Category Archives: Completed Projects

Remotely Programmed Distance Learning System

The School of Computing and Intelligent Systems at the University of Ulster (Magee Campus, Londonderry) have set up a state-of-the-art distance learning laboratory called DIESEL (Distant Internet-Based Embedded Systems Experimental Laboratory).  Funded by the EPSRC, this high-profile project allows students to perform real experiments over the Internet from anywhere in the world. Continue reading →

Medical Imaging Magnet Monitoring & Data Logging Software

Our LabVIEW programmers have supplied a monitoring and data logging program to Magnex Scientific Ltd (Yarnton, Oxfordshire) for their new range of horizontal bore superconducting nuclear magnetic resonance magnets.

These systems are cooled by 2 closed-cycle coolers.  A drop in cooling efficiency, for whatever reason, can cause increased loss of Helium which will eventually cause the magnet to warm up to the point where it loses its superconducting characteristic and becomes “resistive”. Continue reading →

Power Supply End-of-Line Testing

Sanken Power Systems (Abercynon, South Wales) had been using LabVIEW along with data acquisition hardware from National Instruments for several years for the end-of-line testing of their power supplies.  Each power supply required a separate LabVIEW program.  Discussions between Sanken and a LiveWires LabVIEW expert, however, led to the idea of producing a single flexible modular program capable of meeting all Sanken’s needs for the foreseeable future.  We decided to store test conditions, pass/fail criteria and the sequence of test steps in Excel files, one for each model of power supply.  Results are similarly stored in Excel.  These files have been designed to be easy to configure and read, and are easily expandable as and when new test steps are added in the future. Continue reading →

3D Profile Measurements

An aluminium rolling company needed a quick and effective way of displaying thickness profiles from one of their aluminium coil rolling mills.  The data is collected by an existing scanning system and downloaded to an Access database.  Then a data visualisation program written by LiveWires reads the Access database and enables engineers to select a coil and display the thickness data instantly on a 3D graph.  The axis ranges can be set in another screen, and the viewing angle and distance can be easily adjusted with the mouse.  Averaged data is simultaneously plotted on a 2D graph. Continue reading →

Bra Sizing

It is a commonly held view that 70% of women are wearing incorrectly sized bras, although research carried out by Figleaves, the internet lingerie supplier, showed an even higher figure.  In addition, manufacturers size differently, so one brand’s 34DD might be another brand’s 34E.  Bras from outside the UK often have completely different sizing schemes.  In-store fitting is costly, can result in queuing and is embarrassing for some women. Continue reading →

Multiple Fermenters – Control and Data Acquisition

Electrolab manufactures fermenters for bioscience research.  Each fermenter contains up to 4 pumps, an agitator and various sensors, such as thermocouples, a pH sensor and dissolved oxygen meter.  Control and Data Acquisition Software written for Electrolab by a LiveWires LabView developer can control and log data from up to 8 fermenters simultaneously. Continue reading →

Characterisation of Optical Materials

In conjunction with engineers from Microsharp Corporation Ltd, LiveWires has built two “goniophotometers” (one of which is shown above) for characterisation of optical materials.  A collimated light source is shone through a sample, and the transmitted light collected by a detector.  Using Aerotech rotary stages and motors and National Instruments data acquisition hardware, the sample and detector are scanned through a series of pre-specified angles, to build up a 3D picture of the optical transmission properties of the material under test. Continue reading →

Anti Skid Unit Test

Aircraft Braking System Europe Ltd manufacture an anti-skid system which is a much more sophisticated equivalent of the ABS system found on cars.  These systems are extremely rugged, capable of withstanding extremes of temperature and very reliable long-term.

To ensure this reliability, extensive electrical tests need to be performed, both of the individual boards and of the whole system when fully assembled.  Until recently, these tests were performed with a manual test set.  Electrical connections were made by hand along with the operation of numerous switches and potentiometers.  Values read from meters or from an oscilloscope were recorded by hand on a results sheet.  The whole process would take an experienced engineer around 4 hours to perform, depending on the test. Continue reading →

Other Completed Projects

Details of these projects are available on request.
  • A program for the development of infrared measurement algorithms
  • A program for vibration analysis in ships
  • A program for the testing of drug delivery devices
  • A program for the testing of anaesthesia machines
  • Programs for 3 different companies for testing valves used in aircraft Continue reading →