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

申请资金用于哈特福德大学沃德技术学院机械工程技术（MET）项目的综合计算机数据采集系统和实验室。该系统将允许学生在探索MET领域中遇到的各种物理现象的同时，获得最先进的数据采集方法的实践经验。该实验室的一个主要优势是在几个必修的本科课程中使用单一的数据采集系统。计算机化的系统将与传统仪器如测压元件和位移测量装置相连接，并允许数据的电子传输。这种类型的系统在今天的工业中广泛使用，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，目前在主要大学和工业中使用，取代了常见的电压表和示波器。这个建议可以被认为是创新的，因为在几乎所有的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，已经针对五门课程，并且在以下部分中详细介绍了每门课程的额外硬件需求。人们还认为，使用计算机代替传统仪器将使妇女和少数民族比传统的工程技术学生有更公平的竞争环境，传统的学生通常有一些使用传统仪器的经验。今天，几乎每个学生都有使用个人电脑的经验，LabVIEW与常见的苹果和Windows操作系统非常相似。一旦实施，该实验室将为学生提供学科的工作知识，因为它实际上发生在今天的工业。使用单一系统将为数据采集和后期处理提供连贯统一的方法。

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.