Synchronize LabVIEW with INSTRON 3366 Model

[AhmadSB]

Greetings everyone.

I am performing a tensile test on an electrical wire. The problem is that the copper inside breaks before the rubber protection outside, and what really matters to me is the Tensile Strength of the copper inside. One way to find out is by using a multimeter to test continuity by testing the current passing through. When the copper breaks, the current will be zero.

What I actually need is to record the current values from the multimeter alongside their corresponding Tensile Strength simultaneously in an Excell sheet. The bigger problem now is that the BlueHill (Interface used by Instron) does not have this feature. Therefore, I need a way to interface LabVIEW with INSTRON, or any way to record the current simultaneously with the Tensile Strength.

Sorry for the lengthiness  and thank you in advance!

[Kenny_K]

This should be fairly straight forward once we (you) know how to talk to the Tensile Strength transducer and you have a multimeter that you can communicate to.  

What type of multimeter are you using?   You cannot use a standard handheld multimeter, you need one with an output (serial, ethernet, etc).  Most multimeters will probably have a driver already on the LabVIEW website, just search for a model number.

How does Bluehill get the data from the transducer (serial port? what is the protocol)?  Do you have a manual with SCPI or any other commands?

 

[AhmadSB]

As for the current test, I've already found a way to do it. Right now I only need a way to retrieve data from BlueHill and import them into LabVIEW. Unfortunately I don't know anything about SCPI and I don't think I have a manual for it.

Thank you.

[Kenny_K]

Then I recommend that you contact Instron to see if they have a programmers manual, which would tell you how to get the data out directly from the transducer.

But this means that you will not get a report out of Bluehill software, if that matters.

[mikeporter]

One way of handling the triggering would be to measure the wire in two ways in parallel. First, pass 5v through the wire and monitor it with a digital input. When the wire breaks the digital input will either go high or low (depending on how you have it wired) and you can use that change as a trigger event.

At the same time measure the voltage drop across the wire with a voltmeter. Knowing that and the applied current will let you back out the resistance.

Finally, just looking at the instron data, I would expect a marked drop in strain when the conductor breaks since the insulation isn't as rigid.

Mike...

[AhmadSB]

I already found a way of knowing when the wire inside breaks. What I need now is to retrive the data for Tensile Strength from BlueHill and import them into LabVIEW.


Thanks.

[tstfrancis]

Hi, did you find a way to sync Intron data with other signals in Labview? I have a very similar question with syncing Instron compressive data with encoders. Thanks much!!!