Week
9 - Computer-Based Measurements in LabVIEW
Here are my thoughts on the ninth week's material, etc.
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This segment uses LabVIEW
to control instruments.
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General introduction to
computer-based measurements.
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Get over the disappointment
of instruments sending back character strings.
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Builds a base for next
week's work on manipulation of data in different forms - string, floating
point, integer, etc.
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Raises issues about timing
of loops in order to control timing of measurements.
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Lab this week consists
of taking two types of measurements voltage and temperature.
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I'm not sure that taking
voltage measurements and temperature measurements are really contrasting
cases (as Bransford discusses in "A Time for Telling".), but it might
be good next time to elaborate on this and expand to measuring resistance
and frequency.
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The focus of this lab
is to be able to explain what takes place when a measurement is taken.
There are a lot of steps that have to be implemented just for a single
measurement, and each step requires integrating computer code (in the form
of one of LabVIEW's icons) and an understanding of what is taking place
in the instrument and the computer.
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These measurements are
single measurements. Next week we put this code into a loop and store
data in a file.
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In-Class exercises
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Class Notes - Good
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Some things to think about.
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Sensors encountered to
this point in the course.
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Thermocouples
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LM35s - giving two examples
of sensors with voltage outputs
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Thermistor - giving an
example of a sensor with a resistance change.
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AC Tachometers
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Pressure Sensors
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Strain Gages
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Light Sensors (Photovoltaic
cells)