional parameters such as engine temperature to apply a correction on these values. For example, a cool engine needs a richer fuel mixture compared to an engine running at its normal operating temperature. Off-the-shelf programmable ECUs are not suited for our university’s research because they are limited in programming capabilities, take a predefined set of input variables (sensors), and are usually optimized for motorsport applications. We designed a very flexible, programmable motor management system using the CompactRIO (cRIO) programmable automation controller because the platform is modular and expandable for additional sensors and contains a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). With the FPGA, the CRIO’s high-speed data acquisition allows for our motor’s sensor data to be tracked using inputs and outputs in real-time. Left: NI cRIO-9038, Right: NI cDAQ-9178 Engine Sensor Simulation Before connecting our ECU system based on cRIO to our test bench engine, we verified the module’s function using Hardware in the Loop simulation (HIL). To do this, we applied simulated sensors to our CompactRIO engine controller, which are controlled by a separate application based on LabVIEW and NI CompactDAQ , generating the necessary voltage and current normally applied by the sensors. We discovered that the inductive signals typically generated by a sensor connected to the camshaft and crankshaft are usually unpredictable 80 Vpp signals, where the NI C Series output modules are limited to 60 V. To better represent this signal and save time, we connected a real sensor to a gear and electric motor and the application based on LabVIEW and Compact DAQ controlled the motor rpm. Then we fed the real signal to the CompactRIO ECU. Designing an ECU Using CompactRIO We used the LabVIEW FPGA Module to develop our ECU and we can implement the system with CompactRIO using LabVIEW. We created tables using the rpm, requested torque as input values, and used LabVIEW VIs interpolate array functions to find the appropriate actuator parameters such as spark ignition timing and fuel injection timing. We also acquired sensors such as manifold air pressure (MAP) and engine temperature and applied the correction parameters. With the CompactRIO setup, we can easily add more and nonstandard sensors for research as well as adapt for different engines and fuel types. CompactRIO uses the FPGA to acquire the crankshaft and camshaft angular position and generate the actuator signals at the correct time. In addition to the standard engine parameters, we plan to measure the cylinder pressure and use the data as closed-loop control parameters in our engine controller to maximize engine efficiency. The mixture should best be ignited at the highest-pressure level to generate the most power. First, we want to optimize the control of a normal, four-cylinder gasoline car engine. By implementing the fast and reliable response time of the FPGA, we can focus our research on improving the efficiency of the engine by better controlling the combustion. Moreover, we will perform tests on our test engine under varying load conditions to further enhance our control algorithms. Test bench controls in the engine testing workshop. ECU Developments for the Future Hydrogen is an environmentally friendly fuel because it does not generate any carbon dioxide. We are working to adapt the ECU to control a hydrogen-fueled car engine. When using hydrogen as a fuel, the hydrogen/air ratio should be matched to at low torque to obtain perfect combustion without any hydrogen or air surplus. However, at higher torque, the engine is best operated at a poor fuel mixture by applying a surplus of air to the engine, which is also called the lean burn principle. To reduce nitrogen oxide emissions, the engine should not operate at the intermediate fuel/air mixtures. In this control strategy, we will open the throttle valve all the time and use a high air/fuel ratio. The requested torque is controlled by varying the fuel amount. However, when more torque is needed than the lean burn principle can deliver, we have to control the throttle valve instead and switch between the two control strategies. Currently, there is no commercially available engine control system other than the BMW Hydrogen 7 that can switch between those strategies. We plan to implement an ECU using CompactRIO to switch between our control schemes and deliver a commercially available system to interested third parties. Original Authors: Kristof Ceustermans, Karel de Grote University College, Department of Applied Engineering Edited by Cyth Systems Talk to an Expert Cyth Engineer to learn more

Project Case Study An Overview of the PXI Platform Mar 30, 2025 c4fd5333-1bd4-404e-b99a-71b3da9f50c0 c4fd5333-1bd4-404e-b99a-71b3da9f50c0 Home > Case Studies > Powered by software, PXI is a rugged PC-based platform for measurement and automation systems. PXI combines PCI electrical-bus features with the modular, Eurocard packaging of CompactPCI and then adds specialized synchronization buses and key software features. PXI is both a high-performance and low-cost deployment platform for applications such as manufacturing test, military and aerospace, machine monitoring, automotive, and industrial test. Developed in 1997 and launched in 1998, PXI is an open industry standard governed by the PXI Systems Alliance (PXISA), a group of more than 70 companies chartered to promote the PXI standard, ensure interoperability, and maintain the PXI specification across its mechanical, electrical, and software architectures. Figure 1: The PXISA defines requirements to ensure interoperability between vendors, and leaves flexibility for vendor-defined functionality. PXI systems are composed of three main hardware components: chassis, controller, and peripheral modules. The hardware systems are driven by software, often with individual portions of LabVIEW, C/C++, .NET, or Python code being organized by test management software (for example, TestStand). Figure 2: A PXI system includes a chassis, controller, instrumentation, and software. PXI Platform Chassis The PXI Chasses is the backbone of a PXI system and compares to the mechanical enclosure and motherboard of a desktop PC. It provides power, cooling, and a communication bus to the system, and supports multiple instrumentation modules within the same enclosure. PXI uses commercial PC-based PCI and PCI Express bus technology while combining rugged CompactPCI modular packaging, as well as key timing and synchronization features. Chassis range in size from four to 18 slots to fit the needs of any application, whether its intentions are to be a portable, a benchtop, a rack-mount, or an embedded system. Figure 3: NI PXI chassis vary in size from four to 18 slots. PCI and PCI Express Communication The PCI bus gained adoption as a mainstream computer bus in the mid-1990s as a parallel bus with a theoretical maximum of 132 MB/s shared bandwidth. PCI Express was introduced in 2003 as an improvement to the PCI standard. The new standard replaced the shared bus used for PCI with a shared switch, which gives each device its own direct access to the bus. Unlike PCI, which divides bandwidth between all devices on the bus, PCI Express provides each device with its own dedicated data pipeline. Data is sent serially in packets through pairs of transmit-and-receive signals called lanes, which enable 250 MB/s theoretical bandwidth per direction, per lane for PCI Express 1.0. Since the introduction of PCI Express, the standard has continued to evolve to allow faster data rates while maintaining backward compatibility. PCI Express 2.0 doubles the per-lane theoretical bandwidth to 500 MB/s per direction, and PCI Express 3.0 doubles this again to 1 GB/s per direction, per lane. Multiple lanes can also be grouped together into x2 (“by two”), x4, x8, x12, and x16 lane widths to further increase bandwidth capabilities. Figure 4: PCI Express provides a high data throughput and low communication latency bus, ideal for test and measurement applications. Equivalently, the PXI Express standard evolved from the PXI standard to incorporate the PCI Express bus. This increased bandwidth allows PXI Express to meet even more application needs like high-speed digitizer data streaming to disk, highspeed digital protocol analysis, and large-channel-count DAQ systems for structural and acoustic test. Because the PXI Express backplane integrates PCI Express while still preserving compatibility with PXI modules, users benefit from increased bandwidth while maintaining backward compatibility with legacy PXI systems. PXI Express specifies PXI Express hybrid slots to deliver signals for both PCI and PCI Express. With PCI Express electrical lines connecting the system slot controller to the hybrid slots of the backplane, PXI Express provides a high-bandwidth path from the controller to backplane slots. Using a PCI Express-to-PCI bridge, PXI Express provides PCI signaling to all PXI and PXI Express slots to ensure compatibility with hybrid-compatible PXI modules on the backplane. In doing so, these PXI Express hybrid slots provide backward compatibility that is not available with desktop PC card-edge connectors, in which a single slot cannot support both PCI and PCI Express signaling. Timing and Synchronization One of the key advantages of a PXI system is the integrated timing and synchronization . A PXI chassis incorporates a dedicated 10 MHz system reference clock, PXI trigger bus, star trigger bus, and slot-to-slot local bus to address the need for advanced timing and synchronization. These timing signals are dedicated signals in addition to the communication architecture. The 10 MHz clock within the chassis can be exported or replaced with a higher stability reference. This allows the sharing of the 10 MHz reference clock between multiple chassis and other instruments that can accept a 10 MHz reference. By sharing this 10 MHz reference, higher sample rate clocks can phase-lock loop (PLL) to the stable reference, improving the sample alignment of multiple PXI instruments. In addition to the reference clock, PXI provides eight transistor-transistor logic (TTL) lines as a trigger bus. This allows any module in the system to set a trigger that can be seen from any other module. Finally, the local bus provides a means to establish dedicated communication between adjacent modules. Building on PXI capabilities, PXI Express also provides a 100 MHz differential system clock, differential signaling, and differential star triggers. By using differential clocking and synchronization, PXI Express systems benefit from increased noise immunity for instrumentation clocks and the ability to transmit at higher-frequency rates. PXI Express chassis provide these more advanced timing and synchronization capabilities in addition to all the standard PXI timing and synchronization signaling. Figure 5: The timing and synchronization capabilities of PXI and PXI Express chassis provide the best-in-class integration of instrumentation and I/O modules. In addition to the signal-based methods of synchronizing PXI and PXI Express, these systems can also leverage synchronization methods using absolute time. A variety of sources including GPS, IEEE 1588, or IRIG can provide absolute time with the use of an additional timing module. These protocols transmit time information in a packet so systems can correlate their time. PXI systems have been deployed over large distances without sharing physical clocks or triggers. Instead, they rely on sources such as GPS to synchronize their measurements. Power and Cooling The I/O and instrumentation modules that populate a PXI chassis vary in their amount of required power. NI PXI Express chassis provide at least 38.25 W of power and cooling to every peripheral slot; some chassis push slot cooling capacity even further and can provide 58 W or 82 W of cooling to a single slot. This extra power and cooling make advanced capabilities of high-performance modules, such as digitizers, high-speed digital I/O, and RF modules, possible in applications that may require continuous acquisition or high-speed testing. Chassis vary in total power, so it is always a best practice to perform a system-level power budget when configuring a new system. Figure 6: The PXIe-1085 24 GB/s chassis includes high-performance, field-replaceable fans. Controller As defined by the PXI Hardware Specification, all PXI chassis contain a system controller slot located in the leftmost slot of the chassis (slot 1). Controller options include remote control modules that allow PXI system control from a desktop, workstation, server, or laptop computer as well as high-performance embedded controllers with either a Microsoft OS (Windows 7/10) or a real-time OS (LabVIEW Real-Time). PXI Embedded Controllers PXI embedded controllers eliminate the need for an external PC and provide a high-performance, yet compact in-chassis embedded computer solution for your PXI or PXI Express measurement system. These embedded controllers have extended temperature, shock, and vibration specifications and come with an extensive feature list such as the latest integrated CPUs, hard drive, memory, Ethernet, video, serial, USB, and other peripherals. By providing these peripherals on the controller’s front panel, overall system cost is minimized because you don’t need to purchase individual PXI or PXI Express cards to gain similar functionality. The controller comes pre-configured with LabVIEW Real-Time or Microsoft Windows and all the device drivers pre-installed. NI’s embedded controllers also have managed life cycles and offer vendor support to ensure test system longevity and compatibility with the PXI ecosystem. PXI embedded controllers are typically built using standard PC components in a small PXI package. Performance benchmarking done by NI R&D also ensures the development of controllers that are optimized for test and measurement applications to guarantee that code and algorithms run faster. For example, the PXIe-8880 has a 2.3 GHz eight-core Intel Xeon E5-2618L v3 processor (3.4 GHz maximum in single-core, Turbo Boost mode), up to 24 GB of DDR4 RAM, solid-state drive, two Gigabit Ethernet ports, SMB trigger, and standard PC peripherals like two USB 3.0 ports, four USB 2.0 ports, DisplayPort, and GPIB. When NI releases a new PXI embedded controller, it offers the controller shortly after major computer manufacturers like Dell or HP release computers featuring the same high-performance embedded mobile processor. Because NI has been in the business of releasing PXI embedded controllers for more than 15 years, the company has developed a close working relationship with key processor manufacturers such as Intel and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD). For example, NI is an associate member of the Intel Embedded Alliance, which offers access to the latest Intel product roadmaps and samples. Figure 7: The PXIe-8880 embedded controller, featuring the eight-core Intel Xeon E5 processor, is ideal for high-performance, high-throughput, and computationally intensive test and measurement applications. In addition to computing performance, I/O bandwidth plays a critical role in designing instrumentation systems. As modern test and measurement systems become more complex, there is a growing need to exchange more and more data between the instruments and the system controller. With the introduction of PCI Express and PXI Express, NI embedded controllers have met this need and now deliver up to 24 GB/s of system bandwidth to the PXI Express chassis backplane. Figure 8: NI has continued to deliver the latest and most powerful processing technology to the PXI platform for the last 20 years. Rack-Mount Controllers To provide an alternative computing and control option, NI offers external 1U rack-mount controllers. They feature high-performance multicore processors for intensive computation and multiple removable hard drives for high data storage capacity and high-speed streaming to disk. These controllers are designed to be used with MXI-Express and MXI-4 remote controllers for interfacing to PXI or PXI Express chassis. In this configuration, the PXI/PXI Express devices in the PXI system appear as local PCI/PCI Express devices in the rack-mount controller. Figure 9: Rack-mount controllers with MXI-Express or MXI-4 remote controllers can be used to control PXI or PXI Express chassis. PC Control of PXI Through MXI-Express technology , PXI Remote Control Modules provide a simple, transparent connection between a host machine, like a desktop PC, and the PXI chassis and instruments. During start-up, the computer recognizes all peripheral modules in the PXI system as PCI boards, allowing further interaction with these devices through the controller. PC control of PXI consists of a PCI/PCI Express board in your computer and a PXI/PXI Express module in slot one of your PXI system, connected by a copper or fiber-optic cable. Copper cables offer higher data throughput capability, but are generally shorter (1 to 10 meters), while fiber-optic cables are available in much longer options (up to 100 meters), but may have lower data throughput capability. Most PCs are immediately compatible with PXI remote control solutions. Furthermore, compatibility with MXI-Express devices is extended to even more PCs through NI's MXI-Express Bios Compatibility Software . Laptop Control of PXI You can equivalently control a PXI Express system from a laptop computer using the PXIe-8301 remote control module from National Instruments. Laptop control of PXI Express consists of a PXI Express module in slot one of your chassis and a Thunderbolt 3™ cable connected to your laptop. Figure 11: The PXIe-8301 remote control module is ideal for ultra-portable applications. Multichassis Configurations Multichassis configurations allow two or more PXI chassis to be managed by a single master controller. As a unified system, multiple chassis can take advantage of benefits such as cross-chassis synchronization, separation of instrument types to optimize data throughput, and peer-to-peer transfers between instruments in separate chassis. The most common method of forming a multichassis system is through daisy chaining. A daisy-chain topology consists of one or more slave (downstream) chassis connected in series to a master (upstream) chassis that is controlled through a PC or PXI embedded controller. When using a daisy-chain topology, each slave chassis is visible to and controllable by the host machine. Figure 12: A PXIe-8364 host interface module is placed in a peripheral slot of the master chassis containing an embedded controller. While the above solution requires an additional module in a peripheral slot for daisy chaining, some PXI Remote Control Modules contain built-in daisy-chaining capability through the inclusion of two ports—one for an upstream connection and one for a downstream connection. Figure 13: A desktop PC with a PCIe-8375 is connected to a master PXI Express chassis through a PXIe-8375 remote control module. Some host interface cards contain two downstream ports, allowing for a star topology. Rather than connecting two slave chassis in series (daisy chain), the star topology connects two slave chassis in parallel, allowing each chassis to communicate directly to the host rather than through an intermediary chassis. Figure 14: The PCIe-8362 host interface card contains two MXI-Express connections, allowing two PXI Express chassis to be controlled through a desktop PC using a star topology. Peripheral Modules NI offers more than 600 PXI modules. Because PXI is an open industry standard, nearly 1,500 products are available from more than 70 different instrument vendors. In addition, since PXI is directly compatible with CompactPCI, you can use any 3U CompactPCI module in a PXI system as well. A common misconception regarding the small PXI footprint is that this space savings comes at the cost of performance. It is important to understand that the PXI platform can offer this space savings not by lowering performance but by modularizing the system. Every traditional boxed instrument requires a separate processing circuitry system, display, and physical interface. For PXI-based instrumentation systems, these functions are designated to specific components shared among multiple instruments. A PXI embedded controller acts like a central processing and control hub for all the different instruments in the PXI chassis. It also provides a human interface through its connectivity to external peripherals such as a video monitor, keyboard, and mouse. Figure 15: NI offers over 600 different PXI modules. Software running on the embedded controller interacts with the different PXI instruments to define the actual functionality of the test system. With these standard functions designated to an embedded controller that offers state-of-the-art performance, PXI instruments need to contain only the actual instrumentation circuitry, which provides effective performance in a small footprint. Software The development and operation of a Windows-based PXI or PXI Express system is no different from that of a standard Windows-based PC. Therefore, you do not have to rewrite existing application software or learn new programming techniques when moving between PC and PXI-based systems. Using PXI, you can reduce your development time and quickly automate your instruments by using G in LabVIEW, an intuitive graphical programming language that is the industry standard for test, or NI LabWindows™/CVI for C development. You can also use other programming languages such as those that are part of Visual Studio .NET, Visual Basic, Python, and C/C++. In addition, PXI controllers can run applications developed with test management software such as TestStand. Test management software includes not only a test executive, but also a fully featured test architecture that provides you the flexibility to customize behavior to meet specific needs like sequencing, branching/looping, report generation, and database integration. Test management software along with PXI modular instrumentation provides an integrated solution that can both simplify test development and reduce maintenance for long-term success. As an alternative to Windows-based systems, you can use a real-time software architecture for time-critical applications requiring deterministic loop rates and headless operation (no keyboard, mouse, or monitor). Real-time OSs help you prioritize tasks so that the most critical task always takes control of the processor, reducing jitter. You can simplify the development of real-time systems by using real-time versions of industry-standard development environments such as the LabVIEW Real-Time and LabWindows/CVI Real-Time modules. Engineers building dynamic or hardware-in-the-loop PXI test systems can use real-time testing software such as VeriStand to further reduce development time. Figure 16: TestStand manages a PXI system’s test code regardless of the programming language used.

Project Case Study Building An Electron Scanning Microscope to Streamline Semiconductor Manufacturing Aug 29, 2023 561a4de3-0db0-4942-b7ad-8b6827793568 561a4de3-0db0-4942-b7ad-8b6827793568 Home > Case Studies > *As Featured on NI.com Original Authors: Yoram Schwarz, PDF Solutions Edited by Cyth Systems Using LabVIEW software to support the interoperability of an electronic scanning microscope The Challenge PDF Solutions needed to build a control system for a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to acquire images with nanometer alignment and autofocus, while integrating the software with an external .NET application. The Solution The company used FlexRIO and LabVIEW to develop a system to perform control of the SEM and built a .NET interoperability assembly to communicate with external applications. PDF Solutions, Inc. is a leading provider of yield improvement technologies and services for the IC manufacturing process life cycle. Our goal is to develop systems that help clients lower the costs of IC design and manufacturing, shorten time to market, and improve profitability, even as the design process becomes increasingly complex with advances in Moore’s Law and chip size reductions. We have been working on a custom scanning electron microscope (SEM) that performs wafer metrology at various points during the manufacturing process to ensure nondestructive inline electrical characterization and process control. Our new system includes both the optical microscope, which uses images from a high-resolution camera, and the SEM, which produces an SEM image. One key innovation that differentiates our system from competing systems is that users can analyze our images in real time instead of offline. For this real-time analysis to work properly, we need extremely fast scanning rates that can produce high-resolution images and measurements with nanometer precision. Our team knew that LabVIEW system design software was the best tool for these enormous control challenges. We also knew we would need help from the best LabVIEW software architects in the industry at JKI. Rapidly Acquiring an Image to Validate Our Wafer Metrology Process When we brought JKI into this project, we were working on our system prototype and wanted help acquiring high-resolution images with the SEM at extremely fast acquisition rates. In less than four months, JKI helped us accomplish acquisition rates of 250 MHz per pixel using a FlexRIO board and software developed using the LabVIEW FPGA Module. By using LabVIEW for this part of the process, the PDF/JKI team could easily integrate third-party FPGA IP and implement FPGA logic in a fraction of the time compared to other platforms. Alignment and Autofocus on the Nanometer Scale Each time a wafer is brought in for inspection, we need to precisely measure the orientation of the wafer so we can identify features on the nanometer scale. We call this process of finding the offset and angle of each wafer alignment. When a new type of wafer is available, we must perform alignment on the first wafer manually to create an automated alignment file. The PDF/JKI team developed a thorough manual alignment process that goes through several iterations using the SEM and optical microscope. When the alignment is perfect, the system creates an automated alignment file for future use. The alignment file relies heavily on image processing to identify known features at several locations on the wafer, and then uses those positions to calculate alignment values. Focus quality is another important aspect of imaging with the SEM. We need properly focused images to use them effectively. Moreover, the focus must adjust dynamically because the various inspection areas on the wafer are not flat when analyzed at a nanometer scale. The PDF/JKI team put tremendous effort into creating a robust autofocus algorithm that can operate reliably under adverse imaging conditions (such as high noise and low contrast), and with a high degree of accuracy, for both the SEM and optical microscopes. SEM Alignment Fiducial Putting It All Together While LabVIEW delivered the control for the components necessary to perform wafer inspection, a member of our staff used a C# application called the Peer Tool Orchestrator (PTO) to develop the front end of the system. We used JKI to develop an interface that would connect the front end of our system to the back end. On the back end, LabVIEW controls most of the components that perform wafer inspection, including: controlling the x and y axis for the stage, sampling and driving various I/O points for the electron gun and the column, controlling the load port and equipment front end module, and overseeing the vacuum and interlocking components. LabVIEW also directs and manages the acquisition of both the SEM and optical images. JKI contributed to the software architecture design and the development of various high-level software components that coordinate the low-level hardware functionality, including data acquisition and image manipulation. We needed this low-level functionality to perform wafer alignment and for the overall inspection to successfully take place. We knew the integration between LabVIEW and PTO would be complex. We provided little guidance to JKI regarding how to achieve the integration. Despite this, and though no one at JKI had faced this kind of challenge before, they hit the ground running. Their team developed the entire application using the JKI Rapid Application Framework for LabVIEW (RAFL) and then built it into a .NET interoperability assembly that can be called by PTO. eProbe-150 User Interface Future Development Plans To advance and fine tune our SEM, we needed a better understanding of how the system is used in the field. We shipped the tool to two customers and asked JKI to send a member of their team to work with each customer on-site. This on-site collaboration was an invaluable step and led to many ideas for ways we can further improve our algorithms to create a more robust and efficient tool. We have worked with JKI for the past two years. As we continue to advance our SEM system, we anticipate that we will continue our partnership with them. We value our relationship with JKI because every time we face a challenge, we know we can count on their highly skilled team to work collaboratively and solve even the toughest problems. JKI has helped us accelerate our R&D, which has been critical to the successful development of our SEM tool. Original Authors: Yoram Schwarz, PDF Solutions Edited by Cyth Systems https://www.cyth.com/talk-to-expert-engineer

Project Case Study Improving Scalability of a Satellite Receiver Using PXI Hardware Mar 26, 2024 9d3a8fc0-e15f-4c08-b108-6f04cec24e80 9d3a8fc0-e15f-4c08-b108-6f04cec24e80 Home > Case Studies > *As Featured on NI.com Original Authors: Smruti Ranjan Panigrahi, Indian Space Research Organization Edited by Cyth Systems Improving scalability of a satellite receiver using PXI hardware. The Challenge The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has increased its number of launches. This has created a need to develop scalable and portable testers that we can customize for upcoming projects and move to different test facilities for flight package evaluation in different conditions. The Solution We used modular instruments based on PXI and the LabVIEW graphical programming environment to create a modular software-defined compact tester that we could easily take to several facilities. We can also easily upgrade for new functionality through software while increasing the overall throughput. Background ISRO’s UR Rao Satellite Centre (URSC) is the lead center for building satellites and developing associated satellite technologies that are used in communications, navigation, metrology, remote sensing, space science, and interplanetary explorations. As the pace of innovation in space technology has increased, the requirement of placing more functionality into a single package has resulted in increased complexity for test systems. We need test platforms that can keep pace with this innovation. Our Existing Approach Came With Challenges The telemetry, tracking, and command (TTC) system of a communication spacecraft configuration ensures appropriate RF link establishment between the ground station and the spacecraft throughout the transfer and on-orbit operations. The system’s C-band receiver, connected with an antenna and feed network, receives and demodulates the command signal uplinked from the ground station and demodulates the tone-ranging information. For the complete characterization of C-band receiver packages of the TTC chain, we had automated test equipment (ATE) that included traditional RF instruments communicating through the GPIB bus, such as a spectrum analyzer, network analyzer, audio analyzer, and signal generator, along with power supplies and multimeters. These instruments are large, expensive, and designed to perform one or more specific tasks defined by the manufacturer. The Satellite TTC Receiver built using PXIe-8880, vector signal generator (VSA), signal receiver, and data acquisition cards. The complexity of the device under test (DUT) changes based on new requirements to accommodate more and more features, which forces us to redesign the ATE and adds cost. Further, the test and evaluation of flight packages are done in different environmental conditions such as thermovaccum, vibration, and EMI/EMC. This calls for moving and setting up the entire test system at different environmental test facilities in different locations. Frequently moving the huge ATE rack to different test places is difficult, time-consuming, and increases the chance of errors due to physical damage. PXI Helped Us Overcome These Challenges We needed ATE that was portable and scalable without compromising on test speed, repeatability, and measurement accuracy. We implemented a virtual instrument (VI)-based system that addresses these challenges using customizable software and modular instruments to create user-defined measurements. It involves less hardware, which results in less space and cost. Its modularity makes the test system flexible and scalable. With our previous ATE, we used two separate generators with a power combiner to generate an FM-modulated carrier along with an unmodulated carrier for checking the performance of the DUT under different adjacent carrier frequencies. In the new PXI -based approach, we can use a single wide-bandwidth vector signal generator because we can program it to generate a combination of various signals in adjacent channels. In our previous ATE, we used an audio analyser and an oscilloscope with interface circuitry to check thezdemodulated baseband signal quality from the DUT and monitor and analyze the response from the DUT. We can replace both instruments with a single high-accuracy PXI dynamic signal analyzer with a 24-bit resolution front-end A/D converter, specifically designed for baseband analysis applications such as signal purity and integrity by calculating signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and monitoring the waveform. We could also integrate multiple DMMs inside the same PXI system, which we used for package raw bus voltage and current monitoring, status monitoring, and resistance measurements. PXI Vector Signal Generator Flow Chart & System Architecture The VIs for the ATE meet the performance and accuracy requirements of all the functionality tests and are ahead of the traditional test system in terms of speed, cost, compact size, and portability. Apart from instrumentation, we are utilizing other benefits of PXI/PXI Express solutions in this system. We used LabVIEW , which is well known for its intuitive and user-friendly features, to write the test system software. During the test, we continuously monitor and log the input power of the DUT so we can make immediate decisions based on extreme conditions. We also must acquire, analyze, and display different outputs of the DUT in near real-time so we can automatically address test failures and observations. We must also indicate the test pass/fail condition and automatically generate and publish a report. Features of the New Test System Data analysis and presentation: Based on the specific test and test condition, we acquire and analyze a large amount of data to evaluate the DUT performance such as package power checks, threshold of ranging and telecommand outputs, mod-off and carrier-off noise, signal-to-noise ratio, total harmonic distortion, image rejection tests, and adjacent channel rejection tests. We automatically store the same on the hard disc under a corresponding project-specific folder. On completion of each test, the system generates a test-specific report. On completion of the final test, the system generates a final consolidated test report. Safety features: The system identifies a connected package before powering and providing RF stimuli. We can program over-voltage protection and over-current protection for the power supply, and the program will not go further unless these features are set. This is over and above the standard safety features of an ATE such as emergency shutdown. System performance: The realized VI-based ATE meets all requirements without compromising accuracy and includes additional features such as flexibility, scalability, portability, and better throughput. We were using the ATE to characterize the performance of the C-band receivers. We compared the performance between VI-based ATE and traditional instrumentation ATE, which is shown in the table below: Improving Portability, Scalability, and Test Throughput A specialized task team internally at URSC thoroughly evaluated the ATE we developed. Subsequent to the clearance obtained from the task team, we used the same ATE to test and evaluate C-band receivers. The onboard packages were successfully evaluated and cleared for further AIT activities. The modular architecture and software-definedanalyzer environment of the VI-based automation in testing onboard receiver packages delivers rapid test system development/upgrade as they are flexible and scalable to meet new requirements. Original Authors: Smruti Ranjan Panigrahi, Indian Space Research Organization Edited by Cyth Systems Talk to an Expert Cyth Engineer to learn more