Use a VR controller’s COLA output to synchronize a vibration control system with an independent I/O unit. Engineers can use the COLA reference to increase channel count or verify a sine sweep test. Sine Data Reduction is a Sine software add-on.
Download Demo All Software ModulesSine reduction (also called sine processing or sine data reduction) in VibrationVIEW uses a VR controller’s COLA output to configure shaker control with a second instance of VibrationVIEW or a third-party I/O unit.
The COLA (constant output level amplitude) provides a fixed amplitude sine wave that is synchronous with the drive output.
All VR hardware devices can function as either a controller or data acquisition device, meaning they can serve as the main controller or reference I/O unit in a sine reduction setup.
From top: COLA output on the ObserVR1000, VR9700, and VR10500.
Engineers use sine reduction for resonance identification on large structures. The reference I/O unit can increase the system’s channel count or provide independent data for validation.
The main controller runs a sine sweep test, likely with user-defined tracking filters. The COLA signal (“sine tracking signal”) tracks the drive frequency and instantly calculates the amplitude and phase at the frequency value. The reference I/O unit runs the same sine sweep using the COLA signal as the frequency reference, applying the same tracking filters.
Accurate frequency tracking ensures the identification of resonant frequencies for product development and qualification.
Run sequences of fixed-frequency sinusoids of a specified acceleration, velocity, or displacement. Test duration options include the length of time, number of sine wave cycles, or number of sweeps.
The VibrationVIEW software displays the sine sweep results for independent verification of the test results. Generate reports with graphs such as:
In ObserVIEW, you can overlay control software data and ObserVIEW-generated scatterplots to compare analyses, then copy-paste the graph to a Word or Excel file for reporting.
The ObserVIEW software offers several tools for analyzing and reprocessing sine reduction test data. It enables a comprehensive analysis of sine wave recordings as a function of time or frequency.
The Math Channels feature includes expressions for post-process analysis that simplify sine sweep data by breaking down the frequency and amplitude components of time-domain signals. This method provides clearer insights than traditional graphs like the fast Fourier transform (FFT) or transmissibility.
Engineers can also reprocess recorded sine data to duplicate the analyses of the controllers used during testing.
Many test items in aerospace and other industries are of high value, and close monitoring during testing is crucial. Engineers can configure abort limits for all channels or individual ones.
Engineers can reference virtual channels when configuring notches/aborts in Sine, using them in the same way as a response channel from a physical sensor. Virtual channels are the result of user-defined expressions that combine input channels. They perform linear math in the time domain and can reference channels across hardware units.
Virtual Channels turn raw data into insights, eliminating the need to process data in external tools.
The VR10500 is Vibration Research’s high channel count control hardware for vibration and shock testing. Scalable to 512 channels and compatible with all electrodynamic and servo-hydraulic shakers. Features include up to 256kHz sample rate and 4 outputs for multi-shaker testing.
