Wind Power Generator Monitor and Control

Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy, such as using wind turbines to make electrical power or windmills for mechanical power.

The UEIPAC from United Electronic Industries (UEI) is an ideal solution for monitoring and controlling wind power generators, powerful enough to provide control for everything from blade angle to output voltage and log everything from wind speed to power output.

The UEIPAC’s easy access to Ethernet means it can easily run as a slave to a primary host PC when desired, but can take over and run stand-alone if anything happens to the primary communications link. It's very easy to set up - build your application on a Linux PC, or a Windows PC using Cygwin, and once developed, compile your code and download it to the UEIPAC. From there it can run fully stand-alone, or you can keep it on your network to provide updates to your host.

The Cube’s rugged environmental spec eliminates the need for any heating or cooling in the control rack. The standard UEIPAC cubes are tested from -40° to +85° C, at 100 g shock, 5 g vibration and altitudes up to 120,000 feet and are tough enough for the most challenging applications. All I/O is fully isolated from the controller so the UEIPAC is largely immune to the glitches and spikes so commonly seen in the grounds of an industrial environment.

In more complex applications, we have customers running very complex vibration analysis to identify degradation in bearings, transmissions and turbines. This data can then be correlated with other information acquired allowing the implementation of a very powerful predictive maintenance program.

We also have a number of customers who use UEI’s Cubes and RACKtangles as remote communications links. Applications for remote serial communications include wind farms where the system needs to consolidate RS-485 data from a series of turbines and send the data to the supervisory computer.

For more information on the UEIPAC or any of the UEI products please contact the Sarsen team on +44 1672 511166 or email us - info@sarsen.net

UEISIM - Ideal Data Acquisition Platform for Simulink Users

UEISIM from United Electronic Industries is an ideal solution for Simulink users who need to test their simulations on real hardware. Models built in Simulink are deployed directly on the UEISIM using The Mathworks’ Real-Time Workshop.

MathWorks has recently announced Release 2013b (R2013b) of its MATLAB and Simulink product families. R2013b delivers new analysis, design, code generation and implementation and other features in MATLAB and Simulink, two new Polyspace products, as well as updates to 79 other products.

The UEISIM offers Simulink users a new, powerful and flexible I/O target. Models built in Simulink are deployed directly on the UEISIM using Real-Time Workshop. The combination creates a powerful new solution in the creation and tuning of many real-time and non-real-time applications. These include simulation model verification, rapid prototyping, and hardware-in-the-loop testing. The UEISIM is rugged, flexible and expandable enough that it is not only a great solution while in your development cycle, it’s also the ideal solution for your production hardware.

To use the UEISIM simply:

• Build your Simulink application.
• Open MATLAB, and select Simulink/Embedded target for UEISIM.
• Convert your model to use the UEISIM I/O blocks (if you had not used them in your original model).
• Create an executable via Simulink Coder.
• Connect the UEISIM in "external mode" (if you wish to remotely monitor the application while running on the UEISIM).
• Start your simulation. Six easy steps and your simulation is running live on real hardware.

Whether your application requires a few I/O channels or a few thousand, the UEISIM is an ideal solution. The Cube’s unique combination of clean and simple Simulink/Simulink Coder target compatible Linux operating system, I/O flexibility, compact size, mechanical and electrical ruggedness and ease of use is unparalleled.

For more information please contact Sarsen on +44 1672 511166, or email us - info@sarsen.net

Vehicle NVH Testing - Automotive April from Sarsen Technology!

Noise, vibration and harshness (NVH), also known as noise and vibration (NV) is the study and modification of the noise and vibration characteristics of vehicles, particularly cars and trucks.

There are many sources of noise in a vehicle, including the engine, driveline, tyre contact patch and road surface, brakes, and wind. Noise from cooling fans, or the HVAC, alternator, and other engine accessories is also fairly common.

There are three principal means of improving NVH:

1. Reducing the source strength, as in making a noise source quieter with a muffler, or improving the balance of a rotating mechanism 
2. Interrupting the noise or vibration path, with barriers (for noise) or isolators (for vibration) 
3. Absorption of the noise or vibration energy, as for example with foam noise absorbers, or tuned vibration dampers.

Specific methods for improving NVH include the use of tuned mass dampers, sub-frames, balancing, modifying the stiffness or mass of structures, retuning exhausts and intakes, modifying the characteristics of elastomeric isolators, adding sound deadening or absorbing materials, or using active noise control. In some circumstances, substantial changes in vehicle architecture may be the only way to cure some problems cost effectively.

Noise dampening panels inlayed in a car bonnet

The UEI Cube is an ideal measurement platform for in-vehicle automobile NVH testing. The Cube is small, rugged and runs off any power supply between 9 and 36 VDC. This combination makes it easy to “bury” the cube in the car’s trunk, engine compartment or under a seat.

UEI’s popular UEILogger Cube in conjunction with the DNA-AI-211 ICP/IEPE interface and the DNA-AI-208 or AI-224 strain gage interfaces have been used by a wide variety of customers in the study of vehicle NVH (Noise, Vibration and Harshness) characteristics.

In addition to logging the NVH data, the UEILogger can also acquire CAN data, allowing simply correlation between the vehicle dynamics (e.g. speed, RPM) and NVH. All this is possible without righting any code as the UEILogger is programmed by a simple, intuitive Windows GUI.

For more information please contact Sarsen Technology on +44 1672 511166 or email us - info@sarsen.net

The Twelve Days of Christmas. Sarsen Style.

Today is the twelfth of the twelfth of the twelfth. So we're carrying on the theme and bringing you the Twelve Days of Christmas, in our own special way.

(Feel free to join in....)

On the first day of Christmas,

Sarsen sent to me

A BittWare Anemone

On the second day of Christmas,

Sarsen sent to me

Two UEI Cubes

And a BittWare Anemone

On the third day of Christmas,

Sarsen sent to me

Three Cisco Routers,

Two UEI Cubes

And a BittWare Anemone

On the fourth day of Christmas,

Sarsen sent to me

Four dspBloks

Three Cisco Routers,

Two UEI Cubes

And a BittWare Anemone

On the fifth day of Christmas,

Sarsen sent to me

Five Copperheads,

Four dspBloks

Three Cisco Routers,

Two UEI Cubes

And a BittWare Anemone

On the sixth day of Christmas,

Sarsen sent to me

Six RACKtangle chassis

Five Copperheads,

Four dspBloks

Three Cisco Routers,

Two UEI Cubes

And a BittWare Anemone

Well done guys, half way through....

On the seventh day of Christmas,

Sarsen sent to me

Seven Half-length Stratix V boards,

Six RACKtangle chassis

Five Copperheads,

Four dspBloks

Three Cisco Routers,

Two UEI Cubes

And a BittWare Anemone

On the eighth day of Christmas,

Sarsen sent to me

Eight Amazon Streamstors,

Seven Half-length Stratix V boards,

Six RACKtangle chassis

Five Copperheads,

Four dspBloks

Three Cisco Routers,

Two UEI Cubes

And a BittWare Anemone

On the ninth day of Christmas,

Sarsen sent to me

Nine Tech Source Condors

Eight Amazon Streamstors,

Seven Half-length Stratix V boards,

Six RACKtangle chassis

Five Copperheads,

Four dspBloks

Three Cisco Routers,

Two UEI Cubes

And a BittWare Anemone

On the tenth day of Christmas,

Sarsen sent to me

Ten General Standards boards,

Nine Tech Source Condors

Eight Amazon Streamstors,

Seven Half-length Stratix V boards,

Six RACKtangle chassis

Five Copperheads,

Four dspBloks

Three Cisco Routers,

Two UEI Cubes

And a BittWare Anemone

Nearly there, keep going!

On the eleventh day of Christmas,

Sarsen sent to me

Eleven Iguanas,

Ten General Standards boards,

Nine Tech Source Condors

Eight Amazon Streamstors,

Seven Half-length Stratix V boards,

Six RACKtangle chassis

Five Copperheads,

Four dspBloks

Three Cisco Routers,

Two UEI Cubes

And a BittWare Anemone

On the twelfth day of Christmas,

Sarsen sent to me

Twelve Trenton Backplanes,

Eleven Iguanas,

Ten General Standards boards,

Nine Tech Source Condors

Eight Amazon Streamstors,

Seven Half-length Stratix V boards,

Six RACKtangle chassis

Five Copperheads,

Four dspBloks

Three Cisco Routers,

Two UEI Cubes

And a BittWare Anemone!

Hurrah! Next up, We Wish You a Merry Christmas.......

New and Enhanced Data Acquisition and Control Hardware from United Electronic Industries

Who needs the Argos catalogue? Write your application Christmas list using the brand new brochure from UEI!

Continuing to grow, the latest edition of the catalogue is 40 pages long and filled cover-to-cover, with information on the company's ever expanding product line as well as a number of new application stories, and an all new FAQ section. Request a brochure now from Sarsen Technology!

The UEI catalogue includes information on their growing list of I/O boards that are available for use with the company’s RACK and CUBE chassis. 

One of the major announcements in this volume is the new performance available in the UEILogger. The overall sample rate has been increased by an order of magnitude and the maximum SD card size has gone from 4 GB to 32 GB. In addition the UEILogger now provides alarm outputs, and can now log data from the MIL-STD-1553 bus.

UEI have also used Issue 12 to introduce some new boards to their customers. The DNx-AI-218/228 A/D boards offer channel to channel isolation, 24-bit A/Ds simultaneous sampling and input ranges up to ±300 VDC. The new DNx-AI-212 and DNx-AI-222 provide high performance measurements of thermocouples/RTDs respectively. 

In the avionics world, the DNx-AFDX-664 is scheduled to be released in late 2012 and will be UEI’s first product in the AFDX market place. It joins the existing line which currently includes ARINC-429/708/453 and MIL-STD-1553 interfaces. 

There are also Strain Gauge Simulator and Arbitrary Waveform Generator boards, and some great software to run on them! 

UEI now supports EPICS, the standard in the high-energy physics world. They’ve also released the UEI-RSS (Remote Serial Server) which makes the popular DNx-SL-50x boards look like standard serial ports in your PC. 

If you’re not sure that a UEI I/O system is the right fit for you application why not take advantage of the UEI 30 day evaluation plan?

All hardware manufactured by UEI is available for evaluation. In fact any order for standard product with a total value less than $10,000 is automatically covered by the 30-day evaluation policy and may be returned within 30 days of shipment without restocking fees.

Give us a call to discuss your requirements on +44 1672 511166, or email us with the details!

7 Reasons to Choose United Electronic Industries for all your Data Acquisition and Control Requirements......

Founded in 1990, United Electronic Industries (UEI) is a leader in the PC/Ethernet data acquisition and control, Data Logger/Recorder and Programmable Automation Controller (PAC) markets. Their ‘Cube’ chassis offers incredible I/O flexibility, accommodating up to 6 I/O boards from a selection of over 25. Sarsen Technology has represented UEI in the UK for nearly 2 years.

There are so many reasons why you would benefit from choosing a UEI solution; these are just a handful….

1.       They get around….

UEI products are used in a huge variety of applications, including Simulator I/O, in-vehicle test (flight and ground), UAV/ULV/USV control, electronic production test, machine and vehicle health monitoring, temperature monitoring, wind power system control, vehicle frame stress testing, jet engine test and much more. Whether your application is on the ocean floor, on land or boat, in the air, or in space, UEI products have been there!

2.       Thinking outside the ‘Cube’

UEI have over 25 different available I/O layers, as well as a host of other boards and accessories, meaning they can be creative in finding innovative solutions for customers, responding to their needs with standard products and variations so they can complete their systems successfully, on time, and within budget. UEI offers both COTS and custom products to OEMs, end-users, and systems integrators worldwide.

3.       Green is the new Black

All Cube and RACKtangle™ chassis products and accessories are fully RoHS Compliant. This includes all UEI products that begin with: DNA, DNR, UEIPAC, UEISIM or UEILOGGER, including all chassis, I/O boards and accessories.

4.       Speaking your language

UEI supports all popular Windows, Vista, Linux and Real-time operating systems, programming languages, and application packages such as LabVIEW, MATLAB, and DASYLab.

5.       Location, Location, Location

United Electronic Industries is represented in nearly all of the US States, as well as across the globe, as far as Australia and Japan. We are all eager to talk to you, and help you put together an ideal solution to match your application.

6.       Bend Me, Shape Me, Any Way You Want Me

The UEI cube is not in any way bendy. In fact it’s very rugged! But it is uniquely flexible, with the ability to be used as an Ethernet I/O slave, standalone data logger, a standalone Linux-based PAC or a Modbus Slave. With I/O interfaces for analog I/O, digital I/O, counter/timer, ARINC-429, quadrature encoder, CAN-bus, serial I/O and more, you can precisely match the I/O configuration to your application.

7.       They’re in it for the Long Haul

All hardware manufactured by UEI is warranted for 2 years to the original purchaser and UEI guarantees the availability of all RACKtangle/Cube series products for a minimum of 10 years. 

If this hasn’t convinced you, give us a call or check out the UEI pages on our website for more information. http://www.sarsen.net/dept/united-electronic-industries_d0141.htm