Tecnova

The Challenge

Create a turnkey automated test and measurement system to simplify testing of marine transmissions, and a historical database with worldwide user access.

The Solution

National Instruments LabVIEW development platform, NI PXI control and instrumentation hardware, SQL Server web service interface to LabVIEW, and .NET web-based user interface to the historical database.

The Summary

The assembly and test needs for marine transmissions are complicated by the variety of end user applications and options available from suppliers.  For example, pleasure craft, commercial, and military applications differ greatly between manual operating modes and those governed by electronic controllers.  Tracking of assembled component options and proper testing of each installed option is critical to producing and delivering the correct transmission to fit the need. Applications such as this require more than the standard skill set required for test and measurement integration.  Tecnova services encompass a variety of disciplines that can be combined in unique ways to solve customer problems.

A leading manufacturer of marine transmissions approached Tecnova with a need to combine the attributes of transmission assembly with test results.  The end design is database-centric, containing assembly detail (component bill of materials, test options, etc.) and automatically recorded final test results that are viewable and searchable from the worldwide web.

Tecnova designed a database schema using SQL Server for all stored data.  A Microsoft .NET web application allows assembly technicians to record various marine transmission assembly parameters at multiple, staged assembly stations.  Each assembly station authenticates valid system users against Active Directory using LDAP.

Once assembled, transmissions progress to one of two test stands designed by Tecnova. The National Instruments PXI platform provides all signal I/O and computing capabilities. A PXI-1042 chassis houses an embedded processor module with M Series DAQ, serial interface, and relay multiplexer switches provide the connectivity to all sensors and control devices. The equipment is mounted in a standard 19" rack-mount enclosure. Test results are appended to assembly data tables within the common database using the web service and tools created by Tecnova.