imc DataWorks, LLC... Integrated Measurement & Control Instrumentation
 

Login...


Testing for in-vehicle and portable measurements

Mechanical, Electromechanical and Mechatronic Test for in-vehicle testing: from the smallest to the largest vehicles, powerwed by electric, internal combustion gasoline, diesel, or a hybrid system, imc DataWorks has "been there" and "done that"...

imc DataWorks specializes in multi-parameter, mixed-signal mechanical data acquisition, measurement, and control.

imc Applied: In-Vehicle

In-Vehicle Examples from imc From small to large: bicycles, motorcycles, lawn mowers, golf carts, fork-lifts, cars, delivery and semi-Trucks, industrial and construction equipment, locomotives, aircraft, boats, ships, and even ocean liners.

In-vehicle measurements have historically been one of the strongest areas for imc DataWorks. Why? Because vehicle based measurements require certain extra capabilities not found in most basic data loggers:

  • Compact and Rugged enclosure, with secure connections of all cabling
  • Power: DC Powered, tolerant of wide input range and variations (e.g. 9 - 32 VDC)
    • Backup power, for temporary power interruptions
  • Operates with, or as often is the case, without a PC attached ("Black Box")
    • Standalone operation manually or automatically initiated
    • Onboard storage, with various storage modes
    • "Heads Up" display for installation checks, and driver/operator feedback
  • Ready access to measurement data / results
    • On-the-fly realtime calculations & decision making (triggers, reduction matricies, etc.)
    • Remote data access - wireless connectivity (e.g. WiFi, WWAN "modem", etc.)
    • Networkable and/or removable storage media

In addition, depending on the measurement, it may also be important to be able to

  • Acquire Vehicle Bus data (CAN, J1939, ARINC, FlexRay, ...)
    • Synchronized collection between vehicle bus(es), analog, and digital channels
    • On-the-fly decoding of vehicle data for use in real time calculations, triggering, etc.
    • Support I/O of ECU Protocols for on-request logging (CCP, KWP2000, ...)
  • Survive Harsh Environments
    • Extreme temperatures (-40 to +85 or +120 °C) and humidity (0 - 100%RH)
    • Sealed against dust, moisture, water spray (IP65, IP67)
    • Vibration and Shock tolerance (e.g. MIL810F)

imc Applied: In-Vehicle Measurements

While Product Specifications tell part of the story, actual in-the-field experience is the real differentiator. We welcome your questions or comments -- call or e-mail.

Here are a few examples of situations where imc clients have agreed to share their experiences with imc, and in-vehicle testing challenges they faced.

Customer Profile VW Test

Vehicle Type Testing at VolksWagen

Apart from the standard mechanical parts, electronics make today's cars more powerful, clean running, efficient and much safer than those of a short time ago. Consequently, final inspections or general type-tests play an increasingly critical role in the process of car development. With the help of imc technology, several hundred VW automobiles have been tested over thousands of kilometers on test tracks or on the road.

Application Overview | Continued >>

Customer Profile Airship Joey

Strain Measurements in Aerospace Applications

For assistance in verifying models of the next generation heavy freight cargo airships, CargoLifter turned to imc for a customized system. The goals: DC/AC structural strain measurements, combined with ARINC vehicle bus data and other signals, in an easily reconfigured package. Based on µ-MUSYCS and a special light weight enclosure, even GPS position and timing signals are needed in this multi-faceted measurement problem.

Application Overview | Continued >>

Customer Profile Train Crash Test

Railway Derailment Crash Test

 Based on an EU effort to to improve and standardize safety specifications applying to trains in crashes, the ‘SAFE TRAIN’ project involves actual train collisions conducted by companies such as Bombardier, DB, ...

Application Overview | Continued >>

Customer Profile Ski-Doo Tests

Powertrain Testing in Extreme Environments

As summer begins to turn to fall, many test engineers have one thing on their mind: cold weather testing. An extreme example is seen in the Bombardier (maker of Ski-Doo Snow Mobiles) test labs in Finland. With the help of imc Technology, Bombardier engineers performed a series of in-vehcile, long-duration fatigue tests to examine proposed design changes to a popular sled model, all under actual extreme cold conditions.

Application Overview | Continued >>

Customer Profile Railway Performance Test

Railway Performance Testinging with ICE

Instrumentation for high-speed railway applications demands specialized features uch as a distributed measurement organization, high channel counts and real-time data evaluation. When preparing for performance tests on the design of the German ICE3 train, test engineers chose imc instrumentation for its flexible and distributable Ethernet architecture, and extendable software environment.

Application Overview | Continued >>

Customer Profile Fuel Consumption Test

Fuel Consumption Testing at AUDI

Fuel consumption, for both performance and environmental reasons, ranks as one of the most important characteristics for prospective car buyers. With the help of the imc Application group, AUDI AG developed an in-vehicle Fuel Consumption Measurement System (FVMS) to provide realtime, in-vehicle fuel and vehicle performance data to gauge against internal, national, and international standards.

Application Overview | Continued >>

Customer Profile Ride Comfort Testing

Ride Comfort Test at Honda

For many drivers (and consumers), comfort and ride feel are the most important criteria when selecting a car. See why the Suspension Design and Development Group at Honda’s main R&D facility in Japan was eager to realize a multi-purpose system that automatically carries out evaluation tests ranging from road surface testing to comprehensive evaluation, and determination of the so-called Ride Index.

Application Overview | Continued >>

Customer Profile Ford Climate Test System

Climate Testing at Ford

Bringing new automotive designs to market at the ever-increasing rate required today requires new system test concepts. Together with Ford, imc has developed a special climactic measurement system concept easily adapted to both Wind Tunnel and on-road testing, with turn-key software improving test throughput by 50 - 60%.

Application Overview | Continued >>

In-Vehicle Testing

Type Testing, Vehicle Classification
LtA Airship Structural Test
"SafeTrain" Crash Studies
Cold Weather Transmission Test
ICE High Speed Railway Test
Fuel Economy Testing
Ride Comfort
Climate / HVAC Studies
...Overview

Examples by Industry

Aerospace & Aviation
Automotive & Light Vehicle
On & Off Highway, Heavy Vehicle
Marine/Harbor
Railway Car/Structure
Wind Energy
...Overview

Measurement Types

In Vehicle
Remote Site
Test Cell / Test Stand
Distributed & Modular Architecture
Centralized & Hybrid Topology


Data Acquisition
& Control

CRONOS-PL: Configurable Platform
CRONOS-SL: Ruggedized Platform
DAX Series: Compact & Integrated
SPARTAN: Multifunction Logger
busDAQ: CANBus Data Logger
CANSAS: Distributed I/O Modules

System Overview...

Instrument Setup

User Interface
Processing & Control
  Realtime ToolKits
TEDS & Sensor Database
Network Operation
CANSAS Expansion

System Features

GPS Position & Timing
Multi-System Synchronization
CANBus, FlexRay, ARINC, ...
Graphical Display
From Bench to Field

Visualization & Analysis

Universal Data Display
FAMOS:Data Analysis Suite
  Data Analysis
  Macros & User GUI
  Analysis ToolKits

Documentation & I/O

Report Generator
Importing & Exporting Data

More Info

User Forum
White Papers







  RoHS   TUV Certified ISO9000