Creating and Testing Continuous Acquisition Software with GPS Timestamps

Abstract

The main objective of this thesis has been to write software in LabVIEW enabling GPS time synchronization between several Compact RIOs when performing continuous acquisition of acceleration data. By providing GPS timestamps to the individual acceleration samples, unlimited compact RIOs can be set up to measure large structures without need any for communication. The measurements would be synchronized in the post processing of the data, removing the complicated process of communication and synchronization during measurements.

Several additional functions are incorporated in the software. This includes signal filtering, downsampling, a trigger condition for writing to file, and a logical user interface. As requested from the faculty a thorough explanation of the software's functionality and reasoning has been made, and is included in this thesis.

To confirm the functionality of the program several tests have been preformed on the various elements of the software. Some of the most important are presented here. As a final trial, a field test of the program was executed on a foot bridge in Trondheim to make sure the program would work in a real life situation. This process is also presented in this thesis, together with a modal analysis of the bridge.

Results from all the tests of the program are deemed successful. The software is working as intended, and seems to be highly reliable.