The Challenge

To develop an automated test system that could be easily configured and expanded to meet the requirements of the full variety of automotive safety tests for air bag deployment, air bag burst, seat belt pretensioning, head impact, and sled test systems. Requirements of the system manufacturers included the capability to control numerous pieces of peripheral equipment, acquire high-speed video and sensor data and provide post-test data analysis functions, to control, trigger and download images from various high-speed video imagers, and to have available the necessary image analysis functions for the gamut of tests.

The Microsys Difference

Recently adopted by Magna Automotive Testing of Livonia, MI and Delphi Interior & Lighting of Vandalia OH, the Automotive Safety Test System enables users to control peripheral equipment, acquire high-speed video image and sensor data, and analyze test results using one test system. User preprogrammed test sequences greatly simplify test set-up operations while minimizing errors. Also, the ability to simultaneously view video images and sensor data on one monitor improves data correlation for post test analysis. Previous high-speed imaging and data acquisition equipment were controlled separately from the test sequence control center, plus, test results from high-speed imaging and sensor data acquisition equipment had to be viewed and analyzed on separate systems. The system can be factory configured for all of the key safety tests for air bag deployment, air bag burst, seat belt pretensioner, head impact or sled test.

The Solution

For automotive test system design and integration, Microsys Technologies, providing what the automotive industry was requiring in an easily configured and expandable automotive safety test system, began with taking a modular approach to the hardware and software components. By taking a modular approach, the test system could be easily configured to provide control over the varied system parameters, and also acquire data from any number of high-speed imager and sensor data channels. The software component they configured consists of a smart  core-operating system that calls up individual hardware and software driver modules. These hardware driver modules perform specific functions in the order that a user enters them in the core-operating system. Specific software driver modules also provide post-test analysis functions that consist of displaying both high-speed video and sensor data, perform trace calculations, and perform image analysis operations. The hardware components consist of standardized digital and analog inputs and outputs that are programmed to provide test system control and data acquisition functions. Also, channel counts are easily expanded to meet specific requirements for the following test systems as well as meet user-specific needs.

The Tools

• Microsys Automotive Occupant Safety Test System
• Kodak Ektapro HS4540, HG2000 high speed digital video imagers
• National Instruments LabVIEW
• National Instruments IMAQ

For more information, see Automotive Safety Component Test System or contact Microsys Technologies Inc.