Abstract
Centrifuge testing requires transmitting data collected in a moving, increased-acceleration environment to a data acquisition system. Typical transmission methods include analog and digital data transmission through slip rings. However, these methods have often limited the accuracy of the measured data as well as the number of instruments that can be used in a test. A wireless ethernet data acquisition system was implemented for a centrifuge in this study. Using a computer equipped with a wireless ethernet card inside the centrifuge allows increased throughput while maintaining control of the centrifuge test by an external computer. Such a computer workgroup connected with wireless ethernet provides high throughput of noiselessly transmitted data. This approach allows a significant increase in the number of channels, and thus instruments, that can be used in a test when compared with other digital communication standards. An evaluation of the performance of this system indicates that the data throughput of the wireless system is consistently higher than conventional hard-wired serial communication systems, but depends on the g-level, transmission direction, and type of wireless card.
