| Description
The EDR-3C is a portable, digital sensor/recorder designed to
measure shock, vibration, temperature and (as an option) humidity,
pressure, or resistance-bridge devices. The programmable unit tags
all acceleration events with a time and date to provide a time
history of the dynamic environment experienced during a recording
session.
The EDR-3C series recorders offer you a time-tested reputation
for proven performance and reliability with hundreds of successful
installations since 1989. The EDR-3C series operate similarly and
differ only in programmability features, on-board memory and
channel capacities. Each recorder is powered by a specially
designed C-Cell battery pack (9 Volt optional.)
The EDR-3C is used in conjuction with DynaMax programs and
downloads the EDR-3C's memory via an IBM compatibile personal
computer using serial or USB. Together, the EDR-3C and the DynaMax
software program provide a powerful tool for accurately recording
and analyzing dynamic environments.
Operation of the Instrument
During recording acceleration signals are digitized to 10 bits and
stored in on-board memory. The choice of a 10-bit A/D allows for
precision, low noise measurements while still making effective use
of available data memory and battery power in comparison to 8 or
12-bit systems. The EDR-3C series recorders are capable of
recording nearly 3 hours of equivalent real-time data over a
typical 100 Hz vibration analysis bandwidth for typical ground
applications.
Total Equivalent Recording Time (minutes).
|
Bandwidth (Hz)
|
Total On-board memory (MB)
|
|
1
|
4
|
8
|
|
60
|
34
|
140
|
282
|
|
100
|
20
|
85
|
171
|
|
500
|
4
|
17
|
34
|
|
1,000
|
2
|
8
|
17
|
Triggering
Advanced data management capabilities of the EDR-3C allow the unit
to measure and record over 5,000 separate 3 or 6-channel waveform
sets consisting of transient shock events and/or continuous
vibration time samples. IST's unique "Event Type
Partitioning" of separate time-triggered and event-triggered
data may also be performed during recording. This feature makes
post-collection data reduction and analysis easier. The length of
each event is also selectable between event types, enabling the
unit to be optimized for capture of both shock and vibration data
during a single recording session.
Temperature and Humidity Recording
The EDR-3C series also measures and records environmental
temperature using a sensor built into the unit and/or an
externally connected temperature sensor. Optional internal and
external relative humidity sensors are available.
Pressure Recording
The EDR-3C series can measure various pressures -- atmospheric
pressure, or differential pressure for shipment under positive
pressures, and other configurations. These can be provided
as external sensors.
Strain, Load and other Resistance Bridge (strain-gage based)
Sensors
The EDR-3CM4 and EDR-3DM4 are available for up to six channels
of differential inputs, for resistance-bridge sensors.
Contact IST for details on these configurations.
Auto-Zero Offset Control
The EDR-3C recorder provides automatic digital offset correction
between recording events. This feature compensates for DC offset
resulting from temperature variation, as well as changes in
orientation.
Accelerometers
Each EDR-3C is supplied with a specially designed and calibrated
built-in triaxial accelerometer. The internal accelerometers are
piezoresistive devices, offering superior low frequency response
characteristics and extremely low power consumption. Acceleration
recording can be configured for the internal triaxial
accelerometer channels or up to 3 optional external accelerometer
inputs.
External Accelerometers
The optional external accelerometer input channels are designed
for use with "low bias" versions of ICP piezoelectric
voltage mode devices. External channels provide signal
conditioning, filtering, and constant current excitation for use
with voltage mode accelerometers.
External Input Triggering
An external bi-directional trigger channel is available as an
option on all EDR-3C models.
Flexible USB or Serial Communication
The EDR-3C and -3D offer a special serial communications port for
standard or high speed serial data transfer to a host PC. The
specially designed serial port enables standard communications at
9600 Baud as well as high speed data transfers at 115 kBaud.
USB options are now also available.
Advanced Programmability
The recorders are set up using a standard PC serial port along
with IST's DynaMax software package. After field recording, data
is transferred back to the host PC for processing and analysis.
The EDR-3C is completely user-programmable for accurate recording
of either (transient) shock and/or pseudo-stationary vibration
data. The instrument may be set up to operate under both
event(amplitude-based) and/or time (periodic) triggered recording.
Data Management
Several different data management features are available for
handling large numbers of captured time histories. Fill & Stop
memory mode records all frames satisfying the trigger condition
sequentially in time until the digital memory within the
instrument is filled. A second Overwrite memory mode option
records a selectable number of events having the largest RMS
levels of all events measured.
Sliding Window Overwrite Mode (SWO)
The EDR-3C and -3D models offer a powerful new feature called
Sliding Window Overwrite (SWO) developed exclusively by IST.
SWO provides the advantages of overwrite mode and much more. With
SWO the field test period is effectively partitioned into a user
selectable number of time windows or bins. The size of the time
windows is selected by the user. Event overwriting can only occur
within the respective time windows.
Improved Laboratory Simulation
SWO enables the user to uniformly capture selective highest-level
"time windows" of data during a field test. Recorded SWO
can be processed with IST's DynaMax DM-psd software module to
generate a separate PSD (Power Spectral Density) for each time
window, or any subset of the data desired.
Vibration Test System Compatibility
Data recording with all EDR-3C models can be processed with IST
software for direct compatibility with virtually all digital
vibration controllers.
Performance History
The EDR-3C series recorders have been used in a broad range of
high-performance applications world-wide for several years. A few
of the more prominent application using the EDR-3C include:
- The recorder of choice by damage prevention professionals at
most major U.S. Railroads
- Mandated by U.S. Auto Club as the "crash recorder"
for all INDY race cars
- Selected by NASA for measuring cargo bay vibrations aboard
the U.S. Space Shuttle
- Selected by NASA Prime Contractor for continuous monitoring
of rail car transportation of all Shuttle Solid Rocket Motors
- Selected by many Fortune 500 companies for use in shipment
monitoring
- Selected by numerous D.O.D. contractors for ground transport
monitoring of critical aerospace hardware.
- In use by most major small parcel delivery service companies
Certifications
The EDR-3C series has several certifications allowing it to be
used in many useful applications. Contact IST if you've got
a specification, chances are we have equipment to meet your specs:
- Meets MIL-STD-810F, most test methods
- Non-incendive environments (intrinsic safety)
- Flight Qualified (MIL-STD-461 RE02)
- Manned Space Flight Qualified by NASA
Applications
The EDR-3C series recorders have been designed for applications
that require remote, unattended monitoring and recording of shock
and vibration data over long periods of time. Their ultra-small
size and weight, combined with their extraordinary recording and
programmability features make them ideal for applications where
space and weight come at a premium. Since human monitoring during
recording is not required, personnel cost associated with the
field testing using the EDR-3C can be reduced significantly. The
instruments also provide a high degree of operational reliability
under harsh environmental test conditions.
Specific applications of the EDR-3C include:
- Intermodal Transport Studies
- High-Value Transport Monitoring
- Vibration Test Spec. Development
- Launch Vehicle Vibration
- Avionics Environmental Reliability
- Concealed Monitoring
- Package Test Shipments
- Railcar Impact and Vibration
- Crash Recording
- Aircraft Flight Vibration
- Brake Testing
- Environmental Test Level Qualifications
- In-Use Environments
- Structural Seismic Measurements
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Motion & Acceleration Recorders