StrainDAQ, is a powerful, user-friendly, configurable, and ready-to-run software package that provides for the acquisition and processing of virtually every signal variable that is used for stress testing and analysis. Strain gage channels are easy to set up. Input types are identified (i.e. strain gage, voltage, transducer, thermocouple), and automatic two-point (zero and span) calibrations are performed. Using simple to follow menu driven instructions, hardware and channel setups, scan data, archives, and data reduction are quick and easy. StrainDAQ monitors the excitation voltage and automatically corrects for power supply drift during long term testing.  StrainDAQ also allows the user to select specific input channels to acquire, plot, display, and store for each test period run. Data is stored in a binary format and can be exported as comma-delimited ASCII files.

StrainDAQ also automatically corrects for Wheatstone bridge nonlinearity, transverse sensitivity (when applicable), and calculates temperature induced apparent strain values. In addition, by using the calculated channel option, the acquired strain values for single, biaxial (Tee), and triaxial (Rectangular and Delta) rosettes can be reduced to principal stresses, stress orientation (Phi), and equivalent stresses (von Mises failure criteria). The data reduction can be performed in "real-time" or in the post-processing utility.

StrainDAQ 2.1 Software Features
(with SES 1300 SG Completion Modules)

• Unique hardware wizard for easy and accurate selection of required channels.
  

• Supported sensor types:
  

  • Strain Gage – convenient default values throughout the setup process reduces the "setup to acquisition" time to an absolute minimum.
    

    Voltage Transducer – any device, such as a pressure transducer, load cell, LVDT, with an output signal within a range of ± 10V or 4-20mA.
    

    Thermocouple – all common types supported (displayed in user-defined units - °F, °C, °R, K).

• Simple channel setup:
  

  • Sensor type, Input Limits, Tag-Name, Units, Calibration Type, Calibration Parameters, Scan Rate, etc. – all selected within one window!
    

    Setup identical channels simply by entering single numerical string, or reuse setup parameters by copying and pasting in a tabular format.
    

    Tabular view of setup parameters allows for convenient review of entire channel list.

• Three calibration methods available:
  

  • Zero & Shunt – use software triggered on-board 50kW shunt resistor for SG channels, or enter known shunt value (from Calibration Certificate) for voltage transducers. Manual shunt switch also available on face of SES 1300 module.
    

    Autozero – Input a fixed Gain value (from Calibration Certificate) and acquire an offset value when running calibration procedure.
    

    Manual – Input fixed Gain and Offset values (not affected by future calibration procedures).

• Real-Time Calculated (Virtual) Channels available to perform:
  

  • Mathematical manipulations (add, subtract, multiply, divide, exp., polynomial – up to 4^th order)
    

    Conditional functions (logical If, Then, Else statements)
    

    Routine strain gage data reduction (Principal Stresses, Orientation – Angle, Equiv. Stress)
    

    Channel Averaging

• Rosette Setups
  

  • Supported rosette types include single, biaxial (Tee), and triaxial (Rectangular & Delta)
    

    Allows user to define SG rosette parameters (GF, K_t, temperature coefficients, etc.) used in "real-time" stress calculations, or in post processing (Stress/Strain Tables)

• "Save/Read Setup" feature allows the user to store test setups for reuse.

• All applicable corrections performed on strain gage channels automatically (bridge nonlinearity, transverse sensitivity, apparent strain, etc.)

• User-defined Display Lists (up to 80 ch’s displayed at a time during data acquisition) that can be toggled to allow for monitoring engineering units, actual voltage, current zero offsets, current gains, current excitation voltage, and reference excitation voltage.

• Up to two (2) user-defined plots (time-based or X-Y) displayed in independent windows, while acquiring data.

• Software has been tested to the full scan rate of the 6030E DAQ card (100kS/s).

• StrainDAQ uses ratiometric measurement technology, that is, it monitors the excitation voltage and automatically corrects for power supply drift or other causes of excitation voltage change.

• Automatic disabling feature specifically for SG channels that develop short-circuits, or become open, in order to correct amplifier saturation (alerts user of "out of range" channels and tags them accordingly until corrected by user).

• Various methods for recording data:
  

  • Manual - discrete
    

    Continuous - data recorded at user-defined time interval (averaged, to "smooth" the data)
    

    High Speed – data recorded at the user-defined Scan Rate (no averaging)

• Data is stored as converted values in a memory efficient binary format (applicable scaling factors are always available in order to back out original voltages, if needed).

• Data files can be exported in comma, or tab-delimited ASCII format for further manipulation in any common spreadsheet, or word processing packages.

Post-Processing module (also shipped as a separate standalone "Data Reduction Utility") that allows for plotting data and creating Stress/Strain Tables from previously acquired SG data (report quality plots and tables) – this module is licensed for unlimited distribution to allow data reduction on remote computers