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Report writing gets easier

Austin, TX-Big news hitting the streets at last month's National Instruments NIWeek was DIAdemTM 8.1, the latest version of the post-acquisition data analysis and report generation software. The company developed the basic package for engineers to present technical data more readily than with spreadsheet software. This most recent variant features a new virtual instrument that launches DIAdem from the NI LabVIEW(TM) graphical-measurement software environment. A wizard shows users how to choose an appropriate layout and quickly generate a report. Engineers can correlate data from different channels, sources, and signals. Available tools include FFT (fast Fourier transform) analysis for detailed data examination, and cursors that allow looking at data point-by-point while opening interactive windows that zoom in and out of graphs for varying detail. Microsoft Visual Basic Script permits users to automate standard tasks needed in creating frequently issued reports and charts.

With DIAdem, engineers can interactively work with measurement data and compare test results at each step of the product development cycle. NI Engineer and DIAdem Product Manager Gricha Raether tells Design News, with accurate information from measurements, users can make significant improvements to their designs. "Such information also reduces the number of iterations between design, test, and production," he adds.

DIAdem 8.1 also works with Asian character sets, allowing worldwide report distribution. And there have been improvements in data import and export functions for Excel and ASCII files. The package is capable of handling large data files (a billion points in up to 65,000 columns), making it well suited for load and automobile safety crash tests. Volvo is using it for the latter at its safety center in Gothenburg. And Audi's race team applies it to optimize its drivers' performance by determining the best driving techniques at each racecourse, curve by curve. National Instruments, www.ni.com, Enter 613

Transmitter

Hermetically sealed and made of TIG-welded stainless steel, the HSDI Series of loop-powered 4-20 mA LVDT position transmitters are designed for position measurement in environments with caustic and corrosive materials. Offering position monitoring and remote feedback of servo actuators and control valves, the transmitters may be used in pumping station controls, wastewater treatment facilities, agri-chemical dispensing, fossil fueled power plants, and refinery operations. Macro Sensors, www.macrosensors.com. Enter 614

Safety system

PICO-GUARD(TM) fiber optic safety system combines a controller and plug-in optical safety interlock switches and plastic fiber optic cable to replace mechanical safety interlock switches and monitor doors, gates, and hard guards. Eliminating electrical wiring to the machine and offering more flexibility, the system's advanced optical controller features four separate optical channels for controlling optical safety inter-lock switches in one optical network. Banner Engineering Corp., www.bannerengineering.com. Enter 615

Image sensor

The Kodak KAI-0330D Image Sensor is a Quad-speed progressive scan sensor, featuring 120 frames-per-second (fps) VGA format. Designed for machine vision applications requiring high throughput and accuracy, the interline CCS image sensor reportedly outputs a 648 (H) x 484 (V) image in 8.3 msec. Other features include electronic shutter, asynchronous triggering, square pixels, low noise, low smear, low lag, anti-blooming circuitry, and a half-inch optical format. Eastman Kodak, www.kodak.com. Enter 616