Case Studies

Automotive Smart Sensor Testing in LabVIEW

Posted in Automotive, LabVIEW, Test & Measurement Automation

Summary

DMC was approached by a large automotive corporation to aid in development of their NOx sensor test stand. The client’s staff developed the initial instrument drivers internally, but DMC was able to build a more formal architecture design and component integration. DMC worked closely alongside the client staff to produce a complete Real-Time and PC based test application.

Solution

System hardware was already built and specified for running validation tests on eight separate CAN-enabled NOx sensors. DMC met with the client software team to gather system information and requirements. After reviewing all pieces and defining an architecture that fit their application and experience level, further development tasks were divided up amongst both internal and external groups.

DMC seamlessly integrated existing code into a stable and robust PID temperature controller for gas cartridge heaters and created a separate, resettable DAQ engine to handle all digital and analog I/O. After introducing client staff to a queue-based State Machine, DMC modified and tested TCP/IP project libraries into a message handler to act as a liaison between PXI and PC. High-speed CAN communications are handled and parsed separately, ensuring synchronization and data integrity. Test Logic components are launched anew during the start of each test and run linear sequences setting control valves and gas flowrates. Gas composition and CAN data collected during the test are pushed to the PC application for display and logging. Once integration and full debug were complete, stand-alone executables were delivered.

DMC left the client development staff with both a professional application and the knowledge to maintain and reuse source code internally for future projects.

Learn more about DMC's test and measurement automation services.

Customer Benefits

  • Reduced future down time based on robustness of expandable and flexible library
  • Reduced development time through professionally architected library improvements

Technologies