Functional and Linearity test system for the LHC Beam Loss Monitoring data acquisition card

In the frame of the design and development of the beam loss monitoring (BLM) system for the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) a flexible test system has been developed to qualify and verify during design and production the BLM LHC data acquisition card. It permits to test completely the functionalities of the board as well as realizing analog input signal generation to the acquisition card. The system utilize two optical receivers, a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), eights flexible current sources and a Universal Serial Bus (USB) to link it to a PC where a software written in LabWindows/CVI© (National Instruments) runs. It includes an important part of the measurement processing developed for the BLM in the future LHC accelerator. It is called Beam Loss Electronic Current to Frequency Tester (BLECFT)

Multi-Channel Data Acquisition System with Absolute Time Synchronization

A low-cost, stand-alone Global-Positioning-System-time-synchronized data acquisition system is described. The constructed prototype allows recoding up to four analog signals with a 16-bit resolution in variable ranges and a maximum sampling rate of 1000 S/s. Additionally, two digital readouts of external sensors can be acquired. A complete data set is stored on a Secure Digital (SD) card or transmitted to a computer using Universal Serial Bus (USB). The estimated time accuracy of the data acquisition is better than 0.2 {\mu}s. The device is envisioned for the use in a global distributed sensor network (the Global Network of Optical Magnetometers for Exotic physics - GNOME), whose aim is to search for new particles and interactions

Drop Weight Testing Rig Analysis and Design

Crashworthiness studies are becoming increasingly important in mechanical design, particularly with the new advancement of the computer simulation codes. These studies generally require material and prototype testing for both modelling and validation. Large percentages of these studies lie on the limits of medium strain rate, which could be achieved by a drop weight test rig. Therefore, the drop weight test rig becomes an essential tool for such research activities besides the universal quasi-static testing machines. This paper is devoted to the analysis and design of the drop weight impact-testing rig. First, the different aspects of the mechanical design such as the propulsion, guidance, and frame layout, foundation and energy aspects are presented and discussed. Then, the basic types of data retrieval and analysis systems applicable for drop weight impact testing machines are presented and discussed. Data retrieval components considered in this study include the sensors for load, acceleration, and velocity measurements, image acquisition including high-speed cameras and PC-based image acquisition system, and data acquisition including oscilloscope or PC-based data acquisition system which utilizes an AID card and application software for visualizing and analyzing of the results. At the end of this article the designed and constructed test machine is presented as a case study

A low cost and high speed electrical capacitance tomography system design

Electrical capacitance tomography system is a system which can be used for imaging industrial multi-component processes involving non-conducting fluids in pipelines. In order to make an ECT system applicable in all kinds of industries, the cost factor of building an ECT system is essential. In this research, we focus on reducing the cost of the system while not affecting the quality of the results. In the past, most of the researches in tomography system have concentrated more on the design of the sensor, and use DAS card as the interface to the PC. This will increase the cost of the system. In this case, the cost of the data acquisition system will be needed to be taken into consideration. To develop a low cost and fast data acquisition system, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) is found to be the most ideal technology. In order to further reduce the cost of the ECT system, a very low cost material, aluminium plates are used as the electrodes of the system. The information obtained in the PC will be reconstructed using iterative algorithm in order to obtain a precise image of the flow in the pipeline. The information obtained from the system will be useful for the purpose of controlling the flow in the pipeline

A Next Generation High-speed Data Acquisition System for Multi-channel Infrared and Optical Photometry

We report the design, operation, and performance of a next generation high-speed data acquisition system for multi-channel infrared and optical photometry based on the modern technologies of Field Programmable Gate Arrays, the Peripheral Component Interconnect bus, and the Global Positioning System. This system allows either direct recording of photon arrival times or binned photon counting with time resolution up to 1-$\mu$s precision in Universal Time, as well as real-time data monitoring and analysis. The system also allows simultaneous recording of multi-channel observations with very flexible, reconfigurable observational modes. We present successful 20-$\mu$s resolution simultaneous observations of the Crab Nebula Pulsar in the infrared (H-band) and optical (V-band) wavebands obtained with this system and 100-$\mu$s resolution V-band observations of the dwarf nova IY Uma with the 5-m Hale telescope at the Palomar Observatory.Comment: 11 pages, including 4 figures, to appear in PAS

“We can all just get on a bus and go” : Rethinking independent mobility in the context of the universal provision of free bus travel to young Londoners

This paper uses qualitative data from interviews with 118 young Londoners (age 12-18) to examine how the universal provision of free bus travel has affected young people’s independent mobility. Drawing on Sen’s ‘capabilities approach’, we argue that free bus travel enhanced young Londoners’ capability to shape their daily mobility, both directly by increasing financial access and indirectly by facilitating the acquisition of the necessary skills, travelling companions and confidence. These capabilities in turn extended both opportunity freedoms (e.g. facilitating non-“necessary” recreational and social trips) and process freedoms (e.g. feeling more independent by decreasing reliance on parents). Moreover, the universal nature of the entitlement rendered buses a socially inclusive way for groups to travel and spend time together, thereby enhancing group-level capabilities. We believe this attention to individual and group capabilities for self-determination provides the basis for a broader and more child-centred view of ‘independent mobility’ than the typical research focus upon ‘travelling without an adult’ and acquiring parental permissions.Peer reviewe

Temperature data logger for Industrial Process

One of the challenges in industrial process monitoring is the ability to take accurate measurement of variables. In today’s world where industries are sited remotely due to proximity to raw materials or for the purpose of safety of human habitation, there’s needed to infer measurement of variables and store data for retrieval at convenience or transmitted through telemetry for the purpose of control and automation. This is made possible using data acquisition system. A multi-channel data logging system is crucial and valuable in many Engineering applications especially where the environmental monitoring plays a substantial role. Implementation of a low cost, universal data logger based on the AVR Atmega328 and the DFRobot SD Module is described in this work. Test implementation was performed at the technology center of one of the world’s leading oilfield service companies to demonstrate industrial application. The design and implementation of the portable low-cost data-logger was achieved using few electronic components. The hardware part includes power supply, temperature sensor, SD card, and an Arduino micro-controller which contain the program used in the data logging. The system is ideal for battery operated low power data logging applications. Keywords: Logging, data, Atmega328, Module, Arduino, System. DOI: 10.7176/CEIS/13-3-04 Publication date: July 31st 202

Digital Platforms and Antitrust Law

This Article is about “big data” and antitrust law. Big data, for my purposes, refers to digital platforms that enable the discovery and sharing of information by consumers, and the harvesting and analysis of consumer data by the platform. The obvious example of such a platform is Google. The big platforms owe their market dominance not to anticompetitive conduct but to economies of scale. This Article discusses three types of anticompetitive conduct associated with digital platforms: kill zone expropriation, acquisition of nascent rivals, and denial of access to data. There is nothing so unusual about digital platforms that would require a reform of the antitrust laws. Some are described as two-sided markets, but this designation, even after Ohio v. American Express Co., should not present an obstacle to the application of antitrust law. I. Introduction II. Platforms III. Competition Issues ... A. Kill Zone Expropriation ... B. Acquisition of Nascent Rivals ... C. Denial of Access to Data IV. Antitrust Law V. Conclusio

Diseño e Implementación de un Sistema Electrónico-Informático para Aplicaciones en Ensayos en la Máquina Universal.

El presente trabajo consiste en el Diseño e Implementación de un Sistema electrónico-informático para aplicaciones en ensayos en la Máquina Universal. Se realizaron investigaciones y pruebas previas para tener un conocimiento claro del funcionamiento de la Máquina Universal TINIUS OLSEN y de los parámetros de medición, posteriormente un estudio de los sensores y el tipo de señal emitida por los mismos. Identificadas las señales se seleccionó una tarjeta de adquisición de datos para la transformación de las señales analógicas a digitales. Complementando con el diseño del software Universal Resistence.mj.vi utilizando el programa LabVIEW para la adquisición de datos y para la visualización de resultados. Finalmente se evaluó el sistema electrónico-informático aplicando una calibración adecuada con probetas normalizadas.The present paper consists of a “Design and Implementation of a computer electronic system for applications on tests in the Universal Machine”. Previous investigations and tests were made to have a clear knowledge of the operation of the Universal Machine “Tinius Olsen” and the measurement parameters, then a study of the sensors and the type of sign emitted by them. After the signals were identified, a card of data acquisition for the transformation of the analogical signals to digital ones, was selected. Complementing with the design of software UniversalResistence.mj.vi, using the LabVIEW program for data acquisition and the visualization of results. Finally the electronic-computer system was evaluated applying a proper calibration with standardized test tubes