Compact System operating on a small battery running Labview and 9181 usb chassis (9234 module)

[PeterBrown]

I've just started looking into this and began at a Raspberry Pi 3... which appears like the daqmx drivers can't be installed on, so rules that out for the chassis/module above I believe?

My application is a sensor bar (see attachment - made of aluminium of 40mm x 40mm section. At the current time we are using a laptop in our arms, a laptop bag that houses the chassis/module, cables going from the bag to the IEPE accelerometers on the sensor bar, and an IEPE hammer to excite the pole we are hitting.

We use labview for this application, and don't think it could be easily replaced with an alternative software.

Problems here are the cables from the sensors on the sensor bar, the usb cable from the chassis/usb in the bag to the laptop we are holding.

I was hoping to mount everything on the sensor bar, which a raspberry pi 3 and the chassis mounted on the sensor bar would have cut the cords... they would still need to go from the sensors ot the chassis still but that would all be local to the sensor bar.

We'd then need to get the interface to show, perhaps a small touch screen mounted on the bar. Then get power to it, perhaps the only external cord from a backback to the system that gets unplugged when on the move.

We could look into a cdaq chassis with an embedded controller/pc but these are larger, assume requires far more power and also a more expensive solution.

We could look into one of the windows sticks possibly?

Are there any other alternatives? Perhaps having a chassis mounted on the sensor bar, that then we remote desktop into through a wireless switch? This would require a lot of power though and only cutting the cords down between the user and the bar, not the volume of equipment which goes up actually.

[PeterBrown]

Pic attached now.

[brettski]

Sounds like a Windows stick might be the way to go. I can't imagine a better way to meet your requirements for form factor, connectivity, and budget.

Looks like a cool project!

[PeterBrown]

Thanks. Yes Im excited to develop it further.

We have gone the route if two single slot chassis as they are powered off usb. The time sync between the two chassis relies in software but they seem close enough for our application. We have cdaq 4 slot chassis but that requires external power so don't tend to use that.

The newer Microsoft compute sticks (the m3 one grabs my interest  seem to have 1 usb on the stick itself and 2 on the power adapter which is enough for the two chassis and the touchscreen on the display.. So maybe everything could be mounted on the sensor bar, with a single cable going to the sensor bar from a battery in a bag, or maybe even have the battery mounted on the sensor bar. I'd need to see how much power the stick, display and two usb chassis drain the battery but hope something like a 20 Ah battery may last a while. The display drains about 0.5A only I believe...

[PeterBrown]

Here is my initial solution we may try ... 

PC stick from $200, but likely the $500 version (the m3 version is a new generation and has 3 usb ports (1x touchscreen and 2x acquisition)

https://www.intel.com.au/content/www/au/en/products/boards-kits/compute-stick.html?wapkw=compute+sti...

Small touch screen (powered from USB

https://core-electronics.com.au/hdmi-5-800x480-display-backpack-with-touchscreen.html

[Henrik_Volkers]

Aren't there WIndows tablets around?

Adding a back housing with powerbank and the DAQ.

Bigger screen to enter on side data .. (OK, we are used to smartphone sizes but a bigger touch keyboard is nicer)

(Adding a camera for on side documentation ;), keep it in one folder )

[PeterBrown]

I looked at the surface pro as an option, but not convinced its form factor is ideal to mount to the pole. Although I guess if its a temporary mount on the sensor bar, then the USB cable can be disconnected and the tablet removed once the user is ready to head to the next testing site (often just a short walk up the road)