cirQED® FAQs

IDRA® FAQs

 

cirQED® Rotation Analyzer FAQs
Q. What happens if I short the black and red leads on a sensor cable with alligator clips?

A. The 0.315 A panel mounted fuse will blow and need to be replaced. The power supply is also fused.
Q. Can the coil current in the stepper be controlled?

A. Yes. The procedure for adjusting the coil current is in the instruction manual.
Q. Why control the coil current?
A. Running a stepper at less than maximum current can be helpful in testing for maximum sensor torque requirements and sticky or misaligned sensor bearings. The standard stepper motor shipped has a Bipolar Maximum Current of 0.4A, however, the stepper controller can provide up to 2.5A Bipolar Maximum Current if a stepper with greater torque is needed for an application.
Q. What Is The Holding Torque For The Standard cirQED® Stepper Motor?

A. Approximately 5 oz-inch.
Q. What's The Torque Constant For the Standard cirQED® Stepper Motor?

A. Approximately 13 oz-inch/Amp.
Q. How do I change the microstepping setting?
A. Jumpers on the stepper controller allow setting selections from 400 to 3200 steps per revolution. The procedure is covered in the instruction manual. The enclosure cover must be removed to access the jumpers. The setting selected is entered on the Configure Test Parameters Screen.
Q. What If I Enter The Wrong Steps Setting On The Configure Test Parameters Screen?
A. Characteristics calculated will be in error, and this should normally be avoided. However, allowing other step settings to be entered on the configure test parameters screen offers advantages. Entering a smaller setting will result in sensor rotations of less than one full revolution. Entering a bigger setting will result in recording sensor outputs for multiple revolutions.
Q. Is the Heat Shield Really Necessary, the stepper doesn't seem to get very hot?
A. The surface temperature of the Standard stepper motor at a Bipolar current of 0.4 A per winding can reach 49-52 degrees C.(~120-125 degrees F), which feels hot. We recommend that you keep the shield installed during normal operation.
Q.Can the Sensor-Stepper Assembly Be Separated From The Enclosure?
A. Yes, however, custom cables between the stepper and controller and a custom sensor cable would be needed for that kind of application.
Q. Are Sensor Clamps Available In Metric Sizes?
A. They can be provided in many other sizes, Metric or English.
Q. Are Other Types of Sensor Clamps Available?
A. Inserts for existing clamps and custom clamps can be selected or requested for a particular application.
Q. Are Other Types of Sensor Cables or Terminating Connectors Available?
A. Custom Cables can be requested for a particular application.
Q. What Are The Standard Sizes Available For Shaft Couplers?
A. 5 mm Dia. - 1/8" Dia., 5 mm Dia. - 3/16" Dia., and 5 mm Dia. - 1/4" Dia.
Q. Are Other Sizes Available For Shaft Couplers?
A. Yes. Many other sizes are available.
Q. How Does One Know That The Instrument Is Powered On and Ready To Be Run From A PC?
A. A lighted Power Switch indicates a power on state. A lighted LED above the panel mounted USB connector indicates the Ready State.
Q. What Operating Systems Will cirQED® Software Run Under?
A. Windows 2000 and Windows XP.
Q. What Version of Microsoft Excel Is Needed?
A. Excel 2000 or later version.
Q. What Version of USB Is Needed and How Many Ports?
A. USB 2.0 and Two Free Ports or a Two Port USB Hub connected to one free USB port.
Q. Where Can I Find Engineering Specification For This Instrument?
A. On our website: www.thirdpartyresearch.com
Q. How Is The cirQED® COM Add-In DLL, Menu, And Other Program Features Installed Under Excel?
A. Automatically, via an Install Program on CD.
Q. Is There An Uninstall for cirQED® Program?
A. Yes. The Program Uninstalls under Windows Add and Remove Programs. The computer system is returned to its previous state.
Q. How Are Program Upgrades Obtained?
A. Program upgrade executables are either mailed to clients, emailed to clients, or downloaded from our website. An upgrade is installed by running the executable on the client's computer.
Q. Are The Workbooks Created For cirQED® Data Ordinary Excel Files?
A. Yes, and they have xls extensions. The Workbooks are created for convenience, and clarify of information. Experimental Parameters and Data are conveniently stored in columns in fixed format, on a sheet labeled RAWDATA. Charts of Sensor Output (in volts or millivolts) versus Shaft Angular Displacment (in Steps or Degrees) have tab ID's which uniquely link them with a column of Data . Processed data is organized, displayed, and stored on the PROCESSED DATA sheet.
Q. Can I Change Displacement Units From Degrees To Steps On The Same Worksheet?
A. Yes. Each time a change is made, a new Descriptive Column Label is created. This is done in part for clarity and is required when a user opts to create a chart for each measurement.
Q. Which Drop Down Menu Item Is Selected To Make Changes in Output Units and/or Displacement Units?
A. Configure Test Parameters.
Q. What Experimental Controls/Settings Can Be Accessed For Each cirQED®Menu Window?
CREATE DATA WORKBOOK A Descriptive Column Label with the current settings is generated each time this button is pressed.
CONFIGURE TEST PARAMETERS

Controls/Settings include:
Number of Data Channels
Smooth Data Option
Autoselect Column Option
ReadOut Units
Angular Display Units
Charts Option
AutoFFT
FNUM
AutoCal Button
AutoFind Feature Setup
Experimental Information -including ClientID, LabTech Name, Room Temp, Humidity, SensorID,and Steps/Revolution
ROTATE SENSOR & COLLECT DATA Buttons: Run, SingleStep/MultiStep AutoFind, ApplyChanges, Rotation Direction
Experimental Information/Controls: StartCell, DataSheet, DataProcess, SensorID,Output Channels Display, AutoFFT checkbox, FNUM
MANUAL FFT Buttons: FFT, Quit
Experimental Information/Controls: Sample Rate, FNUM, %Total Time To Display
HELP

Additional Helpful Information Generally Not Found Elsewhere
Q. Do The Configuration Changes I Make Take Place Immediately?
A. Yes, if you press the OKAY (to change) or APPLY (change) buttons. If you do not press those buttons, no changes in configuration are recorded.
Q. Where Is Important cirQED® software operating information stored in the PC?
A. Information is stored in the c:\Programs\cirQED®\ directory, and in the registry.
Q. Is that cirQED® program information completely removed during an uninstall?
A. Yes, a PC is restored to its original state.
Q. Can I Just Collect Representative Sensor Data?
A. Yes. Choose "No Data Processing" in the DataProcess box.
Q. Are All Microsoft Excel Functions Accessible With cirQED® ?
A. Yes. cirQED® Collects data directly in Excel and a user can employ all of its features.
Q. What's the range of Frequency Components that cirQED® version 2.0 can determine by FFT analysis?
A. The measurement range is ~1/120 Hz (0.5 RPM) to 12,500 Hz (750,000 RPM).
Q. What are the cirQED® version 2.0 options for doing FFT analysis?
A. FFT can be done automatically (checkbox for AutoFFT) or manually (menu option for Manual FFT).
Q. Why must the total number of FFT samples selected (FNUM) be a base two number (4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024, 2048, or 4096)?
A. cirQED® applies Excel's Analysis ToolPak Addin FFT Function, which sets that requirement.
Q. Where can I find more application information about discrete FFT (or DFT)?
A. Look on the Internet or in the Techniques section of this website.

 

IDRA® 3.0 USB Ballistometer FAQs
Q. How Long Is The Cable Between The Enclosure and Computer?.
A. Standard Length=6 feet.
Q. Can That Cable Length Be Extended?
A. Yes,it is possible to extend it to10 feet or more.
Q. How Long Is The Cable Between the Rotary Sensor and the Enclosure?
A. Standard Length = 36 inches.
Q. Can That Cable Length Be Extended?
A. Yes, it is possible to extend the cable to 10 feet or more?.
Q. What Is Used To Align The Mounting Plate?
A. A target bubble level works well and is provided.
Q. What Needs To Be Changed To Switch Between Vertical and Horizontal Impact Operating Modes?
A. Two things: The position of the Mounting Plate Support Arm the Impact Type must be changed. Consult the Manual for more details.
Q. What's The Test Tape Use For?
A. The test tape is used to check the IDRA® 3.0 System performance.
Q. Can Other Ballistic Hammers Be Used?
A. Yes. If one is only interested in parameters which are determined from angular displacements as a function of time, then it is not necessary to determine hammer characteristics. If impact forces, deformations, and STIFFNESS values are of interest, the hammer is then treated as a compound pendulum and certain physical properties determined for it (e.g. it's mass, center of gravity distance, and contact tip distance). The hammer characteristics are entered into the program and used to calculate accurate estimates of impact forces, material deformations on impact, and subsequently the calculation of STIFFNESS values.
Q. Is The Internal A/D Interface on A PC Card?
A. No, A/D and digital I/O are on a USB interface.
Q. What Does the A/D Interface Do?
A. It does accurate 12 bit A/D Conversions on the analog outputs of the rotary transducer.
Q. Does IDRA® Version 3.0 Have A PC Card like IDRA® Version 2.0 ?
A. No. Version 3.0. uses USB technology for that function.
Q. What Advantages Are Offered With USB Technology?
A. Significantly Lower cost for equivalent function and much less restrictive cabling.

Q. Why Do RVDT Transducer Systems Cost Much More Than Angular HallPots®'s?
A. The RVDT transducers require a very expensive External Ampifier.
Q. How Does Performance In Ballistometry With The Two Types of Transducers Generally Compare?
A. Our in-house studies generally show equivalent performance of IDRA® Ballistometers with RVDT's and Custom HallPot® transducers on performance test materials, when differences in bearing friction and lubricant viscosity are minimized. The Downloads section of this website includes Excel files showing data collected in a study using each sensor type on the same human subject. In this particular study, differences in performance, i.e., fewer total peaks observed for the HallPot® sensor were attributed to greater bearing friction.
Q. What Is The Contact Angle and Why Is It Important?
A. IDRA® actually records the angle at which a test surface is positioned for hammer contact, just prior to arming and hammer release, i.e., the Contact Angle. The ballistic response at steadystate then provides a simple test of surface movement.and if unacceptable a warning is issued to discard the results and repeat the measurement. Allowing the ballistic Contact Angle to vary somewhat from measurement to measurement expedites data collection. Diagnostic parameters are actually calculated with reference to the final steady-state baseline value.
Q. How Fast Can The 12 bit Analogs of Angular Displacement Be Recorded and For How Long?
A. The product of the Sampling Rate (12 bit Analog sps) times the Collection Time(s) Can't Exceed 63,900. For example, at a Sampling Rate of 8,000 12 bit Analogs per second IDRA® can collect data for about 8 seconds. For comparison, in vivo studies on human skin generally run at 5,000 dps and reach steadystate (finish) in about 1.0 -1.5 seconds. The maximum possible data collection rate is a whopping 50,000 sps.
Q. What Experimental Controls/Settings Can Be Accessed For Each IDRA Menu Window?
CREATE DATA WORKBOOK An Excel Workbook with two worksheets (IDRA_RawData and IDRA_Parameters) and DescriptiveLabel in Column A is generated each time this button is pressed.
CONFIGURE TEST PARAMETERS

Includes Parameter Sheets: Hammer Info, Subject Info, and Conditions

Hammer Info Includes: Sensor Type, Eb0 and Vp for HallPot®, Hammer Free Swing Period, Hammer Center of Gravity Distance, Hammer Mass, Hammer Tip Distance.

Subject Info Includes: Test Protocol#, SubjectID, Visit#,Site Tested

Conditons Include: Impact Type, Smooth Data Option, Autoselect Data Area Option, Maximum Angular Displacement, Room Temp, and % Humidity.
COLLECT & PROCESS DATA

Buttons Include: Record Angle, Drop Hammer, Apply Changes, Quit

Experimental Controls Include: Data Sheet Selection, Start Cell Selection, Sample Time Selection, Sample Rate Selection

Readout Includes: Contact Angle
HELP Additional Helpful Information Generally Not Found Elsewhere
Q. Do The Configuration Changes I Make Take Place Immediately?
A. Yes, if you press the OKAY (to change) or APPLY CHANGES buttons. If you do not press those buttons, no changes in configuration are recorded.
Q. Where Is Important IDRA® 3.0 software operating information stored in the PC?
A. In c:\program files\idra, c:program files\idra\Idra_par, c:program files\dira\Idrahelpmenu, and system directories.
Q. What Operating Systems Will IDRA® 3.0 Software Run Under?
A. Version 3.0 will run under Windows 2000, and Windows XP
Q. What Version of Microsoft Excel Is Needed?
A. Microsoft Excel 2000 or later version.