The 3rd Annual SmallSat Symposium | February 5th - 8th

Crystal Instruments (CI) is proud to exhibit and help support Silicon Valley’s SmallSat Symposium.  The symposium will be held at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California.  This year is anticipated to be a banner year with over 800 participants expected to attend.  Organizations and companies from across the country and around the world will hear from 120 speakers focused directly on the small sat industry.

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Modal Testing Excitation Consideration

Overview
There are several modal testing methods that consider different types of excitations used. Commonly known methods include Hammer Impact testing and Modal Shaker testing. Please note that Operational Modal Analysis utilizing Ambient Excitation will not be discussed here.

Hammer impact testing uses an Impact Hammer to excite the structure under test. The impulse force applied to the structure is categorized in the broadband range excitation because it contains energy up to a certain frequency range. The hammer impact test is quick to set up and to carry out, and thus is widely used. However, it does have its limitations and there are some concerns to be considered.

Modal shaker testing utilizes a modal shaker to excite the structure under test. Users can select from a list of waveform types to excite the structure under test. This testing method is usually applied to complex or large scale structural testing. Compared to the hammer impact test, it is easier to duplicate. On the other hand, the modal shaker testing method requires more hardware (i.e., modal shaker(s), stinger, more input and output channels from the dynamic signal analyzer). This test setup requires an experienced user.

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Announcing Crystal Instruments Europe

Crystal Instruments (CI) is pleased to announce the opening (effective November 2017) of its first European sales office. Crystal Instruments chose Barcelona, Spain as the European sales office location after considering its excellent business infrastructure and high quality facilities. These advantages, in addition to a cosmopolitan environment and access to hard working local and international talent, are greatly appreciated by Crystal Instruments.

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Astro Digital - Vibration Testing

Small satellites, more commonly known as CubeSats, have gained popularity because of their miniature size and their data acquisition techniques. These satellites are being launched at a record pace and have roped big players into this aerospace segment. Astro Digital is a company that risen to the challenge of land mapping and hazard detection using CubeSats.

Astro Digital has been creating APIs and CubeSats for geological mapping, natural disaster management, forest management, water cover sensing, etc. Sentek Dynamics is proud to have a hand in their projects.

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Modal Testing Preparation Considerations

Experimental Modal Analysis (EMA) is an important tool that is applicable for many structural vibration analysis situations. Fundamental aspects of performing a successful modal analysis include preparation, FRF data acquisition, modal parameter identification, and modal model verification.

In this technical note, the emphasis is to discuss the necessary technical details regarding the preparation of a successful modal test to acquire a set of FRF signals.

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Test 2017 Japan (Japan Testing Technology Show)

Crystal Instruments and Sentek Dynamics partnered together in Tokyo, Japan at the Test 2017 show on September 13 - 15, 2017.

Crystal Instruments featured innovative new testing solutions:

  • EDM Modal - Complete Modal Testing & Analysis Software Suite
  • CoCo-80X - Handheld Touchscreen Dynamic Signal Analyzer
  • Spider-80Xi - Compact & Modular Dynamic Measurement System (scales up to 512 channels)

Sentek Dynamics offered turn-key solutions and environmental testing systems:

  • Electrodynamic Shakers - Low, medium, high, and extra high force shakers available. Three axis, permanent magnet, long stroke, and high performance shakers also available.
  • THV Environmental Test Systems - combines three testing environments (temperature, humidity and vibration) in one chamber.
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Streamlined & Efficient Process of Viewing Signals Acquired in Vibration Tests

Engineering Data Management (EDM) is the software platform supporting all Crystal Instruments products. It is the center of testing and data management for carrying out daily operations. Crystal Instruments is expending relentless efforts to provide the best user experience possible.

Test configurations always involve a large quantity of parameters to setup. In addition, many signals and run logs are saved after each test run. To organize such a large quantity of information and to increase efficiency in the process, EDM is powered by a database structure supporting all types of libraries. EDM software keeps run histories of all tests, which can be searched in a single list. Signals are easily reviewed and compared.

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Automotive Testing Show and Expo 2017 - England

The iconic London taxi; have you ever wondered where and how it was built? Just a hop, skip and three train rides away from London is the town of Coventry, a metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. Motor companies from Coventry have made significant contributions to the British auto industry since 1896. It was the home of companies like Rover, a direct ancestor of present day Land Rover and Jaguar. Triumph and Daimler motorcycles are included as well. The modest yet distinct black taxi cab manufactured by LTI in Coventry is a historic engineering marvel featured in trendy and contemporary London, charming locals and tourists alike.

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Applications of Experimental Modal Analysis

Experimental Modal Analysis (EMA) has developed into a major technology for studying structural dynamics in the past several decades. Through Experimental Modal Analysis, complex structure phenomena in structural dynamics can be represented using decoupled modes consisting of natural frequency, damping, and mode shapes. The collection of these modal parameters is referred to as Modal Model. Experimental Modal Analysis is commonly referred to as Modal Analysis.

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Small Satellite Conference 2017 Recap (Logan, UT)

Crystal Instruments and Sentek Dynamics highlighted products and solutions for environmental vibration testing at the recent Small Satellite Conference 2017 in Logan, Utah.   

The annual Small Satellite Conference provides a forum to review recent successes, explore new directions, and introduces emerging technologies.  The conference creates an excellent environment for networking and offers the opportunity to launch new, innovative, and low-cost technologies.   

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Importance of Spectrum History Signals in a Sine Test

Sine tests are performed on a variety of modes to test the DUT. In a Swept Sine test, the DUT is subject to a range of frequencies, one frequency at a time. The response obtained is filtered using a tracking filter centered on the frequency of interest.

Once a transfer function is obtained, it is easy to identify the resonance and anti-resonant frequencies of the DUT. For fatigue testing, a Sine test is typically run in a different mode known as a Dwell Sine where the DUT is subject to its resonant frequency until the DUT experiences fatigue. While the DUT is being driven at their resonant frequencies, the resonant frequency of the DUT tends to shift. Due to this phenomenon, yet another variation of Sine test, RTD (Resonance Track and Dwell) is used. In this mode, the resonance frequency of the DUT is continuously checked using the Amplitude or Phase of the response. Through mathematical calculations, a change in the resonant frequency along with the direction of change is determined. The drive output frequency is then modified instantaneously to drive the DUT at its resonant frequency at all times.

The fatigue testing can last anywhere from a few minutes to several hours. The instantaneous display of the time or frequency signals would be less useful under such test conditions and a synopsis of the entire test duration would be most helpful to draw testing conclusions on the DUT.

Crystal Instruments uses Spectrum history signals, a special type of signals plot to conveniently plot a user defined signal property vs. time or cycles on the X-axis. To ensure the best readability and analysis, the plot is enhanced to accommodate the entire test duration even when the test durations run into several days, weeks or months. With the PC memory as the limitation, test durations of several months or even years can be plotted and viewed simultaneously, thus eliminating any necessity to section the data plot.

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CoCo-80X: Designed for Usability

Today’s engineering tools are the result of constant software development, but these developments aren’t always best for the end-user. Engineers who are heavily invested in their tools will be reluctant to switch to a new device. In a time where software is constantly changing, people don’t have the time to struggle with new software interfaces. Especially field technicians, whose job is to collect and analyze data, don’t like wasting time getting used to a new software interface. Their job is already complicated, and is only made worse with a complicated measurement device. If their tools are too complicated to use, engineers will look for a simpler solution.

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Experimental Modal Analysis Overview

Introduction

Experimental Modal Analysis (EMA) has developed into a major technology for the study of structural dynamics in the past several decades. Through Experimental Modal Analysis, complex structure phenomena in structural dynamics can be represented using decoupled modes consisting of natural frequency, damping, and mode shapes. The collection of these modal parameters is referred to as Modal Model. Experimental Modal Analysis is commonly referred to as Modal Analysis.

Structural vibration has been a significant focus for the dynamic testing and analysis group. Whether the object is a turbine blade rotating at high speed, or a bridge sustaining traffic and strong winds, Modal Analysis can be applied to provide insightful solutions.

Comprehensive Modal Analysis includes both data acquisition and the subsequent parameter identifications. From its inception till now, Modal Analysis has been widely applied in mechanical and structural engineering for designing, optimizing, and validating purposes. It has been widely accepted for broad applications in automotive, civil engineering, aerospace, power generation, musical instruments, (etc.), industries.

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Automotive Multi-Sine Test

Multi-Sine is a new type of Sine test which facilitates multiple sine tones sweeping simultaneously at once. In automotive testing, engine mounted components such as fuel lines, turbos, headers, sensors, heatshield… are all subjected to high vibration levels during their operational life cycle. High cycle fatigue testing of engine mounted components is often done with a standard Swept Sine test. By performing a Swept Sine test, all resonances within the frequency ranges are excited and measured. Since the greatest fatigue damage happens at the excitation frequency and is also potentially high near these resonances, it is important to measure the vibration level at these frequencies. The standard Swept Sine only sweeps one frequency at a time with a single tracking filter. To test for fatigue, multiple sweeps need to be carried out for the entire frequency range at multiple times during a multiple sweeping rate.

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Remember when a Chief Scientist of CERN resigned from un-synchronized clocks?

In 2011, many of us read a startling news report of an experiment conducted by CERN  claiming that neutrinos appeared to be traveling faster than the speed of light.

The collaboration of the experiment, called OPERA (Oscillation Project with Emulsion-tracking Apparatus), made headlines with its claim that a beam of neutrinos made the 730-kilometre journey from CERN, Europe's particle-physics lab near Geneva in Switzerland, to the Gran Sasso National Laboratory near L'Aquila, Italy, faster than the speed of light by about 60 nanoseconds. The result defied Albert Einstein’s special theory of relativity, which states this cannot happen.

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The European Automotive Testing Expo 2017

Developers of driverless and driver assisted instrumentation have many situations requiring perfect hardware performance.  One such situation that has become evident to both Crystal Instruments (CI) and Sentek Dynamics is the increased requirement for vibration and shock testing of sensing elements used in autonomous vehicles, including: lidar, video cameras, radio cameras, and GPS computers.  CI and Sentek witnessed this trend first hand while working closely with autonomous vehicle designers to provide the very best in vibration testing equipment of autonomous driving instrumentation.

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