A Multi-Use Computer Based Data Acquisition System for The Mechanical Engineering Technology Program at The Ward College of Engineering Technology

哈特福德大学沃德理工学院机械工程技术(MET)项目的综合计算机数据采集系统和实验室需要资金。该系统将允许学生亲身体验最先进的数据采集方法，同时探索在MET领域遇到的各种物理现象。拟议的实验室的一个主要优势是在几门必修的本科课程中使用单一的数据采集系统。计算机化系统将与称重传感器和位移测量装置等传统仪器对接，并将允许数据的电子传输。这种类型的系统在今天的工业中被广泛使用，并将大大加强MET计划的应用方面。所要求的软件，国家仪器公司的LabVIEW，目前正在各大大学和工业界使用，取代了普通的电压表和示波器。这一提议可以被认为是创新的，因为在几乎每门主要课程中都使用了单一的数据采集系统和传统的传感器。目前，已确定了五门课程的目标，每门课程的额外硬件需求将在以下各节中详细说明。人们还认为，使用计算机取代传统仪器，将使妇女和少数族裔体验到比工程技术传统学生更公平的竞争环境，后者往往对传统仪器有一些经验。今天，几乎每个学生都有过使用个人电脑的经验，而LabVIEW与常见的Apple和Windows操作系统非常相似。一旦实施，这个实验室将为学生提供该学科的实用知识，因为它实际发生在当今的工业中。单一系统的使用将为数据采集和后处理提供一致和统一的办法。

Funding is requested for an integrated, computer based data acquisition system and laboratory for the Mechanical Engineering Technology (MET) program, in the Ward College of Technology at the University of Hartford. This system will permit students to gain hands-on experience with state of the art methods of data acquisition, while exploring the various physical phenomenon encountered in the field of MET. A major advantage of the proposed laboratory will be the use of a single data acquisition system in several required undergraduate courses. The computerized system will interface with conventional instrumentation such as load cells and displacement measuring devices and will permit electronic transmission of data. Systems of this type are widely used in industry today and will serve to substantially strengthen the applied aspect of the MET program. The requested software, LabVIEW by National Instruments, is currently used at major universities and industry alike and takes the place of the common voltmeter and oscilloscope. This proposal can be considered innovative due to the use of a single data acquisition system along with conventional transducers in nearly every major course. Presently, five courses have been targeted and the additional hardware needs for each is detailed in the following sections. It is also believed that the use of the computer in place of traditional instrumentation will allow women and minorities to experience a more even playing field than the traditional student in engineering technology, who often has had some experience with conventional instrumentation. Today, virtually every student has had experience with personal computers and LabVIEW is very similar to the common Apple and Windows operating systems. Once implemented, this laboratory will provide students with a working knowledge of the discipline as it actually occurs in industry today. The use of a single system will provide a coherent and unified approach to data acquisition and post processing.