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Measuring Vibration DT9837 MATLAB

The document describes a solution for measuring vibration in hard disk drives using Data Translation's DT9837 USB module, MATLAB Data Acquisition Toolbox, and MATLAB DAQ Adaptor. A hard drive manufacturer wanted to improve testing flexibility and reduce costs compared to their old oscilloscope solution. The DT9837 module measured vibration from accelerometers and rotational speed from a tachometer. MATLAB was used to acquire, display, and analyze the data. This portable vibration analysis system increased testing flexibility and reliability while reducing costs.

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fran
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221 views

Measuring Vibration DT9837 MATLAB

The document describes a solution for measuring vibration in hard disk drives using Data Translation's DT9837 USB module, MATLAB Data Acquisition Toolbox, and MATLAB DAQ Adaptor. A hard drive manufacturer wanted to improve testing flexibility and reduce costs compared to their old oscilloscope solution. The DT9837 module measured vibration from accelerometers and rotational speed from a tachometer. MATLAB was used to acquire, display, and analyze the data. This portable vibration analysis system increased testing flexibility and reliability while reducing costs.

Uploaded by

fran
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Measuring Vibration Using the DT9837, MATLAB Data Acquisition

Toolbox, and MATLAB DAQ Adaptor

Challenge To measure the vibration of hard disk drives using a portable


laptop solution and, thereby, reduce noise, improve product reliability, and reduce testing costs

Solution

Use IEPE accelerometers with Data Translations highperformance DT9837 USB modules, MathWorks MATLAB
Data Acquisition Toolbox, and Data Translations free MATLAB DAQ Adaptor to measure vibration data and present results

Results

Portable vibration and analysis system that increases testing


flexibility and reduces testing costs

Standard software platform for ease of development and


support

Improved reliability of hard disk drives

For hard disk drive (HDD) manufacturers, reducing noise is critical in controlling vibration a key parameter when assessing product reliability. In an
HDD system, the read/write heads of the disk drive are only microns away
from the storage disks. Too much vibration will cause the read/write heads
to touch the disk, resulting in irreversible damage to the hard disk drive
(also called a head crash). It is imperative, therefore, that engineers measure,
analyze, and reduce vibration to improve product reliability.

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Vibration Analysis Application in MATLAB

Challenge
This customer was using old and expensive oscilloscopes with IEPE current
outputs to measure vibration. They wanted to update their test equipment to
improve testing flexibility and reduce costs. Their stated requirements were
as follows:
Need a portable laptop solution to provide greater testing flexibility
Need the ability to measure two IEPE accelerometers in all three geomet-

rical directions (X, Y, and Z) at different rotational speeds


Need highly accurate results
Need to use MATLAB for compatibility with existing test applications

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Solution
This customer had standardized on MATLAB as their software platform
based on its data analysis capabilities, and needed a solution that was compatible with it.
From a hardware-perspective, the customer needed a laptop solution capable
of measuring multiple IEPE accelerometers with precision and at different
speeds of rotation. The high-performance DT9837 USB module proved to
be an excellent fit for the following key reasons:

Simultaneous IEPE measurements The DT9837 supports four


simultaneous IEPE inputs, including a 4 mA current source, and a
tachometer input channel for synchronizing vibration measurements.

Accuracy The DT9837 provides four, 24-bit Delta-Sigma A/D


converters and supports a wide pass band of 0.5 Hz to 25.8 kHz
for high-resolution, low frequency measurements.

Portability The DT9837 connects to a laptop using a single


USB cable and operates exclusively on USB power no external
power supply is needed.

Multiple Module Support Multiple DT9837 modules can be


connected to a laptop through its USB ports or by using an external hub. In addition, the DT9837 provides an external trigger input
for synchronizing the start of acquisition on multiple modules.

MATLAB Compatibility The MATLAB DAQ Adaptor, which


ships free with the DT9837 module, allows MATLAB users to
control all aspects of the module through the Data Acquisition
Toolbox.

The customer used two DT9837 modules to measure the vibration of two X,
Y, and Z IEPE accelerometers. The X, Y, and Z outputs of one accelerometer
were connected to the analog input channels of the first DT9837 module,
while the X, Y, and Z outputs of the second accelerometer were connected to
the analog input channels of the second DT9837 module. In addition, tachometer inputs were connected to each module to measure the rotational
speed of the HDD.

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Both modules were connected to a shared external digital trigger input.


When a rising-edge occurred on the external trigger input, both modules
started acquiring data from the inputs. The rotational speed of the HDD (on
the tachometer input) was measured in parallel with the vibration data of the
HDD (on the IEPE inputs) to correlate vibration data at a specific rotational
speed. The customer then increased and decreased the speed of rotation and
measured the vibration of the HDD at those speeds
Using MATLAB, the data from each input channel was acquired, displayed
as a waveform, and streamed to the hard drive of the laptop for further offline analysis.
The customer was impressed at performance of the system and found that
the high-resolution DT9837 USB module, coupled with MATLAB Data Acquisition Toolbox and the MATLAB DAQ Adaptor, was an ideal, portable
solution for measuring noise and vibration data in HDD applications.
Results

Portable vibration and analysis system that increases testing flexibility and reduces testing costs. The high-performance DT9837 USB
module met the customers requirement by replacing an expensive solution with a cost-effective, portable USB solution capable of measuring four IEPE inputs simultaneously at 24-bits of resolution.

Standard software platform for ease of development and support.


The MATLAB Data Acquisition Toolbox and the MATLAB DAQ
Adaptor allowed users to access and control the DT9837 module easily
and present the results graphically, in a single environment.

Improved reliability of hard disk drives. Using the DT9837 USB


module with the MATLAB Data Acquisition Toolbox and the MATLAB DAQ Adaptor, the customer was able to measure and analyze vibration data, reduce noise, and improve the reliability of their hard disk
drives.

Products Used
DT9837, MATLAB Data Acquisition Toolbox, MATLAB DAQ Adaptor

www.datatranslation.com

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