NI embedded monitoring products minimise downtime
December 2012
Sensors & Transducers
National Instruments has announced two new products to help engineers monitor machines, heavy equipment and ageing infrastructure. Engineers can integrate the wireless sensor network (WSN) strain node and C Series module with NI CompactRIO for predictive maintenance to predict faults, analyse fatigue, lower operating costs and decrease downtime.
“With NI wireless sensor networks and the new WSN strain node, we can easily monitor critical structures without excessive cables,” said Sharon L. Wood, professor and department chair of civil, architectural and environmental engineering at The University of Texas. “We use WSN nodes that are programmable with LabVIEW for onboard analysis of strain data to achieve an in-depth understanding of structural response.”
The NI WSN-3214 strain/bridge completion node features hardware-timed waveform acquisition and is ideal for wireless structural health monitoring of bridges, buildings and equipment. Features include:
* Four analog input channels that support quarter, half and full-bridge completion.
* Two digital I/O channels for event detection and programmatic control.
* Ability to perform onboard data processing, save data locally, or predict fault conditions with the NI LabVIEW WSN module.
With expanded voltage range, faster sampling rates and higher integrated electronic piezoelectric (IEPE) excitation, the NI 9232 C Series module is a data acquisition card optimised for industrial accelerometers, tachometers and proximity probes in condition monitoring applications. Features include:
* ±30 V input range, 4 mA IEPE current excitation and 41 kHz bandwidth.
* Screw terminals and open/short sensor detection for use in permanent industrial monitoring applications.
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