Shaker Control

User Guide
Rev. 6.0

Application Software Installation

Application Software Usage
Terminology
Background Theory

Dactron, a division of
LDS Test and Measurement
47300 Kato Road
Fremont, CA 94538

Phone (408) 934-9160

Fax. (408) 934-9161
E-mail: [email protected]
Web Site: www.lds-group.com
Information in this document is subject to change without notice. No part of this
document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, for any purpose, without the express written permission of Dactron
Incorporated.

Dactron makes no warranties on the software, whether express or implied, nor implied warranties of
merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Dactron does not warrant your data, that the software
will meet your requirements, or that the operation will be reliable or error free. The user of the software
assumes the entire risk of use of the software and the results obtained from use of the software. Dactron
shall not be liable for any incidental or consequential damages, including loss of data, lost profits, cost of
cover or other special or indirect damages. Your rights under law may vary.

US Government Restricted Rights

The software and documentation are provided with Restricted Rights. Use, duplication,
or disclosure by the Government is subject to restrictions as set forth in subparagraph
c(1)(ii) of the Rights in Technical Data and Computer Software clause at DFARS
252.227-7013 or subparagraphs c(1) and (2) of the Commercial Computer Software -
Restricted Rights at 48 CFR 52.227-19 as applicable. The Manufacturer is Dactron,
47300 Kato Road, Fremont, CA 94538.

Copyright ©1997-2005 Dactron, a division of LDS Test and Measurement. LDS is a

member of SPX Corporation. All rights reserved

All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective holders.
 Table of Contents

Table of Contents

1 Introduction ............................................................................................................ 1
The Basics................................................................................................................. 1
This Manual.............................................................................................................. 2
Other Manuals .......................................................................................................... 2
Operating System ..................................................................................................... 2
Application Software............................................................................................ 3
Application Software Installation............................................................................. 4
Uninstalling the Software ................................................................................... 10
Run the Shaker Control Software....................................................................... 10
The first time you run the software ........................................................................ 10
Calibration File................................................................................................... 10
Help Menu .......................................................................................................... 12
System Information ................................................................................................ 14
About Dactron Shaker Controller....................................................................... 14
About Dactron Software Applications ............................................................... 15
About Dactron Hardware ................................................................................... 16
About Contacting Dactron.................................................................................. 17
Security Administration.......................................................................................... 17
User Name and Password ................................................................................... 18
First-Time Use.................................................................................................... 18
Changing Your Password ................................................................................... 19
Group Administration......................................................................................... 19
User Administration ........................................................................................... 21
2 Run a Pre-Defined Project................................................................................... 22
Starting the program ............................................................................................... 22
From the Desktop ............................................................................................... 22
From the Start Menu........................................................................................... 22
Program Startup Message................................................................................... 23
Selecting a Project .................................................................................................. 24
Finding the Project Folder .................................................................................. 24
Finding the Project ............................................................................................. 24
Checking the Project............................................................................................... 25
Test Setup Items to Check.................................................................................. 26
Running the Project ................................................................................................ 27
The Unit Under Test........................................................................................... 27
Check the Control Loop ..................................................................................... 27
Check the Power Connections............................................................................ 28
Before Pressing Start .......................................................................................... 28
Start the Test....................................................................................................... 28
Monitor the Test ................................................................................................. 28

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Save Data as Required........................................................................................ 28

End of the Test.................................................................................................... 29
3 File and Project Management ............................................................................. 30
Dactron Shaker Control System Folder.................................................................. 30
Project Folder Structure.......................................................................................... 31
Creating a New Project........................................................................................... 32
User Interfaces........................................................................................................ 33
Simple User Interface (SUI) ............................................................................... 33
Advanced User Interface (AUI) ......................................................................... 34
Differences between SUI and AUI..................................................................... 35
Open an Existing Project ........................................................................................ 37
Default Project........................................................................................................ 38
Run Folders............................................................................................................. 40
Signal Manager....................................................................................................... 40
Save Signal Manager.......................................................................................... 41
Signal Save Settings (Automatic Data Saving) .................................................. 45
Using More/Less to Enable Signal Saves........................................................... 49
Recall Signal Manager ....................................................................................... 52
Cache Signal Manager........................................................................................ 59
Signal Files ............................................................................................................. 63
Signal File Types and Name Conventions ......................................................... 64
Pane Pop-Up Menu................................................................................................. 70
4 Define a Project..................................................................................................... 74
Creating a New Project........................................................................................... 74
Start-Up Page...................................................................................................... 75
Test Setup Wizard .............................................................................................. 78
Create a New Project .......................................................................................... 82
Setting up a Project: Test & Profile Setup.............................................................. 87
General Test Setup.................................................................................................. 90
Engineering Units............................................................................................... 91
Shaker Parameters .............................................................................................. 93
Channel Parameters ............................................................................................ 96
Special Signals.................................................................................................. 108
Waterfall Request ............................................................................................. 114
Transmissibility Signals ................................................................................... 119
Chamber Interface Setup .................................................................................. 121
Preferences – Controls & Limit........................................................................ 129
Preferences – Miscellaneous ............................................................................ 129
Preferences – Email.......................................................................................... 132
Preferences – Abort Action .............................................................................. 133
Preferences – Amplifier Control ...................................................................... 133
Test & Profile Setup – Random & Mixed Mode.................................................. 135
Control Parameters for Random and Mixed-mode .......................................... 135

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Preferences for Random and Mixed-mode....................................................... 145

Random Profile................................................................................................. 148
Example Random Profile Setups...................................................................... 157
Mixed-mode Profiles ........................................................................................ 160
Narrowband Profile for Random on Random (RoR) ....................................... 161
Sine Tones Profile for Sine on Random (SoR) ................................................ 165
Profile for Sine and Random on Random (SRoR) ........................................... 168
Limiting Profile for Random and Mixed-mode................................................ 169
Schedule for Random ....................................................................................... 171
Example Random Schedule Setups .................................................................. 175
Schedule for Mixed-mode ................................................................................ 177
Test & Profile Setup – Swept Sine, RSTD, & Sine Oscillator............................. 178
Control Parameters for Sine and RSTD ........................................................... 178
Control Parameters for Resonance Search and Tracked Dwell (RSTD).......... 186
Control Parameters for Sine Oscillator............................................................. 186
Preferences for Sine, RSTD, and Sine Oscillator............................................. 187
Profile for Sine and RSTD ............................................................................... 191
Example Sine Profile Setups ............................................................................ 194
Limiting Profile for Sine .................................................................................. 198
Schedule for Swept Sine................................................................................... 201
Example Sine Schedule Setups ........................................................................ 208
Schedule for RSTD........................................................................................... 210
Test & Profile Setup – Classical Shock, SRS, & TTH......................................... 216
Control Parameters for Classical Shock, SRS Synthesis, and TTH ................. 216
Control Parameters for TTH............................................................................. 226
Preferences for Shock, SRS Synthesis, and TTH............................................. 227
Profile for Classical Shock ............................................................................... 229
Example Classical Shock Profile Setups.......................................................... 235
Profile for SRS Synthesis ................................................................................. 237
Example SRS Synthesis Profile Setup ............................................................. 245
Profile for Transient Time History (TTH)........................................................ 248
Example TTH Profile Setups............................................................................ 257
Schedule for Shock, SRS Synthesis, and TTH................................................. 259
Example Shock Schedule Setups...................................................................... 263
Test & Profile Setup – Long Time History (LTH)............................................... 264
Control Parameters for LTH............................................................................. 265
Preferences for LTH ......................................................................................... 270
LTH Profile ...................................................................................................... 272
Waveform Profile for LTH............................................................................... 277
Waveform Editor ............................................................................................. 278
Examples of LTH Profile Compensation ......................................................... 294
LTH Profile and Schedule ................................................................................ 299
Profile Block Diagram.......................................................................................... 307

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Edit Controls for the Block Diagram................................................................ 308

Project Sequence................................................................................................... 309
Digital Input and Output....................................................................................... 311
Digital Input Pin Assignment ........................................................................... 311
Default Digital Output Signals ......................................................................... 313
Programming the Digital Input Signals............................................................ 314
Troubleshooting Tools...................................................................................... 320
5 Run a Project ...................................................................................................... 322
Control Panel .................................................................................................... 322
Overview of the Run Process ............................................................................... 323
Run Steps and Modes ....................................................................................... 323
The Start Request ............................................................................................. 325
Global Test and Control Menus............................................................................ 327
Test Menu Commands...................................................................................... 328
Preview Test ..................................................................................................... 330
Random and Mixed-mode Run Controls.............................................................. 330
Common Controls for Random and Mixed-mode............................................ 331
Run Controls for Mixed-mode ......................................................................... 332
Swept Sine, RSTD, & Sine Oscillator Run Controls ........................................... 333
Run Controls for Sine and RSTD ..................................................................... 333
Run Controls for Sine Oscillator ...................................................................... 333
Common Controls for Sine, RSTD, and Sine Oscillator.................................. 334
Run Controls for RSTD.................................................................................... 339
Classical Shock, SRS Synthesis, and TTH Run Controls .................................... 342
Common Controls for Shock, SRS Synthesis, and TTH.................................. 342
Pre-Test Drive Pause for TTH.......................................................................... 344
Long Time History Run Controls......................................................................... 345
Common Controls for LTH .............................................................................. 345
Special On-Line Displays for LTH .................................................................. 347
Common Window Displays.................................................................................. 347
Event Waterfall Displays.................................................................................. 347
Summary of F Key Commands ............................................................................ 354
Random and Mixed-mode ................................................................................ 354
Swept Sine and RSTD ...................................................................................... 354
Classical Shock, SRS Synthesis, and TTH....................................................... 355
Long Time History ........................................................................................... 355
Starting a Project Sequence .................................................................................. 355
6 Create Screens and Reports............................................................................... 356
What is a Pane ...................................................................................................... 357
Standard Windows............................................................................................ 357
Channel Status Window ................................................................................... 357
Composite Window .......................................................................................... 360
Run Log Window ............................................................................................. 360

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Profile Block Diagram Window....................................................................... 361

The Customized Window ................................................................................. 361
Window Menu ...................................................................................................... 361
One-Pane Window............................................................................................ 362
2D Displays ...................................................................................................... 362
3D Displays ...................................................................................................... 364
Parameter Summary Window........................................................................... 365
Numeric Display............................................................................................... 366
Channel Status .................................................................................................. 369
Digital Input Monitor ....................................................................................... 369
Run Log Window ............................................................................................. 370
Cascade and Tile............................................................................................... 370
Tool Bar, Status Bar, and Control Panel .......................................................... 371
Active Window Selection................................................................................. 371
Pane Menu ............................................................................................................ 371
Making a Pane the Active Pane........................................................................ 371
Moving the Pane Borders ................................................................................. 372
Contents of the Pane......................................................................................... 372
Pane Default Parameters................................................................................... 382
Add and Delete Cursor Mark ........................................................................... 383
Add and Delete Annotation .............................................................................. 383
Zoom In and Zoom Out .................................................................................... 383
Auto. Fit Y-Axis............................................................................................... 384
Pane Pop-Up Menu............................................................................................... 384
Cursor Menu ......................................................................................................... 386
Add and Delete Normal Cursor........................................................................ 388
Add and Delete Normal Y Cursor .................................................................... 389
Sideband Cursors.............................................................................................. 389
Add and Delete Peak Cursors........................................................................... 389
Add and Delete Valley Cursors........................................................................ 389
Add and Delete Harmonic Cursors................................................................... 389
Calculate Q Factor with Normal Cursor........................................................... 390
Find Nearest Peak or Valley............................................................................. 390
Waterfall Cursor ............................................................................................... 390
Cursor Global Setup ......................................................................................... 391
Report Functions................................................................................................... 395
All Reports Are Generated Through MS-Word® ............................................ 395
Difference between a Pane and Screen Bitmap................................................ 397
Run-time Status Attached to the Plot ............................................................... 397
Edit the Pane Plot ............................................................................................. 398
For MS-Word 2000 Users ................................................................................ 398
Use the MS-Word Template............................................................................. 402
Generate a Color Plot for the Pane ................................................................... 403

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Print Multiple Plots per Page............................................................................ 404

Save Test Results.............................................................................................. 406
Report Menu ......................................................................................................... 408
Current Pane ..................................................................................................... 409
Test ID to Customize and Add Test Information ............................................. 409
Project Report................................................................................................... 412
Report Setup ..................................................................................................... 413
Template Setup................................................................................................. 419
Template Report ............................................................................................... 421
Output Saved Results to MS-Word .................................................................. 422
Parameter Summary Window........................................................................... 424
7 Tool Bar and Mouse Controls ........................................................................... 426
Project Tool Bar.................................................................................................... 426
New Project Tool Bar Buttons.............................................................................. 427
Global Tool Bar Buttons....................................................................................... 428
Random and Mixed-Mode Special Buttons.......................................................... 431
Sine and RSTD Special Buttons........................................................................... 432
Shock, SRS Synthesis, and TTH Special Buttons ................................................ 433
LTH Special Buttons ............................................................................................ 434
Waveform Editor Special Buttons........................................................................ 434
Test Setup Icons.................................................................................................... 436
View Menu ........................................................................................................... 436
Mouse Controls..................................................................................................... 440
Working with Windows and Panes .................................................................. 440
Changing Y and X Scales................................................................................. 440
Zoom In ............................................................................................................ 442
Cursor Movement ............................................................................................. 444
Moving the Cursor Readout ............................................................................. 445
Cursor Readout for RMS and Power................................................................ 446
Adding Cursor Marks ....................................................................................... 446
Peak and Valley Cursors .................................................................................. 447
Quality Factor “Q” and Damping Factor Readout ........................................... 448
Harmonic Cursor .............................................................................................. 449
Adding Annotation and Annotation Box Movement ....................................... 452
Setting Y and X Unit Labels and the Plot Title................................................ 454
Window Pane Border Movement ..................................................................... 455
Accessing the Pane Contents Dialog Box ........................................................ 456
Working with the Profile Block Diagram............................................................. 456
8 ActiveX Signal Reader ....................................................................................... 458
ActiveX Signal Reader Methods .......................................................................... 458
LoadSignal........................................................................................................ 458
GetData............................................................................................................. 459
GetSliceValueArray ......................................................................................... 460

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GetEventInform................................................................................................ 460
ActiveX Signal Reader Properties........................................................................ 461
ActiveX Signal Reader Enumerations.................................................................. 464
Enum DATAFORMAT.................................................................................... 464
Eunm TRANSUNITS....................................................................................... 464
Enum WNDTYPE ............................................................................................ 465
Enum WEIGHTING......................................................................................... 465
Adding ActiveX Signal Reader to a Project......................................................... 466
Visual C++ ....................................................................................................... 466
Visual Basic...................................................................................................... 473
9 Shaker Vibration Control Theory..................................................................... 475
Overview .............................................................................................................. 475
Single Degree-of-Freedom System ...................................................................... 476
Random Vibration Control ................................................................................... 477
Random Control Process .................................................................................. 477
Safety Checks ................................................................................................... 480
Mixed-mode Control ............................................................................................ 480
Swept Sine Vibration Control............................................................................... 483
Sine Control Process......................................................................................... 485
Real-time Tracking Filter with Adaptive Bandwidth ....................................... 486
RMS, Mean, and Peak Detection ..................................................................... 488
Resonant Search, Dwell and Track (RSTD)......................................................... 489
RSTD Requires Transmissibility Measurement ............................................... 489
Frequency-Locked Dwell ................................................................................. 492
Resonance-Tracked Dwell................................................................................ 492
Classical Shock Control........................................................................................ 494
Waveform Compensation ................................................................................. 495
Shock Control Process...................................................................................... 497
Shock Response Spectrum (SRS) Synthesis ........................................................ 498
Basics of SRS Synthesis................................................................................... 498
Limiting Control with Automatic Drive Notching ............................................... 504
Long Time History Replication............................................................................ 505
Real-time LTH Time Domain Control ............................................................. 505
LTH Control Algorithm ................................................................................... 506
Using LTH Time Domain Control ................................................................... 509
References ............................................................................................................ 510
10 Glossary ........................................................................................................... 511
Abort Rate ........................................................................................................ 511
Abort Sensitivity............................................................................................... 511
Abort Tolerances .............................................................................................. 511
Acceleration...................................................................................................... 512
Accelerometer................................................................................................... 512
Alarm Tolerances ............................................................................................. 512

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Amplitude ......................................................................................................... 512

Anti-Aliasing Filter .......................................................................................... 512
Anti-Resonance ................................................................................................ 512
Auto-correlation Function ................................................................................ 513
Averaging ......................................................................................................... 513
Averaging Number ........................................................................................... 514
Bandpass Filter ................................................................................................. 514
Bandwidth......................................................................................................... 514
Bandwidth, Fixed ............................................................................................. 515
Bandwidth, Proportional................................................................................... 515
Broadband Random Vibration.......................................................................... 516
Channel Status .................................................................................................. 516
Compensation, Shock Waveform..................................................................... 516
Composite......................................................................................................... 516
Compression Rate............................................................................................. 516
Control.............................................................................................................. 517
Control Dynamic Range ................................................................................... 517
Control Loop .................................................................................................... 517
Control Signal................................................................................................... 517
Control Strategy................................................................................................ 518
Correlation Function......................................................................................... 518
Crest Factor ...................................................................................................... 518
Critical Damping .............................................................................................. 518
Damping ........................................................................................................... 519
Decibel (dB) ..................................................................................................... 519
Degrees of Freedom (DOF).............................................................................. 519
Demand Profile................................................................................................. 520
Deterministic Signals........................................................................................ 520
Displacement .................................................................................................... 520
Distortion.......................................................................................................... 520
Drive ................................................................................................................. 520
Drive Limit ....................................................................................................... 520
Duration of Shock Pulse................................................................................... 520
Dynamic Range ................................................................................................ 521
Dwell ................................................................................................................ 521
Equalization...................................................................................................... 521
Fourier Transform ............................................................................................ 521
FFT ................................................................................................................... 522
Fraction of Critical Damping............................................................................ 522
Frequency ......................................................................................................... 523
G ....................................................................................................................... 523
H (signal) ......................................................................................................... 523
H inverse (Hinv signal) .................................................................................... 523

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Harmonic .......................................................................................................... 523

High-pass filter ................................................................................................. 523
Level ................................................................................................................. 523
Level Event....................................................................................................... 524
Lines (frequency or spectral)............................................................................ 524
Line Abort Ratio............................................................................................... 524
Linear System................................................................................................... 524
Linear Change Rate .......................................................................................... 524
Logarithmic Change Rate................................................................................. 524
Loop Time ........................................................................................................ 524
Low-Pass Filter................................................................................................. 525
Maximum Frequency........................................................................................ 525
Monitor Channel............................................................................................... 525
Narrowband Random Vibration ....................................................................... 525
Narrowband Sine Vibration.............................................................................. 525
Natural Frequency ............................................................................................ 525
Node ................................................................................................................. 526
Noise................................................................................................................. 526
Pane .................................................................................................................. 526
Peak-to-Peak Value .......................................................................................... 526
Zero-to-Peak Value .......................................................................................... 526
Power Spectral Density (PSD) ......................................................................... 526
Pre-Test............................................................................................................. 527
Project............................................................................................................... 527
Profile and Schedule......................................................................................... 528
Q (quality factor) .............................................................................................. 528
Ramp-up rate .................................................................................................... 528
Random Vibration ............................................................................................ 528
Resonance Dwell .............................................................................................. 529
Safety Check..................................................................................................... 529
RMS (Root Mean Square) ................................................................................ 529
RMS check ....................................................................................................... 529
Schedule ........................................................................................................... 530
Shock Response Spectrum (SRS)..................................................................... 530
Sigma Clipping................................................................................................. 530
Spectrum........................................................................................................... 531
Sweep Cycle ..................................................................................................... 531
Sweep Direction ............................................................................................... 531
Sweep Event ..................................................................................................... 531
Sweep Rate ....................................................................................................... 531
Sweep Type ...................................................................................................... 531
Tracking Filter .................................................................................................. 532
Transmissibility ................................................................................................ 532

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Variance............................................................................................................ 532
Waterfall Plot.................................................................................................... 532
Waterfall Plus Slice Window ........................................................................... 532
White Noise ...................................................................................................... 533
11 License Agreement ......................................................................................... 534
12 Manual Revision History ............................................................................... 535

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 Introduction

1 Introduction

The Basics
The purpose of Environmental vibration testing is to ensure that a
specific Unit Under Test (UUT) can perform its desired function when
subjected to the vibration stress of its operating environment. A Shaker
System allows you, the operator, to verify this in a controlled
environment. The emphasis here is on a controlled environment.

A complete Shaker System consists of seven major components:

UUT – The Unit Under Test is the essential component of the system.
Fixture – The Fixture is the device that holds the UUT and simulates its
normal mounting environment.
Head – The Head of the shaker is the part to which the fixture is
attached.
Shaker – The Shaker converts the electronic signal that describes the
desired test into vibratory motion.
Amplifier – The Amplifier multiplies the electronic signal produced by
the control system. The purpose is to achieve an amplitude sufficient to
“drive” the shaker at the proper levels.
Control System – The Control System compensates for the dynamics of
the shaker and UUT and creates an electronic signal that causes the
desired vibratory motion.
Sensors – The Sensors measure the vibratory motion and convert this
motion into an electronic signal that can be measured by the control
system.

The above list is missing two essential items. The missing items are you
and the Test Definition. It is your responsibility to set up a test to match
the desired Test Definition. In setting up the test, you should keep the
capabilities of your Shaker System in mind. You should also ensure the
safety of the UUT and Shaker System. To achieve these ends, you
should understand all the functions and controls of the Control System.

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 Introduction

This Manual
This manual explains all the controls and functions of the Dactron
Shaker Control System. Any person responsible for operating or
maintaining the Shaker Control System should be fully familiar with the
contents of this manual. Operators whose task it is simply to run, but not
define tests, need only be familiar with Section 2, “Run a Pre-Defined
Project”.
The Introduction of this manual covers the installation of hardware and
software modules for the Dactron Shaker Control System, the method for
determining key System Information such hardware serial numbers and
software version numbers, and the method for setting up security
protection for your system.

Other sections of this manual cover:

• Defining a Test
• Running a Test
• Menus
• Tools
• Dialogs
• Background Theory

The final section is a glossary of useful terms and definitions for

vibration control and shaker systems.

Other Manuals
The operator of this system should be familiar with the operation
manuals of the other components of the entire Shaker System. These
manuals should be readily available during test definition sessions.

Operating System
The Dactron Shaker Control System operates in the Microsoft
Windows® environment. This manual will not explain normal Windows

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 Introduction

functions. At a minimum, you should be familiar with the following

operations used in a Windows environment:

Point Maximize Close

Click Minimize Scroll
Click and Drag Iconize Select
Highlight Open Expand

Application Software
The software user interface is compliant withWindows 2000® and
Windows XP® standards for menus and operations.
The following applications software is available:

• Random Vibration Control

• Random on Random (RoR) Vibration Control
• Sine on Random (SoR) Vibration Control
• Sine and Random on Random (SRoR) Vibration Control
• Swept Sine Vibration Control
• Resonance Search, Dwell and Track (RSTD) Vibration Control
• Sine Oscillator Control
• Classical Shock Transient Control
• Shock Response Spectrum (SRS) Transient Control
• Time Transient History (TTH) Control
• Long Time History (LTH) Control

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 Introduction

Important Notice
This manual describes the operation and features for all Dactron Shaker
Control application software. If you need an application or feature set
that is not available in the configuration that you purchased, please
contact your vendor or Dactron.

Application Software Installation

1) Insert the Dactron Shaker Control installation CD into the PC’s CD
drive. The Shaker Control installation screen will automatically start.
2) The Main Installation menu is organized into 4 categories: Shaker
Control Series, Enabling Applications, Wireless Remote Control, and
PCI Drivers and DCOM. Click on Shaker Control Series to continue
to the Shaker Control Series installation screen.

Main Installation Menu .

3) The Control Applications installation menu includes: Shaker Control

(Control Applications, Analyze Anywhere, and system controller),
Demo Project Files, and Calibration. Click on Control Application
V6.X to install the Shaker Control Application software.

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Shaker Control Series Menu

4) Windows will load the Install Shield Wizard to guide you through the
installation.
5) Read the software License Agreement and decide whether or not you
want to accept the license terms, and then click Next.
6) In the Input License Key screen, you will be prompted to enter the
License Key. Refer to the License Key file on the floppy disk
included with your system. You can either import the file using the
Import button or you can open the file then copy and paste it into the
License Key input field. Please store this information in a safe
place where it can be easily retrieved.

The new License Key is setup so that there are two general types:
Permanent and Temporary. Below are the explanations of these two
new License Key types:

Permanent License Key:

Valid for the software released before warranty date. You will not be
able to use this License Key to install or run any software that is
released after the warranty date. For customer shipment Permanent
License Keys are always provided.

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 Introduction

Permanent 39 Character License Key

Temporary License Key:

Temporary License Key is valid before the expiration date which is
embedded in this Key. You will not able to use this License Key to
run any software after the expiration date. Usually the Temporary
License Key is provided together with loaner or demo units.

Temporary 39 Character License Key

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 Introduction

Invalid License Key: Message will be shown when the License Key is
invalid. The License Key may be for another software (i.e. Calibration),
or may be for another hardware platform. Please confirm that you enter
or import the correct License Key.

Invalid 39 Character License Key

7) It is recommended to accept the default installation location.

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 Introduction

8) Next select a folder to put the program icon in. After the software is
installed you can find the Dactron folder on the desktop.

9) In the Select Options screen, you can select the following options:
Desktop Shortcut, Default Units, and File Extension Association.
Desktop Shortcut allows the user to specify the location to install the
application software’s desktop shortcut, either on the desktop or in
the Dactron folder on the desktop. Default Units allows the user to

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 Introduction

pre-set the default Engineering Units to use for a default project in

the application software. You can also choose to associate the
application software with the project file extension. This feature
allows you to double click on the project icon to start the application
and load the project file.

10) The Check Setup Information screen allows the user to confirm
installation settings are correct. If they are not correct, the user can
review or change settings by clicking the Back button. Otherwise,
click on Next to proceed with the installation.

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 Introduction

11) Click on Finish to complete the installation.

Uninstalling the Software

The Dactron software can be uninstalled from the computer by using the
standard Windows Add/Remove Software Control Panel.

Run the Shaker Control Software

Double click on the desktop icon or on the icon located in the Dactron
folder on the desktop. Please read the next section before running the
system for the first time.

The first time you run the software

Calibration File
The first time you run Shaker Control, you will be prompted for the
Calibration File.

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 Introduction

Calibration File

Your Shaker Control unit is calibrated prior to shipment. Each unit is

shipped with a calibration file that must be installed onto the local PC.
The calibration file has the following nomenclature shown here where
xxxxxxx is the serial number of the Shaker Control unit:

Cal_xxxxxxx.dat

Note: This serial number can be found in the About Box listing under the
Help menu.
If the calibration file does not already exist in your \bin\ directory, the
application software will prompt you to import a calibration file.

If you click “Yes”, the following dialog box will appear. This will allow
you to upload the calibration file from the floppy disk supplied with the
unit. This disk is labeled “Calibration File for S/N xxxxxxxx.”

Importing a Calibration File

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 Introduction

Note: Although the unit will run without the calibration file imported
onto the local PC, the input and output signals may not be
accurate.
DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!

We highly recommend calibrating the system at least once a year. This

is based on Government Mil-Spec requirements for instrumentation.
Your organization may have other specifications regarding calibration
frequency for instrumentation.

Help Menu
Using the Help menu, you can access the following features: Help
Topics, Set License Key, License Key Administration, and About Dactron
Shaker Control.

Set License Key

The user can access the Set License Key dialog box at any time from the
Help menu.

Setting the License Key from the Help Menu

License Key Administration

This feature allows different hardware units to be run from one

installation of the software. The software maintains a database of all past
License Keys so that when a different unit is connected, the user simply
selects the correct information from the list and restarts the application.

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 Introduction

Set As Default sets the highlighted unit as the default. To change the
codes to a different unit, highlight the line with the unit serial number
and click Set As Default. Click on OK then quit and restart the software.
Remove removes the serial number and codes from the database.

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 Introduction

System Information
The System configuration is displayed from the About Dactron Shaker
Controller selection under the Help menu or from the Help icon located
on the icon bar.
This information is vital to have when you contact Dactron’s Technical
Support to resolve potential problems. There are four pages in About.
The pages are accessible via their respective “index” tabs.

About Dactron Shaker Controller

The first tab (About) in the About Dactron Shaker Controller window
shows the software version, and available PC memory and free hard disk
space as shown below:

Installed Software Version Number

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 Introduction

About Dactron Software Applications

The Software tab displays the Dactron applications that are currently
installed on your system.

Installed System Software Configuration

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 Introduction

About Dactron Hardware

The Hardware tab shows information pertaining to your Dactron
hardware. This includes the serial and version numbers of the PCI DSP
Card and the Front-End DSP Box, the memory size of the hardware,
installed DSP memory, and channel configuration. Also included on this
page is the calibration information consisting of the calibration file name
and important calibration dates.

Installed System hardware Configuration

The serial number is the unique identification of the hardware. When

you contact Dactron regarding a potential hardware problem, please have
both the hardware version and serial number available.

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 Introduction

About Contacting Dactron

The Contact Us page shows contact information for Dactron. It
includes our shipping address, telephone and fax number, and Email
addresses.

Contacting Dactron

Security Administration
Security Administration is an optional software feature that allows you to
protect your Dactron Shaker Control from unauthorized use. The
privilege to access various groups of functions can be defined by the
administrator or the person who has the Security Administration
privilege.
If you do not have the Security Option or do not configure this feature,
anyone using the PC has full access to the system.

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 Introduction

The following key words are used in the security administration portion
of the software:
• User Name
• Password
• Group Administration
• User Administration

User Name and Password

If the security software option is installed, each time when you start the
application, the operator will be prompted to enter a User Name and
Password to gain access to the System.

System Access Checks for User name and Password

Enter a User name and Password to identify yourself. Note: the User
name and Password are NOT case sensitive. Then Click OK to access to
the System.

First-Time Use
The first time the system is used the default User name and the default
Password are both blank. Privilege is set to the highest level -
Administrator. We recommend that you set the User name, Password,
and privilege level during this first session.

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 Introduction

Changing Your Password

To change the password, click Change Password under the Help menu.
The actual password is protected and will not appear in plain text
anywhere in the system. The Group Administrator has the ability to
change a password, and its level of access to the system.

Using the Help menu to change the Password

Selecting Change Password from the Help menu will invoke the Change
Password dialog.

Entry of a New Password

Group Administration
Only the Administrator has access to this function. Select Security
Administration /Group Administration from Help to set privileges for each
user.

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 Introduction

Using the Group Administration Dialog to Set User Privileges

Then you can add or delete a group and assign the right to access various
functions to this group. In the example shown above, a new group
Technician has just been added. There can be many different levels of
access. It is possible to create an “Analysis” Group, which has access
only to the Reporting Function.
The last column in the dialog grants the right of Security Administration.
Any group with this privilege has the ability to again access to all the
functionality of Group Administration and User Administration.
The Lock Project Files enables write protection for project files. Locked
files can be read and used, or modified and used. However, a modified
file cannot be saved unless it is first unlocked or if it is saved under a
different name. This security feature protects against changes to the
original parameter setting of the locked project. It is used in conjunction
with the Lock and Unlock project files commands within each
application. These commands are found under the Project menu in each
application.

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 Introduction

The group Administrator cannot be deleted, nor can it be modified to

reduce the ability to administer security access to the system.

User Administration
To access this function, select Security Administration/User
Administration under the Help menu. This dialog allows you add or
delete users.

User Administration Dialog

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 Run a Pre-Defined Project

2 Run a Pre-Defined Project

The following section will assist you in running a Project that has been
pre-defined. It offers a step-by-step description of the actions involved
in running this type of project. If you need additional information at any
time while running the project, the online Help Topics points you to the
relevant section of this manual or to other resource material.

Starting the program

The images in this manual are sample screens; your computer screens
may vary and contain different arrangements and ancillary programs.

From the Desktop

From the Windows Desktop, find the Dactron Shaker Control Icon. This
icon can be easily identified by the Dactron Logo. Double-click on the
Dactron icon.

Dactron Shaker Control Icon

From the Start Menu

If you have not created a Desktop shortcut to the Dactron Shaker Control
software, you may also start Shaker Control from the Start/Programs
Menu under the Dactron folder (unless specified differently during the
software installation).

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 Run a Pre-Defined Project

Starting the Dactron Program from the Start Menu

Program Startup Message

If there is no power to the Front-End Box (Unit), or if the

communications cable between the PC and Front-End Box is not
securely connected, the system will display an error message. If this error
message appears, check the cable connection and verify that Front-End
Box power switch is set to “On.” Then restart the Program.

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 Run a Pre-Defined Project

Selecting a Project
You may now open a Project, using either the Project menu or the Tool
Bar icon.
Hint – see Section 7, “Tool Bar and Mouse Controls.”

Finding the Project Folder

To access the Open Project dialog box, click on the Open Project icon
or select Open from the Project menu. If you don’t see the name of
your Project listed, locate the project file by using the Look in selector to
search your computer’s disk drives.

Using the Open Project Dialog to Find Project Folders

Finding the Project

Once the desired folder has been found, click on that folder and either
click Open, or double-click on the folder to open it.
Then, you may either use the “Files of type” field selection to view only
project files which have the extension *.prj or select the Project to run
directly. You do this by double- clicking on the *.prj item, or clicking on
it once and then clicking on the Open button.

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 Run a Pre-Defined Project

Project File within a Project Folder

After these steps, the project will be open.

Hint – see Section 3, “Project and File Management.”

Checking the Project

All the Test Setup dialog pages should be checked against the written
records for your project to ensure that all values are intact and valid.
This ensures that no values in the original Project have been
inadvertently changed. This step prevents the use of setup parameters
that may not be valid for your test (even though the Dactron Shaker
Control System will accept them). Select the menu items one at a time,
and verify the data. Click Cancel on each page after the check is
complete. Notify a supervisor if any discrepancies exist. If
discrepancies exist, DO NOT PROCEED FURTHER.

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 Run a Pre-Defined Project

Test Setup Items to Check

The Test Setup items that should be checked at minimum are:

Engineering Units…Check that the proper units are in use

Shaker Parameters…Verify that the correct performance limits for the
shaker to be used are entered
Channel Parameters…Check to ensure that the proper channels are
turned on and coupled properly with the correct sensor sensitivity values.
Control Parameters…Check that the Test and Pre-Test Aborts and
control methods are valid.
Profile and Schedule…Check that the Profile and Abort tolerances are
correct. Ensure that the proper Schedule is entered.

If all of the values are valid, and in agreement with the original Test
Definitions, proceed to run the Project.
Hint – see Section 4, “Define a Project.”
To check the Project settings, go to the Test Setup and Profile menus.
The user can also access these settings from the Test Setup Icon Toolbar.

Test Setup Menu

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 Run a Pre-Defined Project

Test Setup Icon Toolbar

Running the Project

The Unit Under Test

Ensure that the UUT is properly attached to the fixture and that the
fixture is properly attached to the Shaker Head. Mount all sensors as
required and ensure that all sensors and mechanical devices are safe and
secure. It is a good practice to have the shaker amplifier off or the gain
turned all the way down during this time. This is also a good practice to
observe prior to powering on the Front-End Box.

Check the Control Loop

Check all of the system’s cables and connections. Start with the Drive
output on the back of the Dactron Front-End Box; ensure that the
complete control loop is properly connected and free from potential
defects. Protect all signal lines from motion and abrasion. Tape down
all loose cables but allow some slack for shaker-table motion. Ensure
that all signal lines are properly connected and secured.

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 Run a Pre-Defined Project

Check the Power Connections

Check that all power sources for all components of the system are
operational. Follow normal start-up procedures for the shaker and power
amplifiers. Check that the shaker power amplifier gain is turned down.
Allow the shaker and power amplifier time to warm-up. This ensures
proper operation.

Before Pressing Start

Increase the shaker amplifier gain to the proper setting for the test to be
run. Create new Data Display Windows or Panes as needed to properly
monitor the start of the test. It is a good practice to make sure the
Channel Status Window is displayed so that you can easily monitor the
input signal levels.

Start the Test

Select START from either the Control Panel or the Test menu. Closely
observe the control signal display and status readouts on the Control
Panel. In the event of abnormal responses, you can quickly terminate the
pre-test by pressing the red STOP button on the control panel.

Monitor the Test

Once the pre-test is complete, and you have given the Proceed command
on the Pre-Test Report window, verify that the Estimated at Full-Level
readings are acceptable. Once you proceed, continue to carefully
monitor the control signal display and status readouts. Until the full test
level has been reached and the system control is stable, be prepared to
immediately stop the test.

Save Data as Required

During the test you can easily save data (manually or automatically) or
output test reports to MS-Word®. Saved data can be recalled for display
and analysis at any time, even if you are currently running a test. For
more detail, please see Section 3, File and Project Management.

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 Run a Pre-Defined Project

End of the Test

Once the test has been completed, the system will automatically ramp
down the drive signal. Next, decrease the shaker amplifier gain. Now
you can generate test reports, recall and analyze data, or set up a new
project.

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 File and Project Management

3 File and Project Management

Dactron Shaker Control System Folder

When the Shaker Control software is installed, a new folder is created
with the name chosen during installation. This is the “System Folder”.
The default name of the system folder is “Dactron”.
The system folder will contain a sub-folder called \bin. This folder
contains all of the executable files, the calibration file, and the temporary
folder. Files belonging to the \bin folder should not be manually
changed, moved, or deleted.
The project folders, described in detail below, are created within the
System Folder. The project folders can be manually changed, moved, or
deleted.

C:\Dactron

\BIN

\project 1

\project 2

\project n

Dactron System Folder Structure

Displayed in Windows Explorer, the System Folder structure appears as:

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 File and Project Management

Project Folder Structure

The Dactron Shaker Control System manages data through “Project
Folders”. A project contains a collection of parameters and test results.
The user assigns a name to the project folder the first time a project is
saved to disk. The software will automatically append one of the
following suffixes in order to identify the software module currently
running:

(FFT): Shaker Control Signal Analysis

(RANDOM): Random
(ROR): Random-on-Random
(RSTD): Resonance Search, Track and Dwell
(SHOCK): Classical Shock
(SINE): Swept Sine
(SINEOSC): Sine Oscillator
(SOR): Sine-on-Random
(SROR): Sine-and-Random-on-Random
(SRS): Shock Response Spectrum Synthesis
(TTH): Transient Time History
(LTH): Long Time History

For example, if a project named abcd is created in the Sine Control

System, a project folder named abcd(SINE) will be created under the
system folder.

The suffix helps to identify the project type. Note, however, that the
project folder may be renamed.
A project folder consists of three main parts. The project folder named
abcd(SINE) will contain the following:

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 File and Project Management

1. A project file: abcd.prj

2. An auxiliary project file: abcd.dat
3. “Run” folders

The project file abcd.prj contains all the display-related parameters and
the file management information related to the project abcd(SINE). This
file must be opened in order to load the project.
The auxiliary project file, abcd.dat, contains the measurement data in a
compact binary format. It is always associated with the project file of the
same name.
The Run folders contain test results. Whether a new Run folder is
created each time the project is run depends upon the Save Signal
Manager setup. The Run folders and the Save Signal Manager will be
discussed in more detail later on.

Creating a New Project

To create a new project, the user can either click on New under the
Project menu or alternatively click on the New Project icon
using the Toolbar Icons.

Creating a New Project thru the Project Menu

When a new Project is created, a temporary folder is established. This

temporary folder will be renamed to the project name specified by the
user upon saving.

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 File and Project Management

The “Project New” dialog box that appears next and also lists the Shaker
Control tests available to the user (e.g. Sine, Random, Shock etc.) will
depend upon two conditions.

1. The User Interface Configuration.

2. Test Setup Wizard Configuration.

More detail on setting up a new Project is discussed in Section 4, Define

a Project.

User Interfaces

The Dactron Shaker Control software has two user interfaces from which
the user can choose:
• Simple User Interface (SUI)
• Advanced User Interface (AUI)

Note: If the Simple User Interface ONLY option was elected during the
installation of this software, then the user must reinstall the software to
obtain the Advance User Interface.
The user interface chosen determines the setup options available to the
user when running the software.

Simple User Interface (SUI)

Due to the complexity of some shaker control applications, the Advanced
User Interface can be a very powerful tool in achieving one’s goals.
However, some applications do not require many of the advanced setup
features and parameter settings available in AUI and only get in the way
while setting up the test. Both Random (basic) and Swept Sine are
examples of such tests. For these two tests in particular, the SUI can be
more useful to the user. Hence, Simple User Interface applies only to
Random and Swept Sine tests. The following section, Differences
Between SUI and AUI, highlights the differences between the two
interfaces so that you can determine the interface that best suits your
application.

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 File and Project Management

For more details on using the Simple User Interface please refer to the
Simple User Interface User’s Manual.

Advanced User Interface (AUI)

This manual is geared towards the Advanced User Interface. When the
Simple User Interface is unchecked in the Project menu as shown below,
the Advanced User Interface (AUI) is enabled. To uncheck Enable
Simple User Interface, click on the text in the Project Menu.

When the user creates a new project, one of the following dialog boxes
will appear depending upon whether or not the Test Setup Wizard is
enabled. If the Test Setup Wizard was not elected during the software
installation, it has the same effect as having the Test Setup Wizard
disabled.

Hint – see Section 4, “Test Setup Wizard.”

Note: Depending upon the options purchased for your software, the exact
Project New dialog box that appears on your screen may differ from the
ones shown here.

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 File and Project Management

Project New Dialog Box for AUI with Test Setup Wizard Disabled

Project New Dialog Box for AUI with Test Setup Wizard Enabled

Differences between SUI and AUI

The table below highlights the differences between the Simple User
Interface and the Advanced User Interface.

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 File and Project Management

Feature Advanced Simple Notes

Menus Project Project Test Setup and
Test Setup Settings Profile are
Profile Operations combined in the
Test Display Settings menu.
Controls Help Test and Controls
Report are combined in
Window the Operation
Pane menu.
Cursor
Help Window, Pane
and Cursor are
combined in the
Display menu.
Mission Project Sequencing can Project
Profiling automatically initiate any Sequencing not
list of defined projects. available in SUI.

Block Diagram feature can Block Diagrams

automatically initiate not available in
several different profiles SUI.
and schedules within one
project type, e.g., Random
or Sine.
Report Customize and Create Report menu User cannot
Quick Report located removed. Report customize the
under the Report menu Settings and report contents.
Create Report
moved to the Current Pane,
Project menu. Project Report,
Output Saved
Results to MS
Word not
available in
SUI.
Window Window Menu includes Window features Only One Pane
Menu One, Two, and Four Pane, moved to the windows are
Channel Status, Display menu and available in
Composite, Digital Input includes SUI.
Monitor and Run Log Composite, Input
Time Signals, Run Log
Input Frequency
Signals, Inverse
Transfer Function
Window, Drive(f),
and One Pane
Pane Pane features
Menu moved to the
Display menu

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 File and Project Management

Open an Existing Project

To open an existing project, go to the Project menu and select Open or
click on the Open icon located on the icon toolbar.

The Open dialog box for the System Folder will appear from which you
can select the desired project.

Open Dialog Box with the abcd(Sine) Project Folder Selected

To open the project abcd(SINE) for example, double-click on the

abcd(SINE) folder. Once the folder is opened, highlight the abcd.prj file
and click the Open button or double-click on the file abcd.prj to open the
project.

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 File and Project Management

Open Dialog Box with the abcd.prj Sine Project File Selected

This process loads the entire abcd(SINE) project.

Note: When a project is saved, the abcd(SINE) folder is saved at the

system folder level. When a project is opened, the abcd.prj file
inside the abcd(SINE) folder must be opened.

Default Project

The first time a project is created, the project’s default setup parameters
are initialized to the system’s factory settings. These parameters may not
be convenient for a specific testing environment that constantly requires
the same settings since the user must edit the factory settings every time
a new project is defined.
To save a series of user-defined or test-specific setup parameters as the
default project parameters, go to the Project menu and select Save As
nnnn Default (where nnnn is the application such as Random or Sine).

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 File and Project Management

Saving Project Parameters as the Defaults

Next, click on the Save As Default Now button to save your customized
settings as the Default.

Saving Project Settings as Project Defaults Dialog Box

Once your customized settings are saved as the Default Project, any
future project created in that control system (i.e. Sine, Random, etc.) will
use those settings. The customized Default Project can be reset back to
the factory settings at anytime by clicking on the Return to Manufacturer
Default Settings button in the same dialog box.

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 File and Project Management

Each control system has its own default project parameters. In other
words, if you customize the Default Project to a Sine project, the
parameters of the default Random project will still reflect the factory
settings.

Run Folders

Run Folders serve as the location to which all information pertaining to a

particular run can be stored. Such information includes signals, run logs,
pane-information, screen captures, and report files. Creating Run
Folders is accomplished using the Save Manager, which is the following
topic. It is important to note that Run Folders are strictly the location to
which information will be stored and that the user still must select what
information will go into these folders. Otherwise, the Run Folder will
only contain the run log file and the test composite – which may not be
very useful to the user. Saving information and data will be discussed
later on in the Signal Files section

Example of Run Folders with the Default Folder Name & Date and Time Stamp

If the user has not yet saved the current project, the Run Folder(s) will be
created in the software’s common Bin\Temp\ folder. Since, this Temp
folder can possibly contain an array of Run Folders from other projects
that are not relevant to the current one, it is highly suggested that you
save your project before running a new test.

Signal Manager
The Signal Manager is accessed by pressing the button on the
toolbar or from the drop-down menu on the
toolbar. The Project menu also accesses specific tabs of the Signal
Manager through its Save Data, Recall Data and Cache Data choices.

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 File and Project Management

Save Data opens the Save tab in the Signal Manager. This tool
is used to save signal files to the hard drive. A signal file is a file
that contains numerical values representing data.
Recall Data opens the Recall tab in the Signal Manager. This
tool is used to read saved data from disk and import it into the
software so that it can be displayed in a pane.
Cache Data opens the Cache tab in the Signal Manager. This
tool is used to copy data into a temporary data buffer in PC
memory so that signals can be compared from one measurement
to another without writing the data to disk. When a project file is
saved the cached signals are also saved with the project file
information.

Save Signal Manager

The Save tab is used to save signals to disk, to control the Autosave of
panes and application screens, as well as rename signals.
Auto Save Time Domain Data automatically selects all time domain
signals for autosave. When additional input channels are enabled in the

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 File and Project Management

Channel Parameters dialog their corresponding time domain signals are

automatically added to the Auto Save list.
Auto Save Frequency Domain Data automatically selects all frequency
domain signals for autosave. When additional input channels are
enabled in the Channel Parameters dialog their corresponding frequency
domain signals are automatically added to the Auto Save list.
More/Less button displays or hides the list of available signals from the
display.

Folder Append Mode defines where the data is saved. The following
options are available:
Time Stamp – When Folder Append mode is set to Time Stamp
and a measurement is started, a new folder is created with the
folder name including the date and time. For example, if the
project is saved as C:\Dactron\Shaker Control\My Test.prj, then
the data folder will be C:\Dactron\ Shaker Control\My
Test\RunDefault Jan 01,2002 12:12:12.
Overwritten – When Folder Append Mode is set to Overwritten
and a measurement is started, the prior contents of the RunDefault
folder will be deleted and new data will be added to the
RunDefault folder. This mode is intended for troubleshooting
and setup only.
Increment - When Folder Append Mode is set to Increment and a
measurement is started, a new folder is created with the folder
name including an incremented number. For example, if the
project is saved as C:\Dactron\ Shaker Control\My Test.prj, then
the data folder will be C:\Dactron\ Shaker Control\My
Test\RunDefault1.
Consolidated - When Folder Append Mode is set to
Consolidated and a measurement is started, a new folder is
created with the folder name and path specified in the Data
Folder field. Note the user can either type in the exact path into
the Data Folder field or use the Browse button to locate the
folder. Data will always be placed in this folder even after
consecutive measurements are started.
Data Folder defines the name and path of the folder used to store data.
When the Folder Append Mode is set to Date and Time or Increment
then Data Folder can be any name. When Folder Append Mode is set to
Consolidated then Data Folder must be a path and file name.

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 File and Project Management

Data Format defines the format that the data file will be saved in.
Dactron Binary is the system’s default data import and export
format. This format preserves all the information about the data
including measurement parameters. This compact file format
also minimizes the disk space required to save signal data.
Dactron ASCII Delimited files include minimal header
information such as the frame size, the sampling rate, etc., written
in ASCII Format. Note that there are two types of Dactron ASCII
Tab Delimited data formats: (1) Y-data only or (2) X-Y pair. All
data fields are tab delimited for these formats.
ASCII formats are useful for providing data that can easily be
read into other analysis programs such as spreadsheets. Data
saved as X-Y pairs writes the time or frequency values as the X
column and the amplitude values as the Y column. For example,
a PSD saved in this format would have frequency values in the X
column and PSD amplitude values in the Y column.
Below is an example of a signal in Dactron ASCII Tab Delimited
X-Y pair format:
$$$Note: Please don’t modify this file if you want
to import it into Dactron software.$$$
Generated from Dactron Shaker Control software.
Version 1.0
Signal name: input1(t)
Original generated time: 18:04:54, April 17,1999
Current saving time: 11:39:47, April 20,1999
Signal format: ASCII Tab Delimited ‘X-Y Pair’
Sampling Frequency: 3000 Hz
Block size: 4096
X axis start value: 0
X axis increment (Delta): 0.000333333
X axis increases by Linear step
Time (seconds) Y(m/s2)
0.000000 0.000000
0.000333 0.120000
0.000667 0.120000
0.001000 0.340000
0.001333 0.564000
0.001667 0.004560
0.002000 0.000000
…
Signal data file names consist of the signal name, such as
H1_1,2(f), plus one of three types of labels. The first label is a
date and time stamp. The second option is to use the run
sequence number. The third is to use only the signal name
without an appended label. In this case, be aware that since the

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 File and Project Management

file name is not unique, it will be overwritten if you save multiple

times during a measurement.
UFF text format (SI Units) is a data file format that is commonly
used for dynamic and vibration systems analysis. The text format
is saved as an ASCII text file and is in SI Units.
UFF binary format (SI Units) is a data file format that is
commonly used for dynamic and vibration systems analysis. The
binary format is saved as a binary file and is in SI Units.
WAV Audio format is a digital audio file that can be played back
using a digital audio player or PC. Note waveform amplitude is
not preserved in the WAV format and WAV files cannot be
recalled into Dactron software.
Agilent SDF Format (Standard Data Format) is a binary data file
that is an open format used with many Agilent and HP devices.
The structure is published and maintained by Agilent.
Note: MTS ATI/AFU and RPCIII formats are only available on
Windows 2000 operating system and are not available in others.
Shaker Control is not able to recognize MTS ATI/AFU files set
with a “Read-only” attribute as defined in the MTS library.
Please ensure prior to attempting to recall MTS ATI/AFU files in
Shaker Control that the "Read-only" attribute has been disabled
for these files.
MTS ATI format is a binary file used with IDEAS software.
MTS AFU format is a binary file used with MTS Noise Path
Analysis software.
MTS RPCIII format is a binary file used with MTS Remote
Parameter Control Simulation Testing, Analysis, and Control
System software.
The table below summarizes the file formats that are supported in
the Shaker Control Software (VCS).

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 File and Project Management

Signal Save Settings (Automatic Data Saving)

The Signal Save Settings dialog box provides the capability to
automatically saved signal files to the disk (i.e. Run Folders). Automatic
saving can be done via the Schedule command or at specified time
increments. You can also choose to save signal files manually via the
Signal Manager.
The Auto Save Results page contains setting for automatically saving
signals at a specified period or for special conditions such as a test pause.
You can also specify what type of data to save. Signals are binary data.
Panes are the display panes saved as Word meta files. The Application
Screen is a bitmap of the application of the window.

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 File and Project Management

Signal Save Settings Dialog

Prompt Data Folder allows you to enable or disable the “Prompt ‘Data
Folder’ each time on each Start command” option. With this option
enabled, on each Start command the Set Data Folder dialog box will be
displayed so that you can define the desired Data Folder options for the
current test run.

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 File and Project Management

Append Mode defines how the data is saved. For details on this feature
refer to Section 3, Save Signal Manager.
Data Folder defines the name and path of the folder used to store data.
For details on this feature refer to Section 3, Save Signal Manager. The
format of Data Folder is Project Folder\Related Folder.
Related Folder defines the name of the Data Folder. This can also be
defined in the Data Folder field in the Save Signal Manager.
Project Folder defines the name and path of the folder used to store your
project files.
Prompt to set the data folder on each Start command allows you to
disable the prompt on a Start command.

File Management

The File Management tab allows you to control the format of the signal
file naming by adding appendages to the file names of signal data files.
The appendage allows you to distinguish between signal data files that
are saved several times due to multiple runs. For example, if the user
selects to save the time response input1(t) in Dactron binary format every
time for 5 runs, adding the “Append increment number…” starting at “1”
would produce input1(t) 1.sig, input1(t) 2.sig, input1(t) 3.sig, etc.

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Options for Creating and Naming Project Run Folders and Signal Files

Signal Data Format and File Naming Convention allows the user to
set how the software names the signal files that are saved with the Signal
Manager.
Append date and time to the signal name as file name adds
the date and time in the following format:
input1(t)_Jan_01_2001_12-34-56
Append increment number to the signal name as file name
in the following format: input1(t)_1, input1(t)_2…
Starting increment number allows the user to define the
beginning number for naming files with increment append
mode.
Keep last sequence number as starting increment
number allows the user to continue the sequence of signal
names after a measurement is stopped and started.
Without this option the sequence number is reset when a
new measurement is started.

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Use signal name as file name allows the user to save the
signals using the signal names. With this option it is easy to save
a signal with the same name every time and therefore overwrite
data.
Waterfall Data Layout Type allows the user to define the format of
waterfall data that is saved in ASCII format.
Layout data as query places all the data in a single column.
Layout data as a sheet places the data in rows and columns
with each z slice in a different column.

Using More/Less to Enable Signal Saves

When the More button is pressed the Signal Manager dialog exposes a table that
shows the signal candidates that can be saved and various other options and
information.

Signal Name lists all signals that are available to save. There are 2
methods for saving signals:
A Manual Save can be performed at any time during or after a
test. To perform a Manual Save, the user selects the desired
signals by clicking one signal name, Ctrl+click several signal
names, Shift+click several signal names, or click+drag an area to
select several signal names. After the signals are selected the
user can drag the selected signals from the Signal Candidates list,
down to the Saved Signals list. When the signal appears in the
Saved Signals list then it has been written to disk. Also the user
can click on the green arrow button to save all selected

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signals. The path is listed above the Save Signals list to show
where the files are saved.
An Auto Save is normally executed on an autosave event. The
Auto Save Settings indicates which signals will be saved on an
autosave event. Click on the check boxes under Auto Save to
specify which signals to save on an autosave event. Autosave
events can be set by selecting Signal Save Settings from the Test
Setup menu, by doing a right-click operation on your mouse on
any signal in the Signal Candidates pane, or by clicking on Signal
Save Settings in the Save Signal Manager. This opens the
Signal Save Settings dialog.

Auto-Save Results allows the user to define when an auto-save

event will occur.
In addition to programmed response to autosave events, an Auto Save
can also be manually triggered by pressing F7 on the keyboard or
clicking on the Auto Save icon on the toolbar .
Original Name lists the names of signals before any changes are made to
the name of the signals listed under Signal Name. In order to change the
name of a signal, simply do a right-click operation on your mouse on the
signal under the Signal Name list and select Rename Signal. You can
then type in the new name desired.

Group allows the user to define groups to organize several signals into
one file, which reduces the number of files saved to disk. Signal Groups
can only contain signals of the same type, for example all Real Time
signals. Signals of different types can not be combined into one Signal
Group. For example Real Time and FFT signals can not be combined
into one Signal Group. Grouped signals are always saved in SDF format.
Group lists all the define groups.

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After a group is defined, clicking on the icon collapses the list to

conserve space on the Save Signal Manager. Clicking on the icon
expands a collapsed group.

To define a new group, right click on any group or the Ungrouped

Signals list to open the group pop up menu and select Create Group.
This opens the Create Group dialog.

Enter Group Name allows the user to define the name of the group.
Set Data Type allows the user to automatically add all signals of one
type to the new group. Place a check next to Add all this type
signal to the new group, and select a Data Type, and click OK.
Other group functions are available from the group pop up menu.
Add All Same Type Signals opens the Set Data Type dialog.

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Date Type defines the signal type that will be added to the group.
Delete Group removes the current group. All signals in the group
are returned to the ungrouped list.
Rename Group allows the user to change the name of the group.
After a group is created, signals can be added by right clicking on a
signal and selecting Add to Group and then select the group name
from the sub menu.
A signal can be removed from a group by right clicking on the signal
and selecting Remove from Group.

Recall Signal Manager

The Recall Signal Manager allows the user to recall previously saved
signal files (i.e. files in Dactron recognized formats including: *.sig,
*.txt, or *.uff, etc.). This facility replaces the Recall option and RSM
facilities of prior releases. The user also has the option to rename
recalled signals so that the Signal Name is different from the saved
Original Name. It can be accessed from the Project menu or using the
Recall button on the toolbar.

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Recall Signal Manager works in a manner similar to Windows Explorer.

The Folders pane on the far left is used for browsing through folders on a
computer or network. When a folder contains any signal files in a
recognizable format, they will be displayed in the Saved Signals pane in
the upper right. The button moves the folder view up one level.
The button shows the full directory tree.
The Saved Signals pane displays previously saved signal files in several
ways: List View, Detail View, or Graphical View. The user may select
between each view using the icon bar in the upper right corner of the
Saved Signals pane.
In addition the signals can be viewed using preview with the Play or
Pause button. Pressing the Play button will cause a display pane to
open inside the Recall table and this will display the stored signals one
by one. The display scale formats, linear or log, are set by the Pane
Deafult Parameters menu under the Pane menu.

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The Settings button defines how the signals are previewed.

Mode defines how the preview images are updated. When Auto is
selected then all signals in the folder are displayed one at a time for the
time selected in the Persistence setting. When Manual is selected then
the highlighted signal is previewed until ether of the buttons are
selected to advance to the previous or next signal. The preview mode is
can be stopped by clicking on the button.

Another way to display recalled data is to simply select a signal by

clicking on it so it is highlighted or using shift click to highlight a range
of signals, and then doing a drag and drop to an open display pane. This
method is illustrated by the screen captures that follow.

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List View enumerates each signal file by File Name, Size,

Format, and Time/Date stamp as shown above.

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Detail View displays information about each data file in a colored

text box. Similar signal types are displayed with the same
colored text box. The file name is displayed below the text box.
The information includes: the function symbol, date & time
stamp, function description, number of data points, resolution,
and file format.

Graphical View displays each signal file as an icon and also

displays the same information as Detail View, but with the
addition of an envelope preview of the signal. NOTE: This
preview represents a rough envelope of the actual signal since it
is limited to only 120 points. Also, the preview is displayed on a
linear axis.

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You can right-click on any signal, select View from the pop-up menu in
any of the 3 views to open a pop-up window over the middle of the
Saved Signals pane. This display shows a large plot of the data auto
scaled with axis labeled. Below the graph is all the header information.
The display is shown until the user clicks once on the display to close it.
The user can quickly right click, select View on each signal until the
desired signal is found.
You can also right-click on any saved signal and convert it to a different
format. You can do this by selecting Save As from the pop-up menu in
the List View to open the Browse For Folder dialog. You can then specify
the location to save the signal to.

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To recall a saved signal file, highlight the desired signal by clicking on it

and use the green arrow button to import that signal into the
Recalled Signals window or simply double click on the desired signal.
Multiple signals can be selected by holding down the Ctrl key on the
keyboard and clicking additional files.
The requested signal will then be imported into the Recalled Signals bin
with an added numerical extension (_0, _1, _2…) to the signal name.
This extension allows the user to differentiate it from any current test
signals in the Contents window since the same signal name can be
recalled several times.
If an unwanted signal is selected inadvertently, either single click on that
signal file in the Recalled Signals pane and press the “Delete” button
your keyboard or highlight it by clicking on it and use the red button
to remove the signal from the pane.
After the signal is recalled it does not appear in a new pane until the user
adds the recalled signal to a new pane. One or several signals can be
selected and dragged from the Signal Manager into an existing pane.
Another approach that can be used is to select a pane, or create a new
pane, and then open the Contents dialog by right clicking. All signals
that were listed in the Recalled Signals bin should now also be listed in
the Select Signals to Display field in the Contents window and available
to be recalled into the pane.

Cache Signal Manager

The Cache Signal Manager can be accessed by clicking on the tab in
the upper left corner of the Signal Manager. When a signal is cached, it
is put into RAM memory, but not saved to disk. Cached signals can
easily be compared to live measured signals. It is a convenient tool for
comparing successive measurements.

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To cache a signal, select the signal from the Signal Candidates list. See
the Save Signal Manager section for selection instructions. After one or
more signals are selected, the signal can be cached by dragging it to the
Cached Signals list. You can also click on the green arrow button
to cache all selected signals. After the signal is cached it must be added
to a pane using the pane Contents dialog.
Signals can be cached from any pane view without opening the Signal
Manager by right clicking anywhere on the pane. This will open a pop-
up menu. Select Cache, then All Signals or select a specific signal. This
will cache the signal and automatically add it to the current pane.

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Saving using the Schedule

After selecting which signals will be auto-saved from the Save Signal
Manager, you can use the project schedule to invoke automatic saving.
Automatic saving using the Schedule consists of adding Save Results
events (Auto-Save Signals, Save Active Pane, Save All Panes, & Save
Screen Bitmaps) to the Schedule such that every time the Schedule is
active, one or more save events will occur. Select “Save Results…”
from the Schedule dialog box to add a Save Results event to the
Schedule.

Selecting Save Results… from the Schedule

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The Save Results window will prompt in which you can select a save
event to add to the test schedule. Check the save event you wish to add to
the schedule and click “Ok”. Note that you can only add one event at a
time. To add another save event to the test schedule, re-select Save
Results from the Schedule dialog box.

Adding a Save Event to the Test Schedule

Save events selectable from the Save Results dialog are as follows:

• Auto-Save Signals – Saves the signals selected in the Auto Save

check boxes of the Signal Candidates list in the Save Signal Manager to
the test Run Folder.
• Save All Panes – Saves snapshots of all panes currently displayed on
the screen.
• Save Screen Bitmaps – Saves a snapshot of the entire project screen
(application screen)
• Save Active Pane – Saves only a snapshot of the Active Pane. To
make a pane active, click on it with the mouse cursor.

Note: Snapshots can be used in conjunction with MS-Word® to create

reports which will be describe in further detail in Section 6, Create
Screens and Reports.

Each time that you add a save event to the test schedule, that event will
appear in Schedule events list as shown. Note that the order of these
events will be the exact sequence the test will follow starting with the

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event at the top of the list. In other words, when the test is started, the
first event that will occur will be the event at the top of the Schedule
events list, followed by the event directly below it. Therefore, it is most
likely that you will want to place the save events at the end of the
schedule – after the test has completed.

Test Schedule Showing Event Sequence

All of the items that are scheduled to be saved should appear in the Run
Folder at the completion of the test.

Signal Files
Signal Files are files that contain the numerical information of any signal
that is selectable from the Signal Candidates field of the Contents dialog
box – including the Control Profile, Drive Signal, Inputs Signals, Abort
Limits, Hinv, etc. Typically, signals that are unaveraged represent one
frame of data. Control(f) and input(f) are examples of averaged signals,
which are the result of many frames. Furthermore, Signals can be
displayed in a pane, saved to disk in a specified format, or recalled from
disk and re-displayed/overlaid.
In addition to the default signals that are available to a project, you may
also create or import “Special” signals. Creating a special signal
involves applying Math Operations such as Add, Subtract, Multiply, and
Divide using the project’s default signals as operands. Importing a
special signal entails importing a signal remotely where the imported
signal was created using another application such as RT-Pro’s Acoustic
Analysis. The topic of Special Signals and its applications will be
discussed in further detail in Section 4, Define a Project.
The primary focus of this section will be to discuss the different types of
default Signal Files accessible to you from the Signal Candidates field

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and also how to save Signals, either manually or automatically, into the
Run Folders that were mentioned previously.

Warning: In Windows 95/98 the total number of files within a directory

is limited to 20,480. Keep this in mind when setting up
automatic disk storage of signal files. Also, it is a good
practice to periodically backup Project Folders and Signal
Files while cleaning out your file directories.

Signal File Types and Name Conventions

In the Dactron Shaker Control System, a signal is defined as an array of
data with an associated structure of attributes. The names of these signals
are defined using the following conventions:

• Suffix “(t)” is appended to the signal name to indicate that the signal is
in time domain.
• Suffix “(f)” is appended to the signal name to indicate that the signal is
in frequency domain.

For example, input n (f) is the frequency spectrum signal of channel n. In

Random/SoR/RoR/SRoR, input n (f) is a PSD (Power Spectral Density).
In Sine/Sine Oscillator/RSTD, input n (f) is an Amplitude Spectrum.

The following units are used for the various types of signals:

• Time Domain Signal: Vertical Unit: EU (Engineering Units)

Horizontal Unit: Time in Seconds
• Power Spectral Density: Vertical Unit: EU2/Hz
Horizontal Unit: Frequency in Hz
• Amplitude Spectrum: Vertical Unit: EU in Peak
Horizontal Unit: Frequency in Hz
• SRS Signal: Vertical Unit: EU
Horizontal Unit: Frequency in Hz

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Random and Mixed-mode Signals

In Random/SoR/RoR/SRoR, the following signals are available:

• control(f): Control spectrum
• control-hist(t): Scrolling time history of the control signal
amplitude
• profile(f): Target profile spectrum
• high-abort(f): High-line abort tolerance
• low-abort(f): Low-line abort tolerance
• high-alarm(f): High-line alarm tolerance
• low-alarm(f): Low-line alarm tolerance
• drive(f): Drive signal spectrum
• drive(t): Drive signal time history
• Hinv(f): Inverse system transfer function
• input n (f): Spectrum of the nth channel
• input n (t): Time history, or the time characteristic history of
the nth channel

In addition to the above signals, SoR and SRoR include the following
signal choices:

• envelope (f): Sweep profile for all of the tones

• profile tone n (f): Acceleration amplitude versus frequency profile
for the nth tone
• control tone n (f): Acceleration amplitude versus frequency control
signal for the nth tone

Other signals that are also available are any Special Signals or
Transmissibility signals, which is explained in further detail in Section 4,
Define a Project.

Note: The time characteristic history(t) signal is particularly useful for

monitoring the test level as function of time. The type of level

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measurement used (RMS, peak, mean, etc.) is based on selections

made in the Special Signals menu found under the Test Setup
menu.

Sine and RSTD Signals

In Sine and RSTD, the following signals are available:

• coherence n,m (f): Coherence between the nth and mth
channels
• control(f): Control spectrum for the current sweep
• controlUp(f): Control spectrum for the last up sweep
• controlDown(f): Control spectrum for the last down sweep
• control(t): Scrolling time history of the control signal
amplitude
• frequency(t): Scrolling time history of the drive
frequency
• profile(f): Target profile spectrum
• high-abort(f): High-line abort tolerance
• low-abort(f): Low-line abort tolerance
• high-alarm(f): High-line alarm tolerance
• low-alarm(f): Low-line alarm tolerance
• drive(f): The drive voltage spectrum
• Hinv(f): Inverse system transfer function
• input n (f): Spectrum of nth channel
• input n Up(f): Spectrum of nth channel of the last up
sweep
• input n Down(f): Spectrum of nth channel of the last down
sweep
• input n (t): Time history, or the time characteristic
history of the nth channel
• input_hist n (t): Strip chart record of the amplitude of the
nth channel
• shaker_acc(f): Spectrum of shaker acceleration limit
• shaker_vel(f): Spectrum of shaker velocity limit

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• shaker_disp(f): Spectrum of shaker displacement limit

• transmissibility n,m (f): Amplitude ratio and phase between the nth
and mth channels

Other signals that are also available are any Special Signals or
Transmissibility signals, which is explained in further detail in Section 4,
Define a Project.

Note: 1. The sweep-up and sweep-down traces are available to both the
control signal and the first four channel measurements. They can
be used in computing transmissibility between these channels.
2. The default for all amplitude spectra in Sine, except for
drive(f), is acceleration. However, you may view the data in
terms of velocity or displacement by selecting the appropriate
Dimension in the display setup.

Sine Oscillator Signals

In Sine Oscillator, the following signals are available:

• coherence n,m (f): Coherence between the nth and mth
channels
• drive(f): The drive voltage spectrum
• frequency(t): Scrolling time history of the drive
frequency
• input n (f): Spectrum of nth channel
• input_hist n (t): Strip chart record of the amplitude of the
nth channel
• input n Up(f): Spectrum of nth channel of the last up
sweep
• input n Down(f): Spectrum of nth channel of the last down
sweep
• shaker_acc(f): Spectrum of shaker acceleration limit
• shaker_vel(f): Spectrum of shaker velocity limit
• shaker_disp(f): Spectrum of shaker displacement limit
• transmissibility n,m (f): Amplitude ratio and phase between the nth
and mth channels

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Other signals that are also available are any Special Signals or
Transmissibility signals, which is explained in further detail in Section 4,
Define a Project.

Note: 1. The sweep-up and sweep-down traces are available to both the
control signal and the first four channel measurements. They can
be used in computing transmissibility between these channels.
2. The default for all amplitude spectra in Sine, except for
drive(f), is acceleration. However, you may view the data in
terms of velocity or displacement by selecting the appropriate
Dimension in the display setup.

Classical Shock, SRS Synthesis, and TTH Signals

In Shock, SRS Synthesis, and TTH, the following signals are available:
• control(t): Control time waveform
• control(f): Response Spectrum of control(t)
• control(t)_scroll: Scrolling time history of the control signal
amplitude
• profile(t): Target profile time waveform
• profile(f): Target profile spectrum
• high-abort(t): High-point abort time domain tolerance
• low-abort(t): Low-point abort time domain tolerance
• drive(t): Drive time waveform
• error(f): Error between the control signal and the
profile in the frequency domain
• error(t): Error between the control signal and the
profile in the time domain
• Hinv(f): Inverse system transfer function
• input n (t): Time history of nth channel
• NegSRSn(f): SRS of nth channel using maximum negative
value extraction
• PosSRSn(f): SRS of nth channel using maximum positive
value extraction
• MaxiMaxSRSn(f): SRS of nth channel using maximum absolute
value extraction

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SRS Synthesis also provides these frequency domain signals:

• high-abort(f): High-line SRS abort tolerance

• low-abort(f): Low-line SRS abort tolerance

Other signals that are also available are any Special Signals, which is
explained in further detail in Section 4, Define a Project – Special
Signals.

Long Time History (LTH) Signals

In Long Time History (LTH) Control, the following signals are

available:
• control(t): Time history of the control signal
• control(f): Control spectrum
• control-hist(t): Scrolling time history of the control signal
amplitude
• error-hist(t): Scrolling time history of the error signal
amplitude
• profile-hist(t): Scrolling time history of the profile signal
amplitude
• overall_control(f): Overall averaged control spectrum
• overall_error(f): Overall averaged error spectrum
• overall_profile(f): Overall averaged profile spectrum
• Hinv2(f): Inverse system transfer function
• Error(t): Time history of the error signal
• profile(t): Target profile time history
• profile(f): Target profile spectrum
• high-abort(f): High-line abort tolerance
• low-abort(f): Low-line abort tolerance
• drive(f): Drive signal spectrum
• drive(t): Drive signal time history

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• Hinv(f): Inverse system transfer function

• input n (t): Time history, or the time characteristic history of
the nth channel
• input n (f): Spectrum of the nth channel

• Profile Output Index: This display shows the entire profile waveform
with a sweeping, reverse-color cursor band that
highlights the segment of the profile currently
being output.

Other signals that are also available are any Special Signals or
Transmissibility signals, which is explained in further detail in Section 4,
Define a Project.

Note: The time characteristic history(t) signal is particularly useful for

monitoring the test level as function of time. The type of level
measurement used (RMS, peak, mean, etc.) is based on selections
made in the Special Signals menu found under the Test Setup
menu.

Pane Pop-Up Menu

The Pane Pop-Up menu can be accessed from any pane by right clicking
on the pane. It contains many features that are most commonly used and
gives quick access to commonly used dialogs.

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Contents opens the Contents dialog.

Signal Color opens the Signal Color dialog.
Copy opens a sub menu that lists all signals in the pane that can be
copied individually, as well as the option to copy the Pane Bitmap or
copy All Signals. Copy allows the user to copy a signal to the Windows
Clipboard. This is a fast and convenient method to export data into other
Windows software such as Excel and Word.
The available options under Copy are described below.
Pane Bitmap copies a bitmap image of the current pane into the
Windows Clipboard. This image can then be pasted into any
Windows application such as Word or an email program.
All Signals copies all signals to the clipboard.
Copy opens a sub menu that lists all signals in the pane in
addition to the Pane Bitmap and All Signals options. Select the
signal to copy by pointing and releasing the mouse button. Then
switch to another Windows application to paste the data. The
data will be pasted in rows and columns with column headings to
indicate the units and scaling as shown below.

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Export to Excel copies the values of the selected, or all signals to an

Excel spreadsheet. If Excel is not launched then the application is
automatically launched. A new spreadsheet is opened and the values are
copied into a formatted table. The data is also dynamically linked to the
Shaker Control application so that as the measurement continues, or is
started again, the values in the Excel spreadsheet are continuously
updated. This feature allows advanced calculations that are not available
in the Shaker Control software to be performed within the Excel
software.
Save is a simple method to manually save signals without going to the
Signal Manager dialog. Right click on the pane that contains the signal
and select Save then Save All Signals or select the signal to save by
pointing and releasing the mouse button. The signal will then be saved
to disk according to the settings in the Save Signal Manager.

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Cache is a simple method to manually cache signals without going to the

Cache Signal Manager window. Right click on the pane that contains
the signals and select Cache then All Signals or select the signal to cache
by pointing and releasing the mouse button. The signal will then be
cached and automatically added to the pane.

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4 Define a Project

Creating a New Project

This section describes how to create a new Project by defining and
setting up the test parameters and test profile. The next section, Section
5 – Run a Project, will explain how to use the Project you’ve set up to
make a test run. If you are unfamiliar with a Project and its File
structures, please read Section 3, “File and Project Management”, before
attempting to create a Project. As you continue with this section, special
attention should be made to the Project ToolBar as it can be considered
the “root” of the project.
The Shaker Control Main Screen appears from which you can create a
new project using the Start-Up Page or the Project menu.

Shaker Control Main Screen

Next, verify that the software is operating under the Advanced User
Interface (AUI). In the Project Menu, ”Enable Simple User Interface”
should be unchecked indicating that you are currently running Shaker

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Control in AUI mode. For more information concerning the two types of
User Interfaces, please refer to Section 3 – File and Project Management.

Advanced User Interface Enabled

Before creating a new project, you can choose to enable the Test Setup
Wizard to aid you in creating your new project. The Test Setup Wizard is
a very useful aid, especially to the “new” user. The only limitation in
using this Wizard is that it only applies to 3 applications: Random, Swept
Sine, & Classical Shock. Note that the Test Setup Wizard must be
enabled before opening a new or existing project, as you cannot enable
this wizard once inside a project.

Start-Up Page
When the program starts the Start-Up Page is displayed. This display
provides quick access to create a new project, open an existing project or
change the global settings, general parameters or style. The Start-Up
Page can also be customized to meet specific needs. The project can be
collapsed to save space on the display by clicking the green triangles
next to each item.

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Create New Project displays the list of available project types. Click on
any listed project type to open a new project file.
Open Project lists the last 4 projects that were opened. Click on any
project name to open the existing file.
The More item opens a dialog to open any other existing project
file not listed above.
Enabling Global Parameters allows some setup tables, such as Channel
Parameters, Shaker Parameters, and Engineering Units, to be shared
between all applications. When parameters are changed in one of these
setup tables they are automatically updated in every other project file
when the project is opened. Also, the global parameters are applied for
new projects if this feature is enabled in the Options selection under the
Global Parameter menu.
Engineering Units controls the units used for the project. This
dialog is described in Chapter 4 under General Test Setup.
Input Channel Settings defines how the external signals
generated by sensors come into your system for measurement and
control processing. This dialog is described in Chapter 4 under
General Test Setup.
Shaker Parameters allows you to set safety limits to protect the
shaker system from being overstressed or damaged. This dialog
is described in Chapter 4 under General Test Setup.

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Global Display settings control the display attributes including

color, line style, fonts, and axis formatting and scaling. This
dialog is described in Chapter 6 under the Pane Menu section.
E-Mail Setup allows the software to send an email when the test
aborts. This dialog is described in Chapter 4 under General Test
Setup.
General Parameter Setup includes items for managing software and
hardware licensing.
Change my License Key opens a dialog to change the license
number. This can be used when multiple front end boxes are
used on the same computer.
License Key Administration opens a dialog to choose from a
list of different front end boxes. This dialog is described in
Section 1 under Help Menu.
Change Password opens a dialog to change the current user
password.
User Administration opens a dialog to add or change user
information.
Group Administration opens a dialog to add or change group
information.
Pocket PC Interface Setup opens a dialog to enable the Pocket
PC Interface and enter the TCP/IP port settings.
Internet Connection Setup opens a dialog to define the Web
Service URL and connection password.
Style changes the display settings for all project files opened. The
following items can be enabled or disabled: Test Setup Wizard, Simple
user Interface, Tool Bar, Status Bar, Icon Bar, Control Panel and Online
Tip.
Customize my start-up page allows the contents of the Start-Up Page
to be customized. Click Customize my Start-Up Page to open the
dialog. The Start-Up Page can be organized into 3 columns. The
window at the bottom displays group items that are removed from the
current display. Items may be dragged from the current location to a
different location by clicking and dragging. The order of the items can
be changed within a column by selecting the item and clicking the up or
down arrow at the top of the column. An item can be removed by
selecting it and clicking on the button at the top of the column.

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Customize my start-up page dialog

The settings for each group can be edited by double clicking on the item,
or selecting it and clicking on the Group Setting button. This opens a
dialog for the specific group item where the group settings can be
enabled or removed from the display.
Font Size changes the font size of all text on the Start-Up Page.
Clear All removes all items from the Start-Up Page.
Default returns the Start-Up Page to the factory settings.
Preview shows what the current Start-Up Pages will look like.

Test Setup Wizard

The Test Setup Wizard is an interface that guides you step-by-step
through a test setup procedure for 3 specific applications– Random,
Swept Sine, or Classical Shock. Other tests such as Random-on-
Random, RSTD, Transient Time History (TTH), etc. must be setup
manually. Moreover, when the Test Setup Wizard is enabled, you will
only be able to create one of the three applications mentioned. To use
the Test Setup Wizard, it must be enabled in the Project Menu when you
first start the Dactron Shaker Control software and BEFORE you open a
project. To enable the Test Setup Wizard, go to the Project menu from

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the Shaker Control Main Screen and click on Enable Test Setup Wizard
such that a check mark appears next to the menu item. Once selected,
this feature will always be enabled until the user disables it, even after
closing the Shaker Control software.

Project Menu from Shaker Control Main Screen

When the Test Setup Wizard is enabled, you will only be able to select
Random, Swept Sine, or Classical Shock projects from the Project New
dialog as shown below.

New Project Menu - Test Setup Wizard Enabled

Upon selecting from one of the three tests, the Test Setup Wizard
window immediately appears in the opening screen as shown below.
Displayed on this window are the set-up parameters required for the test
along with instructions and setup descriptions. Any setup parameter that
has not been reviewed by the user will have a “red” indicator light above
that icon.

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To setup a particular parameter, you may either click on Set or click on

the parameter icon itself. Doing so will open the appropriate setup field
from which you can then enter/customize the associated setup
parameters. When finished, click OK to return to the Wizard. To
continue onto the next setup parameter, click on Next and repeat the
previous steps.

For more detail on setting up the Test Parameters please refer to the next
topic, “Create a New Project”.

Once a parameter has been viewed or edited, the corresponding indicator

light above that parameter will turn green. Although it is possible for
you to skip steps during the Wizard setup, it is strongly recommended
that you go in sequential order. At any time during this process, you can
go back and change a particular setting by using the Previous button.
Note that if the Previous button is used to go back more than one
parameter, the indicator lights on previously edited parameters will turn
red – however all changes made to that field will remain unchanged.
WARNING: The only way to exit from this window is by clicking on
the Finish button. However, it is possible for the user to click on Finish
without first setting up any test parameters which can potentially lead to
DAMAGE TO THE USER’S TEST EQUIPMENT!!!

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Upon completing the Test Setup Wizard, click on Finish. The Shaker
Control software is now ready to begin testing. Note that the Test Setup
Wizard may be re-accessed at any time by going to the Setup dropdown
menu and selecting ”Test Setup Wizard…”

After you click on Finish in the Test Setup Wizard window, a Summary
of Setup Parameters window will appear, displaying all of the setup
parameters that you specified for the current test. This window can be
accessed at anytime by selecting ”Summary Window” from the Window
menu or from the Window Selector.

Window Selector

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Summary of Setup Parameters Table

Create a New Project

To create a new Project, select New from the Project menu as shown
below or use the new project icon from the Tool Bar icon.

Hint – see Section 7, “Toolbar and Mouse Controls.”

Using the Project Menu to Create a New Project

After selecting New from the Project menu or the icon toolbar, the
following New Project Selection window will appear. From this

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window, click on the icon corresponding to the test type you would like
to perform.

New Project Selection Window (Test Setup Wizard Disabled)

Once you select the desired test from the Project Selection Window, you
will enter the project (Application Screen) with access to the project’s
menus, toolbars, Project Status bar, and Test Setup Icons as shown
below.

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New Project Application Screen

This section will briefly touch on the Project Status bar, Project Toolbar
and Test Setup Icons however, please see Section 7 – Toolbar and Mouse
Controls and Section 5 – Run a Project respectively for more detail
concerning the these features.

Test Setup Icons

The Test Setup Icons provide you with quick and convenient access to
many of the commonly used setup parameters located in the Setup Menu
such as Shaker Parameters and Test Profile. Altering or entering any test
parameters using these icons is equivalent to using the Setup menu from
the Project Toolbar.

Test Setup Icons

The following table describes the function of each icon.

Icon Access to:

• Shaker Shaker Parameters dialog.
Channel Parameters dialog
• Channel
• Control Control Parameters dialog
• Profile Profile dialog
• Schedule Test Schedule dialog
• Transmis. Transmissibility dialog
• Test ID Test ID dialog

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Project Status Bar

The Project Status Bar allows you to view two pieces of information
concerning your test: Test Profile and the Data Folder location. This is
useful when using the Profile Block Diagram to run multiple profiles and
schedules in one continuous sequence.

Project Status Bar

Project Toolbar

The Project Toolbar is considered to be the “root” of the project. It

contains ALL settings, functions, and preferences within its menus and
icons. All other on-screen functions such as the Test Setup Icons or the
Status Bar Controls are just easy to access shortcuts to these functions
already in Project Toolbar.

The general workflow of the Project Toolbar is from left to right. For
example, you first define the setup parameters in the Test Setup menu,
followed by defining your test profile in the Profile menu, and then
ultimately ending your project by creating a test report from the Report
menu.

As mentioned, this section describes the menu selections available for

setting up a project. There are two main menus in the Project Toolbar
that are used for setup:
• Test Setup
• Profile

Moving to the right on the Project Toolbar, the next two menus
selections deal with running a test and are explained in Section 5 – Run a
Project.
• Test
• Controls

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In Section 6 – Creating Screens and Reports and Section 7 – Toolbar and

Mouse Controls, the remaining menu selections on the Project Toolbar
are explained. These menus are not required to create or directly run a
Project, but they are essential part to operating the test and documenting
it.
• Report
• View
• Window
• Pane
• Cursor
• Help

When you first create a new project, it is untitled and labeled as

“Dactron1” until you choose to save your project. Furthermore, all
information from an untitled project is temporarily stored in the common
Temp folder with the exception of saved data, which is permanently
saved to the Temp folder. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you
save your project before starting the test to avoid the loss of saved data.

Project Toolbar for an Untitled Project

Once a Project is saved, the Program Window header reflects the name
you assigned to the Project and with the extension *.prj. For the example
below, the name of the project is “ED Random”.

Project Toolbar for Project “ED Random”

Different project types (i.e. Random, Classical Shock, RSTD, etc.) can
have different menus options and toolbar icons found in the Project
Toolbar depending upon the project type you choose. There are four
basic project groups: Random, Sine, Shock, and Long Time History.

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Projects types in the same group share the same menu options and
toolbar icons. The table below breaks each project type down by their
respective groups.

Group Type
Random • Random
• Random on Random (RoR)
• Sine on Random (SoR)
• Sine and Random on Random (SRoR)
Sine • Swept Sine
• Resonance Search, Track, and Dwell (RSTD)
• Sine Oscillator

Shock • Classical Shock

• Shock Response Spectrum (SRS)
• Time Transient History (TTH) Control
Long • Long Time History (LTH)
Time
History
Project Types Sharing the Same Project Toolbar

Setting up a Project: Test & Profile Setup

Setting up a project uses two menus from the Project Toolbar: Test
Setup and Profile. Because project types that are in different project
groups have different menu options and toolbar icons, the description
that follows is broken down as such:

• General Test Setup

• Test & Profile Setup – Random and Mixed Mode
• Test & Profile Setup – Swept Sine, RSTD, & Sine Oscillator
• Test & Profile Setup – Classical Shock, SRS, & TTH
• Test & Profile Setup – Long Time History (LTH)

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Test Setup Menu (Random Test) Profile Menu (Random Test)

The Test Setup menu typically includes the following items:

Item Description
• Engineering Units Used to define the preferred set of
measurement units.
• Shaker Parameters Specifies the performance
limitations of the shaker table.
• Channel Parameters Assignments, sensitivity
calibration, calibration values, and
voltage range settings for input
and output channels.
• Control Parameters Setup the control settings for the
test
• Define Digital Input… Setup for digital input and output
lines for external control and
communication.
• Special Signals Math operations and definition of
time characteristic histories.
• Signal Save Settings Setup signals to be automatically
saved during the test.
• Test ID Setup Report Headers, and Test
Information.

• Chamber Interface Setup Chamber Interface

Setup Parameters
• Waterfall Request Setup Event Waterfall plots

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• Validate Parameters Checks all system parameters for

conflicts and warnings

• Preferences Setup special parameters &

features as well as file saving
options.

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The Profile menu typically includes the following items:

Item Description
• Profile1 Definition and display of the test profile
• Schedule1 Pre-programs the test startup, the test, and
any special test events
• Limiting Profile Defines profiles for non-control channels
used for limiting or notching
• Block Diagram Sets up a multiple-profile test schedule

General Test Setup

The Test Setup menu generally consists of the following setup dialogs.
They are either identical or nearly the same for all project groups –
Random, Sine or Shock.

• Engineering Units
• Shaker Parameters
• Channel Parameters
• Control Parameters
• Special Signals
• Signal Save Settings
• Transmissibility Signals
• Test ID
• Chamber Interface Setup
• Waterfall Request
• Validate Parameters
• Preferences
- Miscellaneous
- Email
- Abort Action
- Amplifier Control
- Controls
- Prompt Data Folder
- Limit

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Engineering Units
The Engineering Units page allows you to specify your preferred units.
The units that first appear in the dialog are the project defaults.

Note: If the Engineering Units are changed, all setup parameters will
reflect the chosen units. For example, if the units for
2
Acceleration are changed from [gn] to [m/s ], then the channel
sensitivity values in the Channel Parameters table will be
converted from [mV/g] to [mV/m/s2].

Engineering Unit Selections for Sine

The other possible selections using the drop-down menu are:

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• Displacement : m = meters,
cm = centimeters
mm = millimeters
ft = feet
in = inches
mil = 0.001 inches

• Velocity: m/s= meters per second

cm/s = centimeters per second
mm/s = millimeters per second
ft/s = feet per second
in/s= inches per second
mil/s = 0.001 in/s

• Acceleration: gn = units of gravity (9.81m/s2 or 32.2 ft/s2),

m/s2 = meters per second squared,
cm/s2 = centimeters per second squared
mm/s2 = millimeters per second squared
ft/s2 = feet per second squared
in/s2= inches per second squared
mil/s2 = 0.001 in/s2

• Force: Newton = SI unit for Force

LBF = English unit for Force

• Pressure: Pa = Pascals
uPa = Micro Pascal
PSI = Pounds per Square Inch
Bar = bar pressure units
ATM = atmosphere

• Voltage: V = Volts
mV = Milivolts

• Level: % = percent of full scale

dB = decibels with the reference to full scale
ratio = the ratio to full scale

• Time: Seconds = displays time in seconds

Milliseconds = displays time in milisecond
HH:MM:SS = hour minute second notation

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• User Defined: This is an engineering units label supplied

by the user. For example, "ustrain" might
be used to represent units of micro strain.

The following units are applicable only to Sine and RSTD

• Log Sweep: Octave/Min or Decade/Min.

• Sine Displacement: Peak-to-Peak or Zero-to-Peak.
• Sine Display Duration: Time or Cycles.

Shaker Parameters
The Shaker Parameters dialog allows you to set safety limits to protect
the shaker system from being overstressed or damaged. These limits are
typically the performance limits provided by the shaker manufacturer.
All of test parameters in your project will be validated against these
limits prior to and during testing. If a test parameter exceeds the shaker
limits, test execution is prevented or the test is automatically aborted.
A database of LDS shaker models is included with the software. To
choose the settings for an LDS shaker model, select it from the pull down
menu. The current Shaker Settings are then displayed.

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Shaker Library allows you to edit the current shaker parameters. This
opens the Shaker Library dialog.

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Shaker Library

All shaker settings are saved in a comma separated spreadsheet named

ShakerLibrary.csv that is located in the Dactron\Shaker Control\Bin
folder. When a new template is created or modified, the change is saved
in this file. Select the shaker template to edit from the pull down menu.
Then enter a name to save the settings under. If the same name is given
in both text fields then the current settings will overwrite the old settings.
Enter the parameters in the various fields and click OK.
Apply saves the information without closing the dialog.
Import from parameter file allows the user to browse to a new tab
delimited file for shaker parameters.
To enter limits in different engineering units (e.g., in meters instead of
inches), go to the Engineering Units dialog box and change the units to
correspond with your desired ones.
Enter the parameters for each type of test. Note parameters can very
depending on the test type; Sine, Random or Shock.
Maximum Positive and Negative Displacement Limits set the
maximum stroke permitted during a test.

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Maximum Acceleration sets the maximum acceleration permitted

during a test.
Maximum Force is the maximum force rating of the Shaker Model.
Minimum and Maximum Drive Frequency are used to limit the Drive
signal frequency content (this prevents damage to the shaker and ensures
that the sensor signals are meaningful).
Maximum Velocity sets the maximum velocity permitted during a test.
Maximum Drive Voltage is used to limit the Drive voltage (this prevents
damage to the power amplifier).
Shaker Orientation is an optional text field used for documentation
purposes only. The shaker position (e.g., vertical, horizontal, 45°, etc.)
may be entered here.

Channel Parameters
The Channel Parameters dialog allows you to describe the sensors that
are connected to the input and output channels of your system. This
dialog contains two tables: Input and Output (Drive Signal).

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Channel Parameters Table

Action Buttons

Fill Down copies the active entry field in any column to all of the entry
fields below it in the same column.
Save and Recall allows you to save a set of Channel Parameters to a
disk as a *.chl file or import a previously saved file. Channel Parameter
Files can be imported into any Project File. This feature makes it
possible to configure standard channel sets and to switch the Channel
Parameter set when testing with a different sensor setup
Calibrate allows you to calibrate the sensitivity of a sensor using an
external calibrator. This calibration feature will be described in further
detail at the end this Channel Parameters section.

Channels

Channels are typically the external signals generated by sensors that

come into your system for measurement and control processing.

Type allows you to define each input channel of your system as a

Control, Monitor, Disable, or Response. All inputs selected as Control
will be used in the control process as specified in the Control Parameters
dialog. All inputs selected as Monitor are used for measurement purposes
and can alter the control process when Automatic Notch Limiting is
applied. Input channels selected as Response are used for measurement
purposes only and do not affect the control process. Response channels
are special in a way in that they can acquire non-kinematical signals – for
example, pressure, force, and voltage. Channels defined as a Control or
Monitor are limited to acceleration only. All channels selected as Disable
will be ignored by the system.

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MaxVolts is used to select the highest voltage amplitude expected from a

sensor during the test (not the upper range of the sensor). The software
will then use the full resolution in the range of ± MaxVolts. Keep in
mind that most Random Tests will have most of their energy spikes
below 3 Sigma (99.7% of the time) however occasionally a random noise
spike will exceed 3 Sigma in which the MaxVolts range can be
exceeded.

mv/(EU) is used to enter the sensitivity of the sensor on the input channel
(mv = millivolts). The EU is the unit specified in Engineering Units
dialog. Refer to the manufacturer’s calibration specifications for the
sensor and any amplifier/signal conditioner settings to determine this
value. If a charge amplifier with a gain of 10 to 100 is used to condition
the sensor, this must be taken into consideration for the input to the
system.

Weighting is used only if “Weighted Average” is selected as the control

strategy in the Control Parameters menu. If so, each normalized weight
is applied to each control channel; the channels are then combined to
create the control signal. The weighting function is applied to the
amplitude domain, not the power domain. The weighting factor for an
input channel is equal to the Weighting value for that input channel
divided by the sum of all the Weighting values for the control channels.

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Coupling is used to apply ICP®, AC or DC coupling to input channels.

ICP provides a 4.7 mA current source (23 Vpeak open circuit) as signal
conditioning for piezoelectronic accelerometers. AC coupling is a high-
pass filter that removes the DC component of the input signal. DC
coupling does not apply any filtering to the input signal. Note that the -3
dB filter knee for ICP is at 0.5 Hz and at 1.5 Hz for AC coupling. AC
coupling is generally used for random and sine testing. Shock testing
usually works best with DC coupling enabled.
Warning: LDS-Dactron recommends that the appropriate usage of AC
and ICP coupling is as follows:
AC coupling - Use this method if frequencies of interest are
all above 10 Hz (1% attenuation at 10 Hz)
ICP coupling - Use this method if frequencies of interest are
all above 3.2 Hz (1% attenuation at 3.2 Hz)
For profiles containing frequency signals lower than what has
been noted above, use an external signal conditioning unit
with a very low AC coupling filter knee frequency. Note that
the Shaker Control software does an offset detection at the
start of the pre-test (prior to any drive signal being sent to the
shaker) and these offsets are applied to the data measured
during the test

Quantity is used to define the type of signal that will be measured by an

input channel – such as Acceleration, Velocity, Pressure, etc. The
Quantity should also match the type of sensor being used with that
channel.

Sensitivity Adjustment is the adjustment value in dB automatically

assigned to a channel when a Calibration is performed from within the

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Channel Parameters dialog and a ReCalibrated Sensitivity value has

been accepted. This adjustment value is applied to the value entered in
the mv/(Eu) field.

I.D. and Location are optional text field entries. They are generally used
for documentation purposes. However, as it will be explained in the
Preferences – Miscellaneous section, the text entered in the channel I.D.
field can be used to replace the default signal name. Serial numbers or
descriptions of the sensors are typical entries in the channel I.D. field.
Mounting locations of the sensors are typical entries in Location field.

Angular Acceleration Units

Angular units are used when controlling a rotary shaker table. Angular
acceleration is proportional to the tangential acceleration divided by the
radius (the distance from the center of the rotary shaker to the mounting
point of the accelerometer).
If the Control to angular acceleration selection is selected in the Control
Parameters, Advanced, Control Option Setup dialog, then entry fields
for the Radius appear on the far right side of the Channel Parameters
table under the heading Radius. The units selected for displacement in
the Engineering Units table are the units used for the Radius.

Defining Angular Acceleration Units

When using angular units the acceleration is expressed as radians per

second squared (rad/sec2), the velocity as radian per second, and

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displacement as radians. For the Random application, the profile

breakpoints are entered in units of (rad/sec2) 2/Hz.

Output Channel

The Output Channel is typically the drive signal generated by your

system that goes to the shaker. For Type select Output to enable the
drive channel.

Additional Channel Parameters for Sine

A Sine Project (Swept Sine,RSTD, & Sine Oscillator) has two additional
fields that are not included in the standard Channel Parameters dialog
box. These fields are the Analysis column for Input channels and the
COLA (Constant Output Level Amplitude) row for Output channels.

Analysis

Analysis provides signal processing choices for Filter, Peak, Mean, RMS
TRUE DC, and TRUE RMS level detection.

Sine Input Channel Analysis Options

Filter invokes digital tracking filter processing. The tracking filter is

dynamic and has a center frequency that matches the drive frequency.

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The bandwidth of the tracking filter can be defined in the Control

Parameters dialog as either a fixed frequency span or a variable span that
changes as the drive frequency changes as shown. Noise and harmonic
signals outside of the tracking filter bandwidth are suppressed, making
this type of processing the generally preferred method of control.

Tracking Filter Bandwidth

The RMS, Mean, and Peak analysis methods use broadband filtering;
this makes the control more susceptible to noise effects. These
processing methods are preferable if the goal is to minimize the test
excitation level when significant harmonic response signals are expected
in the test frequency range.
Mean processing can be used to acquire DC level signals. However, any
DC level signals must be disconnected during the initial ramp-up. This
is because the system acquires ambient data (data with no excitation) just
prior to ramp-up and uses the measured DC offset to null the signals
measured during the test.

Both TRUE DC and TRUE RMS do not nullify the initial DC component
from a particular signal source – as the measurement is taken before the
tracking filter is applied. Note that TRUE values must be done with DC
coupling enabled, otherwise, AC coupling will continually attempt to
attenuate the DC component of any signal to zero.

The following figures [2,3,4] example some differences between typical

filtered values and TRUE values using Response Type. In these figures,
the “pre-test” is the initial conditions before the test is started. Note the
transitions from pre-test to test for each case. TRUE RMS is analogous
to TRUE DC in terms of how the signal source is processed with the
exception of being displayed in terms of RMS.

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Figure 2 – Example Filtered (No True DC) with DC Coupling

Figure 3 – Example True DC with DC Coupling

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Figure 4 – Example True DC with AC Coupling

Sine COLA Output

Sine’s Output Channel Options include a COLA Signal

The Constant Output Level Adapter (COLA) provides a constant

amplitude sweeping signal to external devices. This signal can be used
to drive a device such as a strobe light.

DISABLE turns the COLA signal off.

SINE WITH CONSTANT AMPL turns the COLA signal on. Clicking on
“Click here to set voltage” under Parameters allows you to set the peak
voltage of the COLA signal.
DC (VARIES WITH FREQ.) provides a DC signal that is proportional to
the current drive frequency. Clicking on “Click here to set voltage”
opens a dialog box to define a DC proportional to frequency signal.

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Left edge DC value __ (volts) corresponds to frequency __ Hz defines the

relationship between the low frequency and low DC values.

Right edge DC value __ (volts) corresponds to frequency __ Hz defines

the relationship between the high frequency and high DC values.

Linear-Linear Interpolation and Linear-Log Interpolation define the

method used to calculate DC values as a function of the frequency.
Linear-Linear causes a linear change in frequency to produce a linear
change in the DC amplitude. For Linear-Log the DC amplitude changes
linearly in proportion to a logarithmic change in the frequency.

Sensor Calibration

The sensitivity of a sensor may be calibrated using the Calibration

feature located in the Channel Parameters dialog and an external
calibrator that produces either an AC or DC signal. It should be noted
that using an AC input signal for calibration only verifies the sensitivity
for one frequency and does not guarantee calibration at other
frequencies. Calibrating a sensor is done through the input channels
mV/(EU). Furthermore, only ONE channel may be calibrated at a time.
This means that only one sensor can be excited by the input signal at any
one time.

To start the process, click on Calibrate in the Channel Parameters. This

prompts the Calibrate Transducer Sensitivity dialog.

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Calibrate Transducer Sensitivity Dialog

Use DC signal specifies that the input signal used for calibration will be
a DC signal. Note that the Coupling in the Channel Parameters dialog
should be set to DC for DC signal calibration.

Input Level defines the expected signal level.

Use AC signal specifies that the input signal used for calibration will be
an AC signal. Note that the Coupling should be set to AC or ICP in the
Channel Parameters dialog for AC signal calibration.
Input RMS Level defines the expected signal level.
Input Frequency is used to set the sampling frequency during the
calibration. Enter the calibration signal frequency.

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Auto accept if sensitivity deviation less than bypasses the

accept/reject notification dialog and speeds up the calibration process.

After entering the above parameters, the calibration can be started. First
disconnect all sensors from the calibrator and click on the Measure
Noise button. This step is necessary so that the system can determine the
noise level and identify the active channel during the calibration. After
clicking on the Measure Noise button there is a short pause (10 seconds)
while the system measures the noise level. When this period is complete,
then the Start Calibration button will be enabled.

Start Calibration begins to scan the channels for an active calibration

signal. When a calibration signal is detected, the system will compute
the Re-Calibrated Sensitivity and Deviation (dB). If the “Auto-accept if
sensitivity deviation less than” box is checked, the Re-Calibration value
will be accepted and entered into the Calibration table. Otherwise the
following dialog will be displayed.

Accept copies the Re-Calibrated Sensitivity and Deviation values to the

Calibration table.

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Calibration Table

Reject ignores the Re-Calibrated Sensitivity and Deviation values and

starts the calibration process again by scanning the channels for an active
calibration signal.
Stop Calibration ends the calibration process when the system is
scanning the input channels for an active calibration signal.
Apply copies the Deviation values from the Calibration table to the
Sensitivity Adjustment column in the Channel Parameters dialog. The
Deviation values are used to modify the sensitivity values [mV/(EU)] in
the Channel Parameters table in order to give the correct calibrated
values.

Special Signals
Special Signals are those signals that are part of the Project’s default
signals or signals that have been recalled. They include signals that are
created via Math Operations, Time Characteristics, or Import Remote
Signal.

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Math Operations

The Math Operations feature allows you to create customized signals by

manipulating the Input signals using math operators such as add,
subtract, multiply, divide, and transmissibility. Special signals computed
by the system will then be available for you to select and display in any
pane. The selection of these signals for inclusion in windows and panes
is explained in Sections 6 and 8.

The mathematical formula to creating a Special Signal is:

[(Operand1) Operator (Operand2)] = Special Signal.

Math Operations allows Creation of Signals for Special Analysis

The Signal List field lists special signals that have already been created.
Click on a signal in the list to either display or edit its definition.

To create a special signal:

1. Click the ADD button to create a new Special Signal

2. Enter a Signal Name in the specified field or leave as the default.

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3. Choose the Operands and the Operator from the menus

To remove a signal from the Signal List, highlight the unwanted signal
and click on the Delete button.

Example: Click Add to create a new special signal in the Signal List
field. Select Input2 from the Operand1 field. Select
Transmissibility in the Operator Field. Select Input1 in the
Operand2 field. Click in the Signal Name field and type
“Transmissibility 2,1(f)”. This creates a Special Signal
named Transmissibility 2,1(f), which is the transmissibility of
input 2 with respect to input 1. This signal can be displayed
during a run.
Note: Operand1 and Operand2 are Amplitude Spectrums in Sine;
they are Auto Power Spectral Density functions in Random
and Mixed-mode.

For Random, the Transmissibility operation is different than Divide.

Transmissibility always gives a linear amplitude ratio while Divide results
in a ratio of power amplitudes. Math Operations for the Shock
applications are limited to arithmetic operations between time history
signals.

After Special Signals are created, they can be displayed in any Pane by
selecting it from the Contents menu. All math operations are applied to
the synchronous data frames, i.e., data measured and processed at the
same time.

Time Characteristics

Time Characteristics are Special Signals that provide a scrolling history

of frame-by-frame amplitudes such as the peak values of each frame or

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RMS value of each frame. These special displays are available in the
Random, Mixed Mode and Long Time History applications.

Selections for Time Characteristic Signals

This setup allows you to measure the time characteristic history of each
input channel with the following selections:

TIME CAPTURE is the time history record

RMS is the root mean square value
MAX is the maximum value
MIN is the minimum value
MEAN is a DC Measurement
PEAK-PEAK is the spread of the maximum and minimum values
PEAK is the greater of the maximum value and the absolute value of
the minimum

The last five selections are the time characteristic estimation of each
frame of data. This is a gap-free real-time calculation. The lengths of
the signals are fixed at 1024 if they are time characteristics. If it is a

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Time Capture Waveform, its size will be determined by settings in the

Control Parameters (check the Data Point/Frame value listed).

The figure below shows time histories of input channel 2 with Time
Characteristics set as RMS. This gives a record of DC levels as a
function of time into the test.

Time History Characteristic Plot of 8 Channels Measuring DC (RMS Estimation)

Note: If the Mean value is selected as the measurement, you need to

choose DC coupling in the corresponding channel setting.
Otherwise, the DC component will be removed.

Caution: When measuring DC signals, use Response as the Type and

DC as the Coupling in the Channel Parameters dialog.
Otherwise, any pre-test DC values will be subtracted from all
measurements during the test giving an erroneous DC
amplitude measurements.

Hinverse Limit

The Hinverse Limit aborts the test if the Hinverse function exceeds the
abort limits over a period of time. Hinverse could change because of
fatigue in the test article, breakdown or improper setup of the fixture and
mounting or even degradation of the shaker system. During a test the

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Hinverse Abort and Alarm tolerances may be overlaid on the Hinv

display.

Enable Limit Check enables the Hinverse Alarm and Abort feature. The
Hinverse limit checking is only active when this item is checked.

Hinv Reference defines the abort reference signal. Active Hinv function
uses Hinv function initialized and measured with each new test start and
updated in real-time. Import Hinv function uses a previously measured
Hinv function for the entire test. Use the Import button to select the
previously measured Hinv function to use as the reference.

Limits define the High/Low Alarm and Abort Limits in dB.

Activate limit checking at this test level specifies the test level when
the limit checking is applied. Limit checking will not apply when the
test is at a level below the value entered in this field.

Import Remote Signal

The Import Remote Signal feature allows you to import signals from
another application such as RT-Pro (Dactron Signal Analysis Software)
using Real Time Data Exchange or RTDE. On prerequisite to importing
a signal from an external application is that the signal must be enabled in

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that application. Upon selecting Import Remote Signal, the RTDE

Settings pop-up window will follow in which you can enter the IP
address of the application the signal will be imported from. If a non-
Ethernet device such as a PhotonTM or LASERTM is the source unit, then
leave the field blank and press OK.

RTDE Settings Popup Window

Both the Contents menu and the Signal Manager dialog will now display
the imported signals as “Remote Instance…” In addition, these
“Remote Instance…” signals may be displayed in any pane in Shaker
Control. The “Remote_” part of the signal name indicates that the signal
was imported from another application. The “_Instance” part tells you
from which application it was imported. See Section 7 – Toolbar and
Mouse Controls, View Menu for more information on Instance.

Waterfall Request
A Waterfall is a plot of a time function or frequency based function such
as input1(t) or G1,1(t), versus a third axis: time, event number, or another
measured signal. When an Event Waterfall is requested, the data is

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buffered on the PC after it is transferred from the DSP. Therefore, the

accuracy of the third axis cannot be guaranteed.

The figure below shows how the PC stores each transient event in Event
3D mode. The ignored portion of data will be acceptable to the user as
long as all the transient events are captured and stored.

ignored ignored

time

transient capture

Spectral transform

initiate next capture

DSP System

PC
Trasfer 2D signal to PC
and store it into 3D array

An Event Waterfall can be defined by selecting Waterfall Request from

the Test Setup menu. From the Waterfall Setup dialog, you can select
the signal to be displayed as a waterfall from the Signal Candidates field
and also define the third axis in the “Associate Waterfall with” area.
Once a waterfall plot has been created using the Waterfall Setup, you can
display it in a Waterfall Window or Waterfall plus Slice Window.

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Signal Candidates displays a list of the signals that can be selected for a
waterfall display. To select a signal from the Signal Candidates list,
highlight the signal by clicking on the text and click >> to move it to
the Selected Signals list. Conversely, use the << button to remove any
undesired signal from the selected list.

Selected Signals shows the signals that will be computed for waterfall
display. To remove a signal from the Selected Signals list, highlight the
signal by clicking on the text and use the << button to remove the
undesired signal from the Selected Signals list.

Number of slices defines the number of plots that will be displayed on

the third axis of the waterfall.

Scrollable defines the action when the data reaches the end of the event
axis. When the scrollable option is enabled then the last dataset scrolls
off the frame and is replaced by the next frame so that the data
continuously scrolls across the waterfall plot. When this option is
disabled then when the last dataset reaches the end of the event axis the
waterfall display is frozen and the data stops updating so that a fixed
number of events can be captured without stopping the measurement.

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“Associate the Waterfall with” defines what data will be used to

represent the third axis of the waterfall. The choices are Time, Event
Sequence Number, and Measurement Quantity.

Associate the Waterfall with:

1) Time

Time waterfall data is buffered on the PC memory instead of the DSP

memory and therefore the quantity of data can be significantly larger.
The quantity of data is defined by the number of slices and the number of
frequency lines and is limited only by the PC RAM memory. This
feature can be used to display up to 500 slices over an unlimited time
span. Also the acquisition is not guaranteed to be in real-time because
the communication between the PC and the DSP is not a real-time
process.

Time Event Waterfall can display many more slices than the Real-Time
waterfall because the data is buffered in the PC memory not the DSP
memory.
To compute a time event waterfall the Time option must be selected.

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Total Time Duration defines the length of the waterfall display in

seconds. The time resolution between slices is defined by the number of
slices and the total time duration.

2) Event Sequence Number

Event Sequence Number should be used with a triggered event such as

an impact or other transient capture. The waterfall will display one
frame of data, either time or frequency data, on each slice. This is useful
for examining the effect of changes in sensor or impact location or
impact force. The third axis is labeled as Event number, e.g., 1, 2, 3…

Event Waterfalls are useful for displaying multiple triggered events such
as impacts from hammer blows to study the variation with location and
force.

3) Measurement quantity as reference

Measurement quantity as reference allows the use of any measured

signal to be used as the reference so that the data will be displayed as a
function of the secondary measured signal. Note that this signal can
increase and decrease with time and therefore the third axis will be
updated as the Z-reference varies. Typical applications include studying
the effect of variations of temperature, pressure, strain, etc..

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Z-Reference defines the input channel that will be used as the reference.
This channel will be represented on the thirds axis of the waterfall plot.

Value defines how the input from the Z-Reference is evaluated. The
choices are Mean, Peak and RMS.

Low Limit defines the lowest value of the reference signal that will be
plotted on the waterfall plot.
High Limit defines the highest value of the reference signal that will be
plotted on the waterfall plot.

Transmissibility Signals

A Transmissibility signal is the ratio of one signal to another where one is

defined as the “Excitation” and the other is defined as the “Response”.
Transmissibility is typically used for resonance analysis. You can only
create Transmissibility signals in Random, Sine, and LTH (Long Time
History) project groups. For Sine projects, these signals can be displayed
in a Resonance Search Window along with a table of found resonances,
which are based upon the Resonance Search Criteria that you specify.
The Resonance Search Window will be explained in further detail in
Section 5 - Run a Project, Resonance Search Window.

To create Transmissibility signals, select Transmissibility from the Test

Setup Menu of from the “Transmis” icon on the Setting Toolbar.

Transmissibility from the Test Setup Menu

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The Transmissibility signals dialog will appear next from where you can
create new signals or edit existing signals.

The Signal List field lists the Transmissibility signals that have already
been created. Click on a signal from the list to display or edit its
definition.

To create a special signal:

1. Click the ADD button to create a new Special Signal

2. Enter a Signal Name in the specified field or leave as the default.
3. Choose the Response and the Excitation from the drop down
menus.

To remove a signal from the Signal List, highlight the unwanted signal
and click on the Delete button.

Transmissibility signal definition defines the method used to compute

the transmissibility signals.
Transmissibility Amplitude Only computes amplitude data
only. The results are real signals.
Complex Transmissibility and Coherence computes the
complex ratio of Response to Excitation. The results are complex

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signals and can be viewed in real-imaginary or magnitude-phase

format. When this option is selected then coherence signals are
automatically computed and can be displayed to indicate the
quality of the tramissibility function.
In Sine projects only, the Transmissibility signals dialog has an additional
button: Resonance Freq. Search Criteria.

When you click on this button, you enter the Define Resonance Criteria
dialog as shown below. In this dialog, you can define the resonance
criteria using the Q-factor and/or Amplitude ratio. You can then define
how many resonances you wish to display in a Resonance Search
Window based upon the resonance criteria.

Sine Resonance Search Criteria Dialog

Chamber Interface Setup

The Chamber Interface option enables the Dactron Shaker Control

software to communicate with and control Thermal Chambers. Using the
Chamber Interface Setup dialog box, the user is allowed to define
conditions and actions for synchronized thermal and vibration testing
that are based on Start, Stop, Abort, and Continue commands in the
Shaker Control software. The user-defined condition is checked against
commands made in the Shaker Control software; if the condition is met,

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then the user specified actions will be initiated on the thermal chamber
and Dactron shaker controller. The actions that the user can define for
the thermal chamber are setting the chamber set point temperature,
turning on/off the chamber’s Digital Output channels and turning on/off
the chamber. For the Shaker controller, actions such as writing a message
to the runlog, making the PC beep, sending a test continue or stop
command, or sending an email message can be defined.

Chamber Interface Setup

The Chamber Interface is accessible through the Test Setup menu for all
types of projects (Random, Sine, Shock, etc) in the Dactron Shaker
Control software. In the Test Setup menu select Chamber Interface
Setup.

This menu item will invoke the Chamber Interface Setup dialog box
where you can define the actions taken by the Shaker Control software
that are based on Start, Stop, Abort, and Continue events.

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Chamber Interface Setup dialog box.

The Chamber Interface Setup dialog box consists of the following setup
parameters: Chamber Server IP, Port, Detect, Please select a chamber,
Shaker Control Events, Chamber Event, Plot Parameters:

Chamber Server IP and Port define the IP address and TCP/IP Port that
the Shaker Control software uses to communicate with and control the
Thermal Chamber. The values in these fields are default values for the
Thermal Chambers and should not be changed unless otherwise
specified.
Please select a chamber allows you to select the available Thermal
Chamber to use.
The Shaker Control Event tabs allow you to Add, Edit, and Delete
actions taken by the Shaker Control software. The actions that can be
taken by the Shaker Control software can occur during an OnStart,
OnStop, OnAbort, OnContinue event; these actions will depend on the
condition and actions defined in the interface. By clicking on the Add
button in the Chamber Interface Setup dialog box, under any event tab,
the condition and actions can be set in the Define condition and
actions dialog box. You can also use the Edit button to edit any
previously defined condition and action.

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Chamber Interface Setup, Define conditions and actions dialog box.

The Define condition and actions dialog box consists of the Description,
Chamber Name, Controlled Value, Condition, Actions by Chamber, and
Actions by Shaker Controller fields:

Description allows you to create a general description of the conditions

and actions you defined for the Shaker Controller command you selected
in the Chamber Interface Setup dialog box.

Chamber Name represents the name of the Thermal Chamber that the
Chamber Interface is connected to.

Controlled Value defines what parameter to use for thermal control. The
options for this field are Temperature and Relative Humidity.

Condition allows you to specify what type of condition to use to

determine if an action by the Thermal Chamber or Dactron controller
will be initiated. The types of conditions available are as follows:

Unconditional: no condition will be applied to determine if an

action by the Chamber and/or Dactron controller will occur.
Get Actual Value: if the Value (temperature or humidity)
matches, exceeds, or is less than the value specified, then an
action by the Chamber and/or Dactron Controller will occur.

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Get Digital Output: if the Index (or Chamber Digital Output

channel) is detected as ON or OFF, then an action by the
Chamber and/or Dactron Controller will occur.

Get Digital Input: if the Index (or Chamber Digital Output

channel) is detected as ON or OFF, then an action by the
Chamber and/or Dactron Controller will occur.

Get Error Status: used to detect errors on the Thermal Chamber,

not commonly used by the Shaker Control software.

Actions by Chamber defines what actions are to be taken by the

Thermal Chamber if the Condition is satisfied. You can specify to have
the Thermal Chamber turned ON or OFF, you can set one of the Thermal
Chamber’s Digital Output channel’s to ON or OFF, and you can specify
the Set Point temperature in °C with a slope in °C /min..

Actions by Shaker Controller defines what actions are to be taken by

the Dactron controller if the Condition is satisfied. You can specify that
the Dactron Shaker Control software write a message to the runlog, make
the PC beep, send a test continue or stop command, or send an Email
message.

The Chamber Event tab allows you to define chamber events that can
be identified by the Schedule using a Chamber Event Index number. For
more details on the Chamber Event Index number reference Section 4
“Schedule for Random”.

The Plot Parameters tab allows you to add the Controlled Values
(Temperature and Relative Humidity) to the Signal Candidates list so
that they can be added to a new pane. You can also define Total
recording duration in minutes and the number of Readout points per
minute.

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Plot Parameters tab in Chamber Interface Setup dialog box.

Example Chamber Interface Project

This section will describe the setup of a simple example project that
shows the functionality and features of the Chamber Interface within the
Dactron Shaker Control software. In this example, a Random project will
be setup that interfaces with the Chamber Interface whose parameters
will be set as listed below in Setup Parameters.

Setup Parameters

1) OnStart: Controlled Value is Temperature, the Condition is set to Get

Actual Value, the Actions by Chamber will set the Set Point
temperature to 80 °C only if the actual chamber temperature matches
or exceeds a specified value of 72 °C, and the Actions by Shaker
Controller is set to Write to runlog.
2) OnStop: Controlled Value is Temperature, the Condition is set to
Unconditional, and the actions will remain the same as in OnStart
except that the Set Point temperature will be changed to 0 °C.

Setup Chamber Interface Parameters

Assuming you have the Dactron Shaker Control software running and a
Random project open, go to the Test Setup menu and select Chamber
Interface Setup. This will invoke the Chamber Interface Setup dialog
box as described in the Introduction. In this dialog box with the OnStart
tab selected, click on Add. This will invoke the Define condition and
actions dialog box. Setup the OnStart event as described in Setup
Parameter 1 above at the beginning of this section. When finished click
on OK.

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Repeat the steps to setup the OnStop event for Setup Parameter 2, where
the conditions and actions will be the same as the OnStart event except
that the Set Point temperature will be changed to 0 °C instead of 80 °C.
Then click on OK.

You should now have two events defined (1 event for OnStart and 1
event for OnStop). The figures below show the setup for the OnStart
event. When finished, click on OK in the Chamber Interface Setup
dialog box to return to the Random project.

Chamber Interface, Define condition and actions dialog box.

Start the Example Random/Thermal Project

Click on the Start button in the Control Panel. A Test ID dialog box will
prompt you if you want to Proceed Test or Cancel Test. Click on

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Proceed Test to start the Random/Thermal test. Also, as an option, fill-in

desired information and select desired settings in the Content, Usage,
and Append Mode.
The Random/Thermal test will run as defined in the Schedule. Note: In
this example, the Schedule is set to run for 5 minutes at 100% Level,
Save All Panes, and Auto-Save Signals; this is the default setting for a
New Random project. Go to the Window menu and select
ChamberWatch Window to view the status of the Chamber Interface run-
time parameters.

The Chamber Watch Window provides you with pertinent information

related to the Thermal Chamber depending on what you selected as the
Controlled Value (e.g. Temperature or Relative Humidity).

The Chamber Watch Window below shows the status of the Thermal
Chamber during the scheduled test after the OnStart event. This shows
that the current Actual Value is 20 °C, and the Set Point Value is 20 °C
since the Thermal Chamber has not yet reached or exceeded the specified
value of 72 °C.

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Chamber Watch Window

The Setup Parameters also specified to write to the runlog during the
OnStart and OnStop events. The Chamber Interface events for a
Condition set to Unconditional, it will be listed as Chamber Value under
Source and Unconditional under Description.

Preferences – Controls & Limit

The Controls and Limit tabs give you options to certain control features.
The options available in these tabs depend upon the Project Group (i.e.
Sine, Random, etc) and will be discussed later on in this section with
each group.

Preferences – Miscellaneous
The Miscellaneous Tab in the Preferences dialog gives you options to
miscellaneous project features. The options in this tab depend on the
Project Group (i.e. Sine, Random, etc) but there are some common
options common to all projects – more specifically the Use Channel ID
label for signal name, Enable On Line Tips, Runlog entry time shown as
clock time, and Enable DC Remove when display Velocity or
Displacement options. The miscellaneous options that are specific to a
particular Project Group will be discussed later on in this section with
each group.

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Use Channel ID label for signal names

The Use Channel ID label for signal names option allows you to use the
name entered into the ID field in the Channel Parameters dialog as the
signal Display Name as specified in the Signal Manager. The Display
Name is the name that is displayed in panes, reports, and as the file name
when a signal is saved.

User Specified ID for Input Channels in Channel Parameters

In the example above, Inputs 1-4 in the Channel Parameters dialog have
ID’s specified. When the Use Channel ID label for signal names box is
checked, the Display Name in the Signal Manager will become the ID
label as shown the below.

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Signal Manager with “Use Channel ID label for signal names” Enabled

Enable On Line Tips

Enable On Line Tips shows pop-up text to guide the user in using various
features such as cursor movement, saving signal confirmation, waveform
recording status, and various other warning and information messages.
Note that On Line Tips is an option selectable during software
installation. If you do not have this feature, please reinstall the software
and elect this option.

Runlog entry time shown as clock time

Runlog entry time shown as clock time displays the Entry Time shown in
the Run Log Window so that it coincides with your PC’s clock time. The
format of the entry time is HH:MM:SS, Date. Below is a sample of the
Runlog entry time with this option enabled.

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Enable DC Remove when display Velocity or Displacement

Enable DC Remove when display Velocity or Displacement applies a

frame by frame DC removal algorithm to time data when numerical
integration is applied to compute velocity or displacement.

Preferences – Email
The E-Mail tab can be used to program the software to send an email
when the test aborts.

SMTP Server is required. The user must specify an outgoing mail server
typically referred to as an SMTP server. Many companies have their
own SMTP server. Contact your IT department for SMTP information.
Other users will have to contact their ISP to get their SMTP server
information.
Login is optional. Some SMTP servers may require the user to login.
This feature is only available on Windows 2000 and above.
From address is required. The domain of the from address (part after the
@) should match the domain of the SMTP server.

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To address is required. Multiple addresses must be separated with a semi

colon
Cc is optional. Multiple addresses must be separated with a semi colon
Subject is optional and allows the user to enter a text message that will
be emailed when the test aborts.
Body is optional and allows the user to enter a text message that will be
emailed when the test aborts.

Preferences – Abort Action

The Abort Action tab gives you options that the software can perform
when the test aborts.

Auto Save Signal autosaves the signals selected under the Auto Save
column in the Save Signal Manager to the test Run Folder when the test
aborts.
Save All Panes saves snapshots of all panes currently displayed on the
screen when the test aborts.
Make PC Beep causes your PC to emit a beep sound when the test
aborts.
Send Email enables the Email function as setup in the Email tab of the
Preferences dialog to send an email when the test aborts.

Preferences – Amplifier Control

Amplifier Control serves as a link to the LDS System Controller software.
This software allows the operator to setup, switch on/off, and monitor an
LDS SPA-K amplifier from a PC. For more details on the LDS System

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Controller software, please refer to your LDS System Controller manual.

Using the Amplifier Control option you can define what Actions are taken
on the amplifier and what Messages are displayed within the Shaker
Control software.

Actions allows you to enable/disable actions that can be taken on the

amplifier when the test is started or stopped.

Turn amplifier ON when test is started allows the operator to

switch the amplifier on within the Shaker Control software using
a Start command.

Turn amplifier OFF when test is stopped allows the operator

to switch the amplifier off within the Shaker Control software
using a Stop command.

Messages allows amplifier messages to be displayed within the Shaker

Control software.

Warn before amplifier is started displays a warning message to

the operator that amplifier will be started.

Show Amplifier Error Messages displays any messages that

appear within the amplifier’s LDS System Controller software.

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Test & Profile Setup – Random & Mixed

Mode
This section describes the Test Setup and Profile menus and dialog boxes
for Random, Random on Random (RoR), Sine on Random (SoR), and
Sine and Random on Random (SRoR) Projects.

Control Parameters for Random and Mixed-mode

For Random and Mixed-mode (RoR, SoR, and SRoR) projects, there are
two pages in the Control Parameters dialog box: Pre-Test and Test.
This menu is used to set test control methods and the pre-test process.

Test Page for Random Control Parameters

The processing technique for closed-loop control is defined in the Test

page. The procedure used to start the test (i.e., begin drive signal output)
is defined in the Pre-Test page.

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Control Parameters for Random and Mixed-mode

Lines sets the number of spectral lines (frequency bands) to use in the
control frequency bandwidth.
Delta Frequency allows a selection for the control PSD frequency
increment. When this parameter is set the Lines are automatically reset
to provide the correct deltaF value.
Example:
If Max Frequency = 2000 Hz and Delta Frequency = 5, then the
frequency lines will be set to 400.
Max Frequency sets the upper limit of the control frequency bandwidth.
Control processing is performed from zero Hz to Max Frequency Hz.
Select the frequency range based on the profile requirements. When
Auto is selected then the maximum frequency is automatically set to the
maximum value in the profile table.
Control Strategy allows four different techniques to create the control
signal using the input signals. Note that selections in the Channel
Parameters menu are linked to the choice of Control Strategy.

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Single Channel control strategy uses only one measurement for

calculation of the Control PSD.
Weighted Average control strategy applies the weighting factor to
every control input and then adds all the weighted signals together to
produce the control signal. The factor for an input channel is equal
to that input’s Weighting value squared, divided by the sum of the
squares of the Weighting values for all the control inputs. If multiple
channels are enabled in the Channel Parameter Setup, Weighted
Average is the default selection.
Maximum control strategy checks each spectral line, in all the
control inputs, and produces a composite control spectrum based on
the largest values, at each spectral line, among the control inputs.
Minimum control strategy checks each spectral line, in all the control
inputs, and produces a composite control spectrum based on the
smallest values, at each spectral line, among the control inputs.
Line Abort counts the number of spectral lines exceeding the abort
tolerances. The test automatically aborts if the defined number of lines
in the Lines field or the percent of the total lines defined in the Percent
field exceed the abort tolerances.
DOF, or Degrees Of Freedom sets the number of PSDs that will be
averaged together to form the averaged Control Spectrum. In Random,
the PSDs are averaged with both Linear Average and Exponential
Average techniques (see Section 10, “Glossary”). This joint averaging
method guarantees that (1) the PSD estimation is always un-biased and
(2) every frame is included in the Control Spectrum calculation.
Drive Limit sets the maximum drive level (peak volts) that will be output
to the amplifier. The settings here only apply to the scheduled test. For
the pre-test process, there is another Drive Limit setup.
Sigma Clip is used to prevent extreme random noise spikes from
entering the shaker system. This is useful when the desired test will be
running close to the limits of the shaker. Sigma Clipping should be used
with extreme care. A sigma level of 3 would be considered severe. At
this setting, 0.3% of a true “random” signal would be above this level.
Therefore, clipping at 3 Sigma would cause the Drive Signal to cease
being “random”.

Caution!!! Clipping produces non-linear effects that can significantly

reduce the system’s ability to control sharp resonances. This effect
results from energy leaking across the test frequency range from the
“square-wave” shape of the clipped peaks. The apparent noise floor will

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rise when a sigma clipping factor of 4 or less is used. In addition, signal

energy out of the test bandwidth may be generated causing excitation of
out-of-band resonances and poor control of resonances in the control
frequency range under some conditions.

Advanced opens the Control Option Setup dialog. This includes three
tabs: Non-Acceleration Control, Variable Resolution Control, and Control
Loss Detection.

Non-Acceleration Control

Most shaker control applications use acceleration signals as the control

signal. However, the software has an option that allows non-acceleration
control signals.

Selecting an option for non-acceleration control.

Control in linear acceleration is the most common setting and allows

control with acceleration signals.
Control in angular acceleration allows control of rotary shaker
systems. When this option is enabled you must define the radius for each
acceleration signal in the Channel Parameters dialog. All signals are
then converted into angular acceleration.

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Control in any non-acceleration allows the user to define the control

quantity for the control signal from a pull down menu. This feature is
commonly used for force, velocity, or displacement control. When this
option is enabled, the shaker limits are not checked. It is critical that the
user ensure that the profile will not exceed the shaker limits and cause
damage to the system. When this option is enabled then the Channel
Parameter and Profile are automatically changed to the specified control
quantity.

If non-acceleration control is selected, then you must

specify the type of sensor to be used for control.

Control in linear acceleration while allowing displacement or

velocity measurement provides the facility to use a mixture of sensor
types. For example, the low frequency end of the spectrum can be
measured and controlled to a displacement sensor while the rest of the
spectrum is controlled based on an acceleration sensor.

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Selecting control with a transition from displacement to acceleration.

When using a combination of displacement and acceleration or velocity

and acceleration sensors it is necessary to define a transition weighting
curve. The transition curve defines the weighting for the displacement or
velocity measurement relative to that for the acceleration measurement.
In the example setup below the displacement sensor would control 100%
at one Hertz, it would contribute 50% to the control at five Hertz, and it
would not participate in the control above ten Hertz. The effect of the
acceleration sensor would be just the reverse of the displacement sensor.
That is, no control contribution at one Hertz, 50% at five Hertz and
100% at ten Hertz and above.

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Defining the transition curve between displacement and acceleration control sensors.

For this control mode, the system cross-checks that the shaker limits are
not exceeded by the demand of the reference profile.

Variable Resolution Control Tab

This dialog allows enabling of a special control algorithm that enhances

the spectral resolution in the low frequency range of the control
spectrum. A special filter technique in the low frequency band allows
this algorithm to provide much higher low-frequency control accuracy.
The resolution in the low-frequency range is enhanced by up to eight to
one to give extremely accurate control across the entire test frequency
range.

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Random Advanced Control Window

Control Loss Detection

Control Loss Detection is an advanced feature that helps maintain

control when the control signal changes quickly due to a resonance
condition, or abort the system when the control signal is suddenly lost
due to sensor failure.
Max Control Loss compares the control RMS to the full level profile
RMS. When the control RMS differs from the full level profile RMS by
the specified quantity, then the test aborts.
Max RMS Change Rate compares the RMS value of each control and/or
monitor channel from frame to frame. If the level changes by the
specified quantity between any two frames then the test aborts.

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The control signal loss detection dialog allows setting criteria to prevent false test aborts due to
rapid signal changes associated with sharp resonances.

Pre-Test Page for Random and Mixed-mode Control Parameters

The Pre-Test page defines the parameters for the initial equalization
operations that occur prior to starting a full-level test.
Method of Acquiring the Loop Frequency Response Function (FRF)
section is used select one of the following schemes:
Measure during Pre-Test is the preferred method of achieving the FRF
that will be used during the scheduled test.
Use Current Active Function and Skip Pre-Test is used only when the
test has just been run successfully and nothing else has changed. Use
this function only when extreme care has been taken to ensure that the
test is being repeated with no changes at all from the last time it was run.
A change of just a few hours of test-time is sometimes enough to have a
significant effect on the running of a test.
Recall Function from Disk and Skip Pre-Test is used when you are
absolutely sure that the FRF stored on disk is exactly the same as the
current conditions. Use this selection only with extreme care.
If the number of Lines is changed, the Current Active Transfer Function
and the Transfer Function Saved to Disk may still be valid for use
because the control software interpolates to derive a new transfer

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function. A warning message will be shown if this happens. Be cautious

when you take advantage of this Control Parameters feature because if
you use an old transfer function with less resolution, the initial start-up
process might be inappropriate.
If the Max Frequency setting is changed, the old transfer function cannot
be used.

Pre-Test Parameters for Random and Mixed-mode

Initial Drive sets the drive voltage at which the signal amplitude will
start. Use a very low setting (such as 0.005 volts) if you have no
knowledge of the shaker system characteristics. For hydraulic shakers,
set this value higher (such as 0.5 volts) to overcome the non-linearity of
the hydraulic system.
Ramp-up Rate sets the speed with which the amplitude is going to
increase. Take into consideration the response time of your entire shaker
system for this setting. Avoid “Shocking” the system. A shock to the
system would involve a ramp-up speed that exceeds the ability of the
shaker system to respond to dynamic changes. Generally, Fast Ramp-up
works well with linear systems such as electrodynamic shaker systems.

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For hydraulic shaker systems, which are very non-linear, the best choice
is Slow Ramp-up.

Response Level Goal is the desired amplitude level that must be

achieved for the test to pass the pre-test check. If this level is not
achieved, the test will not run. This allows you to troubleshoot a
potential problem before it affects the UUT or the shaker system.
Typical values for this selection range from 10% to 50%. Once the
Response Level Goal is reached, the control system will retain the
system transfer function and use it in the scheduled test.
Maximum Drive is the maximum limit (peak volts) of the drive channel
during the pre-test.
Caution – Before every test verify that the Maximum Drive setting is a
safe value (usually much less than one volt).
Skip Pre-Test Report and Start Scheduled Test provides the option to
bypass the pre-test report, displayed after completion of the pre-test, and
immediately start the Run Schedule. If this option is not selected (not
checked), then the pre-test report is displayed and the operator must give
a Proceed command to start the Run Schedule. Note that the normal
pre-test safety check remain active regardless of the selection here. If
there is an open-loop condition, if the maximum drive voltage is reached,
or the desired response goal level is not achieved, then the pre-test will
abort. Usually this selection is active (checked) when the Digital I/O and
Project Sequence functions are used.

Preferences for Random and Mixed-mode

Controls Page for Random and Mixed-mode Preferences

The Controls page of the Preferences dialog box programs the rate of
change of the drive signal during a test shutdown or during a level
change in the pre-test or test. It also allows you to pre-program the
incremental change to the drive signal using manual level control.

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Control Preferences for Random and Mixed-mode

Abort Rate sets the rate of decrease for the drive signal after a manual or
automatic abort. The larger the value, the faster the drive shutdown.
Caution: High abort rates (> 20 dB/sec) may cause a transient on the
shaker with possible damage to the test article and/or the
shaker.
Note 1: The abort process cannot be shorter than the acquisition time
for one frame of data.
Note 2: The red hardware switch is the fastest way to initiate an abort.
The hardware switch circuitry connects directly to the Drive
controller hardware. Using the mouse to point and click on the
screen STOP button will also initiate an abort but response is
slower.

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Enable resume from abort allows, if the box is checked, resuming a

test after an abort. The full level elapsed time resumes at the time that
the test aborted and the test runs until the remaining full level time
expires. When this option is enabled an Options button is shown that
allows customizatiojn of the resume feature as show below.

Saving a project at the time a test is halted makes it possible to resume

this test as part of resumed Project Sequence.
Level Change Rate is used by the Time At Level EVENT item in the
Schedule to increase or decrease the Demand Peak Acceleration (i.e., the
desired test level) during testing. This parameter sets the test startup rate
unless a series of low-level steps are programmed as events in the
Schedule. It is also used by the Set Level, Increase Level, and Decrease
Level commands.
The Increment For Changing Level is used during testing by manual
commands for Increase Level and Decrease Level. These menu
commands change the Demand RMS level.

Limit Page for Random and Mixed-mode Preferences

The Limit page applies only if Channel Limit Profiles are enabled. If
you disable low-abort checking for the control spectrum, the limit
channels will reduce excitation to a level that does not exceed the limit
profile. If this feature is not enabled, then the test may abort as a limit
channel(s) causes the drive signal to be lowered.

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Enabling Limit Channels for Random and Mixed-mode

Miscellaneous Page for Random and Mixed-mode Preferences

The Miscellaneous page has an option to Enable floating profile display.

If selected, then the profile, abort and alarm lines are displayed at the
current demand level. In other words, these lines float from low level to
full level as the test demand level changes during startup.

Random Profile
The Random Profile dialog consists of two Pages: Table Setup and
Vibration Limits.

Table Setup for Random Profile

The Table Setup page displays the project Profile. The Profile can be
changed on the Table Setup Page.

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Random Profile Table Setup Page

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Table Setup Page for Random Profile

The Table Setup page allows you to enter the profile breakpoints and
describe the resulting spectrum. The table functions like a spreadsheet.
Each frequency, slope or level can be highlighted on the plot by clicking
on the values in the table. In the figure below the 80 Hz breakpoint
frequency, left slope and PSD Level is highlighted on the plot because
the PSD Level of 0.1 is selected on the table. This feature helps
understand and edit the profile.

Random Profile Table Setup

Each breakpoint is created by entering a Frequency value and an

Acceleration PSD Level in each numbered row. Every numbered row is
followed by an additional row that indicates the slope between each PSD

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Level. When a table is defined only by PSD Levels then the slopes are
automatically calculated.
The slope between breakpoints can be defined by entering a value in the
Slope column below each numbered row.
If the crossover frequency or amplitude values is needed for an internal
slope segment, enter the slope value and then place a “?” character in the
Frequency or Acceleration entry field. The figure below shows an
example that automatically computes the crossover frequency for a
profile defined by a low frequency slope and a high frequency PSD level.

The Profile Setup window can be resized to help viewing and editing.
The table can also be modified by right clicking on an entry and selecting
from the pop-up menu.

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Insert Row Before/After adds a row before or after the highlighted row.
Delete removes the highlighted row.
Copy copies the highlighted row to the clipboard.
Paste replaces the highlighted row with the clipboard contents.
Font Size changes the size of the font of all entries in the table with
choices of small, medium or large.

The last four columns define the high-abort, high-alarm, low-alarm and
low-abort limits. Together with the Abort-Ratio parameter defined in
Control Parameters, these limits define alarm and abort conditions on a
frequency-line-by-line basis. You can enter the low-alarm and low-abort
values without a negative sign.
If there is an inconsistency between breakpoint segments, the system will
display a crossover-frequency error message. If there are no breakpoint
inconsistencies, the Profile is generated. At this time, the low-alarm and
low-abort values will automatically be converted to negative values.
Name provides a text entry field for a description of the profile. This
will later be displayed in various locations for your reference.
RMS (gn) shows the current RMS level of the profile that has been
created. This field is a calculated field and is updated automatically
when the profile is changed.
View (Table Editor or Show all values) is an either/or selection. In the
Table Editor mode you can edit the profile. The Show all values mode
shows all breakpoints, including those computed by the system. For
some breakpoints, the table is defined by a combination of slope and

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level entries. The system will automatically compute the intersection

point (crossover frequency).
Insert Row inserts a duplicate of the active row (where the cursor is
located). The new row is inserted above the active row.
Delete Row deletes the active row.
Append Row adds a duplicate of the last row at the bottom of the table.
Fill Down is a method for quickly filling in the same value in any of the
alarm or abort columns.
Scale RMS invokes the Scale RMS dialog. This will allow you to
change the overall RMS of the profile. Scaling the Overall RMS does
not change the profile shape. The PSD amplitudes at all the frequencies
are scaled up or down as required.
Clear Table removes all rows except for low and high breakpoints.
Import invokes the Import Profile for Random dialog. You can use this
option to load a file containing a measured PSD and use this PSD as the
target profile.

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Data Format provides selection of the format of file to be loaded.

Dactron Binary is the system’s default data import and export format.
This format preserves all the information about the data including
measurement parameters. This compact file format also minimizes the
disk space required to save signal data.
Dactron ASCII Delimited files include minimal header information such
as the frame size, the sampling rate, etc., written in ASCII Format. Note
that there are two types of Dactron ASCII Delimited data formats: (1)
Y-data only or (2) X-Y pair.
ASCII Delimited Format includes other types of ASCII delimited
formats. In this case, you have to input some of the necessary
information after you have loaded the file. If the data is X-Y pair format
then only the Y-value units need to be specified. For Y-value only, the
PSD frequency resolution Delta F, the Y-value unit of the data to be
imported, and the initial frequency value need to be specified.

Note: When importing ASCII data it is assumed that commas are used
to designate thousands and other large denominations. If periods
are used, the data must be reformatted with commas used instead
of periods. For example, the number four thousand, seven
hundred twenty eight, and 98/100, if represented using a period
format would be 4.728.98. For the application program to
correctly read this value it must be formatted as 4,728.98.

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UFF Text and UFF Binary are popular industry formats. In Random,
only auto-spectrum UFF signals can be recognized and imported.
Note: MTS ATI/AFU and RPCIII formats are only available on Windows
2000 operating system and are not available in others. Shaker Control is
not able to recognize MTS ATI/AFU files set with a “Read-only” attribute
as defined in the MTS library. Please ensure prior to attempting to recall
MTS ATI/AFU files in Shaker Control that the "Read-only" attribute has
been disabled for these files.
MTS ATI Format is a binary file used with IDEAS software.
MTS AFU Format is a binary file used with MTS Noise Path Analysis
software.
Agilent SDF Format is a binary data file that is an open format used
with many Agilent and HP devices. The structure is published and
maintained by Agilent.

Refresh redraws the profile display at the top of the page.

RMS Limits Page for Random Profile

The first part of RMS Limits page lets you compare the shaker limits to
the expected peak acceleration, velocity and Peak-Peak displacement of
the profile.

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Random Profile RMS Limits Page

Profile Expected Values are the “expected” values of the highest peaks
that will be seen during the test. These values are calculated based on an
assumption of a crest factor (peak to RMS ratio) of 3. The actual crest
factor you will observe during testing depends on the linearity of the
shaker system. Hydraulic shakers are very non-linear, and the
assumption of a crest factor of 3 is generally good. However,
electrodynamic shakers are generally very linear, and the actual crest
factor may be closer to 4.

RMS Limits for Automatic Alarm and Abort

These fields allow you to define the RMS limits used in the safety check.
When the control RMS value is lower or higher than the limits defined
here, an alarm or abort will occur.

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There are two ways to define these limits:

Calculate Based on Table automatically computes the acceleration
RMS alarm and abort values based on the corresponding dB values
specified. Generally, this is the best option. The system will
automatically adjust the RMS values when you change the profile. This
maintains the same safety margin.
Enter Manually allows you to set the acceleration RMS values as
absolute values. Note that if you change the profile with this selection
active, you will need to check these values, as they may no longer be
appropriate. For example, if you set the High Abort to 3 Grms for a 2
Grms profile, and then you rescale the profile to 1 Grms, the High Abort
will still be set to 3 Grms.
Note: RMS checking is used primarily for shaker protection. It also
provides an overall measurement of the quality of the test.
Spectral Line checking is used to justify the quality of the test
from a statistical standpoint.

Example Random Profile Setups

The examples that follow provide insight into the method of defining a
Random profile.

Using Starting and Ending Slopes in a Random Profile

Many test specifications provide minimum and maximum frequencies,

starting and ending slopes, and several breakpoints to define the test
profile. The NavMat profile is an example of this type of specification:

Minimum frequency: 20 Hz
Maximum frequency: 2000 Hz
Starting slope: 6 dB/oct
Breakpoint 1: 0.04 g2/Hz at 80 Hz
Breakpoint 2: 0.04 g2/Hz at 350 Hz
Ending slope -6 dB/oct
The figure below shows the NavMat entry in the Profile Table. The
profile starts at 20 Hz, slopes up at 3 dB/oct to 80 Hz, it is then flat at
0.04 g2/Hz to 350 Hz, and then it slopes down at 3 dB/oct to 2000 Hz.

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Using Starting and Ending Slopes in a Random Profile.

Using Internal Breakpoints in a Random Profile

Some specifications require internal slopes. Random’s Profile Table has

the capability for internal slope entry. The internal slope is defined by a
breakpoint entry with a specified frequency and slope value. For
example, the first figure below shows a profile with a constant 0.04
g2/Hz level, from 50 to 100 Hz, followed by a slope of -12 dB/oct. The
Profile Table automatically calculates the PSD value for the 350 Hz
breakpoint when a ? is entered in the Acceleration value. A full
breakpoint table as calculated by the system is shown in the second
figure.

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Using an Internal Slope in a Random Profile

Full Breakpoint Table Showing Calculated Level at 350 Hz

Using Step Changes in a Random Profile

The figure below shows how to program in a Level Step Change in a

Random Profile. No two breakpoints can have the same frequency so the

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two breakpoints defining the low and high, or low and high, levels must
have slightly different frequencies. Breakpoints 3 and 4, and 5 and 6,
illustrate this point. This example also illustrates the use of non-
symmetric tolerance bands. Starting at 201 Hz the abort and alarm
tolerances spread. Between 500 and 2000 Hz different tolerance values
are used for the high and low aborts and alarms.

Step Change in Random Profile

Mixed-mode Profiles
A Mixed-mode Profile consists of a Broadband Random profile with a
Narrowband profile “riding” on top of it. The Narrowband Profile can
consist of random narrowband components, sine or “tone” components,
or a combination of random narrowbands and tones. These mixed-mode
profiles are referred to as Random on Random (RoR), Sine on Random
(SoR), and Sine and Random on Random (SRoR).
RoR, SoR and SRoR all use a modified Random Profile menu.

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Narrowband Profile for Random on Random (RoR)

For Random on Random Projects an additional selection on the Profile
menu invokes the ROR Profile Editor dialog. This profile allows
programming of up to twelve random narrowbands.

Narrowband Profile Dialog for Random on Random

Random Narrowband Number is the number of the narrowband that is

being defined. You may define up to 12 individual narrowbands.
However, if Sweep in harmonic mode is selected, then the sweep

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parameters for tones 2 through 12 are automatically set based on the

values used for tone 1.
Bandwidth is the frequency bandwidth of the narrowband random
signal. The smallest bandwidth possible is that corresponding to the
delta frequency value for the broadband profile (refer to the dF value
listed in Control Parameters).
2
Demand is the amplitude (in units of Acceleration /Hz) of the
narrowband to be added to the Broadband Profile.
Left Edge Lowest Frequency marks the lowest frequency that this
narrowband reaches when sweeping downwards.
Right Edge Highest Frequency is the highest frequency extreme that
this narrowband reaches when sweeping upwards.
Left Edge Starting Frequency is the frequency at which the sweep will
start.

Bandwidth

Left Freq. Start Freq. Right Freq.

Narrowband Sweep Range Definitions

Other controls on this page adjust the High Alarm and Abort limits
(there are no low limits because this signal “rides” on the Random
Profile). The Ramping Rate sets the speed that the narrowband
amplitude will increase to its full level when the narrowband is turned
on.
There a number of options for controlling the narrowband sweeps. These
parameters include the Mode, linear or log, and the Initial Sweep
Direction, either up or down. The Sweep Rate can be defined by
specifying either the sweep rate in Hz/sec or the number of sweeps per a
given time period.
The sum all narrowband and broadband profile together selection
causes the narrowbands to add with the broadband random at every
frequency. With this selection the narrowbands will add together if they
cross over during a sweep.

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The use the largest value of narrowband or broadband profile uses

the maximum profile value, whether a narrowband or the broadband, at
each frequency. With this selection the narrowbands will not add
together if they cross over during a sweep. Rather the peak value during
the cross over will be the value corresponding to the narrowband with the
greatest profile value.

Narrowband Sweep Envelope

A special “envelope” signal allows you to display the narrowband sweep

profiles. This signal can be overlaid on a display of the broadband
random profile to give you an overall test profile display. The figure
below shows an example display. See Section 6, “Creating Screens and
Reports”, for more information on display setups.

Narrowband Sweep Envelope Overlaid on Broadband Profile

Vibration Limits for RoR

In the Vibration Limits page additional information is presented to

account for the narrowband random or tone components of the profile.

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Vibration Limits dialog page for the Mixed Mode Profile Setup

Narrowband RMS is the calculated square root of the sum of the squares
of all the narrowband or tone components.
Overall RMS is the square root of the sum of the squares of the
Broadband RMS and the Narrowband RMS.
Overall Expected Value is the “expected” peak value that will occur
during a test. These values are calculated based on an assumption of a
crest factor (peak to RMS ratio) of 3. The actual crest factor you will
observe during testing depends on the linearity of the shaker system.
Hydraulic shakers are very non-linear, and the assumption of a crest
factor of 3 is generally good. However, electrodynamic shakers are
generally very linear, and the actual crest factor may be closer to 4

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Sine Tones Profile for Sine on Random (SoR)

For Sine on Random Projects, the SOR Profile Editor dialog allows
programming of up to twelve sine tones.

Tone Profile Dialog for Sine on Random

Sweep in harmonic mode invokes a mode that automatically defines

sweep frequencies and rates harmonically linked to the fundamental sine
tone (the first tone).
Tone Number is the number of the sine tone that is being defined. You
may define up to 12 individual tones. However, if Sweep in harmonic
mode is selected, then the sweep parameters for tones 2 through 12 are
automatically set based on the values used for tone 1.

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All other parameters are associated with the tone number. Each sine tone
has one page of parameters, which are defined as follows:
Amplitude (Peak) specifies the peak amplitude of the sine tone in this
field. In Harmonic Mode, you may still independently specify the
amplitude of all 12 tones.
The High Alarm and Abort limits set the upper tolerances during the
tone sweep (there are no Low Limits because this signal “rides” on the
Random Profile). The Ramping Rate sets the speed that the tone
amplitude will increase to its full level when the tone is turned on.
The tone sweep can be tailored by setting the Sweep Parameters.
These parameters include the sweep Mode, linear or log, and the Initial
Sweep Direction, either up or down. The Sweep Rate is specified in
linear mode as Hz/sec or Minutes/sweep, and either Oct/Min, Dec/Min or
Minutes/sweep for log mode.
Burst Mode – This feature turns the tones on and off in an automatic
cycle. The Time On and Time Off are independently set in seconds.
The Use Advanced Profile option allows entry of a sweep profile for
each tone. Each profile table operates just like the Sine Profile Table.
An example Tone Profile is shown below. See the “Profile for Sine and
RSTD” Section, for details on the setup of a Sine Profile.

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Advanced Profile for SoR Tones

Tone Sweep Envelope

A special “envelope” signal allows you to display the tone sweep

profiles. This signal can be overlaid on a display of the broadband
random profile to give you an overall test profile display. See the figure
below for an example display. See Section 6, “Creating Screens and
Reports”, for more information on display setups.

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Tone Sweep Envelope Overlaid on Broadband Profile

Profile for Sine and Random on Random (SRoR)

For Sine and Random on Random Projects, the Profile Setup dialog
includes both the RoR Profile Editor and the SoR Editor pages. The
setup for these two dialogs is as described above in descriptions of RoR
and SoR.

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Limiting Profile for Random and Mixed-mode

To enable and define the limiting profile for an input channel, select
Limiting Profile under the Profile menu.
To enable limiting control for a channel, select Notching Limit or Abort
Limit for that channel. For a Notching Limit channel, if the input channel
exceeds its limit during testing, the drive output (at that frequency) will
be reduced (notched) until the input channel does not exceed its limit.
For an Abort Limit setting, the test is automatically aborted if the
spectrum of the Abort Limit channel exceeds its profile in any frequency
range. To edit the limiting profile, highlight the field of that channel then
click the Edit button.

Enabling a Limit Channel

The Profile Editor dialog box will be invoked:

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Limiting Profile Editor Dialog

The limiting profile is defined by a sequence of segments. To add a

segment, click the Add button. To remove the segment, highlight the
segment line and click the Remove button. To edit the segment, double-
click the segment line or highlight it and then click the Edit button.
By defining multiple limit segments, you can create a profile with a
specific shape. Frequency ranges without a defined limiting profile are
not subject to limit control during a test.

Limiting Segment Definition

The limiting profile can be constructed by an unlimited number of

segments. Each of the segments is defined by two breakpoints.

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Defining a Limit Frequency Segment

A frequency and the corresponding PSD amplitude value define a

breakpoint.

Schedule for Random

The Schedule provides automatic programming for the following
functions: test startup, test levels, test duration, enabling or disabling of
abort checks, drive updating, and periodic saving of signal data. The
selection list on the left side of the Schedule dialog adds entries for
definition of the schedule.
To edit an entry, either double-click it, or highlight it and click the Edit
Item button. You may also Delete an item in the list or Edit one that has
already been entered.

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Schedule Dialog Box for Random

Time at Level Event invokes a dialog box for defining the duration and
level of the Event.
Start a Loop invokes a dialog to specify the number of times that a loop
will be repeated.
End a Loop closes a loop sequence. Loops can be nested but End a
Loop and Start a Loop entries must be defined as a pair.
Auto Abort Check On enables automatic Abort during the test.
Auto Abort Check Off disables automatic Abort checks. You should
disable the automatic Aborts checks only if an operator monitors the test
continuously. Manual aborts are the only protection once automatic
abort checking is turned off.
Open Control Loop inhibits updating of the measured system transfer
function and other control loop update parameters. The system will
continue to update the drive signal to maintain a guassian signal but no
corrections are made to account for changes in the shape of the Control
PSD.
Close Control Loop enables continuous updating of the measured
system transfer function and the drive signal. This is the standard mode
of operation.

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Pause puts the system in a standby state (no drive signal output) for a
pre-programmed period of time. The time period can be set for an
indefinite time to allow remote test start via the Digital Input/Output
function. In this case, the software waits for a Continue command from
a specified Digital Input line and then executes the next item in the
schedule.
Save Results invokes the following dialog box and lets you specify the
signals to save automatically:

Save Results Dialog Box

Quick Report generates a test report within MS Word. This command

can be used to automatically generate data plots or test reports at pre-set
times or test events.
Net Integrator Command sends either a Start or Stop command to
another application, such as RT-Pro, that is concurrently running.
User Digital Output invokes the following dialog box and lets you
specify which of pins 2 – 9 on digital output port two to output a TTL
signal.

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Programming a TTL output signal via Digital I/O Port 2.

Chamber Event invokes the following dialog box and lets you create a
new or view/edit a Chamber Interface Event.

Set a Chamber Event Dialog Box

Chamber Event Index provides an index number to reference a defined

Chamber Event.
Select a chamber event below is a drop-down menu that allows you to
select a defined Chamber Event to use in your Schedule.
New Event allows you to define a New Event without having to open the
Chamber Event tab in the Chamber Interface Setup dialog. See the
Section 4 “General Test Setup”, “Chamber Interface Setup” for more
details on this dialog box.
View/Edit allows you to view or edit previously defined Chamber
Events.

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Example Random Schedule Setups

The examples in this section illustrate how you can use Random’s
Schedule feature to tailor your test runs.

Using the Schedule for Test Startup

You can use the Schedule to make the test startup gradual and smooth.
This feature allows you to tune the test startup to best adapt to the
characteristics of your shaker system and test article. Using the
Schedule in this way prevents overshoots of full level due to insufficient
time to fully equalize the load dynamics during the startup phase. The
example Schedule below specifies a 3 dB level change every 10 seconds
in going from -12 dB to 0 dB.

Random Schedule Setup for Gradual Test Startup

The For low level tests or tests where instrumentation line noise is a
problem at low startup levels, automatic abort checks can be suppressed
initially. This allows the test to equalize fully within tolerances at low
level without spurious test shutdowns. Then the aborts can be activated
at a higher level that is still significantly below full test level.

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Random Schedule Setup to Program the Level for Automatic Abort Checking

Using the Schedule for Level Scheduling

Another use of the Schedule is for automatic level scheduling. In the

example a five-minute full level test is followed by cycling of the level
from 100% down to 75%, then 50%, then 25%, finally followed by a
return to full level. Note that both the level, time at level, and number of
cycles are programmable.

Random Schedule Setup for Automatic Level Scheduling

Using the Schedule to Automatically Save Results

You can program a Schedule to automatically save results. This

includes saving Signals, Panes and test screen bitmaps. This example
illustrates a Schedule setup for a test that runs for one hour and saves test
results every minute. This Schedule uses a loop repeated sixty times to
accomplish the automatic saves. Every loop includes a command to run
at full level for one minute and then save all Panes, the specified Signals,
and the application screen bitmap.

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Random Schedule Setup to Automatically Save Results

Schedule for Mixed-mode

When a RoR, SoR, or SRoR Project has been selected, an additional
button(s) appears on the Schedule dialog box.
For RoR and SRoR, there is a button to activate the narrowbands for a
selected schedule event.

Turning Narrowbands On/Off

Sine tones are activated for a selected schedule event by a button for SoR
and SRoR:

Turning Sine Tones On/Off

These buttons invoke a dialog box that allows you to select the active
narrowbands or tones. You can also turn the Broadband Random signal
on or off.

Turn On/Off Bands Dialog

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Test & Profile Setup – Swept Sine, RSTD, &

Sine Oscillator

This Section describes the Test Setup and Profile menus and dialog
boxes for Swept Sine, Resonance Search, Track and Dwell (RSTD), and
Sine Oscillator Projects.

Control Parameters for Sine and RSTD

For Sine and RSTD Projects there are three pages to the Control
Parameters dialog box. These pages are the Test, Initial Ramp-up, and
Transfer Functions.

Test Page for Sine and RSTD Control Parameters

The Test page sets general control parameters for the full-level test.

Control Parameters for Sine

Lines specifies the number of frequency resolution lines to be used for

the frequency span (Max Frequency).

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Control Strategy allows four different techniques to create the control

signal using the input signals. Note that selections in the Channel
Parameters Menu Item are linked to the choice of Control Strategy.
Single Channel control strategy takes the control and uses it as the
control signal.
Weighted Average control strategy applies the factor to every
control input and then adds all the weighted signals together to
produce the control signal. The weighting factor for an input channel
is equal to that input’s Weighting value squared, divided by the sum
of the squares of the Weighting values for all the control inputs. If
multiple channels are enabled in the Channel Parameter Setup,
Weighted Average is the default selection.
Maximum control strategy checks each spectral point, in all the
control inputs, and produces a composite control spectrum based on
the largest values.
Minimum control strategy checks each spectral point, in all the
control inputs, and produces a composite control spectrum based on
the smallest values.

Drive Limit is the maximum peak volts for the drive signal during the
sine sweep.
Abort Latency defines the total number of seconds that the control
signal may exceed the abort tolerances without a test shutdown. For
example, if you define the Abort Latency as 0.1 seconds, then the test
aborts only if the control signal exceeds the abort limit for over 0.1 of a
second. If the time out abort tolerance exceeds 0.1 second, then the
control system will abort the test.
Sweep Type allows you to select either a linear or logarithmic sweep for
the Sine signal. A numeric entry sets the sweep speed. For Linear
Sweep Type, the sweep rate is defined in Hz/sec; for Log Sweep Type,
the rate defined in Octave/min. Note that the sweep rate set here is the
Default Sweep Rate. The default sweep rate can be over-ridden by an
advanced setting in the Sweep Event entry of the Schedule.
Filter Type allows you to select the type of tracking filter and
corresponding filter bandwidth specification. There are two types of
filters: Proportional and Fixed. A Proportional filter changes bandwidth
as the sine sweeps. A Fixed filter has a constant bandwidth regardless of
the current sine frequency. See Section 10, “Glossary”, for detailed
explanations of the terms Bandpass Filter and Bandwidth.
Compression Rate allows you to select the maximum rate of drive
correction. See Section 10, “Glossary”, for additional discussion about

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Compression Rate. The Use pre-defined table and Setup allows the
user to define the compression rate as a function of frequency. The
Setup button opens a dialog that defines the compression rate versus
frequency.
Average specifies the method of averaging to use in the control loop -
logarithmic or linear averaging. Generally logarithmic is the preferred
method as it provides stable control characteristics. In some cases, such
as when faced with a sharp, lightly damped resonance, linear averaging
can improve the control accuracy. When Linear Average is selected then
an Averaging Number must be specified.
Advanced opens the Control Option Setup dialog. This includes two
tabs: Non-Acceleration Control and Control Loss Detection.

Non-Acceleration Control

Most shaker control applications use acceleration signals as the control

signal. However, the software has an option that allows non-acceleration
control signals.

Selecting an option for non-acceleration control.

Control in linear acceleration is the most common setting and allows

control with acceleration signals.

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Control in angular acceleration allows control of rotary shaker

systems. When this option is enabled you must define the Radius for
each acceleration signal in the Channel Parameters dialog. All signals
are then converted into angular acceleration.
Control in any non-acceleration allows the user to define the control
quantity for the control signal from a pull down menu. This feature is
commonly used for force, velocity, or displacement control. When this
option is enabled, the shaker limits are not checked. It is critical that the
user ensure that the profile will not exceed the shaker limits and cause
damage to the system. When this option is enabled then the Channel
Parameters and Profile are automatically changed to the specified
control quantity.

If non-acceleration control is selected, then you

must specify the type of sensor to be used for control.

Control in linear acceleration while allowing displacement or

velocity measurement provides the facility to use a mixture of sensor
types. For example, the low frequency end of the spectrum can be
measured and controlled to a displacement sensor while the rest of the
spectrum is controlled based on an acceleration sensor.

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Selecting control with a transition from displacement to acceleration.

When using a combination of displacement and acceleration or velocity

and acceleration sensors it is necessary to define a transition weighting
curve. The Transition Curve defines the weighting for the displacement
or velocity measurement relative to that for the acceleration
measurement. In the example setup below the displacement sensor
would control 100% at one Hertz, it would contribute 50% to the control
at five Hertz, and it would not participate in the control above ten Hertz.
The effect of the acceleration sensor would be just the reverse of the
displacement sensor. That is, no control contribution at one Hertz, 50%
at five Hertz and 100% at ten Hertz and above.

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Defining the transition curve between displacement and acceleration control sensors.

For this control mode, the system cross-checks that the shaker limits are
not exceeded by the demand of the reference profile.

Control Loss Detection

Control Loss Detection page provides advanced features that help to

set the sensitivity of the controller abort detection to changes in the
control signal(s). These settings can also prevent false test aborts due to
the control signal changing quickly when sweeping through a very sharp
anti-resonance.
The Enable control loss check when multi-channel control is used
option enables the normal check for the loss of any of the control signals.
When sweeping thorough a deep ant-resonance the controller will
possibly detect a false control signal loss condition because the response
of that accelerometer will be very small. If the normal control signal loss
checks are disabled, by unchecking this selection, then it is possible to
sweep through sharp anti-resonances without a false abort. Even with
control signal loss detection disabled, the system will still abort the test if
detects that all control signals appear to be lost.
Max Control Loss compares the control RMS to the full level profile
RMS. When the control RMS differs from the full level profile RMS by
the specified quantity, then the test aborts.
Max RMS Change Rate compares the RMS value of each control and/or
monitor channel from frame to frame. If the level changes by the
specified quantity between any two frames then the test aborts.

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The control signal loss detection dialog allows setting criteria to prevent false test aborts due to
rapid signal changes associated with sharp resonances.

Initial Ramp-up Page for Sine and RSTD Control Parameters

This page sets parameters for the initial equalization process and start-up
of the Sine test.

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Initial Ramp-up Dialog for Sine

Initial Drive sets the starting drive volts of the sine signal at the
beginning of the test. This should be set to a low value initially to avoid
“shocking” the system.
Maximum Drive during Ramp-up sets the highest drive voltage output
value allowed during the ramp-up. If this limit is reached and the profile
target level is not achieved, the ramp-up is aborted.
Ramp-up Rate sets the rate at which the signal amplitude will increase
during the initial ramp-up prior to the start of the test. The best choice
depends on the overall response of your shaker system. For electro-
hydraulic shakers, or a low-frequency start-up (say lower than 10 Hz),
use Slow Ramp-up.
After the initial ramp-up, the control system will immediately start the
scheduled test without a pause.

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Control Parameters for Resonance Search and Tracked

Dwell (RSTD)
RSTD provides extensive resonance search capability with either
frequency-locked dwell or phase-tracked dwell. The test status display
provides on-line monitoring of resonance searches and a dwell status
summary.
Detection of resonances during a search sweep is based on user specified
criteria defined by a Search item in the Schedule. During a search
sweep these criteria are applied to one of the real-time transmissibility
function measurements to generate a list of detected resonances.

Control Parameters for Sine Oscillator

For the Sine Oscillator Project there is one page to the Control
Parameters dialog box, which is the Test page.

Test Page for Sine Oscillator Control Parameters

The Test page sets general control parameters for the full-level test.

Control Parameters for Sine Oscillator

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Lines specifies the number of frequency resolution lines to be used for

the frequency span (Max Frequency).

Drive Limit is the maximum peak volts for the drive signal during the
sine sweep.

Filter Type allows you to select the type of tracking filter and
corresponding filter bandwidth specification. There are two types of
filters: Proportional and Fixed. A Proportional filter changes bandwidth
as the sine sweeps. A Fixed filter has a constant bandwidth regardless of
the current sine frequency. See Section 10, “Glossary”, for detailed
explanations of the terms Bandpass Filter and Bandwidth.

Preferences for Sine, RSTD, and Sine Oscillator

Controls Page for Sine & RSTD Preferences

The Controls page of the Sine & RSTD Preferences dialog box provides
for programming the rate of change of the drive signal during a test
shutdown or during a level change in the course of a pre-test or test. It
also allows you to pre-program the incremental change to the sine signal
level and frequency using manual controls.

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Control Preferences Setup for Sine & RSTD

Abort Rate sets the rate to decrease the drive signal after a manual or an
automatic abort. The larger the value, the faster the drive is shutdown.
Caution: High abort rates (> 20 dB/sec) may cause a transient on the
shaker with possible damage to the test article and/or the
shaker.
Note: The red hardware switch is the fastest way to initiate an abort.
The hardware switch circuitry connects directly to the Drive
controller hardware. Using the mouse to point and click on the
screen STOP button will also initiate an abort but response is
slower.
Enable resume from abort allows, if the box is checked, resuming a
test after an abort. The full level elapsed time resumes at the time (or
cycles) that the test aborted and the test runs until the remaining full level

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time (or cycles) expires. When this selection is enabled, an additional

Option button is presented. The options available are show below.

Saving a project at the time a test is halted makes it possible to resume

this test as part of resumed Project Sequence.
Level Change Rate is used by the Set Level, Increase Level, and
Decrease Level to increase or decrease the Demand Peak (i.e., the
desired test level) during testing.
Increment for Changing Level is used during testing by manual
commands for Increase Level and Decrease Level. These menu
commands change the Demand Peak level.
Increment for Changing Frequency is used to pre-program the change
to drive frequency from the current value to a new value. Operating in
fractional octaves, this parameter is used by the Increase Frequency and
Decrease Frequency commands.
Sweep Rate Used for Changing Frequency is used to pre-program the
rate for sweeping the drive frequency from the current value to a new
value. It is active when you use the Increase Frequency and Decrease
Frequency commands.

Controls Page for Sine Oscillator Preferences

The Controls page of the Sine Oscillator Preferences dialog box provides
for setting of the following options: Frequency Change and Level
Change Rate.

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Control Preferences Setup for Sine Oscillator

Frequency Change allows you to specify how the Drive signal is

adjusted when test frequency is changed. Change to specified frequency
directly does not ramp down the Drive signal, but instead “jumps” to the
specified frequency. The Ramp down before changing frequency setting
ramps down the Drive signal before ramping back up to the specified
frequency.

Level Change Rate is used by the Set Level, Increase Level, and
Decrease Level to increase or decrease the Demand Peak (i.e., the
desired test level) during testing.

Limits Page for Sine Preferences

The Limit page applies only if Channel Limit Profiles are enabled.
Disabling low abort checking for the control spectrum allows the limit
channels to reduce the excitation level enough to prevent exceeding the
limit profile. If this feature is not enabled, the test may abort as a limit
channel(s) causes the drive signal to be lowered.

Disabling Low-abort Checks with Limit Channels Enabled

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Miscellaneous Page for Sine Preferences

The Miscellaneous page allows setting of the recording interval for

control(t), frequency(t) and other time domain signals. A total of 2048
points can be recorded for each signal. Setting Time Resolution to 1.365
seconds (1365 milliseconds), for example, gives signals that record a
total period of 46 minutes and 36 seconds (2796 seconds).

Setting the Time Resolution for Time Signal Records

Profile for Sine and RSTD

The Sine Profile contains two Pages: Table Setup, and Vibration Limits.

Table Setup Page for Sine and RSTD Profile

The Table Setup page allows you to enter the profile breakpoints and
describe the resulting spectrum. The table functions like a spreadsheet.
Each frequency, acceleration, velocity or displacement level can be
highlighted on the plot by clicking on the values in the table. In the
figure below the 100 Hz breakpoint frequency is highlighted on the plot
because it is selected on the table. This feature helps understand and edit
the profile.

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Profile Table for Sine

Each breakpoint is created by entering a Frequency value and either an

Acceleration, Velocity or Displacement value. Slopes between
breakpoints are defined by selecting the Segment Type.
Constant Amplitude defines the slope as a constant acceleration,
velocity or displacement.
Slope Log-Log defines the slope as a straight line in the log-log plot.
Slope Lin-Lin defines the slope as a straight line in a linear-linear plot.
The plot will appear as a curved line in the log-log plot.

The last four columns define the high-abort, high-alarm, low-alarm and
low-abort limits. Together with the Abort-Latency parameter defined in
Control Parameters, these limits define alarm and abort conditions on a
frequency-point-by-point basis. You can enter the low-alarm and low-
abort values without a negative sign.

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If there is an inconsistency between breakpoint segments, the system will

display a crossover-frequency error message and abort the profile
generation process. If there are no breakpoint inconsistencies, the Profile
is generated. At this time, the low-alarm and low-abort values will
automatically be converted to negative values.

Vibration Limits Page for Sine Profile

The final page of the Sine Profile Dialog is the Limits page. It compares
the shaker limits with the maximum values for the profile.

Profile Limits Page for Sine

Profile versus A,V,D Shaker Limits

You can set up a display to compare the profile against the shaker limits
for acceleration, velocity, and displacement. The figure below shows
displays of the profile plotted in the three dimensions – acceleration,
velocity, and displacement – with the corresponding shaker limit values

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overlaid. Refer to Section 6, “Creating Screens and Reports”, for help on

setting up display panes and special display formats.

Sine Profile Compared to Shaker Acceleration, Velocity and Displacement Limits

Example Sine Profile Setups

Crossover Frequency Calculation in a Sine Profile

Crossover frequencies are automatically calculated in the Profile Table.

These frequencies are transition points between profile segments for
different types of constant amplitude. For example, there is a change in
slope in going from a constant displacement segment to a constant
velocity segment. The crossover calculation determines the frequency at
which the two types of slopes intersect. This ensures that the profile is
smooth and without discontinuities. A continuous profile prevents any
abrupt change in the acceleration level during the sine sweep.

Method 1 – Using the special ? entry

To use this feature enter the first segment as the first row in the profile
table, then enter in the next row the segment parameters with either the
frequency or amplitude entered as a “?” character. Finally, press the
Refresh button and the appropriate frequency or amplitude value is

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calculated and displayed. Note that this method only works for the last
row in the profile table.
In this example the first row defines a constant displacement and the
second row a constant acceleration segment. Since the crossover
frequency is not known, a “?” is enter as the Frequency in the second
row.

The third row defines a constant velocity segment. Again the crossover
frequency is not known so a “?” is entered for the frequency.

The frequency for the final segment is the upper sweep limit. Entering
this frequency and segment parameters in the final row produces the
desired profile.

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Sine Profile Crossover Calculation (Full Breakpoint Table Shown)

Using all Segment Types

The following is another example of a Sine Profile setup. In this case, all
the different types of segments are shown. The Profile Table includes
constant displacement, velocity and acceleration segments. It also
includes straight-line segments between acceleration values (breakpoints
5, 6 and 7).

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Sine Profile Using All Segment Types

Using Step Changes in a Sine Profile

The figure below shows how to program in a Level Step Change in a

Sine Profile. This example also illustrates the use of non-symmetric
tolerance bands. Starting at 200.001 Hz the abort and alarm tolerances
spread. Between 500 and 2000 Hz difference tolerance values are used
for the high and low aborts and alarms.

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Step Change in a Sine Profile

Limiting Profile for Sine

To enable and define the limiting profile for an input channel, select
Limiting Profile under the Profile menu.

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Enabling Limit Channels

To enable limiting control for a channel, select Notching Limit or Abort

Limit for that channel. For a Notching Limit channel, if the input channel
exceeds its limit during testing, the drive output (at that frequency) will
be reduced (notched) until the input channel does not exceed its limit.
For an Abort Limit setting, the test is automatically aborted if the
spectrum of the Abort Limit channel exceeds its profile in any frequency
range. To edit the limiting profile, highlight the field of that channel
then click the Edit button.
The Profile Editor dialog box will be invoked:

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Defining a Limiting Profile

The limiting profile is defined by a sequence of segments. To add a

segment, click the Add button. To remove the segment, highlight the
segment line and click the Remove button. To edit the segment, double-
click the segment line or highlight it and then click the Edit button.
By defining multiple limit segments, you can define a profile with a
specific shape. Frequency ranges without a defined limiting profile are
not subject to limit control during a test.

Limiting Segment Definition

The limiting profile can be constructed by an unlimited number of

segments. Each of the segments is defined by two breakpoints in the
following dialog box:

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Defining a Limiting Segment

A breakpoint is defined by a frequency and the corresponding

Acceleration, Velocity, or Displacement value. When an acceleration,
velocity or displacement value is entered, the system calculates the other
two values.

Schedule for Swept Sine

The Schedule provides automatic programming of the following: test
startup, test levels, sweep ranges and durations, dwell tests, enabling or
disabling of abort checks and drive updating, and periodic saving of
signal data. The selection list on the left side of the Schedule dialog
adds entries for definition of the Schedule.
To edit an entry, either double-click it, or highlight it and click Edit Item.
You may also Delete an item in the list or Edit one that has already been
entered.

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Schedule Setup Dialog for Sine

Pretest for Sine Schedule

A Pretest schedule event is used to perform a check of the loop

integrity, commonly referred to as a loop check, prior to attempting the
initial ramp-up of the test. A frequency and level relative to the profile
level are specified in the pretest setup table.

Pretest setup to do a loop check

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After the pretest is complete a results table shows the noise levels and
voltage levels expected at full level.

Sweep EVENT for Sine Schedule

Sweep EVENT determines the duration, frequency and speed of sine

sweeps. When Sine makes the transition from one sweep event to
another, it will usually ramp down first, then ramp up again at the next
defined starting frequency. An exception is when the ending frequency
of the previous sweep is identical to the starting frequency of current
sweep. In this case, the Sine will continue to sweep without ramping
down.

Sweep Event Parameters

In the Sweep EVENT dialog box, the following fields are set:

Sweep Duration Type: Time or Sweeps

You may set sweep duration in terms of Time (hours:minutes:seconds) or
in numbers of Sweeps. A complete sweep is defined as one sweep up or
one sweep down.
A fractional number is a perfectly valid entry for the number of Sweeps.
For example, if you want the sine to sweep over only one-half of the
frequency range defined by the Lowest Frequency and the Highest
Frequency values, set Sweeps to 0.50.

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Advanced Sweep Rate Setting

This field allows you to use a rate different rate than the Default Sweep
Rate defined in the Control Parameters. To specify a special sweep rate
for a schedule event, select Special Sweep Rate and enter the sweep rate
in the edit box. Note that the Sweep Type (Linear or Logarithmic)
setting in the Control Parameters determines the sweep rate units. If the
Sweep Type is Linear, the unit is in either Hz/sec or Minute/Cycle. If
the Sweep Type is Log, the sweep unit will be either Octave/Minute or
Minute/Cycle.

Special Sweep Rate Selection

The Initial Sweep Direction defines the sweep direction after the Sine
ramps up to the Starting Frequency. Lowest Frequency and Highest
Frequency define the range of this Sweep Event.
The range of each sweep event should be within the valid range of the
Profile and the Maximum Frequency defined in the Control Parameters.
The figure following shows the relationship between these values:

frequency range defined by the profile

Maximum Frequency
(defined in Control
Parameters)

Sweep
Event

f
Lowest Freq Highest Freq

Sweep Range Definition

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Integer Sweep Event for Schedule

An Integer Sweep Event provides for dwell and sweep events at integer
frequencies. The event will start at the Start Frequency and dwell for
the time specified in the Duration at each frequency field. After the
dwell the frequency will sweep at the default rate to the next frequency
defined by the Start Frequency plus the Interval Frequency and then
dwell. This will continue until the sweep reaches the End Frequency.

Dwell Event for Schedule

A Dwell EVENT provides for fixed-frequency dwelling at a specified

frequency or at the current frequency. The duration of the test can be
specified in terms of time (hh:mm:ss) or cycle count.

Fixed Frequency Dwell Dialog

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Other Sine Schedule setup options include:

Start a Loop invokes a dialog to specify the number of times that a loop
will be repeated.
End a Loop closes a Loop sequence. Loops can be nested but End a
Loop and Start a Loop entries must be defined as a pair.
Level allows you to set the sweep event level ( in % or dB or ratio)
relative to the full test level.
Frequency allows you to set the frequency to a specified value or
increase the frequency by a specified frequency increment.

Go to here is a pre-defined default digital input line used to “jump” from

the current event in the run schedule to the location where this command
has been inserted.
Auto Abort Check On enables automatic Abort during the test.
Auto Abort Check Off disables automatic Abort checks. You should
only disable the automatic Aborts checks if an operator monitors the test
continuously. Manual aborts are the only protection once automatic
abort checking is turned off.
Open Control Loop stops updating of the measured system transfer
function and other control loop update parameters. The Drive signal
continues to sweep but its amplitude remains constant.
Close Control Loop enables continuous updating of the measured
system transfer function and the drive signal. This mode is the standard
operating mode.

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Pause puts the system in a standby state (no drive signal output) for a
pre-programmed period of time. The time period can be set for an
indefinite time to allow remote test start via the Digital Input/Output
function. In this case, the software waits for a Continue command from
a specified Digital Input line and then executes the next item in the
Schedule.
Save Results invokes the following dialog box and lets you specify the
signals to save automatically:

Options for Saving Test Results

Quick Report generates a test report within MS Word. This command

can be used to automatically generate data plots or test reports at pre-set
times or test events.
Use Digital Output invokes the following dialog box and lets you
specify which of pins 2 – 9 on digital output port two to output a TTL
signal.

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Programming a TTL output signal via Digital I/O Port 2.

Net Integrator Command sends either a Start or Stop command to

another application, such as RT-Pro, that is concurrently running.
Chamber Event invokes the following dialog box and lets you create a
new or view/edit a Chamber Interface Event. See Section 4 “Schedule for
Random” for more details on this dialog box.

Set a Chamber Event Dialog Box

Example Sine Schedule Setups

The following examples show example Sine Schedule setups used to
automatically vary the sweep rate, to have a sweep automatically
followed by fixed-frequency dwells, and to automatically save test
results.

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Using the Schedule to Automatically Vary the Sweep Rate

For this test the Default Sweep Rate is set as 1 Oct/min in the Control
Parameters menu. An event is entered in the Schedule as “Sweep from
10 Hz to 100 Hz” at the Special Sweep Rate of 0.5 Oct/min. As the sine
signal sweeps through the frequency range of 10 to 100 Hz, it will use a
rate of 0.5 Oct/min. For all other frequency ranges of the test, the sine
signal sweeps at the default rate of 1 Oct/min.

Sine Schedule Setup for Variable Sweep Rate

Using the Schedule for Automatic Sweep and Dwells

Another use of the Schedule is to program a single sweep test followed

by a series of fixed-frequency dwells. In the example a single sweep
from 5 to 2000 Hz is followed by dwells at 100, 500 and 1200 Hz. Both
the frequency and duration can be specified for each dwell.

Sine Schedule Setup for Automatic Sweep and Dwells

Using the Schedule to Automatically Save Results

You can program a Schedule to automatically save results. This

includes saving Signals, Panes and test screen bitmaps. The example
illustrates a Schedule setup for a test with 200 sweeps and the results for
every sweep automatically saved. This Schedule uses a loop repeated
200 times to accomplish the automatic saves. Every loop includes a
command to sweep from 5 to 2000Hz, save results, and then sweep from
2000 to 5 Hz and save results.

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Sine Schedule Setup to Automatically Save Results

Schedule for RSTD

The first step in setting up a resonance dwell test is to define a resonance
search. Generally, the Schedule defines a resonance search followed by
a dwell event. The resonance search entry defines the sweep range and
criteria for resonance detection, while the dwell entry defines the dwell
duration and any stop conditions that will terminate a dwell.
RSTD also provides a capability called Dwell while Searching. In this
case, the resonance search and dwell events are combined into one single
entry in the schedule. After the detection of a resonance, a dwell is
immediately performed; then the search continues. Detection of the next
resonance initiates another dwell. This process continues until the entire
search frequency range has been covered
The graphic below outlines the resonance search and dwell procedure:

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In Control Parameter Setup, define the

transmissibilty function to be used for the
reasonance search and dwell test

Define a Search Entry, a Dwell Entry and any other

test events in the run-schedule

Enable the RSTD window, start the test

After the search, review and edit the

resonance list then Continue the test

Create the test report

Resonance Search and Tracked Dwell Test Procedure

A Pause entry right after the Search entry will pause the test while the
resonant frequency list is reviewed or edited. The system executes the
dwell test after it receives the Continue command.
In addition to the Swept Sine Schedule entries, RSTD include three more
entries: Search, RSTD Dwell, and Dwell while Searching. The RSTD
Dwell is a superset of the Swept Sine Dwell Event. The RSTD Dwell
includes both fixed-frequency and phase-tracked dwell capability.
A typical RSTD Schedule is shown below:

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Schedule Dialog for RSTD

Search Entry for Schedule

A Search entry requires definition of the following parameters:

• The transmissibility function to be used for the resonance search.

• The starting and ending frequency for the search.
• The resonant frequency detection criteria. When any one of these
criteria are met, the current sweep frequency is picked as a resonance
frequency.
• The sweep rate for the search test.

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Search Schedule Entry for RSTD

Search Using enables selection of the transmissibility function to use

for the sweep search and the frequency range to search. The available
transmissibility functions are determined by the setup in the Control
Parameters menu. The Start and End frequencies have to be within the
frequency range used for the profile.
Criteria allows you to set the thresholds for detection of resonances. Q
(Quality Factor) detects resonances with Q values greater than the value
specified in the menu. Q is a measure of the damping, or sharpness, of a
resonance. The higher the Q value, the sharper the resonant peak.
Amplitude ratio detects resonances for which the transmissibility
amplitude value is greater that the specified threshold value. Min interval
between resonances allows you to specify the minimum frequency
interval between resonances found. If you are uncertain as to the values
to expect for the transmissibility function set Q (Quality Factor) to 5 or
less and Amplitude ratio to 2 or less. These two detection criteria can be
used jointly or independently to allow you to screen the resonance
detection results and identify only the most significant resonances.

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Transmissibility Transmissibility

Q = f0/(f2-f1)
Amplitude threshold
ratio
half-
power

f1 f0 f2 f0

Q Quality factor threshold Amplitude ratio threshold

Advanced Sweep Rate Setting allows you to use a rate different rate
than the Default Sweep Rate defined in the Control Parameters. To
specify a special sweep rate for a Schedule event, select Special Sweep
Rate and enter the sweep rate in the edit box. Note that the Sweep Type
(Linear or Logarithmic) setting in the Control Parameters determines the
sweep rate units. If the Sweep Type is Linear, the unit is in either Hz/sec
or Minute/Cycle. If the Sweep Type is Log, the sweep unit will be either
Octave/Minute or Minute/Cycle.

Dwell Entry for Schedule

There are two dwell types in RSTD: Frequency-Locked Dwell and

Phase-Tracked Dwell. For Frequency-Locked Dwell, the frequency
stays at the initial dwell frequency. It does not change even if the
resonance frequency drifts.
For Phase-Tracked Dwell, the dwell frequency changes to follow any
drift of the resonance frequency.
Make your selection of a dwell technique by clicking on the appropriate
checkbox.
The RSTD Dwell entry allows specification of conditions that trigger a
stop of the dwell test. Criteria for completion of the dwell test include:

• Dwell time
• Dwell sine cycles
• Resonant frequency drift (in Hz or percent of resonant frequency)
• Resonant frequency drift per time period
• Amplitude drift

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When ANY of these conditions is met, the dwell event is stopped. The
setup for these criteria is shown in the following dialog box:

Dwell Schedule Entry of RSTD

Dwell while Searching Entry for Schedule

A Dwell while Searching entry is simply the combination of a RSTD

Dwell entry and a Search entry. For this test mode, a dwell is performed
as each resonance is detected during the search sweep.

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Search and Dwell Schedule Entry for RSTD

Test & Profile Setup – Classical Shock, SRS,

& TTH
This Section describes the Test Setup and Profile menus and dialog
boxes for Classical Shock, Shock Response Spectrum (SRS) Transient
Control, and Transient Time History Control (TTH) Projects.

Control Parameters for Classical Shock, SRS

Synthesis, and TTH
For a Shock Project, the Control Parameters menu has four pages; Test,
Filter, Pre-Test and SRS Analysis.

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Test Page for Shock, SRS Synthesis, and TTH Control Parameters

The Test page defines the parameters for measuring and updating the
system transfer function and the measurement process controls. It also
includes a number of safety settings.

Control Parameters for Shock

Averaging Number sets the number of shock pulses that will be

averaged together to form the transfer function of the shaker/test article.
Because an essentially non-varying waveform is used for excitation, as
opposed to the constantly varying output in Random, the Averaging
Number should be small. Typical values are 2 to 4 with 8 as an outside
limit. There is a diminishing return on improvement to the transfer
function estimation as more data is collected. If high non-linear effects
are expected, a value of 2 or 3 should be used to allow rapid updating of
the transfer function as the test level changes.

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Pulse Interval is the time interval between each pulse. For example, if
you want the system to output one pulse every 5 seconds, set this value
to 5.0.
Drive Limit is the maximum peak voltage for the drive signal during the
test.
Oversample Factor provides a way to change the sampling rate used.
The oversample ratios (2:1, 4:1, etc.) are relative to the sampling rate
automatically selected by the software based on the pulse duration.
When an oversample ratio is selected the sampling rate is increased by
the selected ratio. Also the block size for the data frame is increased by
the same ratio so that the total pulse frame time is constant. For example,
if the automatically selected sample rate is 6000 Hz and the data points
per frame is 2048, then an oversample factor of 2:1 will set the sampling
rate at 12000 Hz and the frame size to 4096 points.
Point Abort defines the total number of points allowed to exceed the
abort tolerances before a test abort occurs. The percent is defined
relative to the number of Frame points.
Advanced opens the Control Option Setup dialog.

Non-Acceleration Control

Most shaker control applications use acceleration signals as the control

signal. However, the software has an option that allows non-acceleration
control signals.

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Selecting an option for non-acceleration control.

Control in linear acceleration is the most common setting and allows

control with acceleration signals.
Control in any non-acceleration allows the user to define the control
quantity for the control signal from a pull down menu. This feature is
commonly used for force, velocity, or displacement control. When this
option is enabled, the shaker limits are not checked. It is critical that the
user ensure that the profile will not exceed the shaker limits and cause
damage to the system. When this option is enabled then the Channel
Parameters and Profile are automatically changed to the specified
control quantity

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If non-acceleration control is selected, then you

must specify the type of sensor to be used for control.

Filter Page for Shock, SRS Synthesis, and TTH Control Parameters

Shock control is a time domain process. Unlike Random and Sine, it is

very sensitive to high frequency noise. A low-pass filter can be used to
help suppress noise. The filter is applied to the profile first, so that the
required time domain waveform will not contain unrealistic high-
frequency content. The filter will distort the profile waveform to some
extent. If you decide to apply the filter, make sure you go back to the
profile setup and check the profile waveform.
To avoid heavy distortion of the profile, you should use an “experience
formula.” The experience formula defines a low frequency cutoff. The
experience formula states that you should not apply a filter with a cutoff
frequency lower than:
(4.0/PulseWidth) (Hz)
For example, if the pulse width is 10ms, the cutoff frequency of the filter
applied should be higher than 4/0.01sec = 400 Hz.
The same low-pass filter will be applied to the drive signal to ensure
suppression of the undesired high-frequency component.
Even when the output is filtered with this low-pass filter, the shaker
system will “reinstate” high frequency noise into the response signal. To

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overcome this effect, the same low-pass filter is applied to the response
signals.

Options for Low-Pass Filtering

Do not apply filter inhibits any low-pass filtering.

Apply filter using “Maximum Drive Frequency” in Shaker
Parameters uses the information that you have entered for the shaker.
This selection is generally a good overall choice for the filter setting.
Apply filter with user-defined cut-off frequency invokes a numerical
entry box that allows you to set a filter cut-off frequency.

Pre-Test Page for Shock, SRS Synthesis, and TTH Control

Parameters

Methods and goals for the initial test equalization phase are defined in
the Pre-Test page.

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Pre-Test Control Parameters for Shock

Method of Acquiring the Loop Frequency Response Function (FRF)

offers the following equalization methods:
Measure during Pre-Test is the preferred method of achieving the FRF
that will be used during the scheduled test.
Use Current Active Function and Skip Pre-Test should be used only
when the test has just been run successfully and nothing else has
changed. Use this function only when extreme care has been taken to
ensure that the test is being repeated with no changes. A change of just a
few hours of test time is sometimes enough to have a significant effect
on the running of a test.
Recall Function From Disk And Skip Pre-Test is used when you are
absolutely sure that the FRF stored on disk is exactly the same as the
current conditions. Use this selection only with extreme care.
Initial Drive is the start voltage for the beginning of the output waveform
to be generated.

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Ramp-up Rate sets the speed with which the amplitude is going to
increase. Take into consideration the response time of your entire shaker
system for this setting. Avoid “Shocking” the system. A shock to the
system would involve a ramp-up speed that exceeds the ability of the
shaker system to respond to dynamic changes. Generally, Fast Ramp-up
works well with linear systems such as electrodynamic shaker systems.
For hydraulic shaker systems, which are very non-linear, the best choice
is Slow Ramp-up.
Response Level Goal is the amplitude level control signal is expected
to achieve during the pre-test. Successfully achieving this level will
confirm that the system is ready to run the test.
Maximum Drive is the drive limit, in voltage, for the pre-test process.
Use inverse pulse as pre-test profile allows pre-test measurement of
Hinv using a pulse with negative polarity.
Skip Pre-Test Report and Start Scheduled Test provides the option to
bypass the pre-test report, displayed after completion of the pre-test, and
immediately start the Run Schedule. If this option is not selected (not
checked), then the pre-test report is displayed and the operator must give
a Proceed command to start the Run Schedule. Note that the normal
pre-test safety checks remain active regardless of the selection here. If
there is an open-loop condition, if the maximum drive voltage is reached,
or the desired response goal level is not achieved, then the pre-test will
abort. Usually this selection is active (checked) when the Digital I/O and
Project Sequence functions are used.

SRS Analysis Page of Shock, SRS Synthesis, and TTH Control

Parameters

The final page defines the SRS Analysis parameters.

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SRS Analysis Dialog for Shock

Enable allows you to enable or disable SRS analysis capability. Once

enabled, SRS analysis will be applied to all enabled input channels (the
channels with either Control or Monitor turned on). To view the SRS
results, select Pane and look for signal names with “SRS” in the signal
candidate category. For example, if channel 2 is enabled, you will see
AbsSRS2(f), PosSRS2(f) and NegSRS2(f). Here the AbsSRS(f) means
the Maxi-maximum SRS signal. The PosSRS(f) means the positive SRS
signal and NegSRS(f) the negative SRS signal.

The parameters for SRS Analysis are:

Low Frequency Bound establishes the lowest frequency for the SRS.
High Frequency Bound establishes the highest frequency for the SRS.
Reference Frequency is the frequency that will be used to compute the
frequency points across the frequency range specified.

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Damping Ratio(%) is the damping coefficient ζ used to calculate the

SRS:
c
ς=
2 km
Where c is the damping, k the stiffness, m the the mass of the SRS
single-degree-of-freedom system. Enter a number in percentage for the
damping ratio. For example, for ζ=5%, enter the number “5”.
Q (Quality Factor) is the Q value of the SDOF filter. If a value is
entered for Q, the Damping Ratio value is automatically changed to a
corresponding value.
Fractional Octave Number determines the spacing of frequency
components for the SRS.
The frequency points, i.e., the resonant frequencies of the bank of SDOF
systems for SRS analysis, are determined by:

Frequency[ j ] = f 0 2 j/ N

Where f0 is the reference frequency; 1/N is the fractional octave number

and j is an integer going through the range so that all frequencies
governed by high- and low-frequency bounds are covered ( plus one
additional frequency at the left bound and another at the right bound).
For example:

Low-Frequency Bound = 100Hz

High-Frequency Bound = 10,000Hz
Reference Frequency = 1,000Hz
Fractional Octave Number is 1/1

In this case, the SRS will have following frequency points: 62.5, 125,
250, 500,1000, 2000, 4000, 8000, 16000Hz

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Control Parameters for TTH

TTH allows additional choices for the pre-test transfer function
measurement (Hsys). These choices provide greater flexibility in
compensating for the dynamics of the shaker system and test article.

Pre-Test Parameters for TTH

The initial equalization methods available in TTH include:

Measure during close-loop pre-test: The Hsys is estimated using the

profile waveform as the initial excitation signal. After the initial estimate
of the Hsys is made, the drive signal is modified so that the control signal
matches the profile. This is the same method used in Classical Shock.
Use current active function and skip pre-test: The Hsys for the
previous test will be used if that test was saved to the disk with the Save

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Frequency Response Signal command. This method is also offered in

Shock.
Recall function from disk and skip pre-test: If the Hsys for any
previous test has been saved to disk with any of the methods of saving
signals, the system will recall and use that Hsys. This method is also
offered in Shock.
Open-loop output random noise: In this method, a white-noise signal
is output to drive the shaker and the Hsys is estimated. This Hsys
estimation technique can be tailored by specifying the peak voltage for
the random excitation signal and the number of the frames to be output in
the pre-test. With random excitation, a larger number of frames are
needed to get a good estimation of the Hsys. Typically, between 8 and 16
frames are required.
Open-loop output shaped random noise: This method is the same as
the previous method with one added feature. The random signal is
shaped in the frequency domain so that it has a spectral shape similar to
that of the profile waveform. This method provides better Hsys
estimation accuracy in the frequency range corresponding to the profile
waveform’s frequency components.
Open-loop output of profile(t): The drive uses the profile waveform
itself. This technique works well for systems with linear dynamic
response characteristics. This Hsys estimation technique can be tailored
by specifying the peak voltage for the excitation signal and the number
of the frames to be output in the pre-test. With this method a smaller
number of frames is needed to get a good estimation of the Hsys.
Typically, only 4 to 8 frames are required.

Warning: The last three methods all use open loop drive output. These
methods do not gradually increase the output level as the
system transfer function is measured during pre-test. The
drive output is at a constant level set by the Peak Output
(volts) entry in the Pre-Test menu. If you set this entry to be
2 volts then the system will output a waveform with a peaks
up to + 2 volts for every output during the pre-test. The user
should be extremely cautious about choosing a safe peak
voltage for the drive output. A low Peak Output voltage
value should be used – typically 0.1 Volts or less

Preferences for Shock, SRS Synthesis, and TTH

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The Controls page of the Preferences dialog box provides for

programming the rate of change of the drive signal during a test
shutdown or during a level change in the course of a pre-test or test. It
also allows you to pre-program the incremental change to a drive signal
under manual level control.

Control Preferences for Shock

Enable resume from abort allows, if the box is checked, resuming a

test after an abort. The full level pulses elapsed count resumes at the
number it was at when the test aborted and the test runs until the
remaining full level pulse count is reached.
Enable resume from abort allows, if the box is checked, resuming a
test after an abort. The full level elapsed time resumes at the time that
the test aborted and the test runs until the remaining full level time

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expires. When this option is enabled an Options button is shown that

allows customizatiojn of the resume feature as show below.

Saving a project at the time a test is halted makes it possible to resume

this test as part of resumed Project Sequence.

Level Change Rate

Increment for Changing Level is used during testing by manual
commands for Increase Level and Decrease Level. These menu
commands change the Demand Peak level.

Profile for Classical Shock

A compensated waveform profile consists of five parts: pre-pulse, pre-
pulse tail, main pulse, post-pulse tail and post pulse, as shown below:

pre-pulse tail post-pulse tail

pre-pulse main pulse

post pulse

Pulse and Compensation Definitions for Classical Pulses

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See Section 9, “Shaker Vibration Control Theory”, for background

information on testing and control with classical shock waveforms.
The Shock Profile dialog consists of three pages: Waveform,
Compensate and Abort Settings.

Waveform Page for Classical Shock Profile

The type of classical pulse and main pulse definition parameters are
selected in the Waveform page.

Profile Dialog for Classical Shock

Name provides a user-entered label for the waveform.

Pulse Type is the type of classical waveform that will be used. You can
choose a Half Sine, Terminal Peak Sawtooth, Initial Peak Sawtooth,
Triangle, Rectangular, Trapezoid, or Haversine pulse as the test
reference profile.
Amplitude specifies the peak of the waveform in the unit of acceleration.
Pulse Width specifies the duration of the classical pulse.

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Main Pulse Tails lets you select the default MIL-STD810 specification
for the waveform or invoke a customized waveform. Customized allows
you to specify the pre- and post-pulse tails as a percentage of the pulse
width.

Compensate Page for Classical Shock Profile

The Compensate page compensates the waveform for safe use with the
shaker. Compensation is necessary to ensure that the ending
acceleration, velocity, and displacements are all zero. This means that
the shaker table begins at and returns to its normal static (rest) position.

Profile Compensation Dialog for Classical Shock Profile.

Compensate Template defines the compensation technique. The

choices are as follows:

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• Pre-Half Sine
• Post-Half Sine
• Pre-and Post Half Sine (default)
• Pre-Rectangular
• Post-Rectangular
• Pre-and Post Rectangular
• Pre- and Post-Double Rectangular
• Pre- and Post-Triangular
• Pre- and Post-Rounded-Double Rectangular
• Displacement Optimum

Pre-pulse height is the peak acceleration amplitude of the pre-pulse as a

percent of the main pulse peak acceleration.
Post-pulse height is the peak acceleration amplitude of the post-pulse
as a percent of the peak main peak acceleration.
Draw Shaker Limits overlays the shaker acceleration, velocity, and
displacement limits on the corresponding pulse waveform display.
Shaker Limits lists the critical shaker performance limits for comparison
to the dynamic limits for the profile.

Abort Settings Page for Classical Shock Profile

The Aborts Settings allows you to select either the MIL-STD810 abort
settings or Customized Abort Limits. Selecting Customized will invoke
additional numerical dialogs so that you may describe your customized
abort limits.

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Abort Limits for Classical Shock Profile

Draw Main Pulse changes the profile display to show only the main
pulse.
High (%) – Defines the High abort limit in a percent value relative to the
profile.
Low (%) – Defines the Low abort limit in a percent value relative to the
profile.
Left (ms) – Defines the period before the main pulse to check against the
abort limits.
Right (ms) – Defines the period after the main pulse to check against the
abort limits.

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Classical Shock Profile Shown with Customized Aborts and "Draw Main Pulse" Selected

Click the Show Fig button for a reference display explaining the terms
used to define a pulse.

Terms Used for Setting the Abort Tolerances

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Example Classical Shock Profile Setups

A basic setup choice for all Classical Waveforms is the type of
compensation to apply. The following examples illustrate three
compensation techniques - double sided pre- and post-pulse, post-pulse
only, and pre-pulse only.

Using Double Sided Pre- and Post-Pulse Compensation

The most widely used compensation technique is double sided pre- and
post-pulse. This technique makes it possible to use the full shaker stroke,
as the positive and negative displacements are symmetric. It also
minimizes the total displacement required.

Double Sided Pre- and Post-Pulse Compensation Minimizes Displacement

Using Post-Pulse Only Compensation

Post-pulse only compensation is generally used when the test requires

that there be no excitation of the test article prior to the main pulse itself.
With this technique the displacement is single sided, either entirely in the
negative or positive direction, and the total displacement is higher.

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Post-Pulse Only Compensation

Using Pre-Pulse Only Compensation

The pre-pulse only compensation technique makes it possible to observe

the “free” ringing of the test article after the pulse excitation. However,
this technique has the drawbacks that the displacement is single sided,
either entirely in the negative or positive direction, and the total
displacement is higher.

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Pre-Pulse Only Compensation

Profile for SRS Synthesis

Preparing the reference waveform is a three-step process.
1) Specify a Required Response Spectrum (RRS).
2) Synthesize a waveform matching the energy content of the RRS.
3) Compensate the waveform to ensure zero final acceleration,
velocity, and displacement on the shaker.

Required Response Spectrum (RRS) for SRS Profile

The Required Response Spectrum page permits entry of acceleration

versus frequency profile. Breakpoints are entered into a spreadsheet
style table to generate the RRS.

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Required Spectrum Profile for Shock Synthesis

Each breakpoint is created by entering a Frequency value and an

Acceleration PSD Level in each numbered row. Every numbered row is
followed by an additional row that indicates the slope between each PSD
Level. When a table is defined only by PSD Levels then the slopes are
automatically calculated.
The slope between breakpoints can be defined by entering a value in the
Slope column below each numbered row.
The last two columns define the high-abort and low-abort limits. These
limits define abort conditions on a frequency-point-by-point basis for the
RRS. You can enter the low-alarm and low-abort values without a
negative sign.
If there is an inconsistency between breakpoint segments, the system will
display a crossover frequency error message and abort the profile
generation process. If there are no breakpoint inconsistencies, the Profile
is generated. Also, at this time the low-abort values will automatically
be converted to negative values.

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Settings Page for SRS Profile

The Settings Page allows you to choose the SRS analysis and synthesis
parameters.

Settings for SRS Profile

Reference frequency is given in Hertz. All bins of the SDOF filters for
the SRS analysis will be correlated to this reference frequency.
th
Fractional Octave Number for N Octave bands (1/1, 1/3, 1/6, 1/12,
1/24, 1/48). This parameter determines the resolution of the SRS
Analysis bins used during the synthesis process.
Damping Ratio (%) is the ratio used in the SRS analysis during the
synthesis process. The damping ratio is uniformly applied to all the
SDOF filters.
Q (Quality Factor) is the Q value of the SDOF filter. If a value is
entered for Q, the Damping Ratio is automatically changed to a
corresponding value.
SRS Type: Positive-Max (PosMax), Negative-Max (NegMax) or Maxi-
Max (MaxiMax). This parameter indicates how the peak detection is
made during the SRS Analysis.

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Note: It is possible to use a different set of SRS parameters during the

test. For example, you can synthesize the waveform with a Frequency
Resolution of 1/3, but analyze it with a higher resolution such as 1/24.
The system default is to make the analysis parameters identical to the
synthesis parameters.
Wavelet window types are Sine, Hann , Exponential, or Rectangular
window. The data window selected will be applied to each individual
wavelet. A good feature of the Sine window is that it generates a time
waveform with zero ending velocity and zero ending displacement. Use
Exponential if you want to synthesize a waveform with damped sins.
However, note that the final displacement values will not be zero and
you need to add compensation to the pulse.

Sine Wavelet

Hann Wavelet

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Exponential Wavelet

Rectangular Wavelet

th
Resolution reduction factor automatically deactivates every N
wavelet, N=2 to 48. The default value is 1 (no reduction). In some cases
with an octave resolution of 1/6 or finer a value of less than 1 is required
because the interaction of the closely spaced wavelets makes it difficult
to match the required SRS profile.
Synthesis Criteria lets you select Pyroshock, Minimum Acceleration, or
User Defined Duration synthesis techniques. Pyroshock acts to minimize
the pulse duration and provides a more realistic simulation of pyroshock
events. Minimum Acceleration spreads the time delays of wavelets across
the entire output frame so that the peak acceleration level is minimized.
User Defined Duration allows you specify the pulse duration in
milliseconds.

SRS Synthesis Page for SRS Profile

The software uses the wavelet parameters and synthesis parameters to

automatically generate wavelets for each of the Nth octave bands. The
wavelets are combined (synthesized) to produce an initial estimate of the

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composite transient waveform. The SRS of that waveform is calculated

and overlaid in a graphic display with the RRS. If the initial estimate has
converged to the RRS, you then have two choices: accept it and move on
to Compensation; or modify synthesis parameters and/or individual
wavelet parameters and then manually initiate any number of iterations
to influence the convergence.
In general, these are the steps to define an SRS Synthesis profile:

1) Define Required SRS (Required page), SRS Analysis and Synthesis

Parameters (Settings page).
2) Click on the Re-Initialize button to enter the value into the table.
3) Click on the One Step button a few times so that the synthesized SRS
is close to RRS.
4) Click on the Waveform Compensation tab to perform waveform
compensation.

Waveform Synthesis Table for SRS Synthesis

Re-Initialize regenerates the entire synthesis table. The system will

make a first-time guess on the Half Cycles, Delays and Wavelet
Amplitudes. The user should use this button after each change to the
RRS, the SRS Analysis Parameters, or the SRS Synthesis Parameters.

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One Step computes the SRS of the current time waveform and then re-
adjusts the wavelet type amplitudes. This button should be used at least
once after the Re-Initialize action.
Go Back re-instates the synthesis table values for the previous step. You
may only go back one step.
Fill-Down enters the same value in the table below the position that is
highlighted.
Override provides the capability to add an uncompensated classical
pulse to the synthesized pulse waveform. This provides a method to
compensate the synthesized pulse when a nonsymmetrical wavelet is
used. For example, if the Wavelet Window Type is set to Exponential,
damped sinusoids are used to synthesize the pulse. Damped sines are
nonsymmetrical and will result in nonzero final values for displacement
and velocity.
Note: Right clicking over the synthesized SRS display in the Synthesis
dialog gives access to the menu to set the SRS signals that you want
displayed.

Selecting SRS Signals to Display in the Synthesis Dialog

Wavelet Parameters in the Table

Frequency is the discrete frequency value computed based on:

• The Frequency range defined in the RRS page

• The Reference Frequency defined in the Settings page
• The Fractional Octave Number defined in the Settings page

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RRS Value is the discrete value of the RRS translated from the
breakpoint table.
Half Cycles define the duration of this wavelet. The user should assign
an odd number to this field in order to make the ending velocity or
displacement less. However, if the High-Pass filter in the waveform
compensation is applied, any value can be used. The system initializes
this column during the initial stage. If the number set is less than 5, the
wavelet will make a very insignificant contribution to the frequency.
This parameter can be manually changed.
Delay defines the time delay relative to the beginning of the waveform.
The system initializes this column during the initial stage. This
parameter heavily influences the peak acceleration, velocity, and
displacement. This parameter can be manually changed.
Wavelet Amplitude sets the amplitude of each wavelet. This parameter
can be manually changed if the SRS deviates from the RRS at a
particular frequency.
Synthesized Amplitude is the amplitude of the SRS of the synthesized
waveform. It is displayed here to enable comparison with the RRS
value.
To see the contribution of any individual wavelet, in both the pulse
waveform and the SRS, double-click on a wavelet number (under the
Wavelet column).

Compensation Page for SRS Profile

Compensation Techniques: There are two techniques for

compensating the pulse waveform to bring the final acceleration,
velocity, and displacement values to zero. DC Remove eliminates any
DC offset in the pulse waveform. The High-Pass Filter eliminates any
frequency content below the specified cutoff frequency. This technique
will also eliminate any DC offset.

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Waveform Compensation Techniques for SRS Synthesis

Example SRS Synthesis Profile Setup

The following figures illustrate a typical SRS with the profile waveform
synthesize using the three Synthesis Criteria. The first waveform uses
the pyroshock technique. The second waveform sets the waveform
duration to 400 ms (by using the User Defined Duration option). In the
third waveform a Minimum Acceleration technique is used.
The pyroshock technique gives the highest g levels and it has the shortest
duration. Specifying the duration to be 400 ms produces a waveform
similar to the pyroshock case but with lower g levels. The minimum
acceleration waveform has significantly reduced g levels. This
waveform has the longest duration as the wavelets are spread out to
reduce peak acceleration levels. Despite these differences, all three
waveforms will produce the same SRS result.

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Typical SRS Synthesis Profile

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Waveform Generated using Pyroshock Synthesis Criterion

Waveform Generated using Specified Duration of 400 ms Synthesis Criterion

Waveform Generated using Minimum Acceleration Synthesis Criterion

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Profile for Transient Time History (TTH)

TTH allows you to import a waveform recorded in the field, make
necessary changes such as displacement compensation or scaling, and
then replicate the waveform on the shaker.
The control algorithm used in TTH is identical to that of Classical Shock.
The unique part of TTH is importing and editing the time waveform
profile.

Profile Page for TTH Profile

The Profile page allows you to import a waveform or create a waveform

from an available model option.

Importing a Profile Waveform into TTH

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To import a time domain waveform as the profile, click the Import from
File button. This action will invoke the following dialog box:

Import from File Dialog Box

The data format must be identified in order to import data from a disk
file. The Data Format field shown below allows selection of the data
type.

Data Format Selection for File to Import

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TTH imports the following types of the data:

Dactron Binary is the system’s default data import and export format.
This format preserves all the information about the data including
measurement parameters. This compact file format also minimizes the
disk space required to save signal data.
Dactron ASCII Delimited files include minimal header information such
as the frame size, the sampling rate, etc., written in ASCII Format. Note
that there are two types of Dactron ASCII Delimited data formats: (1)
Y-data only or (2) X-Y pair.
ASCII Delimited Format includes other types of ASCII delimited
formats. In this case, you have to input some of the necessary
information. User-supplied information includes whether the data is Y-
value only or in X-Y pair, the sampling rate, and the size of the data
frame to be imported.
San-Esu is a special ASCII data format defined by the San-Esu
Company.
UFF Text and UFF Binary are popular industry formats. In TTH, only
time domain UFF signals can be recognized and imported.
Note: MTS ATI/AFU and RPCIII formats are only available on Windows
2000 operating system and are not available in others. Shaker Control is
not able to recognize MTS ATI/AFU files set with a “Read-only” attribute
as defined in the MTS library. Please ensure prior to attempting to recall
MTS ATI/AFU files in Shaker Control that the "Read-only" attribute has
been disabled for these files.
MTS ATI Format is a binary file used with IDEAS software.
MTS AFU Format is a binary file used with MTS Noise Path Analysis
software.
Agilent SDF Format is a binary data file that is an open format used
with many Agilent and HP devices. The structure is published and
maintained by Agilent.
Dactron Wave Audio
Normal Wave Audio
LTH Profile

Note: When importing ASCII data it is assumed that commas are used
to designate thousands and other large denominations. If periods
are used, the data must be reformatted with commas used instead

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of periods. For example, the number four thousand, seven

hundred twenty eight, and 98/100, if represented using a period
format would be 4.728.98. For the application program to
correctly read this value it must be formatted as 4,728.98.

Digital Re-sampling

If the waveform sampling rate exactly matches an available sampling

rate of the Dactron system, digital re-sampling is not required. This is
always the case if the data was recorded with the Dactron system.
However, if the imported data has a different sampling rate, digital re-
sampling is required to prevent distortion of the waveform shape during
output. Generally you should select Auto for the sampling Delta T field.
The system also allows selection of a specific output sampling interval.
Digital re-sampling is done internally by a 5th order filter. This high-
order filter ensures against the loss of signal information in the sampling
bandwidth during re-sampling.

Selection List for Sampling Delta T

Creating the Profile from a Mathematical Model

TTH offers classical waveforms such as sine, chirp (a fast swept sine) or
random as templates for the profile waveform. Click the Create from
Model button to invoke the following dialog box:

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TTH Dialog Box to Create a Profile from a Model Library

Note that the choices available in this dialog box will depend on the
selection made in the Waveform Type menu.
A number of choices are available for the model waveform as shown
below.

Sine allows generation of constant frequency sine wave.

Chirp provides a fast sine sweep with the initial and final frequency user
specified.
White Noise is a broadband random signal with uniform energy across
the frequency range of the output.
Bellcore Zone 1&2, Zone 3, and Zone 4 automatically load the seismic
time histories required by the Bellcore test specification. In addition, the
RRS (Required Response Spectrum) is available as a display, via the
pane Contents menu, to allow direct comparison of the control SRS and
the Bellcore’s RRS.

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Data Editing

After the profile is imported or created, you can edit the waveform with
the tools provided by the TTH.

Re-Scale applies a multiplier to the profile data array.

Scaling the Profile Waveform Amplitude

Fill In allows a range of data values to be replaced by a specified value.

TTH Dialog Box to Fill a Range of Data Points with a New Value

Go To scrolls the signal list to make the desired point the first displayed
data value.

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Specifying a Data Point to Go To in the Waveform Record

Also any individual data point can be changed by simply typing over the
value in the signal value list.

Changing a Single Data Point Value in the Waveform Record

Reduce to Half invokes a dialog box that allows you to reduce the
number of data points by discarding the first half of the frame, the last
half of the frame, or the first and last quarter portions of the frame
(retaining only the middle portion of the frame).

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Method for reducing the data points

Compensation Page for TTH Profile

The second page of the Profile dialog box provides three waveform
compensation techniques: DC Removal, High-pass Filter, Brick Wall
Filter, and Pre and Post Pulses.

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Profile Compensation for TTH Waveform

When the High-Pass Filter is enabled, you will need to set a filter cutoff
frequency. The high-pass filter suppresses low-frequency components to
bring the displacement demands within the shaker’s operational limits.
However, application of a compensation algorithm changes the
waveform shape. A high cutoff frequency for the filter can result in
significant waveform distrortion.
The Brick Wall Filter is similar to the High-Pass Filter but it provides a
much sharper filter roll-off. This technique is the preferred choice for
removing low frequency components from the imported waveform.
Pre and Pulse Pulses adds half-sine compensation pulses before and
after the pulse. These pulses ensure that the final ending values of
acceleration, velocity and displacement are zero.

Abort Settings Page for TTH Profile

Positive and negative acceleration aborts limits are set as shown in the
figure below. In the waveform display, the abort limits appear as upper
and lower red lines.

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Abort Settings Page for TTH

Example TTH Profile Setups

Generating a Burst Sine Time History

There are three simple steps involved in generating a Burst Sine time
history:
1) Click the Create From Model button and set the signal type
parameters. Select the Sine waveform and specify the sine frequency
and amplitude values and then set the sampling frequency and the
number of points.

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2) Click the Data Window button and set the starting and ending taper
and then Apply.
3) Apply a compensation technique to ensure zero ending velocity and
displacement.

TTH Profile Setup to Generate Burst Sine Time History

Importing a Seismic Time History

You can import long duration events such as seismic time histories and
replay the waveform on a suitable shaker system. The following is a
thirty-second seismic test waveform. It was imported from an ASCII file
directly into the TTH profile. After importation, a Brick Wall Filter was
applied to eliminate frequencies below 0.9 Hz. This is necessary to
eliminate the very high displacement very low frequency terms that
would make it impractical to run on most seismic test shaker systems.

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TTH Profile from Imported Seismic Time History

Schedule for Shock, SRS Synthesis, and TTH

The Schedule provides automatic programming of the following factors:
test startup, test levels, number of pulse to output at a level, enabling or
disabling of abort checks, drive updating, and periodic saving of signal
data. The selection list on the left side of the Schedule dialog adds
entries for definition of the schedule.
To edit an entry, either double-click it, or highlight it and click the Edit
Item button. You may also Delete an item in the list or Edit one that has
already been entered.

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Shock Schedule Setup Dialog

Pulses at Level Event invokes a dialog box for entry of test level
(relative to full test level) and the number of pulses to output at this level.
The Schedule Mode Off command pauses the test until the Continue
Schedule command is given. This schedule command allows manual
pulse output control. It also is used for remote test start via the Digital
Input/Output function. In this case, the software waits for a Continue
command from a specified Digital Input line and then executes the next
item in the schedule.
Inverse Pulse reverses the polarity of the output. That is, a positive
acceleration pulse becomes a negative acceleration pulse, or the other
way around.
Other Shock Schedule setup options include:

Start a Loop invokes a dialog to specify the number of times that a loop
will be repeated.

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End a Loop closes a Loop sequence. Loops can be nested but End a
Loop and Start a Loop entries must be defined as a pair.
Auto Abort Check On enables automatic Abort during the test.
Auto Abort Check Off disables automatic Abort checks. You should
only disable the automatic Aborts checks if an operator monitors the test
continuously. Once automatic abort checking is turned off, manual
aborts are the only protection.
Open Control Loop stops updating of the measured system transfer
function and other control loop update parameters. The system will
continue to output the drive signal but no further change is made to the
drive signal shape.
Close Control Loop enables continuous updating of the measured
system transfer function and the drive signal. Normally, this mode is
used for most tests.
Save Results invokes the following dialog box and lets you specify the
signals to save automatically:

Dialog Box for Selecting Results to Save

Quick Report generates a test report within MS Word. This command

can be used to automatically generate data plots or test reports at pre-set
times or test events.

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Net Integrator Command sends either a Start or Stop command to

another application, such as RT-Pro, that is concurrently running.
Use Digital Output invokes the following dialog box and lets you
specify which of pins 2 – 9 on digital output port two to output a TTL
signal.

Programming a TTL output signal via Digital I/O Port 2.

Chamber Event invokes the following dialog box and lets you create a
new or view/edit a Chamber Interface Event. See Section 4 “Schedule for
Random” for more details on this dialog box.

Set a Chamber Event Dialog Box

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Example Shock Schedule Setups

The following examples show typical Shock Schedule setups used to
tailor the startup, automatically run a level schedule, and automatically
save test results.

Using the Schedule for Test Startup

You can use the Schedule to make the test startup gradual and smooth.
This feature allows you to tune the test startup to best match your shaker
system and test article characteristics. Using the Schedule in this way
prevents overshooting full level due to insufficient time to fully equalize
the load dynamics during the startup phase. The example Schedule
outputs 4 pulse at 25% of full level, another 4 at 50% level, then 100
pulses at full level. Note before that going to full level the Open Loop
Control command is issued. This approach inhibits any further change to
the system transfer function so the Drive signal remains constant for all
100 full-level pulse.

Classical Shock Schedule Setup for Gradual Test Startup

The following Shock Schedule provides semi-automatic operation. The

initial equalization is done automatically. Then the Schedule Mode is
turned Off allowing full manual operation. You can use manual
commands to set a new level, output pulses, and change the polarity of
the pulse.

Classical Shock Schedule Setup for Automatic Equalization followed by Manual Control

Using the Schedule for Automated Full-Level Testing

You can automate your full-level testing by programming a Shock

Schedule. In this example 4 positive pulse outputs are followed by 4
negative pulse outputs. This full-level test sequence is repeated 10 times.

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Note that level, number of pulses to output, and pulse polarity can all be
specified in the Schedule.

Shock Schedule Setup for Automatic Full-Level Testing

Using the Schedule to Automatically Save Results

You can program a Schedule to automatically save results. This

includes saving Signals, Panes and test screen bitmaps. This example
illustrates a Schedule setup for a test that outputs a total of 100 full-level
pulses. Every 10th pulse, the test results are saved. This Schedule uses a
loop repeated ten times to accomplish the automatic saves. Every loop
includes a command to output 10 pulses and then save all Panes and
Signals.

Shock Schedule Setup to Automatically Save Results

Test & Profile Setup – Long Time History

(LTH)
This section describes the Test Setup and Profile menus and dialog boxes
for Long Time History (LTH) Projects.

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Control Parameters for LTH

For LTH projects, there are two pages in the Control Parameters dialog
box: Pre-Test and Test. This menu is used to set test control methods
and the pre-test process.

Test Page for LTH Control Parameters

The processing technique for closed-loop control is defined in the Test

page. The procedure used to start the test (i.e., begin drive signal output)
is defined in the Pre-Test page.

Control Parameters for LTH

Block Size (Points) sets the number of time domain points to use in the
control loop. Selections for 1024, 2048 and 4096 are available. It is
usually best to use 1024 points unless there are very sharp resonances or
the test article is lightly damped then a larger block size is preferable.

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Point Abort defines the total number of points allowed to exceed the
abort tolerances before a test abort occurs. The percent is defined
relative to the Block Size points.
H Update Ratio sets the feedback gain for the system transfer function
calculation. This value ranges from zero to 0.5. A value of zero inhibits
any updating of the transfer function after the pre-test. Any value greater
than zero causes the transfer function to be updated during the test based
on the latest control loop. If the H Update Ratio is set to 0.5, then a new
transfer function is calculated by equally weighting the old transfer
function and the transfer function from the latest control loop. Typical H
Update Ratio values are from 0.1 to 0.35. If the shaker system or test
article is highly non-linear, then it may be necessary to use a value near
to 0.5 to enhance control accuracy. Caution should be used, however, as
a very high value for H Update Ratio can degrade the control accuracy
under some conditions.
Control Strategy provides two techniques to create the control signal
using the input signals. Note that selections in the Channel Parameters
menu are linked to the choice of Control Strategy.
Single Channel control strategy uses only one measurement for
calculation of the control time history.
Weighted Average control strategy applies the factor to every
control input and then adds all the weighted signals together to
produce the control time history. The weighting factor for an input
channel is equal to the weighting value for that input channel divided
by the sum of all the Weighting values for the control channels.
Averaging is done in the time domain. If multiple channels are
enabled in the Channel Parameter Setup, Weighted Average is the
default selection.
Drive Limit sets the maximum drive level (peak volts) that will be output
to the amplifier. The settings here only apply to the scheduled test. For
the pre-test process, there is a separate Drive Limit setup.
Advanced opens the Control Option Setup dialog.

Non-Acceleration Control

Most shaker control applications use acceleration signals as the control

signal. However, the software has an option that allows non-acceleration
control signals.

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Selecting an option for non-acceleration control.

Control in linear acceleration is the most common setting and allows

control with acceleration signals.
Control in any non-acceleration allows the user to define the control
quantity for the control signal from a pull down menu. This feature is
commonly used for force, velocity, or displacement control. When this
option is enabled, the shaker limits are not checked. It is critical that the
user ensure that the profile will not exceed the shaker limits and cause
damage to the system. When this option is enabled then the Channel
Parameters and Profile are automatically changed to the specified
control quantity

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If non-acceleration control is selected, then you

must specify the type of sensor to be used for control.

Pre-Test Page for LTH Control Parameters

The Pre-Test page defines the parameters for the initial equalization
operations that occur prior to starting a full-level test.
Method of Acquiring the Loop Frequency Response Function (FRF)
section is used select one of the following schemes:
Measure during Pre-Test is the preferred method of achieving the
FRF that will be used during the scheduled test.
Use Current Active Function and Skip Pre-Test is used only when
the test has just been run successfully and nothing else has changed.
Use this function only when extreme care has been taken to ensure
that the test is being repeated with no changes at all from the last time
it was run. A change of just a few hours of test-time is sometimes
enough to have a significant effect on the running of a test.
Recall Function from Disk and Skip Pre-Test is used when you are
absolutely sure that the FRF stored on disk is exactly the same as the
current conditions. Use this selection only with extreme care.
If the Block Size is changed, the Current Active Transfer Function and
the Transfer Function Saved to Disk may still be valid for use because
the control software interpolates to derive a new transfer function. A

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warning message will be shown if this happens. Be cautious when you

take advantage of this Control Parameters feature because if you use an
old transfer function with less resolution, the initial start-up process
might be inappropriate.

Pre-Test Parameters for LTH

Initial Drive sets the drive voltage at which the signal amplitude will
start. Use a very low setting (such as 0.005 volts) if you have no
knowledge of the shaker system characteristics. For hydraulic shakers,
set this value higher (such as 0.5 volts) to overcome the non-linearity of
the hydraulic system.
Ramp-up Rate sets the speed with which the amplitude is going to
increase. Take into consideration the response time of your entire shaker
system for this setting. Avoid “Shocking” the system. A shock to the
system would involve a ramp-up speed that exceeds the ability of the
shaker system to respond to dynamic changes. Generally, Fast Ramp-up
works well with linear systems such as electrodynamic shaker systems.
For hydraulic shaker systems, which are very non-linear, the best choice
is Slow Ramp-up.
Response Level Goal is the desired amplitude level that must be
achieved for the test to pass the pre-test check. If this level is not
achieved, the test will not run. This allows you to troubleshoot a
potential problem before it affects the UUT or the shaker system.

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Typical values for this selection range from 10% to 50%. Once the
Response Level Goal is reached, the control system will retain the
system transfer function and use it in the scheduled test.
Maximum Drive is the maximum limit (peak volts) of the drive channel
during the pre-test.
Skip Pre-Test Report and Start Scheduled Test provides the option to
bypass the pre-test report, displayed after completion of the pre-test, and
immediately start the Run Schedule. If this option is not selected (not
checked), then the pre-test report is displayed and the operator must give
a Proceed command to start the Run Schedule. Note that the normal
pre-test safety check remain active regardless of the selection here. If
there is an open-loop condition, if the maximum drive voltage is reached,
or the desired response goal level is not achieved, then the pre-test will
abort. Usually this selection is active (checked) when the Digital I/O and
Project Sequence functions are used.

Preferences for LTH

Controls Page for LTH Preferences

The Controls page of the Preferences dialog box programs the rate of
change of the drive signal during a test shutdown or during a level
change in the pre-test or test. It also allows you to pre-program the
incremental change to the drive signal using manual level control.

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Control Preferences for LTH

Abort Rate sets the rate of decrease for the drive signal after a manual or
automatic abort. The larger the value, the faster the drive shutdown.
Caution: High abort rates (> 20 dB/sec) may cause a transient on the
shaker with possible damage to the test article and/or the
shaker.
Note: The red hardware switch is the fastest way to initiate an abort.
The hardware switch circuitry connects directly to the Drive
controller hardware. Using the mouse to point and click on the
screen STOP button will also initiate an abort but response is
slower.

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LTH Profile
The Profile menu enables setting up both the Pre-Test Profile and the
Waveform Profile. Selecting Waveform Profile invokes the Profile
Schedule dialog. The Profile Event option allows you to define a single
waveform profile or multiple waveforms to be used for an automatically
sequenced schedule of tests. The Profile Schedule option will be
discussed in more detail in the section titled “LTH Profile Schedule”.

LTH Pre-Test Profile

The LTH Pre-Test Profile dialog consists of two Pages: Plot and Table.

Plot Page for LTH Pre-Test Profile

The Plot page displays the project Profile. The Profile can be changed
on the Table Page.

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LTH Pre-Test Profile Plot Page

Table Page for LTH Pre-Test Profile

The Table page allows you to enter the profile breakpoints and describe
the resulting spectrum. The table functions like a spreadsheet.

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LTH Pre-Test Profile Table

Each breakpoint is created by entering a Frequency value and an

Acceleration PSD Level in each numbered row. Every numbered row is
followed by an additional row that indicates the slope between each PSD
Level. When a table is defined only by PSD Levels then the slopes are
automatically calculated.
The slope between breakpoints can be defined by entering a value in the
Slope column below each numbered row.
If there is an inconsistency between breakpoint segments, the system will
display a crossover-frequency error message and abort the profile
generation process. If there are no breakpoint inconsistencies, the Profile
is generated. At this time, the low-alarm and low-abort values will
automatically be converted to negative values.
Name provides a text entry field for a description of the profile. This
will later be displayed in various locations for your reference.

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RMS (gn) shows the current RMS level of the profile that has been
created. This field is a calculated field and is updated automatically
when the profile is changed.
View (Table Editor or Show all values) is an either/or selection. In the
Table Editor mode you can edit the profile. The Show all values mode
shows all breakpoints, including those computed by the system. The
system will automatically compute the intersection point (crossover
frequency).
Insert Row inserts a duplicate of the active row (where the cursor is
located). The new row is inserted above the active row.
Delete Row deletes the active row.
Append Row adds a duplicate of the last row at the bottom of the table.
Fill Down is a method for quickly filling in the same value in any of the
alarm or abort columns.
Scale RMS invokes the Scale RMS dialog. This will allow you to
change the overall RMS of the profile. Scaling the Overall RMS does
not change the profile shape. The PSD amplitudes at all the frequencies
are scaled up or down as required.
Clear Table removes all except the first two breakpoints.
Import invokes the Import Profile dialog. You can use this option to load
a file containing a measured PSD and use this PSD as the target profile.

Data Format provides selection of the format of file to be loaded.

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Dactron Binary is the system’s default data import and export format.
This format preserves all the information about the data including
measurement parameters. This compact file format also minimizes the
disk space required to save signal data.
Dactron ASCII Delimited files include minimal header information such
as the frame size, the sampling rate, etc., written in ASCII Format. Note
that there are two types of Dactron ASCII Delimited data formats: (1)
Y-data only or (2) X-Y pair.
ASCII Delimited Format includes other types of ASCII delimited
formats. In this case, you have to input some of the necessary
information after you have loaded the file. If the data is X-Y pair format
then only the Y-value units need to be specified. For Y-value only, the
PSD frequency resolution Delta F, the Y-value unit of the data to be
imported, and the initial frequency value need to be specified.

UFF Text and UFF Binary are popular industry formats. In LTH, only
auto-spectrum UFF signals can be recognized and imported.
Note: MTS ATI/AFU and RPCIII formats are only available on Windows
2000 operating system and are not available in others. Shaker Control is
not able to recognize MTS ATI/AFU files set with a “Read-only” attribute
as defined in the MTS library. Please ensure prior to attempting to recall
MTS ATI/AFU files in Shaker Control that the "Read-only" attribute has
been disabled for these files.
MTS ATI Format is a binary file used with IDEAS software.
MTS AFU Format is a binary file used with MTS Noise Path Analysis
software.

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Agilent SDF Format is a binary data file that is an open format used
with many Agilent and HP devices. The structure is published and
maintained by Agilent.
Note: When importing ASCII data it is assumed that commas are used
to designate thousands and other large denominations. If periods
are used, the data must be reformatted with commas used instead
of periods. For example, the number four thousand, seven
hundred twenty eight, and 98/100, if represented using a period
format would be 4.728.98. For the application program to
correctly read this value it must be formatted as 4,728.98.

Refresh redraws the profile display at the top of the page.

Waveform Profile for LTH

LTH allows you to import a waveform recorded in the field, make
necessary changes such as displacement compensation or scaling, and
then replicate the waveform on the shaker.
Creation of a LTH waveform profile involves two steps. First the
waveform is imported and compensated. This is done in the Waveform
Editor. This editor is a stand-alone program that can be run concurrently
with the LTH Shaker Control software. Waveform Editor can be started
from the desktop icon or using the Programs selection under Windows
Start.
The second step to creating a profile is to import the waveform generated
in the Waveform editor program. This step is performed in the LTH
Shaker Control software under the Profile menu.

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Overview of LTH Waveform Profile Definition

Waveform Editor
The Waveform Editor provides the tools necessary to import a waveform
or create a waveform from a mathematical model.
A project management structure is used for Waveform Editor as it is for
the shaker control applications. The operations to save or open a project
are the same.
Once you have opened theWaveform Editor application the following
menu bar and tool bar will be displayed.

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Note: To use non-acceleration sensors, such as force or displacement,

use the Preference dailog under the Project menu.

Use Preference to Select Non-Acceleration Sensors

On opening a new project the menus and icon toolbar show below will
be presented as shown below:

Setup allows you to specify the engineering units that you will use, the
performance limits of the shaker system, and the frequency resolution of
the PSD calculated from the waveform data. See “Global Test Setup
Menus” at the beginning of this section for descriptions of engineering
units and shaker parameters. Another important function under the
Setup menu is the Compensation Template. The function of this setup
dialog is discussed in the following section.

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Profile Compensation

The Compensation Template dialog provides tools to compensate the

profile waveform so that the velocity and displacements waveforms are
within the capabilities of the shaker system. This dialog also allows you
to digitally apply a high-pass and low-pass filters as well.
A number of compensation operations can be defined and applied
sequentially, in one operation. It is also possible to apply the
compensation operations automatically when a new profile waveform is
loaded from a disk file.

The Compensation Template allows for a sequence of

compensation operations to be applied in one operation.

Clicking on the Insert button invokes the Compensation dialog. The

drop-down menu provides a number of choices for the compensation
method.

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Waveform Profile Compensation Options

Acc. DC (Vel. Slope) Remove subtracts the DC component in the

acceleration waveform. This removes a slope trend from the velocity
waveform. This method is useful for the raw data with offset
measurement error. This is usally the case during the data acquisition.
Vel. DC (Disp. Slope) Remove subtracts the DC component in the
velocity waveform. This removes a slope trend from the displacement
waveform. This method is useful when acceleration discountinuities are
present. An acceleration discountinouity (a sharp spike in acceleration)
will generate an offset in the velocity profile which then results in a slope
in the displacement.
Vel. DC (Disp. Slope) Remove (block by block) subtracts the DC
component in the velocity waveform one block of data at a time. This
removes a slope trend from the displacement waveform. It should be
used for a large waveforms that may have a DC offset that varies slowly
with time. Note that this compensation may have to applied many times
(anywhere from 20 to 100 times) to get the best result. Use the Repeat
entry field to define the number of times to automatically apply this
compensation.
High Pass Filter suppresses low-frequency signals below the specified
cutoff frequency. This method is very effective to all types of signals
with large displacements but has a disadvantge in removing certain
amounts of low frequency energy. The cutoff frequency should be set as
low as possible while still maintaining the displacement requirement.
Low Pass Filter suppresses high-frequency signals above the specified
cutoff frequency. Note that this method does not have a major impact on
the displacement or velocity profile. This method is useful in that it will
help to remove high-frequency components that the user does not want
the shaker to duplicate or the shaker is incapable of duplicating.

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At the bottom of the Compensation Template dialog there is an option to

the Apply compensation template automatically when waveform is
imported. This option, when checked, causes the compensation
operations defined by the compensation template to be applied to each
waveform as it is imported from disk.

Operations for Importing, Creating and Editing Waveforms

The Operations menu is used to import a waveform or create one from a

math model, manipulate the waveform, and save created waveforms and
their associated PSD functions.

Import Profile from File reads in a waveform from disk. This function is
described in detail in the next section.
Create Profile From Math Model generates a waveform using analytical
models. This function is described in detail later on in this section.
Copy, Delete, Paste to Left, Paste to Right are graphical editing tools
that can be applied to the profile waveform. This function is described in
detail later on in this section.
Rescale allows the user to enter a Rescale Factor that modifies the
waveform values to change the amplitude of the profile.
Decimation deletes every other point to reduce the total point size of the
profile waveform. This method should always be preceded by digital

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low-pass filtering with the cutoff frequency set to be one-quarter or less

of the current sampling frequency.
Apply Compensation uses the compensation operations defined by the
Compensation Template in a single operation.

Importing a Profile Waveform from a Disk File

To import a time history waveform as the profile, either click on the
Import Profile icon on the icon toolbar or go to the Operations menu
and click on the Import Profile from File selection.

LTH Import Profile from File Dialog to load a waveform from a disk file

Use the File Name field, or the Browse button, to enter the file name for
the data to be imported. Once the Open command is given, Waveform
Editor will automatically identify the data format and then import the
data from the disk file.

LTH imports the following types of the data:

Dactron Binary is the system’s default data import and export

format. This format preserves all the information about the data

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including measurement parameters. This compact file format also

minimizes the disk space required to save signal data.
Dactron ASCII Delimited files include minimal header information
such as the frame size, the sampling rate, etc., written in ASCII
Format. Note that there are two types of Dactron ASCII Delimited
data formats: (1) Y-data only or (2) X-Y pair.
ASCII Delimited Format includes other types of ASCII delimited
formats. In this case, you have to input some of the necessary
information. User-supplied information includes whether the data is
Y-value only or in X-Y pair, the sampling rate, and the size of the
data frame to be imported.
LTH Profile is the format most commonly used with LTH
UFF is a popular industry format. In LTH, only time domain UFF
signals can be recognized and imported.
WAV Audio format is a digital audio file that can be played back
using a digital audio player or PC. Note waveform amplitude is not
preserved in the WAV format and WAV files cannot be recalled into
Dactron software.
Agilent SDF Format (Standard Data Format) is a binary data file
that is an open format used with many Agilent and HP devices. The
structure is published and maintained by Agilent.
Note: MTS ATI/AFU and RPCIII formats are only available on
Windows 2000 operating system and are not available in others.
Shaker Control is not able to recognize MTS ATI/AFU files set with a
“Read-only” attribute as defined in the MTS library. Please ensure
prior to attempting to recall MTS ATI/AFU files in Shaker Control
that the "Read-only" attribute has been disabled for these files.
MTS ATI format is a binary file used with IDEAS software.
MTS AFU format is a binary file used with MTS Noise Path Analysis
software.
MTS RPCIII format is a binary file used with MTS Remote
Parameter Control Simulation Testing, Analysis, and Control System
software.

Note1: Strip all header information from the ASCII Delimited file and
save as a new file. Waveform Editor will not be able to import
the waveform data if the header is included with the file.

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Note2: When importing ASCII data it is assumed that commas are used
to designate thousands and other large denominations. If
periods are used, the data must be reformatted with commas
used instead of periods. For example, the number four
thousand, seven hundred twenty eight, and 98/100, if
represented using a period format would be 4.728.98. For the
application program to correctly read this value it must be
formatted as 4,728.98.

Once the data file has been imported, you need to specify a few
parameters before pressing the OK button.

LTH Import Profile from File dialog after opening a data file

Delta T (ms) specifies the sampling rate used for the imported data.
Value Unit defines the engineering units used for the imported data.
Compensation enables automatic application of the current
Compensation Template setup to the imported waveform. The Setting
button allows the compensation template to be modified.
After Digital Resampling allows you to set sampling rate different than
the original sampling rate. If the digital resampling is set for Auto, the
program will determine the best sampling rate to use. If the waveform

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sampling rate exactly matches an available sampling rate of the Dactron

system, digital re-sampling is not required. This is always the case if the
data was recorded with the Dactron system. However, if the imported
data has a different sampling rate, digital re-sampling is required to
prevent distortion of the waveform shape during output. Generally you
should select Auto for the Sampling Freq(Hz) field.
Digital re-sampling is done internally by a 5th order filter. This high-
order filter ensures against the loss of signal information in the sampling
bandwidth during re-sampling. Be aware that if you choose to digitally
re-sample the data at lower rate than that used to acquire the data, signal
aliasing may occur. A better method is to use the digital low-pass filter
and decimate options under Profile Compensation.

Import Method controls how the imported waveform is used in together

with the existing profile waveform. Replace initializes the waveform
buffer and loads in the waveform just imported. Append adds the
waveform just imported to the existing profile. From/At position
specifies the data point in the profile buffer to begin insertion of the new
waveform segment.

Creating the Profile Waveform from a Mathematical Model

LTH offers classical waveforms such as sine, chirp (a fast swept sine) or
random as templates for the profile waveform. Click on Create Profile
from Math Model to invoke the following dialog:

LTH Dialog to Create a Profile from a Math Model Library

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Note that the choices available in this dialog box will depend on the
selection made in the Waveform Type menu.
Waveform Type includes the following math models to use as
independent profiles or as blocks for a profile synthesized from imported
waveforms and math model waveforms:

White Noise is a broadband random signal with uniform energy

across the frequency band.
Sine allows generation of a constant frequency sine wave.
Chirp provides a fast sine sweep with the initial and final frequency
user specified.
Band-Limited Random is a random signal with uniform energy
across a specified frequency band.
Shaped Random allows the generation of a time history signal
derived from a power spectral density (PSD) with specified
parameters for the kurtosis and skew properties of the random signal.
The Profile Shape button invokes the Shaped Random Profile dialog.
The shape of the power spectral density is defined in this dialog via
breakpoint entry as for the Random application. Refer to the section
“Random Profile” that appears earlier in this chapter for details on
defining the PSD breakpoint table.

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Graphical Editing Operations

There are a number of editing options for on-screen manipulation of

imported waveforms. These operations allow “cleaning up” of the
waveform by deleting unwanted data segments or changing the
sequence of events in a waveform.

Copy and Delete Selection

After you have selected an interval from the waveform using two
cursors, the Copy and Cut functions become available to you from
the Edit menu or by using their respective icons [ Copy & Cut].
These functions allow you to copy the selected interval to the
clipboard for pasting or simply to delete the selection from the
overall waveform. Note that Copy and Cut functions apply only to
the Profile Window.

When you add two cursors , you can move the cursors in the pane
in order to select the desired interval. Information concerning this
interval is displayed on overlaid the table. Furthermore, the interval
you select will have a yellow background.

Select an Interval Using 2 Cursors

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• Copy copies the selected waveform interval to the clipboard.

• Cut deletes the selected waveform interval from the entire
waveform and combines the side to the left and the side to
the right of the deleted interval together. Before, the delete
is performed you will be prompted with the following
warning message.

• Undo Goes back one step and undoes the last action
performed.

Paste Selection
The Paste function allows you to paste a waveform interval that was
previously copied into the clipboard to a new location on the
waveform. Once a waveform interval has been copied to the
clipboard, the Paste to Left and Paste to Right functions become
available to you from the Edit menu, by right mouse clicking on the
selected interval, or by using their respective icons. Note that Paste
functions apply only to the Acceleration Window.

Use a single cursor and scroll to point on the waveform where the
clipboard contents will be pasted.

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Using a Single Cursor to Select the Point of Insertion

• Paste to Left Pastes the selected waveform interval in the

clipboard to the left side of the cursor.

• Paste to Right Pastes the selected waveform interval in the

clipboard to the right side of the cursor.

• Undo Goes back one step and undoes the last action
performed.

Splice Operations

The Splice operation is used to minimize boundary discontinuity when

two pieces of data are put together. Once enabled, the chosen Data
Window will be applied to the data array at both ends for the following
cases:
1) When a piece of data is appended to the previous segment during the
file import process.
2) When a piece of data is inserted or pasted into the existing segment

Splice Settings
To enable the Splice operation, enter the Splice Settings dialog using
either the toolbar icon or by going through the Edit menu.

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In the Splice Settings dialog you will be able to define the following:
Data Window, Overlapping, and Number of Windowing Points.

Splice Settings Dialog

Data Window
The user can choose different Data Window types to be used in the Splice
operation.

• None Disables the Splice function

• Hanning Uses a Hanning window during the Splice operation.
• Triangle Uses a Triangular window during the Splice operation
• Half Sine Uses Half Sine window during the Splice operation

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Overlapping

• With Overlapping Two pieces of data will be put together

with Data Window overlapping. Note that
the total length of the profile will be
reduced after splicing.

• No Overlapping Data Windows are not overlapped. The

length of the profile will not be altered.

Number of Windowing Points

The Number of Windowing Points allows you to define the length of the
Data Window by number of points. Typically, the Number of Windowing
Points is more than 128.

Waveform Editor Application Window

Waveform Editor provides displays for simultaneous viewing of

acceleration, velocity, and displacement waveforms and the PSD of the
acceleration waveform. The original, uncompensated, the compensated
waveforms may be overlaid. Also the shaker tolerances may be included
to verify the acceptability of the profile for use on the shaker system.

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Waveform Editor Application Window showing

Compensated and Orginal Waveforms and PSD Functions

Saving LTH Profile Waveforms and PSD Functions

The compensated acceleration waveform and the PSD of this waveform
may be saved to disk and then loaded into the LTH Shaker Control
application to perform a test. The option to save the profile, and its PSD,
are found under the Operations menu.

Save Profile

The acceleration waveform is saved the file extension “.pro” and it may
be saved either in a Waveform Editor project folder or in a LTH Shaker
Control project folder. PSD functions use the “.sig” file extension
default. These signal files can easily be imported into LTH Shaker
Control for use as a Pre-Test Profile. It is often desired to use the PSD of
the waveform profile for the pre-test transfer function measurement as
the energy distribution and amplitude levels are the same as for the
waveform itself. This consideration is particularly an advantage for use
with electro-hydraulic shakers or non-linear test articles.

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Saving an Acceleration Waveform from the Waveform Editor Program

Save Profile in ASCII delimited Format

If the profile is saved as an ASCII file the units are always SI (m/sec^2
for acceleration).

Examples of LTH Profile Compensation

Low-pass Filtering and Decimation

It often desirable to low-pass filter the waveform profile to suppress

noise or to delete higher-frequency content that is outside of the
frequency range of interest. Decimation allows the profile’s total sample
size to be reduced and it is required if the waveform exceeds the memory
limitations of the software. As an example, a recorded waveform is
imported as the profile. This waveform contains energy up to 320 Hz.
However, the maximum frequency of interest is only 50 Hz. The figure
below shows the waveform and its PSD.

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Acceleration Time History and PSD for an Imported

Wavefrom with Energy Content Up to 320 Hz.

First, a 50 Hz low-pass filter is applied by using the Compensation

Template dialog under the Setup menu. After the low pass filter
operation has been defined in the Compensation Template, then go to the
Operations menu and select Apply Compensation.

Applying a 50 Hz Digital Filter to the Profile Waveform.

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Next, Decimation is selected from the Operations menu and applied to

the waveform.

Applying Decimation to the Waveform Profile

The Waveform Editor application window shows the results of the low-
pass filtering and decimation operations. The PSD of the compensated
waveform (CompPSD(f)) shows that the waveform energy content is
limited to less than 50 Hz. Also the parameter listing panel shows that
the total point size of the waveform is now 25585 points. Originally the
total point size was 51170 points.

Compensated Waveform after Low-pass Filtering and Decimation

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Compensating the Waveform Displacement

Most imported waveforms will require compensation to bring the

velocity and displacement waveforms to within the shaker’s performance
capabilities. This example illustrates the process for a typical waveform.
The figure below shows that the waveform’s displacement greatly
exceeds the shaker’s displacement limits.

Waveform with Displacement Exceeding Shaker Limits

Again, going to the Setup menu and then the Compensation Template,
the desired compensation operations are defined. In this case a high-pass
filter with a cutoff of 0.3 Hz is applied first followed by Velocity DC
removal. The high-pass filter eliminates the DC offset in the waveform
and suppresses very-low frequency signals that generate high
displacements. The Velocity DC removal has a similar affect in the
velocity domain and using minimizes the total displacement associated
with the waveform.

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Applying a High-Pass Filterand Velocity DC Removal to the Acceleration Waveform

The figure below shows the effect of the high-pass filter by itself. This
operation partially compensates the displacement of the waveform.

Displacement for Compensated Acceleration Waveform After High-pass Filtering

The next figure shows the combined effect of the high-pass filter and the
Velocity DC Removal. These two compensation steps bring the
waveform’s displacement to within the shaker limits.

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Waveform Displacement after High-pass Filtering and Velocity DC Removal

LTH Profile and Schedule

In LTH the Profile and Schedule functions are combined into one dialog.
After a LTH profile is created in the Waveform Editor program it can be
imported into the Shaker Control software. Testing with a single profile
or multiple profiles can be programmed in the LTH Profile Schedule
Eevent dialog.

LTH Profile Setup

The LTH Profile Schedule dialog provides the function to load a

waveform profile, view the profile, name the profile, define the Run
Level, as well as the ability to specify the number of times you would
like to repeat the profile. To access the LTH Profile Schedule go to the
Profile menu, Waveform Profile, or use the Setup icon toolbar Profile icon
.

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This dialog is used to load the waveform profile into the LTH program.

Note: The Profile Schedule dialog can be resized by moving the mouse
pointer to one of the corners and using the standard Windows resize
operation.

The LTH Profile Schedule permits the set up of a test with many
waveform profiles automatically run one after the other by having
multiple Profile Event entries. The profiles must all be generated by the
Waveform Editor program. One further important restriction is that the
sampling frequency must be the same for all waveforms. This
requirement is easy to satisfy in the Waveform Editor by using setting
the sample interval for the waveform acquired with the highest sampling
rate as the digital resampling setting as each waveform is imported into
the Waveform Editor.

Profile Event invokes a dialog to load a waveform and specify

parameters such as the name, excitation level to use, and the number of
times to repeat the test run using this waveform.

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The Profile Event is Used toImport a Profile Created in Waveform Editor.

Name allows you specify a desired name for the imported waveform
profile file.
Browse invokes an Open window to locate and open the desired
waveform profile file. Only waveforms saved from the Waveform
Editor program can be used. See the previous section, “Waveform
Editor”, for more information on using this program to create waveform
profiles.
Profile displays the name and location of the directory that contains the
desired waveform profile file you want to load.
Run at Level allows you to define the % of full scale you would like to
run the waveform profile at.
Repeat this profile allows you to define the number of times you would
like the LTH Profile Schedule to repeat this profile.
The View this Profile button invokes the Long Time History Control
Profile dialog as shown below.

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This dialog is used re-scale the loaded waveform profile.

Re-Scale allows the entire waveform to be scaled based on a user

entered scale factor.
Show Range displays the time duration of the current waveform profile.

The AVD Plot shows the waveform as acceleration, velocity and

displacement. It is always advisable to check this dialog prior to starting
a test to verify that the velocity and displacement characteristics are
within the desired operational parameters.

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Use the AVD Plot to verify the velocity and displacement characteristics of the waveform profile.

The Abort Setting page is used to set the positive and negative
acceleration abort levels.

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Positive and negative acceleration abort levels are set in the Abort Setting dialog.

Advanced Abort Setup allows the user to set different abort levels at
different times during the profile record. Enter the time, abort high and
low values in the table. Click Refresh to see the new abort levels in the
plot.

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Advanced abort limits can change at different times in the profile.

Schedule for LTH

The LTH Profile Schedule also provides automatic programming for the
following functions: periodic saving of signal data, report generation,
sending Net-Integrator commands, sending Digital Output signals, and
defining Chamber Events. The selection list on the left side of the
Schedule dialog adds entries for definition of the schedule.
To edit an entry, either double-click it, or highlight it and click the Edit
Item button. You may also Delete an item in the list or Edit one that has
already been entered.

Start a Loop invokes a dialog to specify the number of times that a loop
will be repeated.
End a Loop closes a loop sequence. Loops can be nested but End a
Loop and Start a Loop entries must be defined as a pair.
Save Results invokes the following dialog box and lets you specify the
signals to save automatically:

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Save Results Dialog Box

Quick Report generates a test report within MS Word. This command

can be used to automatically generate data plots or test reports at pre-set
times or test events.
Net-Integrator Command sends either a Start or Stop command to
another application, such as RT-Pro, that is concurrently running.
User Digital Output invokes the following dialog box and lets you
specify which of pins 2 – 9 on digital output port two to output a TTL
signal.

Programming a TTL output signal via Digital I/O Port 2.

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Chamber Event invokes the following dialog box and lets you create a
new or view/edit a Chamber Interface Event. See Section 4 “Schedule for
Random” for more details on this dialog box.

Set a Chamber Event Dialog Box

Profile Block Diagram

Multiple profiles can be automatically scheduled to run within the same
project for Random, Mixed-mode, and Sine. The maximum number of
profiles is 8. The transition from one profile to another occurs in the
period of one loop frame. In Sine, this period is about 10ms. In
Random, it is typically 100 milliseconds (note that the time is longer for
test bandwidths less than 2 kHz or with greater than 200 spectral lines).
Unique Dactron algorithms make the transition fast and smooth.
Averaging is reset during this transition mode so that old frequency
content decays quickly.
Block Diagram invokes a graphical setup of a schedule of profiles. The
diagram shows, in order of execution, each profile with its associated
schedule. Double clicking on an asterisked block name opens the dialog
box for that profile or schedule. When Profile Block Diagram is the
active Window, additional menu choices are available under the Profile
menu to allow editing of the Block Diagram.

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Profile Block Diagram

Edit Controls for the Block Diagram

Five items on the Profile menu become active for editing the Block
Diagram:

Edit Profile invokes the Profile dialogs for the “Active” Profile.
Edit Schedule invokes the Schedule dialogs “Active” Schedule.
Add After inserts a duplicate of the “Active” item after the item.
Add Before inserts a duplicate of the “Active” item before this item.
Delete deletes the “Active” item from the Block Diagram.
To make an item “Active”, click on that item.

Note: When Add After or Add Before are selected, the “Active” item
changes to the one that was added.

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Profile Block Diagram with Profile Menu Edit Controls

Project Sequence
A Project Sequence provides the capability to automatically execute a
sequence of project files. All of the project files may be for the same
type of application, such as all random tests, or they may be for a variety
of applications. This later type of sequence is referred to as “mission
profiling.” For this type of profile sequencing, a random test might be
followed by a shock test and then a sine on random test.

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To define a sequence of project files select Project Sequence Setup,

under the Project menu. This selection only appears in the top-level
menu. If you have a project file open, you must first close this project in
order to access Project Sequence Setup.

Project Sequence Setup Dialog Box

Repeat this sequence repeats the entire sequence the specified number
of times.
Add invokes the file Open dialog box and allows you to select a project
file to add to the Project Sequence. The selected project file is inserted
in the sequence list on the highlighted line.
Delete removes the highlighted project file from the sequence list.
Save invokes the Save As dialog box to store the Project Sequence list
as a disk file.
Import invokes the file Open dialog box to recall a previously stored
Project Sequence file (files with extension “.psf “).

To ensure fully automatic, trouble-free operation you should:

• Make sure that you check the Skip Pre-Test Report and Start
Scheduled Test selection on the Pre-Test page of Control
Parameters for all Projects to be used in the Project Sequence.

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Otherwise, an operator must command Proceed after the pre-test for

each project.
• Verify the operation of each Project. Run each Project
independently to ensure that all parameters are appropriate for the
particular test.
Resume Project Sequence resumes the proect sequency after the
sequence has been paused or interrupted. The sequence can be resumed
even after another application is run.
The Project Sequence Log shows a log listing the Entry time and a
description of each event in the sequence.

Project Sequece Log shows all events during project sequency.

Digital Input and Output

Digital Input Pin Assignment

The Front-End DSP Box includes two Digital I/O multi-pin connectors.
Each connector has 24 TTL input or output lines. Users can program
these lines to allow the system to be controlled by and to communicate

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with external controllers, such an environmental chamber. This

facilitates fully automatic vibration and environmental stress testing.
Some of the pins of the DIGITAL I/O 1 connector have factory-assigned
default settings. Pins 2 to 9 are used exclusively for digital output. Pin
10 and pins 29 to 36 are used exclusively for digital input.
Pin number assignments for DIGITAL I/O 1 are as follows:

Pins 2 to 9 digital output

Pins 11 to 17 reserved for future programming by
Dactron
Pins 29 to 36 digital input
Pins 19 and 21 output a TTL-high level, which is +5Volts
(marked as VCC below)
Pins 1, 23, 25, 26, 27, 36 not available
Pins 18, 20, 22, 24, 28 connected to the internal digital ground

digital output programmable

GND VCC
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37
GND VCC GND GND GND

GND = Ground
VCC = +5V
digital input

Digital I/O 1 Pin Assignment

The pins on DIGITAL I/O 2 are assigned as follows:

Pin 2 to 9 user programmable via the Use Digital

Output Schedule event command.

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Pin10 to 17, 29 to 36 reserved for future programming by

Dactron
Pin 21 outputs a TTL-high level, which is +5Volts
(marked as VCC below)
Pin 1, 19, 22 to 28, 37 not available
Pin 18, 28 connected to the internal digital ground

programmable programmable

GND
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37
VCC GND

GND = Ground
VCC = +5V
programmable
Digital I/O 2 Pin Assignment

Default Digital Output Signals

Pins 2 to 9 of DIGITAL I/O 1 are for digital output. Three standard
commands are available with digital output: Ready, Start, and Stop.
Whenever the system is in digital I/O mode (active) and it is prepared for
a Start command, the Ready command line (line 4) outputs a TTL-High
signal. This line goes low on a Start and stays low until after a Stop.
After the system returns to a standby state the Ready line goes high
again. Start and Stop signals are sent out through pins 2 and 3 as TTL-
High signals. When either of these commands is sent, a TTL-High level
is output for a duration of about 200 ms. Whenever a command is sent,
pin 9 also goes to high as a status change indicator. These output signals
are only active when digital I/O mode is active (enabled in the Define
Digital Input dialog under the Test Setup menu).
As an indicator that the system is in a remote control mode, pin 8 goes
high, and stays high, whenever the Enable digital input function checkbox
is checked in the Define Digital Input dialog.

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START
200ms
pin 2

pin 3 STOP
READY 200ms
pin 4 READY

pin 5

pin 6

pin 7
High when Digital I/O Function enabled
pin 8

pin 9
cmd cmd

Default Digital Output Signals

Programming the Digital Input Signals

Defining the Commands

Pin 10 and pins 29 to 36 of DIGITAL I/O 1 are used as the default digital
input lines. Operation commands can be sent to the control system
through these lines.
Pin 10 has a fixed Start/Stop signal function. When pin 10 goes high, the
test starts and continues until pin 10 goes low. This input is useful for
operation with relay signals from thermal chambers.
To enable the definition of digital input using pins 29 to 36, select the
Define Digital Input menu under the Test Setup menu. The TTL logic for
each control command can be defined in this dialog box.
Click Enable digital input function in the dialog box to use the digital
inputs.
Input pins 36 through 29 are assigned functions by inserting a “1” in the
numerical field corresponding to the positions 36 through 29:

36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29
0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0

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Assigning the Digital Input TTL Logic to Pre-Defined Commands

For example, to assign a pin 29 HIGH signal as the Start command, and
a pin 30 HIGH signal as the Stop command, enter the following values in
the dialog box:

Pin 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29
Start 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Stop 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0

It is possible to assign a combination of TTL-High signals to one

command. For example, defining the Pause command as “00001100”,
means that when pin 32 and pin 31 go high at the same time, this
command will take effect.
There are three ways to interface external signals to the digital input pins:
Contact Closure, TTL Source or Relay Unit, as described below.

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Required Input Signal Voltage Level and Duration

Nominally, a +5 volt signal is expected as the digital I/O High signal.

The allowable voltage level for the digital I/O signals is from +3.6 to
+5.5 volts. A High signal is expected to stay high for at least 200
milliseconds.
Warning: Inputs of greater than 5.5 volts can damage the digital I/O
hardware.

Wiring and Grounding

Good wiring and grounding practices are necessary to ensure proper and
reliable operation of the digital I/O functions. It is important that the
Front-End Box and the external equipment share a true common ground.
Grounding through the power receptacle is not a good practice. Use a
thick wire to connect the ground plug on the back of the Front-End Box
chassis to the true common ground. Make sure that the connections to
the digital I/O ports are properly grounded. Use a shielded cable for the
connection to the digital I/O connectors.
Warning: Use pull-down resistors (10kΩ to 100kΩ) between every
input line and the digital ground pin on the DIGITAL I/O
1 connector. This prevents unreliable operation due to
floating voltage signals.

Interfacing to a Contact Closure

A contact closure is simply a switch that can turn on or off. By using the
VCC (+5Volts) and the digital ground output, you can use the contact
closure unit to send digital signals to the system.
The high-impedance of the pin lines require a 10kΩ to 100kΩ resistor
connecting the pin line used with the digital ground. This arrangement
ensures that the TTL-Low level is the default condition.
To use the contact closure to send the Stop command: First assign one of
the pins to this command, say pin 30. Then connect pin 30, pin 28
(ground), pin 21 (VCC) and the contact closure as shown in the
following picture:

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digital output programmable

GND VCC
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37
GND VCC GND GND GND

GND = Ground
VCC = +5V
digital input
10-100kΩ

Contact Closure

Interface to a Contact Closure

When the contact closes, pin 30 will go high and the control system will
detect the signal.

Interfacing to a TTL Source

Some devices have digital TTL Level outputs that can be directly
interfaced to the digital input connector of the control system. In this
case, simply connect the corresponding TTL lines together. Also be sure
to connect the digital grounds of the two devices together.
Assume, for example, that you want to input a TTL-High signal to
initiate the Stop command. The first step is to assign one of the pins
(let’s say pin 30) to this command. Next, connect pin 30, pin 28
(ground) and the TTL source from the external device as shown in the
following graphic:

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digital output programmable

GND VCC
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37
GND VCC GND GND GND

GND = Ground
VCC = +5V 10kΩ - 100kΩ
digital input

External Device

TTL source

digital ground

Interface to a TTL Circuit

When pin 30 receives a TTL-high signal, the control system detects the
signal and executes the assigned command.
This scheme assumes that the default state of the external TTL source is
TTL-Low (0.0 Volt). If this is not the case, a resistor must be used to
assert a low default state.

Interfacing to a Relay Unit

A relay is an electromagnetic device activated by induction from another

electrical circuit. The relay controls a larger current source or actuates
other devices. A relay unit consists of a power source and a switch.
Assume that the default condition of the switch is open (off). When
activated, the relay switch is closed momentarily.

Again, assume you want to use the relay to initiate the Stop command.
First, assign one of the pins to be this command, say pin 30. Then

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connect pin 30, pin 28 (ground), the resistor, and the relay unit as shown
in the following graphic:

digital output programmable

GND VCC
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37
GND VCC GND GND GND

GND = Ground
VCC = +5V
10kΩ - 100kΩ
digital input

Relay Unit

+5V source

digital ground

Interface to a Relay Unit

When pin 30 receives a +5 Volt signal, the control system detects the
signal and executes the assigned command.

Using the Schedule with Digital Input

Digital input allows an external device to control the Dactron Shaker

Controller. By combining remote control with the Schedule feature, you
can use the shaker system for automated, synchronous vibration and
environmental condition testing.
You can use the Start digital I/O command to actuate a remote test start.
Another easy way to set up this mode of testing is to put a Pause entry in
the Schedule, and use a digital input to trigger the Continue command.
The system starts vibration the instant it receives the Continue command.
The Schedule dialog box is shown below:

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A PAUSE Entry in the Schedule for Remote Test Start

In this example, when the Start button on the control panel is clicked, the
system will pause and wait for a Continue command. The system waits
because the first entry in the Schedule is an indefinite Pause. A
Continue command sent via a digital input line causes the system to jump
to the next Schedule entry. This entry is a level entry commanding the
system to run the test for five minutes at fifty percent of full level.

Troubleshooting Tools
A special display pane, the Digital Input Monitor, allows you to check the
digital input signals as seen internally within the Front-End Box. To
activate this display go the window selector in the toolbar and select
Digital Input Monitor.

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Digital inputs signals viewed via the Digital Input Monitor Pane

This special display shows the digital input signals, registered as zero or
one values, over time. It is a useful tool for troubleshooting the digital
input signal connections and timing. This tool is available for use during
either the Test mode or the Preview test mode. Preview, a special test
mode, is described in the next section, “Run a Profile”, under “Global
Test and Control Menus.”

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5 Run a Project
This section explains how to run a Project. It also explains what happens
when each of the controls is invoked. There are three primary control
menus for running a test: the Test menu, the Controls menu and the
Control Panel. In addition to these menus, keyboard commands will also
be covered. See Section 7, “Tool Bar and Mouse Controls”, for
descriptions of icon commands.

Control Panel

The Control Panel provides you with live information pertaining to your
test such as: Control, Demand, Level, Drive, and Time information. In
addition, the Control Panel gives you direct control to many important
test actions such as Start, Stop, and Pause.

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Overview of the Run Process

Run Steps and Modes

Each run consists of two phases, the pre-test and the test.

Pre-Test

The system first performs safety checks. Then it gradually increases the
drive according to the pre-specified peak drive voltage (initial and
maximum), response level goal, and ramp-up rate (slow or fast). Once
the system successfully equalizes the UUT at the specified “goal” level,
the system either immediately executes the run schedule or it pauses for
operator approval before continuing. The setting for the Skip Pre-Test
Report and Start Scheduled Test in the Pre-Test page of the Control
Parameters menu dictates which action is taken by the system after
successful equalization.
If any conditions are encountered during the Pre-Test, such as an open-
loop condition, the maximum drive voltage limit is reached, or the
system fails to equalize at the goal level, the Pre-Test aborts and reports
the error condition causing the abort.

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Pre-Test Report

Test

The system executes all of the events programmed into the Schedule and
Block Diagram (if multiple Profiles have been set up).
During the test phase, two modes of operation are available:

Automatic test mode: The system sequentially executes each event in

the schedule.
Manual test mode: The user can override the automatic mode to
manage the test through on-screen icons and toggle buttons.
Test execution mode can be automatic, fully manual, or a combination of
manual and automatic.

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Typical Test Screen

The operator can monitor the test and analyze results during the test by
using a number of system features:

Test Status Readouts: Critical test parameters and conditions keep you
fully informed on the status of the test. Readouts include test level, drive
voltage level, and elapsed time at full level,
Signal Graphic Displays: During testing, you can display measured
signals as PSDs, Amplitude Spectra, or Waveforms such as acceleration,
velocity, and displacement.
Automatic Listings and Reports: At any time, during or after a test,
you can automatically generate a Word document, which lists the setup
parameters. You can also generate individual data plots, or a
consolidated report including setups, plots and customized annotation.

The Start Request

The start of a test begins a series of activities that take place in
microseconds. These processes include Parameter Validation, DSP
Download, DSP Start and DAC activation.

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Parameter Validation

As soon as the Start command is received, three validation processes

start in sequence. The first validity checks are against the specifications
of the Dactron Control System itself. The second check verifies that
good test parameters are being used. The third check is against the
shaker parameters.
During the validation process Warning or Error messages, which you
must acknowledge and act upon, may appear. For example, you may
have set a 10 V control channel voltage range for a test that will produce
a 20 mV signal at the test’s full level. This would invoke the warning
that the input channel level is set too high. An Error message will appear
for problems such as the demand peak displacement exceeding the
capability of the shaker table. These Warnings and Error messages allow
you to go back and correct your test definition on the appropriate dialog
page.

DSP Download

The DSP download process follows the Parameter Validation process.

The PC host “passes” the validated parameters to the DSP for use in the
control process. This “Maps” the process that is going to take place
during the test and readies the DSP for all the tasks that must be
performed. The Front-End DSP Box runs the test and reports results to
the PC host. The PC host is only responsible for acknowledging data
coming back from the Front-End Box and acting on any further operator
requests.

DSP Start

The third step in the sequence following the Start command involves
updating the PC Control Screen and the other Panes that have been
created. The drive signal is also created at this point by the DSP
hardware and firmware which “load up” the Digital to Analog Converter
(DAC).

DAC Activation

The final step at the beginning of the test is DAC activation. This is an
internal system action that activates the drive programmable attenuator
and starts output of the drive signal to the shaker power amplifier. It is
important that the system’s analog output does not “shock” the shaker
and test article with a sudden increase in output. To prevent this, the

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controller’s drive analog output circuitry is clamped to zero while the

system performs functions other than running the test.

The Stop Request and Aborts

The test may stop automatically to protect the system because of a

conflict between the test definition and the actual performance of the test.
If you manually stop a test, this request is acted upon in microseconds.
The DSP shuts down the DAC in a controlled manner so as not to
“shock” the system with a spurious or sudden change to the output
voltage. The shaker is brought to an inactive condition smoothly at the
pre-programmed rate. The automatic checks for stopping a random test
include:
• Open Loop
• High Line
• High RMS
• Low Line
• Low RMS

Automatic Abort can be enabled or disabled during the test by selecting

the appropriate control on either the Control Menu or the Control Panel.
Another way to stop the drive output is to press the Red Abort Button on
the Front-End Box. This will also smoothly shut down the DAC at the
abort rate that you defined in the Preferences menu.

Global Test and Control Menus

Many of the menus under Test and Controls are global. That is, these
menus are the same for all applications.

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Test Menu Commands

The Test menu provides a number of commands to manually initiate or
terminate test runs.
The test may be started by selecting Start from the Test menu; by
clicking Start on the Control Panel; or by pressing the F2 key.
There are also several ways to manually “Stop” the test. You may press
the F3 key; you may select Stop from the Test menu or click Stop on the
Control Panel.
The fastest way to initiate a stop is to press the red Abort switch on the
Front-End Box.

Test Controls

Other commands also become active at the start of a test. These

commands allow you to manually control the test or perform other
functions such as saving signal data. The other commands on the
Controls menu are:

Pause Schedule will stop the schedule timer at the current point in the
test schedule. When Pause Schedule is selected, the drive signal
continues but the schedule clock stops.
Continue Schedule restarts the Schedule clock from the point at which
the schedule was paused.

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Enable Abort activates the automatic Abort checks such as spectral line
tolerances and the RMS abort levels.
Disable Abort de-activates the automatic Abort checks. If you disable
automatic Aborts during a test, manual intervention is the only way to
ensure safety. An operator should continuously monitor all tests with
automatic abort disabled.
Open Control Loop will stop updating the measured system transfer
function and other control loop estimations. The system will continue to
update the drive signal but no correction will be made for the changes to
the spectrum shape. You should be very careful when running open
loop, as there is no correction to the drive spectrum signal.
Close Control Loop will continuously update the system transfer
function and drive signal.

Note: All of the commands above are also available on the Control
Panel.

Set Level invokes the Set Level dialog from the Schedule menu and
allows you to change the Demand level during a test.
Decrease Level decreases the Drive signal by one level- increment as
specified in the Preferences menu.
Increase Level increases the Drive signal by one level-increment as
specified in the Preferences menu.
Next Level-Event makes the test to go to the next level-event in the
schedule.
Next Profile jumps to the next profile and corresponding schedule. This
command is only active if there is more than one Profile left to run in the
Schedule.
Save Frequency Response Signal saves the current measured Hinv
(inverse system transfer function).
On-Line Save Signals allows you to save the measured signals. The
“List of Signals” to be saved are selected with the Save Results dialog
box.

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Preview Test
The Test menu includes a special Preview mode of operation. This
mode allows you to view input signals, such as time histories, prior to
starting a test. No drive signal is generated or output in the Preview
mode. Preview provides a troubleshooting tool that can be used to:

• Check instrumentation line noise

• Check DC offset or voltage drift on instrumentation lines
• Check digital inputs signals used for remote control.

Start Preview activates the Preview test mode. All standard displays are
available for viewing while in this mode. One simple way to verify
hookup and functionality of the sensors mounted on the UUT (Unit
Under Test) is to tap on the structure and view the Time Capture
histories of the input channels. Preview also provides a convenient way
to troubleshoot digital input signal hookup. “Troubleshooting Tools”,
under “Digital Input and Output” in Section 4, “Define a Project,” gives
additional information for this use of the Preview test mode.
Stop Preview ends the Preview test mode.

Random and Mixed-mode Run Controls

Run Controls for Random and Mixed-mode Projects are found under the
Test and Controls menus and on the Control Panel. The Control Panel
also includes status information, such as the test Control RMS and Full
Level Elapsed time.

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Run Controls for Random and Mixed-mode

Common Controls for Random and Mixed-mode

Random and Mixed-mode include all of the commands described in the
“Global Test and Control Menus” Section. In addition, Random and
Mixed-mode offer additional commands under the Test and Controls
menus and on the Control Panel.

Test Menu Commands

Pause Drive smoothly reduces the drive signal to zero. You can invoke
this command by pressing the F4 key, or clicking the Pause button on
the Control Panel.
Continue Drive smoothly ramps the drive signal from zero back to the
level it had reached when the test was paused. You can invoke the
Continue command by pressing the F5 key or clicking Continue on the
Control Panel. The Level Change Rate, defined in the Preferences
menu, specifies the drive ramp-up rate.

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Controls Menu Commands

Reset Averaging zeroes the current contents of the averager memory

and re-starts the average.
Restore Scheduled Level restores the test to the level specified in the
Schedule Level dialog after a manual level change has been made.

Control Panel Commands

In addition to the Start and Stop buttons on the control panel, there are
other commands or “switches”. These switches duplicate some of the
items on the Test and Controls menus.
Auto Abort Checks (On/Off) indicates the status of the Auto Abort
Checks and provides On or Off “radio” buttons. There are no automatic
Abort checks when this control is set to Off. For this condition, an
operator must continuously monitor the test.
Closed Loop Control (On/Off) indicates the Closed Loop Control status
and provides On or Off “radio” buttons. The measured system transfer
function is continuously updated when Closed Loop is On. If Closed
Loop is off, the drive signal is still updated to produce a gaussian random
signal, but there is no correction for changes in the spectrum shape of the
control signal.
Schedule Clock Timer (On/Off) duplicates the Pause/Continue
Schedule commands in the Controls menu.
Pause smoothly reduces the drive signal to zero output.
Continue smoothly ramps the drive signal from zero back to level it had
reached when the test was “paused.”

Run Controls for Mixed-mode

RoR, SoR, and SRoR offer commands to toggle the narrowbands or
tones On and Off. These commands are found under the Controls menu.

Mixed-mode Commands for Turn On/Off Tones and Bands

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Swept Sine, RSTD, & Sine Oscillator Run

Controls

Run Controls for Sine and RSTD

Run Controls for Sine and RSTD Projects are found under the Test and
Controls menus and on the Control Panel. The Control Panel also
includes status information, such as the test Control Peak (level) and Full
Level (Time).

Run Controls for Sine and RSTD

Run Controls for Sine Oscillator

Run Controls for a Sine Oscillator Project are found under the Test and
Controls menus and on the Control Panel. The Control Panel also
includes status information, such as the current test Frequency (Hz), test
Level (volts), and Sweep Direction.

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Run Controls for Sine Oscillator

Common Controls for Sine, RSTD, and Sine Oscillator

Sine and RSTD include all of the commands described in the “Global
Test and Control Menus” Section. In addition, Sine and RSTD offer
additional commands under the Test and Controls menus and on the
Control Panel. Sine Oscillator also includes all of the Test Menu
commands that Sine and RSTD have. The Controls Menu shares some
common commands with Sine and RSTD, but has a different set of
additional commands.

Test Menu Commands

Pause Drive smoothly reduces the drive signal to zero. You can also
invoke this command by pressing the F4 key, or clicking the Pause
button on the Control Panel.
Continue Drive smoothly ramps the drive signal from zero back to the
level that it had reached when the test was “paused”. You can also
invoke this command by pressing the F5 key, or by selecting it from the

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Control Panel. The Level Change Rate, which is defined in the

Preferences menu, specifies the drive ramp-up rate.
Hold Sweep halts the sweep and keeps the sine at the current frequency
until the Release Sweep commands is given. The F6 key also invokes
this command.
Release Sweep resumes the sweep, at the same rate and in the same
direction prior to the Hold Sweep command. The F7 key also invokes
this command.

Controls Menu Commands for Sine and RSTD

Next Sweep Event forces a jump to next sweep event defined in the
Schedule.
Sweep Down causes the sine to sweep in the direction of decreasing
frequency. Pressing the F8 key or the Sweep Down icon also execute
this command.
Sweep Up causes the sine to sweep up in the direction of increasing
frequency. Pressing the F9 key or the Sweep Up icon also execute this
command.
Set Frequency allows you to change the frequency to any value within
the bounds of the defined test.
Decrease Frequency causes the sine to move down one frequency
increment. The frequency increment is defined as a fractional octave
value in the Preferences menu. This command is active during a
scheduled sweep or if the Schedule Clock Timer is set to Off. It is not
available if the sweep has been halted by a Hold Sweep command.
Increase Frequency causes the sine to move up one frequency
increment. The frequency increment is defined as a fractional octave
value in the Preferences menu. This command is active during a
scheduled sweep or if the Schedule Clock Timer is set to Off. It is not
available if the sweep has been halted by a Hold Sweep command.
Restore Scheduled Level restores the test to the level specified in the
Schedule Level dialog after a manual level change has been made.

Controls Menu Commands for Sine Oscillator

The Controls Menu Commands for Sine Oscillator shares the following
common commands with Sine and RSTD: Set Level, Sweep Down,
Sweep Up, Set Frequency, and On-Line Save Results. The additional
commands Sine Oscillator has are described below.

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Adjust Sensitivity invokes the Adjust Sensitivity dialog shown below for
on-line updating of input channel sensitivity (mv/(EU)). Based on the
Expected Input Level entered, you can update the channel sensitivities
for all enabled input channels by clicking on the Get New Sensitivity
button.

On-line updating of input channel sensitivity using the Adjust Sensitivity Dialog Box

Note: The following Sine Oscillator commands are separate menu items,
but were combined for clarity.
Decrease Level by (1 V, 100 mV, 10 mV, 1 mV) decreases the Drive
signal by the specified Level increment.
Increase Level by (1 V, 100 mV, 10 mV, 1 mV) increases the Drive
signal by the specified Level increment.
Decrease Frequency by (100 Hz, 10 Hz, 1 Hz, 0.1 Hz) causes the sine
to shift down by the specified Frequency increment.
Increase Frequency by (100 Hz, 10 Hz, 1 Hz, 0.1 Hz) causes the sine to
shift up by the specified Frequency increment.

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Control Panel Commands for Sine and RSTD

In addition to the Start and Stop buttons on the Control Panel, there are
other commands or “switches”. These switches duplicate some of the
items on the Test and Controls menus.
Auto. Abort Checks (On/Off) indicates the status of the Auto Abort
Checks and provides On or Off “radio” buttons. If automatic Abort
checks are off, and an operator must continuously monitor the test.
Closed Loop Control (On/Off) indicates the Closed Loop Control status
and provides On or Off “radio” buttons. The measured system transfer
function is continuously updated when Closed Loop is On. When it is
off, the drive signal is not updated so the sine amplitude will stay
constant as the sweep proceeds.
Schedule Clock Timer (On/Off) duplicates the Pause/Continue
Schedule commands in the Controls menu.
Pause smoothly reduces the drive signal to zero output.
Continue smoothly ramps the drive signal from zero back to the level
had reached when the test was “paused.”

Control Panel Commands for Sine Oscillator

In addition to the Start and Stop buttons on the Control Panel, there are
other commands for Sine Oscillator. These commands duplicate some of
the items on the Test and Controls menus.
Drive Mode allows you to select between two types of drive modes:
Fixed Frequency or Frequency Scanning. Fixed Frequency provides for
fixed/dwell frequency tests based on the current test frequency setting.
Frequency Scanning provides for sine sweep tests based on the specified
Sweep Type and Sweep Direction parameters.

Control Panel Drive Mode drop-down setting

Level (volts) provides incremental Drive signal setting.

Start Sweeping causes the sine sweep to start.
Stop Sweeping causes the sine sweep to stop.

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Low Frequency is the lowest frequency of the sine sweep in Hertz.

High Frequency is the highest frequency of the sine sweep in Hertz.
Start Frequency is the starting frequency of the sine sweep in Hertz.
Sweep Type allows you to set the sweep type for your test. For a
Logarithmic sweep, the sweep rate is defined in Octaves/minute. For a
Linear sweep, the sweep rate is defined in Hz/second.
Sweep Direction causes the sine to sweep up/down in the direction of
increasing/decreasing frequency.

Resonance Search Window

The Resonance Search Window is a window that displays the plot of a

transmissibility signal as defined by the “Transmissibility signals dialog”.
Also displayed on this window is a table describing each resonance
found by the system. A resonance is defined by the Resonance Search
Criteria.

Selecting Resonance Search Window from the Window Menu

Each resonance found by the system will have a marker placed on it and
its information displayed in the table. Resonance information displayed
in the table includes resonant Frequency, Amplitude Ratio, and Q-factor.
Note: that you must press Crtl-Q in order display or update resonance
information in the table.

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Resonance Search Window

Run Controls for RSTD

RSTD Window

When you run RSTD, you should enable a special window called
“RSTD.” Select this window in the combo box as shown below:

Selection of the RSTD Window

The RSTD window is partitioned into four panes, as shown below:

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Typical RSTD Window

The left-upper corner Pane is called "RSTD Log". It will display a time
stamped history of the search sweep.
The left-lower corner Pane is referred to as the "Resonance List". It
displays the list of all resonant frequencies scheduled for dwell testing.
The frequency, transmissibility amplitude ratio, phase angle, and Q value
for each resonant frequency are displayed. Frequencies that have been
“removed”, by user editing, are labeled Excluded under the Dwell
column. Include means that this frequency is to be included in the dwell
test.

Editing the RSTD Resonance List

The list of resonant frequencies, together with their characteristics such

as Q values and transmissibility amplitude ratios, may be edited prior to
starting the dwell test. The user can remove resonances from the dwell
list or insert additional dwell frequencies.
With phase-tracked dwell, special care should be taken when manually
inserting frequencies in the dwell list. Any added frequency should be
close to a resonance appearing in the transmissibility function.
Otherwise, the system may not be able to lock on to the resonance and do
the dwell.
Click the Add button to add frequencies to the list.

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Click the Remove button to delete frequencies from the dwell list.

There are a number of ways to remove specific frequencies:

• By resonance sequence number: The resonance sequence number is

the number listed under the "Res #" column
• By quality factor (Q value): You can remove all resonant frequencies
with Q values less than a specified threshold value.
• By transmissibility ratio: You can remove all the resonant
frequencies with transmissibility amplitude ratios less than a
specified threshold.

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Classical Shock, SRS Synthesis, and TTH

Run Controls

Run Controls for Classical Shock, SRS Synthesis, and TTH Projects are
found under the Test and Controls menus and on the Control Panel. The
Control Panel also includes status information, such as the test Control
Peak (level) and Full Level Elapsed (Pulses).

Run Controls for Shock, SRS Synthesis and TTH

Common Controls for Shock, SRS Synthesis, and TTH

Shock, SRS Synthesis, and TTH include all of the commands described
in “Global Test and Control Menus” Section. They also have additional
commands under the Controls menu and on the Control Panel.

Test Menu Commands

Pause Drive smoothly reduces the drive signal to zero. You can invoke
this command by pressing the F4 key, or clicking the Pause button on
the Control Panel.

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Continue Drive smoothly ramps the drive signal from zero back to the
level it had reached when the test was paused. You can invoke the
Continue command by pressing the F5 key or clicking Continue on the
Control Panel. The Level Change Rate, defined in the Preferences
menu, specifies the drive ramp-up rate.

Controls Menu Commands

Single Pulse is active when the Schedule is Off (or paused). This
command causes output of one pulse at the level shown on the Control
Panel level readout. You can use the G, G-up, or G-down icon
commands to set the level (the level readout is immediately updated)
prior to a Single Pulse command. The F10 key or Single Pulse icon may
also be used for this command.
Toggle Sign inverses the polarity (positive or negative) for the next
pulse output.
Restore Scheduled Level restores the test to the level specified in the
Schedule Level dialog after a manual level change has been made.

Control Panel Commands

In addition to the Start and Stop buttons on the control panel, there are
other commands or “switches”. These switches duplicate some of the
items on the Test and Controls menus.
Auto. Abort Checks (On/Off) indicates the status of the Auto Abort
Checks and provides On or Off “radio” buttons. If automatic Abort
checks are off, an operator must continuously monitor the test.
Closed Loop Control (On/Off) indicates the Closed Loop Control status
and provides On or Off “radio” buttons. The measured system transfer
function is continuously updated when Closed Loop is On. It is
generally a good idea to use “On” when performing low-level
equalization or if the shaker system is very non-linear (such as for
hydraulic shakers). Once at full level, Closed Loop can be turned off to
minimize the processing time after each output. This also allows a faster
rate of pulse output (the delay between pulses is minimized).
Schedule Clock Timer (On/Off) duplicates the Pause/Continue
Schedule commands in the Controls menu.
Inverse Pulse inverses the polarity (positive or negative) for the next
pulse output.

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Pre-Test Drive Pause for TTH

During pre-test, the drive output may be paused after each frame to allow
a quality assessment of the system transfer function (Hsys) estimate. If
Hsys is satisfactory, the rest of the pre-test may be skipped and the
scheduled test immediately started. To use this approach, first check the
Pause after each output checkbox in the Control Parameters dialog box.
Then, after any pre-test output pause, simply click the Pre-test to Normal
Test button on the Control Panel.

The figure below shows the a TTH Control Panel display with Pre-test to
Normal Test button active.

Pre-test to Normal Test Button for the TTH Control Panel

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Long Time History Run Controls

Run Controls for Long Time History (LTH) Projects are found under the
Test and Controls menus and on the Control Panel. The Control Panel
also includes status information, such as the test Control RMS, the per
frame RMS percent error, and Full Level Elapsed time.

Run Controls for Long Time History

Common Controls for LTH

LTH includes all of the commands described in the “Global Test and
Control Menus” Section. In addition, LTH offers additional commands
under the Test and Controls menus and on the Control Panel.

Test Menu Commands

Pause Drive smoothly reduces the drive signal to zero. You can invoke
this command by pressing the F4 key, or clicking the Pause button on
the Control Panel.
Continue Drive smoothly ramps the drive signal from zero back to the
level it had reached when the test was paused. You can invoke the
Continue command by pressing the F5 key or clicking Continue on the

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Control Panel. The Level Change Rate, defined in the Preferences

menu, specifies the drive ramp-up rate.

Controls Menu Commands

Set Update H Ratio sets the feedback gain for the system transfer
function calculation. This value ranges from zero to 0.5. A value of zero
inhibits any updating of the transfer function after the pre-test. Any
value greater than zero causes the transfer function to be updated during
the test based on the latest control loop. If the H Update Ratio is set to
0.5, then a new transfer function is calculated by equally weighting the
old transfer function and the transfer function from the latest control
loop. Typical H Update Ratio values are from 0.1 to 0.35. If the shaker
system or test article is highly non-linear, then it may be necessary to use
a value near to 0.5 to enhance control accuracy. Caution should be used,
however, as a very high value for H Update Ratio can degrade the
control accuracy under some conditions.

Control Panel Commands

In addition to the Start and Stop buttons on the control panel, there are
other commands or “switches”. These switches duplicate some of the
items on the Test and Controls menus.
Auto Abort Checks (On/Off) indicates the status of the Auto Abort
Checks and provides On or Off “radio” buttons. There are no automatic
Abort checks when this control is set to Off. For this condition, an
operator must continuously monitor the test.
Closed Loop Control (On/Off) indicates the Closed Loop Control status
and provides On or Off “radio” buttons. The measured system transfer
function is continuously updated when Closed Loop is On. If Closed
Loop is off, the drive signal is still updated to produce a gaussian random
signal, but there is no correction for changes in the spectrum shape of the
control signal.
Schedule Clock Timer (On/Off) duplicates the Pause/Continue
Schedule commands in the Controls menu.
Pause smoothly reduces the drive signal to zero output.
Continue smoothly ramps the drive signal from zero back to level it had
reached when the test was “paused.”

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Special On-Line Displays for LTH

LTH features a special Profile Output Index display pane. This display
shows the entire profile waveform with a sweeping, reverse-color cursor
band that highlights the segment of the profile currently being output.
Easier test monitoring and anticipation of test events are made possible
by this special display.

LTH On-Line Display of the Profile Output Index

Common Window Displays

Event Waterfall Displays

Displaying a Signal in a Waterfall Window

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Signals that were selected for waterfall processing from the Waterfall
Request dialog can be plotted in one of two windows: Waterfall or
Waterfall plus Slice. Both of these window types can be opened from the
Window menu located on the Project Toolbar.

Accessing Waterfall Windows from the Window Menu

When a new waterfall window is opened, it is initially empty. You must

insert a signal by right mouse clicking on the waterfall window to bring
up the Waterfall Menu. From this menu, access the Contents menu by
clicking on the text.

Waterfall Menu

From the Contents Menu, select the signal from the Signal Candidates
field you wish to display in the window. Double-click the signal name to
add it to the Selected Signal list. Or click on a signal name and use the
>> button. To remove a signal from the Selected Signal list, click on the
unwanted signal name in the Selected Signals list and click the <<
button.

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Waterfall Menu Controls

Contents directs you to the Contents Menu. From this menu, you can
select signals for waterfall processing/display, define Signal Colors,
define displayed Coordinates (x-y-z scale), and define General display
options.

Orientation allows you to define the X-Y-Z viewing angle of the

waterfall plot. Immediately after selecting Orientation, use the mouse to
change the viewing angle of the waterfall plot. Left mouse click to set
the viewing angle.

Signal Color opens the Signal Color dialog.

Auto Fit Y Axis

View As provides the following options: Waterfall, Campbell, Color

Map.

Waterfall returns the waterfall display to Normal View (3D-

display).

Campbell produces a 2 dimensional view using circles to denote

amplitude. Note that any waterfall plot can be viewed as a
Campbell Diagram after the measurement is complete.

Color Map displays the waterfall plot as a 2-D color intensity

map, where you view the waterfall plot in the X-Z plane and the
color corresponds to amplitude in the y-axis. This feature can
only be selected after the test has been stopped.

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Cambell Setup
Color Map Types changes the type of Color Map that is displayed. There
are 3 types of Color Maps to choose from: Intensity, Contour, and
Contour Fill.

Copy provides the following options: Pane Bitmap and All Signals.
Pane Bitmap copies a bitmap image of the current pane into the
Windows Clipboard. This image can then be pasted into any Windows
application such as Word or an email program. All Signals allows the
user to copy a signal to the Windows Clipboard. This is a fast and
convenient method to export data into other Windows software such as
Excel and Word.

Export to Excel copies the values of the selected, or all signals to an

Excel spreadsheet. If Excel is not launched then the application is
automatically launched. A new spreadsheet is opened and the values are
copied into a formatted table. The data is also dynamically linked to the
Shaker Control application so that as the measurement continues, or is
started again, the values in the Excel spreadsheet are continuously
updated. This feature allows advanced calculations that are not available
in the Shaker Control software to be performed within the Excel
software.

Save provides the following options: Save Slice and All Signals. All
Signals will save all signals in the pane to disk. Save Slice invokes the
following dialog box.

Data Folder shows the name and path of the directory the
waterfall slice is saved to.

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Signal allows you to select which waterfall signal you want to

save a slice for.
File Name allows you to define the File Name of the saved slice.

X Slice or Z Slice allows you to whether you want to save the X

or Z Slice of the waterfall.

Allow Overwriting File allows you to enable or disable overwriting

of the saved slice signal file.

Cache provides the All Signals option, which offers a simple method to
manually cache signals without going to the Cache Signal Manager
window. Right click on the pane that contains the signals and select
Cache, then All Signals. The signals will then be cached and
automatically added to the pane.

Waterfall Window Displays

Waterfall Window

Waterfall Window brings up a single pane, empty window from where

you can select a signal to be processed and displayed as a Waterfall plot.
In the Normal View, a regular 3D plot is displayed. Other display types
are the 2D color intensity maps: Intensity, Contour, and Contour Fill.

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Waterfall plus Slice Window

Waterfall plus Slice Window brings up an empty two-pane window from

where you can select a signal to be processed and displayed. The lower
pane displays the Waterfall plot and the upper pane displays a 2D slice of
the Waterfall plot as either a X-Slice or a Z-Slice. The X-Slice is the 2D
plane intersecting the x-axis and the Z-Slice intersects the z-axis.

To the change slice that is displayed in the slice pane, right mouse click
on the slice pane to bring up the Slice Menu. Then select the slice you
wish to view.

Slice Menu

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Color Map Displays

There are three types of Color Maps (Intensity, Contour, and Contour
Fill) available for display once the test has stopped and View as Color
Map has been selected. Select Color Map Types to select which type of
color map to view.

Select Color Map Type to View

Intensity

Contour

Contour Fill

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Summary of F Key Commands

Many of the frequently used measurement commands and setup menus
are directly accessible via special function keys.

Random and Mixed-mode

F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 F6 F7 F8 F9 F10

Help Start Stop Pause Continue

Swept Sine and RSTD

F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 F6 F7 F8 F9 F10

Help Start Stop Pause Continue Hold Release Sweep Sweep

Sweep Sweep Down Up

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Classical Shock, SRS Synthesis, and TTH

F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 F6 F7 F8 F9 F10

Help Start Stop Single

Pulse

Long Time History

F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 F6 F7 F8 F9 F10

Help Start Stop Pause Continue

Starting a Project Sequence

To initiate an automatic execution of a sequence of project files, as
defined in the Project Sequence Setup dialog box, select Start Project
Sequence under the Project menu. This selection only appears in the
top-level menu. If you have a project file open, you must first close this
project in order to access Start Project Sequence.

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6 Create Screens and Reports

Following the selection and/or creation of a Project, you create displays
of the data that you wish to see and setup automatic Report generation.
These two activities use the Report, Window, Pane, and Cursor menus.

Displays and reports are very much inter-related. In order to provide a

complete report of the testing activity, you must have displays that can
document the work. It is important to understand the relationship of
Windows and Panes in the context of the Dactron Shaker Control
System. In this section, the creation of displays will be explained in the
context of the Window menu. The display contents will be explained in
the Pane menu and finally the Report menu will explain the
documentation process.

Test Screen Display with Multiple Data Display Windows

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What is a Pane
A Pane is a portion of a Window. Windows in the Dactron Shaker
Control System function just like windows in any MS Windows
application. They can be opened, sized, moved, positioned, closed,
minimized, maximized and iconized. A window for Dactron’s
applications can have one, two or four “panes”. Each Pane can display
test data in a variety of formats to assist in monitoring the test, analyzing
data, and documenting results.

Standard Windows
Each Project includes three or four default windows. A Composite,
Channel Status, and a Run Log window are present in all projects. A
third default window, the Profile Block Diagram, is available only for
Random, Mixed-mode, and Sine projects. These default windows are
“standard” windows and are always available for display.

Note: At least one window has to be open. If you close all windows, you
will close the project

Channel Status Window

The Channel Status window provides a convenient “bar meter” display
of the input signal levels. This display is invaluable for troubleshooting
startup problems and for monitoring the test during both the Pre-Test and
Test phases.

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Channel Status Window

Clipped, Max, Min, Peak and RMS are the input values measured on a
frame-by-frame basis. Clipped flags input voltage range overloads.
“Clipped #” provides a counter for the number of overloads registered by
each channel. The numeric readouts – Max, Min, Peak, and RMS – are
calculated as follows:
Max is the largest positive value.
Min is the largest negative value.
Peak is the larger of Max and the absolute value of Min for
Random and Shock applications. For Sine applications Peak
represents the averaged zero to peak value for the time data
frame. This value is the same as that used for the spectrum
display at the current sweep frequency.
RMS is the root mean square value.
Random applications also include a readout of the PSD RMS. This value
is based on the averaged PSD for the input channel.

Multiple Plots

This view can be selected by right clicking on the Channel Status

display and selecting Multiple Plots from the pop up menu. This view
shows all enabled input channel signals in an oscilloscope type view.

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The format can be modified by right clicking on the Channel Status view
and selecting Display Setup from the pop-up menu.

Display Setup

Number of rows of plots defines the layout of the graphs. Select 1 to

show all graphs in one row. Select 2 to show all graphs in 2 rows.
Channels to be displayed defines which of the enabled input channels
will be displayed. The channels can be specified by entering “ALL”,
separated by commas (1,2,4), or with a range (1-6).
Display labels for each plot adds the input channel units labels to each
plot.

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Fit all channels in visible area scales the size of the plots to fill the
Channel Status window.
Warning Condition is used to change the color of the waveform to
indicate the size of the signal.
Select Quantity defines the measurement to compare to the value. The
choices are Peak, RMS and Peak-Peak.
Condition defines the comparison of the signal to the value. The choices
are Greater than, Less than, and Equal in between.
Value specifies the value to compare with the signal. When Condition is
set to Equal in between, then there are 2 value fields that specify the
upper and lower values.

Composite Window
The Composite window is the primary window for viewing during a test
run. It is always available and initially appears in a standard format.
However it is user-customizable directly through it’s own controls. The
Channel Status and Profile windows rely on Project definition for their
respective content. The controls of the Composite window are similar to
those of the optional “Customized” windows. These controls will be
explained in the next section: Pane menu.
For Random, Sine, SoR and RoR the Composite window can contain the
control, the reference, the high abort, the low abort, the high alarm, and
the low alarm traces on one plot. For Shock and SRS Synthesis, the
Composite window can contain the control, the reference, the high abort,
or the low abort data traces.

Run Log Window

The Run Log Window documents the sequence of system and operator
actions during the test. The current test event is highlighted the line.

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Profile Block Diagram Window

Another type of standard One-Pane window is the Profile Block Diagram.
This window is a graphic representation of the project/schedule run
order. This window also allows immediate access to the Profile and
Schedule dialogs for any project in the Block Diagram. (You can also
access these dialogs through the Profile menu.) For more information on
this window, see “Profile Block Diagram” in Section 4.

The Customized Window

The final type of window available is the Customized window.
Customized windows use a multiple Pane concept. You can select from
a number of Pane formats in the Window menu.

Window Menu
The Window menu is used to create and arrange the various window
types. The Pane menu contains selections to create new windows or to
choose the active window. This section explains the creation of data
display windows.

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One-Pane Window
Selecting One-Pane on the Window menu creates a Customized data
display with a single plot area. Each Customized window is assigned a
name derived from the Signal name chosen as the first trace to the plot.
If the same Signal name is used in another window as the first trace, then
this window’s name will be the Signal name with an appended number:
1,2,3 and so on. For example, if input2(f) is selected twice as the first
trace of new windows, the two window names would input2(f)_0 and
input2(f)_1.

2D Displays

Two-Pane Horizontal Window

The Two-Pane Horizontal selection creates a Customized two-pane

window with a horizontal divider bar. The Two-Pane window contains
two separate and independent user- definable plots. The horizontal
divider bar allows sizing the two plots, relative to each another, within
the window.

Two-Pane Horizontal Window

Two-Pane Vertical Window

The Two-Pane Vertical selection creates a Customized two-pane window

with a vertical divider bar.

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Two-Pane Vertical Window

Four-Pane Window

The Four-Pane selection creates a Customized four-pane window with

both horizontal and vertical divider bars.

Four-Pane Window

Composite

Selecting Composite will recreate the composite window if it has been

closed.

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3D Displays

Waterfall Window

The Waterfall Window selection creates a Customized one-pane window

display in which a signal can be processed and displayed as a Waterfall
plot.

Waterfall Window

Waterfall plus Slice Window

The Waterfall plus Slice Window selection creates a Customized 2-pane

window display. The lower pane displays a Waterfall plot and the upper
pane displays either the x-plane slice (X-Slice) or a z-plane slice (Z-Slice)
of the Waterfall plot.

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Waterfall plus Slice Window

Parameter Summary Window

The Summary Window selection displays a table listing the setup
parameters of the test.

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Summary Window

Numeric Display
The Numeric Display provides a large-size digital readout visible from
across a room. You may choose to display either a Signal property or an
item of system Status. The choice between Signal and Status readout is
made in the pop-up menu that appears when you right-click in the
Numeric Display. The pop-up also provides the opportunity to establish
the Display Setup for the active (checked) display type.

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Numeric Display of Signal data reflects amplitude by color

The following figure shows the Numerical Indicator Settings dialog that
appears when you select Display Setup from the pop-up while Signal is
the active display choice.

Setup dialog for a Signal readout

In the Numerical Indicator Settings dialog you establish the desired

signal parameter for display and format color options to allow the display
to change color based upon signal amplitude.

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Select the desired input Source channel from the pull-down.

Choose the signal statistic using the Quantity radio buttons.
Select either Linear or dB readout using the Linear/dB radio
buttons.
Enter a High Level for the statistic. Press the corresponding Color
button and select the desired display color when the statistic is at
High Level or greater.
Press the Mid Level Color button and select the display color to be
used when the statistic is greater than Low Limit, but less than
High Limit.
Enter a Low Level for the statistic. Press the corresponding Color
button and select the desired display color when the statistic is at
Low Level or less.
Click OK to complete your entry.

Numeric Display of a system Statistic

Right click in the Numeric Display and select Status to display a system
parameter such as Frequency. Select Display Setup to open the Display
Setup dialog shown below.

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Display Setup dialog used to format Status readout

Status displays are always made using green characters. You can select
the Background Color to make multiple Status readouts instantly
distinguishable (and differentiate them from Signal readouts).
Choose the desired system Status number from the Content pull
down.
Specify the desired number of Digits to be displayed.
Select the desired Font.
Select the desired Background Color.
Choose the applicable Units for readout.
Press OK to complete your entry.

Channel Status
Selection of Channel Status will recreate that window if you previously
closed it.

Digital Input Monitor

The Digital Input Monitor selection creates a window displaying live
on/off information for each Digital I/O event (displayed by Pin number).

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Digital Input Monitor Window

Run Log Window

The Run Log Window selection displays a history of events concerning
your test in chronological order. It displays Entry Time, Level,
Control/Demand, Source, and event Description.

Run Log

Cascade and Tile

These standard MS Windows controls arrange the open windows in
either Cascade (windows layered on top of each other) or Tile (rows and
columns of equal size windows) arrangements.

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Tool Bar, Status Bar, and Control Panel

If you need to additional space on the display screen, you can display or
hide the Tool Bar, the Status Bar and the Control Panel.
Tool Bar contains single-click access to many window operations and
test control and report functions. Section 7, “Tool Bar and Mouse
Controls”, describes the Tool Bar functions.
Status Bar contains information about various functions that the system
is performing.
Control Panel is an essential item to have on the screen. It provides
quick access to controls and status readouts. During test runs, it is not a
good idea to suppress this portion of the display just to gain space.

Active Window Selection

The bottom of the Window menu lists the open windows. A check mark
next is next to the name of the Active Window.

Pane Menu
The Pane menu is the primary menu for transforming windows and
making them display the data that you wish to see in the format that you
wish to see it.

Making a Pane the Active Pane

Clicking on one of the panes within a window will make that pane active.
All selections on the Pane menu will then apply to that pane. (For more
information on mouse controls, see Section 7, “Tool Bar and Mouse
Controls.”)

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Moving the Pane Borders

You can change the relative sizes of individual panes within a window
by moving the divider bars. To do so position the mouse pointer over a
Pane divider bar. A Resize icon will appear. A uni-directional Resize
icon allows the divider bar to be dragged horizontally or vertically. To
do a combined vertical and horizontal movement, position the mouse
pointer over the intersection of the horizontal and vertical dividers bars
and then drag the bi-directional Resize icon.

Pane Border Movement

Contents of the Pane

Contents invokes a four-page dialog box that allows selection of the
signals to display and all plot attributes such as axis scales and plot
colors.

Select Signals to Display Page of Contents

Select Signals to Display allows you to choose signals to display in the

active pane. Double-click on a signal name in Signal Candidates list to
add it to the Selected Signal list. Or click on a signal name and then

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click the >> button. To remove a signal from the Selected Signal list,
click on a signal name in this list and then click the << button.
In addition to specifying signals for display, you can also select:
Y-Axis Format where the choices are dependent on the Project and data
types available. For example, with a Random Profile, the choices
available to display a profile are LogMag, Mag, dBMag, dBReal and
Real.
X axis type, either Linear or Log.
Recall which is a shortcut to the Recall Signals dialog box. This feature
allows you to quickly recall data previously saved to disk and then
display the data. See “Recall Signals” for additional information on
recalling saved data signals.
Auto Range Using allows you to select which signal to use as the
reference for automatic scaling of the Y–axis. Click on a signal name in
the Selected Signals list and then click V button to activate your choice
for an auto range reference.

Selecting Signals to Display

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Special Signal Displays

Special Signal display formats aid in monitoring tests and analyzing test
results. In Random and Mixed-mode, the Time Capture histories can be
displayed as acceleration, velocity, or displacement versus time. The
velocity and displacement histories are generated by integration of the
acceleration time histories. For this reason, the velocity and
displacement value is always zero at time zero. These integrated
histories do not give true cumulative displacement and velocity readings.
They are, however, very useful for getting an idea about the range of the
displacement or velocity changes during the test.
Shock also offers selection of the amplitude Dimension as acceleration,
velocity or displacement. As in Random, the velocity and displacement
time histories are derived from an integration of the acceleration time
history. Since all shock transients start at zero values of acceleration,
velocity, and displacement, the integrated histories generally represent
accurate measurements of the velocity and displacement waveforms.
Any spectrum in Sine or RSTD can be displayed using the Dimension
setting of acceleration, velocity, or displacement. A frequency domain
jω integration of the acceleration spectrum generates the velocity or
displacement spectrum. These integrated spectral values are not
generally as accurate as measurements made by velocity or linear
displacement sensors. The derived velocity and displacement spectrums
do, however, provide insight into the test results or conditions.

Selecting the Acceleration, Velocity, or Displacement Dimension in Contents

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Example Time Histories with Acceleration, Velocity, and Displacement Dimension

SoR and SRoR offer control tone as a special signal display. These
choices allow the control tones signals to be plotted as they are in Sine.
The tone acceleration (peak) is plotted versus frequency just as in a
swept-sine test.

Control Tone Signals for Display in SoR and SRoR

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Example of Control Tone Acceleration versus Frequency Plot (upper pane)

In Shock, any SRS may be displayed as an A/V/D vibration monograph.

This plot format has grid lines for acceleration, velocity, and
displacement. This plot format is selected via the Y-Axis menu of
Contents as show below.

Selecting the Acceleration/Velocity/Displacement Vibration Monograph Display Format

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Example SRS in AVD Vibration Monograph Format

General Page of Contents

The General page provides tools to set the colors for the plot areas. To
change an item’s properties, highlight the item in the Category list.
Make the changes desired and then select OK. To determine which
attributes can be changed, see the individual descriptions of each
category below.

Grid is the background grid lines drawn on the Pane when signals are
plotted. The color and the style of the grids may be changed.
Tic Mark is the short line drawn between the major grids on the plot
axes. The color of the tic marks may be changed.
Title is the name assigned to this pane. The title appears on the title bar
of the window. The title text may be changed.
yTitle shows the vertical units for the measurement. The title text may
be changed.

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xTitle shows the horizontal units for the measurement. If the signal is in
the time domain, the X Title default is Time (seconds). If the signal is in
the frequency domain, the X Title default is Frequency (Hz). The title
text may be changed.
Text refers to any text displayed in the Pane such as the Y Title or the X
Title. The text color and the font may be changed. To change the text
font, click the Font button and choose from the selections in the dialog
box.
Background Color refers to the background of the plot area. The
background color may be changed. The default background color is
black.
Frame Color refers to the region outside the plot area. The frame color
may be changed. The default frame color is gray.

General Page to Set Plot Colors, Textures and Text Font

Coordinates Page of Contents

Coordinates allows selection of the vertical and horizontal scaling of the

Plot. It also allows you to choose the numerical format for axes scale
values.

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Setting Plot Scales and Scale Label Formats

The X- and Y-Axis Range offer three types of scaling methods: Full,
Auto and Fixed.
In the Full scaling method, the display boundaries are calculated based
on the maximum and minimum values of the signal in the axis. The
boundaries are calculated for each Pane. If more than one signal is
selected for display, the signal used will be the one shown in the Auto
Range Using field in the Select Signals to Display page of this dialog
box.
Auto is similar to Full but leaves more headroom for display.
Fixed allows entry of the values for the display boundaries. If invalid
numbers are entered, the system will automatically change the numbers
into meaningful values. For example, if the number of Y Top Boundary

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is less than that of Y Bottom Boundary, the system will change the
values.
Note: After the ZOOM-In command is executed, both X and Y-axes are
set to Fixed. After the ZOOM-Out command is executed, the system
will restore the scale settings.

Label Mode controls the way numbers are displayed. For example, the
value 0.035 can be displayed as:

0.035 floating point description

3.5e-3 scientific description
35m short note description

The Floating point format straightforward and easy to understand.

However, for extremely small or big values, it requires many digits to
represent data values. In this case, use the scientific or short-note
description.
Scientific uses a mantissa (the numbers before the “e”) and an exponent
(the numbers after “e”) for the data display. The number “3.5e-3” means
3.5 ×10-3.
Short-Note uses the following industry conventions to describe a value:

G stands for Giga and is 10 to the ninth power.

M stands for Mega and is 10 to the sixth power.
k stands for kilo and is 10 to the third power.
m stands for milli and is 10 to the minus third power.
u stands for micro and is 10 to the minus sixth power.
p stands for pico and is 10 to the minus ninth power.
n stands for nano and is 10 to the minus twelfth power.

Input Status Page of Contents

When a Pane contains either input(t) or input(f) signals, you can add
input status readouts such as the RMS or peak value.

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The Max, Min, Peak and RMS values are instantaneous estimates base on
a single data frame. The PSD RMS, which is only available in Random,
is the RMS value estimated from the averaged power-spectrum of that
channel. The PSD RMS has less variance than the RMS.

Input Status Readouts

Input Status Readouts on a Pane

The numeric readouts – Max, Min, Peak, and RMS – are calculated from
time history for the current data frame. These values are calculated as
follows:
Max is the largest positive value.

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Min is the largest negative value.

Peak is the larger of Max and the absolute value of Min for
Random and Shock applications. For Sine applications Peak
represents the averaged zero to peak value for the time data
frame. This value is the same as that used for the spectrum
display at the current sweep frequency.
RMS is the root mean square value.
Random applications also include a readout of the PSD RMS. This value
is based on the averaged PSD for the input channel.

Pane Default Parameters

The Pane Default Parameter dialog is used to customize the settings so
that every new pane inherits the default settings. Select Pane Default
Parameters from the Pane menu.

General Parameters sets the color, line style and font of the pane. Click
on items in the list then click on the Color, Font, or Line Style controls to
change the default settings.
Signal Related Parameters set the scaling of the pane. Select either
Time Domain Signal, Frequency Domain Signal, or Ratio Signal, then
Change the Y axis Format or the X axis type.

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When the settings are made, click on the OK button. Every new pane
that is generated will open with the new default settings.

Add and Delete Cursor Mark

The Add Mark and Delete Mark commands insert or remove cursors
marks, that is tabulated X and Y value readouts, from the active pane.
To add a Mark annotation box in the pane move the cursor to the desired
position on the data trace and either select Add Mark from the Pane
menu or hold down the “Ctrl” and “M” keys together. When multiple
signals are overlaid the up arrow key allows selection of the data trace to
mark. You can move the mark annotation box by using the mouse to
click and drag. To remove a Mark annotation box from a pane, simply
click on the Delete Mark menu item.

Note: Cursors are a primary analysis tool, and there are many ways to
invoke, control and use them. Section 7, “Tool Bar and Mouse
Controls”, provides extensive detail on the use of cursors.

Add and Delete Annotation

Annotations can be added to any Pane. The Add Annotation command
invokes a mouse crosshair pointer to select the annotation block position
size. Simply place the crosshair pointer in the desired position on the
plot, then hold down the left mouse button and drag until you get the
right size block. Delete Current Annotation removes the annotation
block from the plot. The Annotation tool is covered in detail in Section
7, “Tool Bar and Mouse Controls.”

Zoom In and Zoom Out

You Zoom In, or magnify a portion of a plot, by placing the mouse
pointer anywhere on the plot, and then you click-and-drag the zoom box
over the part of the plot you want to magnify. Zoom Out allows you to
restore the X-Y scaling of the signal plot to the previous level of
magnification. The Pane stores all Zoom-In information so that it can be
restored to each previous magnification level.

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Auto. Fit Y-Axis

Auto. Fit Y-Axis automatically scales the Y-axis for the active Pane.
Auto Fit is on if a checkmark appears by this menu item. If there is no
checkmark, Auto Fit is off.

Pane Pop-Up Menu

The Pane Pop-Up menu can be accessed from any pane by right clicking
on the pane. It contains many features that are most commonly used and
gives quick access to commonly used dialogs.

Contents opens the Contents dialog.

Signal Color opens the Signal Color dialog.
Copy opens a sub menu that lists all signals in the pane that can be
copied individually, as well as the option to copy the Pane Bitmap or
copy All Signals. Copy allows the user to copy a signal to the Windows
Clipboard. This is a fast and convenient method to export data into other
Windows software such as Excel and Word.
The available options under Copy are described below.

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Pane Bitmap copies a bitmap image of the current pane into the
Windows Clipboard. This image can then be pasted into any
Windows application such as Word or an email program.
All Signals copies all signals to the clipboard.
Copy opens a sub menu that lists all signals in the pane in
addition to the Pane Bitmap and All Signals options. Select the
signal to copy by pointing and releasing the mouse button. Then
switch to another Windows application to paste the data. The
data will be pasted in rows and columns with column headings to
indicate the units and scaling as shown below.

Export to Excel copies the values of the selected, or all signals to an

Excel spreadsheet. If Excel is not launched then the application is
automatically launched. A new spreadsheet is opened and the values are
copied into a formatted table. The data is also dynamically linked to the
Shaker Control application so that as the measurement continues, or is
started again, the values in the Excel spreadsheet are continuously
updated. This feature allows advanced calculations that are not available
in the Shaker Control software to be performed within the Excel
software.
Save is a simple method to manually save signals without going to the
Signal Manager dialog. Right click on the pane that contains the signal
and select Save then Save All Signals or select the signal to save by
pointing and releasing the mouse button. The signal will then be saved
to disk according to the settings in the Save Signal Manager.

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Cache is a simple method to manually cache signals without going to the

Cache Signal Manager window. Right click on the pane that contains
the signals and select Cache then All Signals or select the signal to cache
by pointing and releasing the mouse button. The signal will then be
cached and automatically added to the pane.

Cursor Menu
Cursor functions provide a flexible analysis tool. Single and dual cursors
give precise value readouts and relative delta X and Y readouts. Peak
and valley cursors automatically detect and mark the maximum or
minimum values for a data trace(s). Harmonic cursors also supply
information on the relationships of signal components with a
fundamental cyclic signal.
Cursor features are accessed and activated by pointing the mouse at an
active cursor, and then right-clicking. Note this menu is not available
when the cursor is not pointed near the cursor.

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Move To opens the Move Cursor dialog. Enter a New Position in the
dialog to move the cursor to the specified location.
Track Peak forces the cursor to move and track the location of the local
peak in the signal.
Track Valley forces the cursor to move and track the location of the local
minimum in the signal.
Link Cursor Movement links the movement of multiple cursors in two
or four pane 2D window. When this option is enabled and one cursor is
moved in one pane, the cursors in the associated panes moves to the
same location.
Link Global Cursor Movement links all cursors on similar domain
windows (frequency or time). When this option is enabled and a cursor
is moved, then all cursors in the same domain window move to the same
location.
Display Values For All Signals displays the values for all signals that
are added to the current pane. When this option is not enabled only the
value of the current signal is displayed.
Color defines the color of the cursor in the current window.
Cursor Global Setup opens the Global Setup dialog where global cursor
settings can be defined for all panes.
Additional cursor controls are located in the Cursor menu.

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Note: Cursors are a primary analysis tool, and there are many ways to
invoke, control and use them. Section 7, “Tool Bar and Mouse
Controls”, provides extensive detail on the use of cursors.

Add and Delete Normal Cursor

The Add Normal Cursor and Delete Normal/Peak/Valley Cursor
commands insert or remove basic cursors from the active pane. Each
pane can have two cursors. Activating both cursors provides delta x and
y readouts between the two cursors. To make coarse cursor movements,
position the mouse over the cursor (the mouse pointer will change to the
shape of a hand) and then drag the cursor to the new X-axis position.
The left and right arrows on the keyboard provide for fine cursor
movement. The up and down keyboard arrows toggle the active trace
used for the value readout box.

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Add and Delete Normal Y Cursor

The Add Normal Y Cursor and Delete Normal Y Cursor commands insert
or remove one y cursor from the active pane. Each pane can have two y
cursors. Activating both cursors provides delta y readouts between the
two cursors. To make coarse cursor movements, position the mouse over
the cursor (the mouse pointer changes to the shape of a hand) and then
drag the cursor to the new y-axis position. The up and down arrows on
the keyboard provide for fine cursor movement.

Sideband Cursors
Sideband cursors show a series of vertical lines a specified distance from
the main cursor in a frequency plot. You set the number or sideband
cursors and the frequency spacing using the Sideband Cursor Setup
dialog in the Cursor Global Setup dialog. Then add a cursor to the pane
and select Enable Sideband Cursors from the Cursor menu. The text box
lists the signal at each sideband cursor. To remove the sideband cursors
select Disable Sideband Cursors from the Cursor menu.

Add and Delete Peak Cursors

Peak cursors automatically find the peaks of a data trace and mark these
peaks. The peak marks use sequentially numbered tags for referencing to
the list of X and Y value readouts in the mark annotation box. For
displays with multiple overlaid signals, use the up or down arrow key to
select the data trace to peak mark. You can move the mark annotation
box by using the mouse to click and drag. To remove the peak mark
annotation box from a pane, simply click on Delete Normal/Peak/Valley
Cursor.

Add and Delete Valley Cursors

Valley cursors automatically find the valleys of a data trace and mark
these valleys. The Valley cursors operate in the same manner as the
Peak cursors as described above.

Add and Delete Harmonic Cursors

Harmonic cursors show a series of markers referenced to a specified
“fundamental” frequency. The harmonic markers are positioned at
integer multiples of the fundamental frequency. Add Harmonic Cursor

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places harmonic cursors in the active pane. You set the fundamental
cursor frequency either by using the Global Cursor Setup dialog or by
using the mouse to click and drag the fundamental cursor. To get a X-Y
value readout for the harmonic cursor, go the Window Selector box on
the toolbar and click on Harmonic Window. When multiple signals are
overlaid the up arrow key allows selection of the data trace to place
harmonic markers on. You can move the mark annotation box by using
the mouse to click and drag. To remove the valley mark annotation box
from a pane, simply click on Delete Harmonic Cursor.

Calculate Q Factor with Normal Cursor

The Q Factor can be automatically calculated from a spectrum plot by
selecting Calculate Q Factor with Normal Cursor from the Cursor menu.
This option is only available when a normal cursor is added to a pane.
Move the normal cursor near a peak in the spectrum plot and the text
readout will display the Q Factor and the percent damping, computed
from:
Q Factor = fc/(f2-f1)
% damping = 1/(2*Q Factor)
Where fc is the center frequency at the peak, f1 and f2 are the half power
points computed from 3 dB below fc.

Find Nearest Peak or Valley

Find Nearest Peak moves the active cursor from its current position to
the closest peak of the data trace. Likewise, Find Nearest Valley moves
the active cursor to the closest data trace valley.

Waterfall Cursor

When a cursor is added to a Waterfall plot, two independently controlled

cursors are displayed. The arrow keys move each cursor – up and down
arrow keys control one cursor and the left and right arrow keys control
the other. The numerical information corresponding to the intersection
of the two cursors is displayed in the Waterfall pane. Note that the slice
that is viewed in the Slice pane will match to the cursor location in the
Waterfall pane.

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Cursor Global Setup

Select this option to open the Cursor Global Setup dialog.

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Normal Cursor

This tab controls the properties of the normal cursor.

Display the complete engineering units in the cursor window adds
units to the x and y values displayed in the cursor annotation box.
Display the overall RMS when applicable displays the Overall RMS
value for the pane, in addition to the x and y values at the cursor position.
Label Mode controls the way numbers are displayed. The options are
described in detail in the section describing the Contents dialog earlier in
this chapter.

Peak/Valley Setup

The Peak/Valley Setup dialog allows you to set the number of peaks or
valleys to find and mark. For example, setting the Number of
Peak/Valley to 3 and then clicking on Add Peak Cursor marks the three
highest peaks of the active data trace.

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Harmonic Cursor Setup

The Harmonic Cursor Setup dialog sets the frequency for the reference,
or fundamental cursor, and the number of harmonic cursors to use.
Setting the Fundamental Cursor Frequency at 100 Hz and the Number of
Cursors to 4 would cause, for example, cursors to appear at 100, 200,
300, 400 and 500 Hz.

Fundamental Cursor allows you to enter the frequency for the

reference, or fundamental cursor.

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Index Setup allows you to choose either the Default Index, which places
the harmonic cursors at integer multiples of the Fundamental Cursor, or
a Custom Index, which allows you to enter a Delta Frequency. Using the
latter option, the cursors appear evenly spaced from the Fundamental
Cursor instead of at integer multiples.
THD Display defines how the total harmonic distortion is displayed
when the harmonic cursor is enabled.
Number of Cursors allows you to enter the number of cursors you need.

Sideband Cursor Setup

Opens a dialog that allows you to select the number of sideband pairs
(cursors) and the frequency spacing. This option is only available if
there is already one normal cursor in the pane.

Number of Sideband Pairs - The number of pairs of cursors on each

side of the central frequency. For example, if you select two sideband
pairs, you will have two sideband cursors on each side of the main
cursor.
Frequency - The difference in frequency between each of the sideband
cursors. For example, if you select to have two sideband cursors at a
spacing of 1000Hz and the main cursor is at 5000Hz, you will see
sideband cursors at 3000Hz, 4000Hz, 6000Hz, and 7000Hz. The cursors
at 4000Hz and 6000Hz constitute the first pair and those at 3000Hz and
7000Hz constitute the second pair.

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Shape Setup

The Shape Setup dialog allows you to set how cursors and cursor marks
are displayed. Cursor Shape defines how cursors are displayed and the
available options are as follows: Line, Transparent Square, Solid
Square, Transparent Circle, Solid Circle, Cross. Mark Shape defines
how cursor marks are displayed and the available options are as follows:
Transparent Square, Solid Square, Transparent Circle, Solid Circle,
Cross.

Report Functions

All Reports Are Generated Through MS-Word®

The software provides extensive report functions. All the test
parameters, plots, testing results, screen copies, and data sets (signals)
can be saved on disk and printed during run-time or after the test is done.
Test reports are generated in Microsoft Word. Microsoft Word can be
launched during run-time or upon test completion. A report contains
three major categories of information:

• Panes with data plots,

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• application screen bitmaps, and

• test parameter listings.

An Example of a Report Generated in MS-WORD

The system generates appropriate temporary data files in the current Run
folder and MS-Word imports them whenever necessary.
Temporary data files can be generated:

Manually, using the on-line command, or

Automatically, via the schedule.

Selecting an on-line command such as Current Pane under the Report

menu and clicking Create Report causes MS-Word to open immediately
and lets it import the temporary data files. A Word document will be
created at that time.
However, if the entry Save Results is inserted in a schedule or, the Save
Results command is selected during run-time, MS-Word will not be
opened at that time. Instead, the temporary data files will be saved into
the current Run folder. Later, the temporary files may be moved into

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MS-Word by selecting Output Saved Results to MS-Word. The data

flow is as follows:

schedule entry
Save Results MS-Word Document
Shaker print...
Control
Software
On-line command
Save Results
Command
*.scn files (bitmaps of screen copies) Output Saved
*.txt files (parameters) Results to MS-Word
*.pan files (plots)

RUN folder

Data Flow in Generating Reports

Difference between a Pane and Screen Bitmap

A plot may be printed by making a screen bitmap copy or by creating a
plot for the Pane directly. Creating the Pane plot directly is the best
strategy unless it is necessary to print out more than one plot per page.
The Pane plot is created by a special technique in MS-Word, which saves
the drawing algorithms of each pane. The picture is crystal clear and the
plot may be enlarged or reshaped without losing resolution. The Pane
plot is always on a white background. The line colors can be changed.
Printouts contain only one plot per page. To print several plots on the
same page in a specific layout, the screen bitmap copy must be used.

Run-time Status Attached to the Plot

When a plot is created, some run-time statistics are attached to the plot
automatically by the system. For example, a Random plot includes:

• Plot Header
• Project Name,
• Profile Name,

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• Test Type,
• Run Folder Name,
• Current Level,
• Control RMS and Demand RMS,
• Elapsed Time and Remaining Time,
• Time Data saved, and
• Time of Report Generation.

Edit the Pane Plot

Pane plots imported into MS-Word can be dragged, resized, or edited
without losing display resolution. To edit the Pane plot, simply double-
click the plot object in the Word document.
For example, the shape of following plot has been changed. One of the
strings in the plot has also been edited.

p r o f i l e ( f ) h i g h - a b o r t ( f ) l o w - a b o r t ( f ) h i g h - a l a r m ( f )
2 5 7 . 0 m

1 0 0
T
. 0 m
h e t i t l e h a s
b e e n c h a n g e d

1 0 . 0 m

For MS-Word 2000 Users

Microsoft Word 2000 includes security features to protect against macro
viruses. This feature is not in previous versions of Microsoft Word. For
Dactron Quick Reports to work with Microsoft Word 2000 you must
follow one of the procedures below. The user has the choice of two
procedure: Change Security to Low, or modify the Normal.dot template.

Change Security Level to Low

The easiest method to enable Dactron Quick Reports is the change the
Macro Security from High to Low. However this reduces protection
from macro viruses. Therefore users should do so at their own risk. To
do this

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1. Open Microsoft Word 2000

2. Select Macro from under the Tools menu and choose Security.
3. Change the security level from high or medium to low by
clicking on Low

4. Click on OK to close the window.

This must be done before you generate a Quick Report and security must
remain at Low for Dactron Quick Reports to function properly. This
procedure only needs to be done once. After that, Word 2000 is set and
it will automatically execute the template startup macros without any
further changes to the Word 2000 setup. If the user prefers not to change
the security to low, then the alternative is to modify the normal.dot
template as described below.

Modify the Normal.dot Template

The first time that Word 2000 is invoked by Quick Report command
form with a Dactron application, the following error message appears:

First go to the “Tools” menu and select “Macros.” The Macros dialog
box will be displayed. Click on the “Organizer…” button. In the
Organizer dialog,

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1. Select the Macro Project Items tab

2. Go to the “Macro Project Items available in” selector on the left and
choose “Report.dot(Template).”
3. Go to the “Macro Project Items available in” selector on the right,
and choose “Normal.dot (global template).”

4. Delete the “AutoOpen” macro in the “Normal.dot:” template by

clicking first on the “AutoOpen” macro on the right and then
clicking on the “Delete” button.
5. Copy “AutoOpen” macro from the “Report.dot:” template to the
“Normal.dot:” template by clicking first on the “AutoOpen” macro
on the left and then clicking on the “Copy >>” button.
6. Delete the “AutoOpen” macro in the “Report.dot:” template by
clicking first on the “AutoOpen” macro on the left and then clicking
on the “Delete” button. The Macro Project Items dialog should look
like the figure below.

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7. Finally, click on the “Close” button.

8. Exit Word 2000 and it will prompt you to save “Report” (report.dot).
Select "Yes" on this prompt.

9. Finally, you will be prompted to save the Report.dot template as

either a new file or to overwrite the existing file. Click on the
“Overwrite” button.

This completes the Word 2000 macro conversion procedure. Now Word
2000 will automatically execute the Word macros used by Dactron’s
Quick Report utility.

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Use the MS-Word Template

The user can take advantage of MS-Word to customize the report by
using a Word Template. For example, the company logo may be put into
the header. When a report is created using this template, each page of
the report will have a logo on the top. To create templates, follow the
steps below.

Step 1: A Word template called dot1 is created. It has a special header as

shown below:

Step 2: Save template dot1, into the dactron\bin folder:

Step 3: When you create the report, select the dot1 template:

Step 4: The documents generated will use the dot1 template.

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Generate a Color Plot for the Pane

For color printing, the Pane plot can be saved with color information. To
enable the color function, go to Option under Report. Under the Each
time you save pane(s) section, click Use color line drawing. This will
store the plot traces as color lines. The plot background is always white.

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Enabling Color Line Drawing in the Pane Plot

Note: The bitmap of the screen copy is always in color. For high
quality printing, you may want to select white for the background
and dark colors for the lines.

Print Multiple Plots per Page

Many printers come with driver software capable of printing multiple
plots per page. Once you have generated your report in Word, you can
set the print properties by going to the File menu, selecting Print, and
then going to the Properties dialog. The dialog below shows a typical
Properties set up page.

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Setting the Print Properties to Use Multiple Plots per Page

For this example, four plots are printed on one page.

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Save Test Results

The temporary data files required for normal printing with the schedule
may be saved easily. At the end of the test, all results can then be
exported to MS-Word.
In the schedule, add a “Save Results” entry. Select Save Active Pane,
Save All Panes or Save Screen Bitmaps as appropriate:

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Selecting Results to Save

The schedule will execute the command at the appropriate time. The
following schedule shows a test with 100 loop times. It will save all
panes opened and the application screen bitmap to the Run folder every
hour.

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Automatic Test Results Saves using Save Results in the Schedule.

Report Menu
The Report menu is used to generate documentation of the Project and
test results. Each topic area of the Project can be documented
individually, or as a single consolidated report.

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Current Pane
Current Pane generates an MS-Word document with the active Pane
embedded. A hard copy of the plot is easily made using Word’s Print
command.

Template is the MS-Word template to use. The default template is

Normal. Within Word you can create your template with your
company’s logo, or other pertinent information, included in the template
header.
Notes provides convenient entry of annotation, such as observations on
the data, special test conditions, etc., to embed in the Word document
along with the plot. This text appears on the page following the Pane
plot.

Test ID to Customize and Add Test Information

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The Test ID dialog is used to customize the Quick Report Content. The
headers and report content can be modified for each report. This feature
gives the user the ability to add standard text to Quick Reports such as:
DUT, Serial Number, Operator name, etc… The Test ID dialog can also
prompt the user before each test to enter this information.

Customize Field Label opens the Customize Label dialog. This dialog
can be used to modify the labels in the Test ID dialog for any specific
application.
Insert Label adds a new Field Label below the highlighted label.
Add Label adds a new Field Label to the end of the list.
Delete Label removes the highlighted label.

The Usage column in the Test ID dialog defines where the field
information will be placed in the Quick Report.

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Header 1 places the information at the top of every page in Header 1.

Note only one row can be assigned to Header 1 in the Test ID dialog.
Header 2 places the information below Header 1 on every page. Note
only one row can be assigned to Header 2 in the Test ID dialog.
End of Report places the information at the end of the report, after all
content define in the Quick Report Setup dialog. There is no limit to the
number of rows that can be assigned to the end of the report in the Test
ID dialog.
None suspends this information from the current report. This Append
mode can be used to temporarily withhold information from the Quick
Report without deleting the Field Label definition from the Test ID
dialog.

The Append Mode field can be used to add a time or sequence number
after the content of each entry in the Test ID dialog.
Time Stamp adds the date and time after every entry in the Quick Report
Increment Adds an incrementing number after every entry in the Quick
Report. The number increases after every report is generated.

For example if the following fields are defined in the Test ID dialog,

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then the top of the report will include the text:

X512-1
Test 1 of 5 Dec 17,2001 11-06-02.

Project Report
Selection of Project Report allows the generation of a listing of
individual Project settings, or a consolidated listing of the entire Project
setup. All of the setup items checked under Content will be embedded in
a new Word document using the template specified in the MS-Word
Template selector box.

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Report Setup
The Report Setup dialog box allows you to preset the contents of your
report. Selecting Quick Report, or clicking on the Quick Report icon,
automatically opens MS-Word and generates a report with the contents
as specified under Quick Report contents.

Report Setup Dialog Box for Customized Report Composition

Quick Report Setup

Prompt Test ID dialog box at time of the report generation can be

used to customize the report content with every new report.

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The Legends section provides the following choices for plot

customization:
Place on the right of plot puts the plot trace legends to the right of
the plot border.
Place above plot puts the plot trace legends over the top of the plot
border.
Add Overall (PSD or Peak) prints the RMS or peak value of the
signal together with the signal name. An RMS value is used for
Random applications while a peak value is used for all other
applications.

Each time you save pane(s) provide two choices for the format of plots
embedded in the Word document:
Do not use color line drawing causes the plots to be black and
white. This choice is the best if you are using a monochrome printer.
When this choice is selected, each trace within the plot will be
assigned a line texture to allow easy differentiation between data
traces.
Use color line drawing causes the plot traces to be of the same color
as shown on the Shaker Control application screen. The plot
background is always white to economize on the use of the color
printer ink cartridges.

MS_Word Template is the Word document template to use. The default

template is Normal. Within Word you can create your template with
your company’s logo, or other pertinent information, included in the
template header.
Quick report contents specifies which setup information and data plots to
include in the Word document. Each checked selection creates a one-
page report with all the appropriate data.

RSTD Report

The Report Option dialog box includes two additional items for RSTD
Projects. Check RSTD Event and RSTD Status to print out all
information related to a search and dwell test.

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Special Report Options for RSTD

Active Report

The Active Report tab in the Report Setup dialog allows you to enable
the Active Report function that enables you to manipulate data plots in
Quick Report Word documents so that you can view the data just as you
prefer. These interactive plots allow to use mouse activated menus to
rescale the plot axes, change from linear to log scales, place a live data
cursor on screen, add annotation fields, or change the display function
(i.e., display an FRF as Log Mag or as real + imaginary, etc.). You can
even import data from a disk file to generate your own data comparisons
in a Quick Report. All the display manipulations use mouse operations
that work just as they do in the Dactron applications. On computers
without Shaker Control or Analyze Anywhere installed, an OCX can be
downloaded from the Dactron web site and installed to make the plots
active in Word for any Quick Report documents that have been
transferred over from a PC with Dactron software installed.

Note: The Active Report capability uses advanced features that are only
fully supported by Word 2002 and later versions of Word.

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Report Setup Dialog Box for enabling Active Report

To create an Active Report, follow these simple steps:

a. Enable the Active Report function, by simply clicking on
Word Active Report in the Report Type tab of the Report
Setup dialog.
b. Generate a Quick Report by using the Report menu and
selecting Quick Report or by clicking on the Quick Report
icon in the Tool Bar. Note also that you can create an Active
Report using Current Pane as well under the Report menu.
An Active Report is automatically generated in Word as follows:

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By right clicking on the plot created in the Word, you access the Active
Report pop-up menu, which features the following functions:
Contents is a simplified version of the Contents menu found in the
Shaker Control applications. This invokes a Change View Format dialog,
which allows you to specify the Y Axis Format (Mag, dBMag, LogMag,
etc) and X Axis Type (Linear or Log) of the plot.

Contents dialog box for an Active Report

3D Orientation allows you to change the viewing orientation of a

waterfall Active Report plot. This has the same functionality as
Orientation in the pop-up menu of a Waterfall window.
Add Cursor places a cursor in the middle of the Active Report plot. One
or two cursors may be placed into each plot.

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Delete Cursor removes cursors from the Active Report plot in the order
of placement.
Add Annotation allows you to add an annotation box to the Active
Report plot and specify its position and size.
Delete Current Annotation removes the selected annotation box.
Zoom Out allows restoration of the X-Y scaling of the Active Report
plot to the previous level of magnification.
Add Signal from File invokes an Open dialog that allows you to select a
signal you would like to add to the current Active Report plot.

Note: you can only add signals of the same type in the current Active
Report plot.

The PDF File Report allows reports to be generated directly to a PDF

document. This PDF format report uses a proprietary library created by
the company PDFLib. The report has a diagonal watermark
'www.pdflib.com' which can be removed by purchasing a license on
www.pdflib.com and activating it. The cost for a per seat license is
about $450. The PDF format also works if you have Adobe Acrobat
installed on your computer.

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Template Setup
The Template Setup command allows the creation of a customized
report template with standard text such as your company name and
address and data panes. The document is first created in the MS Word
program and then the pictures are associated with panes from the RT Pro
software. The customized report can then be created from the Report
menu.

Note: The Active Report capability uses advanced features that are only
fully supported by Word 2002 and later versions of Word.

A template file must first be created in the MS Word program. To do

this, run the MS Word program and select Dactron from the View menu.
This menu is added to MS Word when the RT Pro software is installed.
This adds the menu shown below. Create a new document and edit it by
adding your company information, standard text and formatting using
standard MS Word commands. To add a Dactron figure, click Insert
Picture from the Dactron menu.

The Inset Picture dialog will prompt for a picture name. Enter a name
and click OK. This adds a place holder for data panes that will be
imported from the RT Pro software.
Delete picture removes the selected picture from the template file.

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Continue to edit the template and add pictures until the template is
complete. Then save the file as either a .doc or .tmp file. The image
below shows a template document with 2 pictures added.

After a template file is created and saved, the Template Setup dialog can
be used to assign pane data to the template pictures. Select Template
Setup from the Report menu. Use the Browse button to locate the
template file. The dialog will display a list of the defined pictures in the
template file. Select a Picture Name and use the pull-down menu on the
right to assign a pane to the picture. The panes must be defined in RT
Pro before they appear on the dialog. After all Picture Names have
assigned Window Pane Names, click OK.

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Template Report
The Template Report command uses the Template Setup settings and
creates a new report. The image below shows a report created from the
above template file. The live data is copied from RT Pro into the report.

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Output Saved Results to MS-Word

The Output Saved Results to MS-Word command allows selection of the
saved results to export into MS-Word.

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Output All Saved Results to MS-Word

Run Folder lists the selected directory from which saved results are to
be extracted. The default setting for the directory is the currenr Project
Run Folder. Use the Browse button to change to a different run folder.
Template is the MS-Word template to use. The default template is
Normal. Within Word you can create your template with your
company’s logo, or other pertinent information, included in the template
header.
Candidates allows you to specify which saved results to export into
Word. Double-click on a results name in the Candidates list to add it to
the Selected Items list. Or click on a results name and then click the >>
button. To remove a result from the Selected Item list, click on a result
name in this list and then click the << button. You can also use the
Select All Panes/Screens and Remove All Panes/Screens to simplify
selection or de-selection of results.
The figure that follows shows an example of the MS-Word document
generated automatically using this approach:

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A Report Generated with Various Saved Results (Panes and Screen Bitmaps)

Parameter Summary Window

The Parameter Summary Window gives all setup and test settings in one
display that can be resized, moved, tiled and closed like any pane. It can
be viewed by selecting Parameter Summary from the Window menu or
Setup Summary from the pull down menu on the Project Toolbar. Note
the Parameter Summary Window contents only refreshes when the
window is closed and reopened or when the user clicks on the Parameter
Summary Refresh button on the tool bar . If a change is made to a
setting and the window is not refreshed then the contents could be
inaccurate.

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7 Tool Bar and Mouse Controls

Project Tool Bar

The Shaker Control application Tool Bar provides direct access to many
project creation, test setup, display manipulation, and report generation
functions. There are six Tool Bar configurations – (1) No Project open;
(2) Random family; (3) Sine/RSTD; (4) Sine Oscillator; (5) Shock
family; and (6) Long Time History. Each configuration consists of a
number of “global” icons, that is icons with common functions for all
applications, and icons specific to an application family.

New Project Tool Bar

Random and Mixed-mode Tool Bar

Swept Sine and RSTD Tool Bar

Sine Oscillator

Shock, SRS Synthesis, and TTH Tool Bar

Long Time History Tool Bar

Project Tool Bar Configurations

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New Project Tool Bar Buttons

When you first start the Shaker Control software there are three icon
functions available – New Project, Open Project, and Help.

New Project

Invokes the Project New menu to select a Project type.

Open Project

Invokes the Open dialog box that allows you to select an existing
Project. The dialog firsts asks you to select one of the available Project
Folders in the Dactron directory. Selection of a particular folder reveals
an individual Project to open. This dialog page can also search for
Projects on other disk drives installed in your system. It lets you open a
Project from a removable disk or floppy drive and store it on the default
drive without going to My Computer or Windows Explorer.

About

The displays the About help information.

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Global Tool Bar Buttons

Global Tool Bar buttons provide direct access to functions that are
available in all applications.

Save Project File

Saves an open project. You must have used Save As or have a

previously saved file open for this function to operate.

One- Pane

Creates a One-Pane window.

Select Contents

Invokes the Contents dialog box for the active Pane.

Add Cursor

Places a cursor in the middle of the active Pane. One or two cursors may
be placed into each pane.

Delete Cursor

Removes cursors from the active Pane in the order of placement.

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Add Text Box

Allows you to add a text box on the active Pane. When you select this
button, the normal mouse pointer changes to a cross-hair cursor. Click
and hold the left mouse button at one corner of the Pane. Holding the
left mouse button, drag to create an annotation box. This box cannot be
resized later so make sure it’s big enough for your text. (The box can
always be moved to different location in the Pane.) When you release
the left mouse button, a character insertion marker appears in the upper
left-hand corner of the box you just created.

Zoom Out

Zoom Outs to the previous scale settings on a Pane after you have
performed at least one Zoom In.

Window Selector

Lists the available Windows. This selector field lets you switch between
Windows without going to the Window menu.

Set Demand Level

Invokes the Set Level dialog box to change the excitation level during a
test run.

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Increase Demand Level

Increases the Demand Level by the amplitude increment set in the

Preferences menu under Test Setup.

Decrease Demand Level

Decreases the Demand Level by the amplitude increment set in the

Preferences menu under Test Setup.

Next Event in Schedule

Causes the system to skip to the next Event in the schedule.

Next Profile in Schedule

Causes the system to skip to the next Profile when more than one Profile
is included in the test.

Save Results

Saves all the signals that have pre-specified in the On-Line Save Results
dialog box under the Controls menu.

Recall Signal Manager

Opens the Recall Signal Manager window to recall saved signals.

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Signal Manager

Opens the Signal Manager window to save, recall and cache signals.

Quick Report

Automatically open MS-Word, if not already open, and generates a

Quick Report document according to the settings in the Option dialog
box under Report.

Summary Parameter Refresh

The Summary Parameter window shows all parameters at the time the
window is opened. If a parameter is changed then the refresh button
must be pressed to update the display

Validate Parameters

Checks all parameters and reports whether any conflicts exist.

About

Displays the About information.

Random and Mixed-Mode Special Buttons

The Random family, Random and all Mixed-mode applications, has only
one icon in addition to the global Tool Bar icons.

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Reset Averaging

Resets the Averager function and initiates a re-average of all spectra.

The number of averages is preset in the Test page of the Control
Parameters menu under Test Setup.

Sine and RSTD Special Buttons

The Sine family, Sine and RSTD, have seven icons in addition to the
global Tool Bar icons.

Sweep Down

Causes the sine drive signal to sweep in the direction of decreasing

frequency.

Sweep Up

Causes the sine drive signal to sweep in the direction of increasing

frequency.

Set Frequency

Allows you to set the sine drive frequency. The sine output gradually
ramps down in amplitude while at the current frequency. It then shifts to
the new frequency and ramps up in amplitude. After it ramps to the
demand level, it will hold the sweep until you release it.

Decrease Frequency

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Lowers the drive frequency by the frequency increment set in the

Preferences menu under Test Setup. This command is active during a
scheduled sweep or if the Schedule Clock Timer is set to Off. It is not
available if the sweep has been halted by a Hold Sweep command.

Increase Frequency

Raises the drive frequency by the frequency increment set in the

Preferences menu under Test Setup. This command is active during a
scheduled sweep or if the Schedule Clock Timer is set to Off. It is not
available if the sweep has been halted by a Hold Sweep command.

Hold Sweep

Halts the sweep at the current drive.

Release Sweep

Resumes the sweep in the direction that the drive was sweeping when a
Hold Sweep command was given.

Shock, SRS Synthesis, and TTH Special

Buttons

The Shock family, Shock, SRS Synthesis, and TTH, has only one icon in
addition to the global Tool Bar icons.

Output a Single Pulse

Enables manual output of one pulse. This command is only available

when the system is in Pause mode (Schedule mode is Off).

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LTH Special Buttons

LTH has only one icon in addition to the global Tool Bar icons.

Set Update H Ratio

Sets the feedback gain for the system transfer function calculation. This
value ranges from zero to 0.5. A value of zero inhibits any updating of
the transfer function after the pre-test. Any value greater than zero
causes the transfer function to be updated during the test based on the
latest control loop. If the H Update Ratio is set to 0.5, then a new
transfer function is calculated by equally weighting the old transfer
function and the transfer function from the latest control loop. Typical H
Update Ratio values are from 0.1 to 0.35. If the shaker system or test
article is highly non-linear, then it may be necessary to use a value near
to 0.5 to enhance control accuracy. Caution should be used, however, as
a very high value for H Update Ratio can degrade the control accuracy
under some conditions.

Waveform Editor Special Buttons

LTH has only one icon in addition to the global Tool Bar icons.

Import Profile

This icon opens the Import Profile from File dialog to load a waveform
from a disk file.

Save LTH Profile

Saves the compensated waveform to a disk file for use in the LTH
program.

Save Spectrum Signal

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Saves the PSD of the compensated waveform to a disk file for use in the
LTH program as the pre-test profile.

Compensation Template

This button invokes the Compensation Template dialog to set up the

compensation operations that are to be applied to the waveform.

Splice

This icon applies a splice fit between segments that adjoin each other
after a paste operation. The splice ensures a smooth transition without
discontinuity at the boundary of the two segments.

Cut

This icon cuts the highlighted segment (between the two plot cursors) out
of the waveform.

Copy

This icon makes a copy of the highlighted waveform segment.

Paste Left, Paste Right

These icons paste a copied waveform segment to the right or the left of
the plot cursor.

Undo

This button undoes the prior compensation or waveform edit operation.

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Test Setup Icons

The Test Setup Icons provide you with quick and convenient access to
many of the commonly used setup parameters located in the Setup Menu
such as Shaker Parameters and Test Profile. Altering or entering any test
parameters using these icons is equivalent to using the Setup menu from
the Project Toolbar.

The following table describes the function of each icon.

Icon Access to: Function

Shaker Parameters Specifies the performance
• Shaker dialog. limitations of the shaker
table.
Channel Parameters Assignments, sensitivity
dialog calibration, calibration
• Channel values, and voltage range
settings for input and output
channels.
Control Parameters Setup the control settings for
• Control dialog the test.
Profile dialog Specify the test profile and
• Profile abort tolerances.
Test Schedule dialog Define a sequence of test
• Schedule events to run.
Transmissibility dialog Define Transmissibility
• Transmis. signals
Test ID dialog Setup Report Headers, and
• Test ID Test Information.

View Menu

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The View menu on the Project Toolbar allows you select which toolbars
and panels will be viewable from the Application Screen. To enable or
disable a view, click on the corresponding text from the menu to either
check or uncheck that option. Note that all panels and toolbars (except
for the Project bar) may be moved to different locations on the screen by
drag-and-drop.

View menu

• Tool Bar toggles on and off the Toolbar from view.

Tool Bar

• Status Bar toggles on and off the Status Bar from view.

Status Bar

• Control Panel toggles on and off the Control Panel from view.

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Control Panel

• Setting Toolbar (Test Setup Icons)

Enable toggles on and off the Test Setup Icons from view

Show Text Labels toggles on and off the Text from the Test
Setup Icons

Show Small Icons reduces the size of the icons in the Test
Setup Icons.

• Show Instance Name is used for tracking multiple systems when they
are running concurrently. This is especially useful when using Real
Time Data Exchange (Import Remote Signal). The Instance is a
numerical value assigned to an application, such as Shaker Control or
RT-Pro, starting from 1. The Instance number is assigned to an
application according to which one was opened first.

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Example:

In the picture below, Shaker Control and RT-Pro are running

simultaneously. Shaker Control has an Instance number of 1
indicating that it was opened before RT-Pro.

Shaker Control and RT- Pro Running Concurrently

From the Import Remote Signals dialog, we choose to import

G11(f) and G22(f) from RT-Pro into Shaker Control.

Shaker Control Import Remote Signal

In the Signal Candidates field, G11(f) and G22(f) are now

available for display in any Shaker Control pane. Notice that the
Instance number for these two signals is 2 – which is the Instance
assigned to the RT-Pro application.

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Shaker Control Signal Candidates

Mouse Controls
Most user-interface operations involve use of the mouse. MS Windows
Tools, setup menus, test control commands, and window manipulations
require mouse operations. Standard functions such as move, size,
maximize, minimize, iconize and close will not be explained here.
Dactron’s Shaker Control System, uses the mouse for a variety of special
functions. The application software employs both the left and right
mouse buttons. This section explains the special uses of the mouse by
the Shaker Control applications.
It is assumed here that you are familiar with standard mouse functions
such as click or click and drag. In the Shaker Control applications the
following conventions are used:

• Click always implies pressing the left mouse button once unless the
right mouse button is explicitly specified.
• Drag implies moving the mouse with the left button depressed.

Working with Windows and Panes

Most of your work with the Dactron Shaker Control System will
probably be with the Composite and Customized Windows and Panes.
These displays have special Tool Bar and Mouse controls.

Changing Y and X Scales

A number of display dialog boxes can be accessed directly by pointing at
an area on the screen and clicking. You can enable the Change Y Limit

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dialog box by clicking on the area enclosed by the Y-axis and the Y-axis
numerical scale fields. The Auto-Fix All Y button sets the maximum and
minimum scale values so that all of the signals are displayed within the
plot boundaries. The Apply All button forces all plots of the same type,
all frequency domain or all time domain plots, to the same Y scale range.

Changing the Y Axis Scale by using the Change Y Limit Dialog Box

Similarly, clicking the area enclosed by the X-axis and its numerical
scale values brings up the Change X Limit dialog box as shown in figure
below.

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Changing the X Axis Scale by Using the Change X Limit Dialog Box

Zoom In
To zoom in on a particular area of a Pane, use click and drag to create a
“zoom-in” box. The data displayed within the box you define is
magnified. First, position the mouse pointer over the plot, then click and
hold the left mouse button down. This action establishes one corner of
the zoom-in box. Then drag the mouse to draw a box covering the
portion of the plot to magnify. Then release the left mouse button. This
displays the “zoom-in” box you’ve created and the system prompts you
to “Click to zoom-in”. Click once in the “zoom-in” box and the display is
then redrawn with new X- and Y-axis scale ranges.
By Zooming In, you activate the Zoom Out icon on the Tool Bar and the
Zoom Out command in the Pane menu.

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Using the Mouse to Define a Zoom-In Box

Zoomed-In Display

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Cursor Movement
Both coarse and fine positioning controls are available to move the plot
cursor:
Coarse cursor movement – Place the mouse pointer over the plot
cursor. When you see the mouse pointer change to a pointing hand
symbol, click and drag to reposition the cursor. Upon release of the
left mouse button, the cursor stays put and the mouse resumes normal
operation.
Fine cursor movement – Use the left and right keyboard arrows to
position the cursor. When two cursors are displayed, you must first
make the cursor that you want to move the active cursor. You do this
by placing the mouse pointer over this cursor and clicking.
Synchronized cursor movement in multiple panes - To move
cursors on two or more, separate panes, place a cursor on the desired
panes, then hold down the Shift key and use the keyboard arrows to
move the cursor. All cursors on panes with the same type of signals
(all time domain or frequency domain signals) will follow the cursor
on the active pane.
Synchronized cursor movement with dual cursors To move
dual cursors synchronized while maintaining the same space between
them, hold down the Control key and click on the first cursor so that
both cursors are selected (highlighted in red). Use the keyboard
arrows to move the cursors. To disable synchronized dual cursor
movement and move only one cursor, hold down the Control key and
deselect one of the dual cursors (deselected cursor is highlighted in
green).
To change the active data trace for cursor readout, use the up and
down keyboard arrows to scroll to the desired signal.

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Moving the Cursor

Moving the Cursor Readout

You may position the Cursor Readout Box wherever you wish. Simply
click and drag the box to a new position in the pane. You can even move
it off the data area and onto the frame area of the Pane.

Moving the Cursor Readout Box

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Cursor Readout for RMS and Power

When using dual cursors, the cursor readout shows the RMS and Power
values for the portion of the spectrum between the cursor markers. As
the dual cursor markers are moved, the RMS and Power readouts will
change.

RMS and Power Value Readouts when Using Dual Cursors.

Adding Cursor Marks

To tag points on a data trace, first position the cursor and then press Ctrl
M. Use the up arrow key to activate a different trace for mark insertion.
Click and drag the mark box to any location desired on the display pane.

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Use Add Mark to Tag Data Traces

Peak and Valley Cursors

Use the Add Peak Cursor or Add Valley Cursor under the Cursor menu
to automatically find and mark peaks or valleys. The peak/valley marks
and the X-Y readout box applies to the active trace. You can change the
active trace via the up or down arrow keys.

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Add Peak Cursor Automatically Finds and Marks Peaks

Add Valley Cursor Automatically Finds and Marks Valleys

Quality Factor “Q” and Damping Factor Readout

The Q Factor can be automatically calculated from a spectrum plot by
selecting Calculate Q Factor with Normal Cursor from the Cursor menu.
This option is only available when a normal cursor is added to a pane.

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Move the normal cursor near a peak in the spectrum plot and the text
readout will display the Q Factor and the percent damping, computed
from:
Q Factor = fc/(f2-f1)
% damping = 1/(2*Q Factor)
Where fc is the center frequency at the peak, f1 and f2 are the half power
points computed from 3 dB below fc.

Calculating the Quality Factor “Q” by using the Single Cursor.

Harmonic Cursor
Add Harmonic Cursor in the Cursor menu places harmonic cursors in the
active pane. Use the mouse to set the fundamental frequency by clicking
and dragging the red cursor. For multiple overlaid signals, you can use
the up/down arrow keys to select the data trace to use for harmonic
cursor display. The total harmonic distortion (THD) is also calculated
when this feature is activated.

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Harmonic Cursors showing the Fundamental Frequency and Four Harmonics

To display numerical tabulations for the harmonic cursors go to the

Window Selector box on the toolbar and click on Harmonic Window.

The Harmonic Value Window displays numerical tabulations for the

harmonic cursors.

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Harmonic Cursor Windows Shows Tabulated Values

Right mouse click in the Harmonic Value Window to open a pop-up

menu.

Select Copy to place a text version of the harmonic values table on the
clipboard. The text version of the table can easily be pasted into, for
example, Word or Excel.
Select Report to automatically generate a one page report in Word that
contains the harmonic values table.
Display Mode controls the way numbers are displayed. For example,
the value 0.035 can be displayed as:
0.035 floating point description
3.5e-3 scientific description
35m short note description
The Float format is straightforward and easy to understand. However,
for extremely small or big values, it requires many digits to represent
data values. In this case, use the scientific or short-note description.
When Float is selected in the Display Mode menu a 4th menu choice,
Digits, is available. Use this option to select the number of digits
displayed.

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Scientific uses a mantissa (the numbers before the “e”) and an exponent
(the numbers after “e”) for the data display. The number “3.5e-3” means
3.5 ×10-3.
Short-Note uses the following industry conventions to describe a value:
G stands for Giga and is 10 to the ninth power.
M stands for Mega and is 10 to the sixth power.
k stands for kilo and is 10 to the third power.
m stands for milli and is 10 to the minus third power.
u stands for micro and is 10 to the minus sixth power.
n stands for nano and is 10 to the minus ninth power.
p stands for pico and is 10 to the minus twelfth power.
Mix will use a combination of Float and Short-Note depending on the
values in the table.

Adding Annotation and Annotation Box Movement

To add annotation to a pane, click the Add Text icon or use the Add
Annotation selection in the Pane menu. This will invoke an insertion
crosshair pointer, which marks one corner of the Annotation Box. Click
and drag to form a text entry box for your annotation.
Once the size of the box is established, it cannot be changed. However,
you can cut and paste annotation from one box to another. To do this,
point inside the Annotation Box and either click the right mouse button
then select Edit from the pop-up menu or perform a double-click
operation. To delete an Annotation Box you can either right-click inside
the box then select Remove or you can first delete the text within the box
then a simple click by either the left or right mouse button elsewhere in
the window will remove the Annotation Box.
The Annotation Box always invokes the word wrap feature. Lines of text
will fit inside the box until the volume of text exceeds the capacity of the
box. When the entered text exceeds the size of the box, the annotation
will start to disappear outside the top of the box. In this the case, either
create a larger box and paste the text into it using the process explained
above or you can simply click once on the box then re-size it using your
mouse.
Note: There is no spell checker for the Annotation Box. But you can
create text in MS-Word, spell-check it there, then cut and paste it into
your Annotation Box.

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Annotation Entry Box

Right click on the annotation text box to invoke the following pop-up
menu:

Property invokes the Text Parameters dialog which you can use to edit
the text, change the font, or change the font color.

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Text Parameters Dialog Box

Foreground Color invokes a sub-menu that allows you to set the color
of the text in the Annotation Box.
Background Color invokes a sub-menu that allows you to set the
background color of the Annotation Box.
Edit provides a shortcut to edit the text without having to use the Text
Parameters dialog.
Remove allows you to remove the Annotation Box from the pane.

Setting Y and X Unit Labels and the Plot Title

The X or Y-axis unit labels and the plot Title can be easily redefined.
Simply place the mouse pointer over the label to change, the pointer will
change to a hand symbol, and then click. This action invokes a dialog
box that allows entry of a replacement text string.

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Changing the Legend Title by Using the Title Area Dialog Box

Window Pane Border Movement

You can change the relative sizes of individual panes within a window
by moving the divider bars. To do so position the mouse pointer over a
Pane divider bar. A Resize icon will appear. A uni-directional Resize
icon allows the divider bar to be dragged horizontally or vertically. To
do a combined vertical and horizontal movement, position the mouse
pointer over the intersection of the horizontal and vertical dividers bars
and then drag the bi-directional Resize icon.
The figure below shows the two different tools. See also Section 6,
“Create Screens and Reports.”

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Moving Window Pane Border

Accessing the Pane Contents Dialog Box

To access the Contents dialog box for any Pane, position the mouse
pointer over the pane and click the right mouse button. Remember the
Contents dialog only affects the active Pane. You may want to use the
Pane border movement tools to enlarge the relative size of the Pane prior
to accessing the Contents dialog so that changes are easily seen.

Working with the Profile Block Diagram

The Profile Block Diagram shows the order of execution of profiles and
their associated schedules. In this window, be sure to watch for the
asterisk * next to the functional block name.
The * indicates the active blocks on the Profile Block Diagram. You can
activate other blocks by clicking on them. A double-click on a Profile
Block will invoke the Profile dialog box. A double-click on a Schedule
Block will invoke the Schedule page.

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An * Indicates the Active Profile and Schedule in the Profile Block Diagram Window

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8 ActiveX Signal Reader

Most modern data acquisition products provide analysis tools, however,
none include adequate functions to satisfy every possible computation
and numerical algorithm. For advanced computation requirements a
common solution is to use third party software to post-process data that
is captured using a data acquisition system. The ActiveX Signal Reader
allows you to easily access data saved in Dactron binary format. The
ActiveX command work with any ActiveX program such as Visual
Basic, MATLAB, LabView, C++ and so on.

ActiveX Signal Reader Methods

ActiveX Signal Reader object provides the following methods:
LoadSignal Initialize the Signal Reader Object
GetData Retrieve all signal data between the specified start and end indices
GetSliceValueAr Retrieve the slice values of a 3D signal
ray
GetEventInform Retrieve all event data between the specified start and end indices

LoadSignal

LoadSignal initializes the Signal Reader object.

HRESULT LoadSignal(BSTR sFileName, BOOL* pRet);

Parameters
[in] sFileName
A string that contains the full path of the Dactron Signal file to be loaded.
The path must be an absolute path.
[out] pRet
True if the signal was loaded successfully, otherwise false.

Remarks
This function must be called first. All data in the object will be invalid if
LoadSignal has not been called.

Example

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 ActiveX Signal Reader

Visual C++:
See CDacSignalVCDemoDlg::OnLoadsignal() in
DacSignalVCDemoDlg.cpp of the VC++ demo project.

Visual Basic:
See Sub LoadSignal_Click() in DacSignalVBDemoDlg.frm of the VB
demo project.

GetData
GetData retrieves all signal data between the specified start and end indices.
HRESULT GetData( long nSlice,
long nStart,
long nEnd,
VARIANT* varBuffer);

Parameters
[in] nSlice
The 3D slice number of the data to be retrieved. Use 0 for 2Dsignals.
[in] nStart
The zero based index of the internal data buffer to be used as the first
data point to be retrieved. Typically zero.
[in] nEnd
The zero based index of the internal data buffer to be used as the last
data point to be retrieved. Typically NumOfSamples-1.

[out] varBuffer
An array that contains the signal data.

Remarks
The call will fail if the value of nSlice is larger than NumOfSlice, the value of
nStart is greater than nEnd, or nStart and/or nEnd are outside the valid indices of
the signal data buffer.
The signal data for complex signals is organized as follows: Real[i] =
varBuffer[i*2], Imaginary[i] = varBuffer[(i*2)+1]

Example
Visual C++:
See CDacSignalVCDemoDlg::OnGetData()in DacSignalVCDemoDlg.cpp
of the VC++ demo project.

Visual Basic:
See Sub GetDataBuffer_Click() in DacSignalVBDemoDlg.frm of the VB
demo project.

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GetSliceValueArray
GetSliceValueArray retrieves the slice values of a 3D signal.
HRESULT GetSliceValueArray(VARIANT* varBuffer);

Parameters
[out] varBuffer
An array that contains the slice axis values. E.g. Z[i] = varBuffer[i]

Remarks
This function can be used to get the slice values for 3D signals that have evenly
spaced slice values and those that do not.

Example
Visual C++:
See CDacSignalVCDemoDlg::OnGetslicebuffer() in
DacSignalVCDemoDlg.cpp of the VC++ demo project.

Visual Basic:
See Sub SliceData_Click() in DacSignalVBDemoDlg.frm of the VB demo
project.

GetEventInform
GetEventInform retrieves all event data between the specified start and end
indices.
HRESULT GetEventInform(VARIANT* varStartPoints,
VARIANT* varStartTimes,
VARIANT* varEventLengths,
BOOL* bRet);
Parameters
[out] varStartPoints
An array that contains the starting index of each event in the signal file.
[out] varStartTimess
An array that contains the starting time in seconds of each event in the
signal file.
[out] varEventLengths
An array that contains the length in points of each event in the signal file.
[out] bRet
True if the data in the arrays is valid. False otherwise.

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Remarks
All arrays returned are parallel. The start Point, Time, and Length of an event
[i] can be retrieved from the arrays as varStartPoints[i], varStartTimes[i],
varEventLengths[i].

Example
Visual C++:
See CDacSignalVCDemoDlg::OnEventInfo() in
DacSignalVCDemoDlg.cpp of the VC++ demo project.

Visual Basic:
See Sub EventInfo_Click() in DacSignalVBDemoDlg.frm of the VB demo
project.

ActiveX Signal Reader Properties

ActiveX Signal Reader object provides the following properties:

Property
Type
Name Description
Version Active X object version. 1000 Long
means 1.00
SigVersion Signal version. 1000 means Long
version 1.00
NumOfSamples Number of Samples Long
(Xsize)

DataType Used to determine if data is real Long

(Xstep) only, or real and imaginary.
1: Y is real data
2: Y is (real, imaginary) data
XaxisBegin The starting X value. Double
XaxisDelta Delta for X axis Double
XaxisSpacingEven Defines how X axis values BOOL
(Xincrease) should be calculated.
If True, X[i] = X[0]+Delta* i,
If False, X[i] =
X[0]*power(delta , i)
XaxisUnit Text label that has been BSTR
(Xlabel) associated with the X axis.

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LowValidIndex First valid index of the data Long

buffer
HighValidIndex Last valid index of the data Long
buffer
IsRecordingData If true if the signal file contains BOOL
more than one frame of data.
DataFormat Type of signal. (see description Enum
of DATAFORMAT for signal DATAFORMAT
type details)
Chan1Dimension Channel dimension (see Eunm
description of TRANSUNITS TRANSUNITS
for dimension details)
Chan2Dimension Channel dimension (see Eunm
description of TRANSUNITS TRANSUNITS
for dimension details)
SignalName Display name for the signal BSTR
EULabel Display text for the Engineer BSTR
Unit of the signal.
MeasDate Date the signal was measured. BSTR
Format:
MeasTime Time the signal was measured. BSTR
Format: HH:MM:SS (24hr
clock)
NumOfSlice The value is 1 for 2D signals. If Long
(Zsize) the signal is a 3D signal, the
value represents the number of
slices along the slice axis.
SliceBegin Starting value for the slice axis. Double
(Zbegin)
SliceDelta Delta for slice axis. Double
(Zdelta)
SliceUnit Display units for slice axis. BSTR
SliceSpacingEven If True, Z[i] = Z[0]+Delta* i BOOL
(Zincrease) If False, retrieve data from slice
data buffer.
Also see GetSliceValueArray()
NumOfEvent Number of events in a time Long
domain signal.
ChanStatus.IsAvailabl If True, Channel Status values BOOL
e are valid
If False, Channel Status values
are not valid.

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ChanStatus.Max Signal Max Float

ChanStatus.Min Signal Min Float
ChanStatus.Mean Signal Mean Float
ChanStatus.Peak Signal Peak Float
ChanStatus.RMS Signal RMS Float
ChanStatus.PSDRMS Signal PSD RMS Float

Advance.SampRate Rate at which the signal was Double

sampled.
Advance.XallocSize Total size of the X axis buffer. Long
For some signals this number is
larger than the value of
NumOfSamples.

Advance.AllocSize Total buffer size allocated for Long

the signal. Includes X and Z
data.
Advance.Order Order value. Valid only for Double
APSD_RPM and CPSD_RPM
signals.
Advance.OrderDelta Internal data is stored as Double
EU2/Order. This value is used a
conversion factor to convert the
signal data to EU2. Valid only
for APSD_RPM and
CPSD_RPM signals.
Advance.WindowTyp The window function applied to Enum WNDTYPE
e the signal. (see description of
WNDTYPE for window type
details)
Advance.Oct_b Octave number. If Long
Advance.Oct_b = 3, then 1/3
octave.
Advance.Oct_Weight Octave weighting. One of Enum WEIGHTING
A,B,C,D, Linear, or none.
Advance.Oct_HighFre High end of the analysis range Float
q
Advance.Oct_LowFre Low end of the analysis range Float
q

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ActiveX Signal Reader Enumerations

Enum DATAFORMAT
Integer
Signal Data Format Data Format Description
Equivalent
FRF_FREQ 0 Frequency Response
COH_FREQ 1 Coherence
SPE_FREQ 2 Linear Spectrum
APS_FREQ 3 Auto-Power Spectrum
CPS_FREQ 4 Cross-Power Spectrum
APSD_FREQ 5 Auto-Power Spectrum Density
CPSD_FREQ 6 Cross-Power Spectrum Density
SRS3_FREQ 8 SRS3 Spectrum
OCT_FREQ 9 Octave Spectrum
REAL_FREQ 10 Real Frequency
REAL_TIME 11 Time domain signal
ACOR_TIME 12 Auto Correlation
CCOR_TIME 13 Cross Correlation
CPLX_TIME 14 Complex Time
Transmissibility. Data consists of a pair of values
TRANS_FREQ 17
(amplitude, phase)
SRS_FREQ 21 SRS Spectrum
HIST_AMPL 22 Histogram
ERROR_SRS_FREQ 24 SRS Error Spectrum
APSD_ORDER 25 Auto-Power Spectrum Density Order
IRF_TIME 26 Impulse Response Time
CEPS_TIME 27 Cepstrum
ORDER_TRACK 28 Order Track. RPM Trace.
CPSD_ORDER 29 Cross-Power Spectrum Density Order
APSD_RPM 30 Order Track Slice
CPSD_RPM 31 Cross Order Track Slice

Eunm TRANSUNITS
Integer
Unit Type Unit Description
Equivalent
TRANS_NONE 0 No Units
TRANS_ACC 1 Acceleration
TRANS_VEL 2 Velocity
TRANS_DISP 3 Displacement

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 ActiveX Signal Reader

TRANS_FORCE 4 Force
TRANS_PRESSURE 6 Pressure
TRANS_VOLT 7 Volts
TRANS_ACC_ANGULAR 8 Angular Acceleration
TRANS_RPM 9 RPM
TRANS_USER1 101 User Defined 1
TRANS_USER2 102 User Defined 2
TRANS_USER3 103 User Defined 3

Enum WNDTYPE
Integer
Window Type Window Type Description
Equivalent
WT_OFF 0 No window
WT_BARTLET 1 Bartlett window
WT_HANNING 2 Hanning window
WT_HAMMING 3 Hamming window
WT_WELCH 4 Welch window
WT_TUKEY 5 Tukey window
WT_BLACKMN 6 Blackman (common) window
WT_MINSIDE 7 Blackman's (4th) Minimum Side Lobe window
WT_MAXDECA 8 Blackman's (4th) Maximum Decay window
WT_FLATTOP 9 Flat top window
WT_KAISER 10 Kaiser-Bessel window
WT_FORCE 11 Force-Exponential Window
WT_TRIANGLE 12 Triangle Window
WT_HALFSINE 13 Half Window
WT_FLATTOP_301 14 Flat top window (P301)
WT_FLATTOP_310 15 Flat top window (p310)
WT_FLATTOP_BK 16 Flat top window (B&K)
WT_FLATTOP_HP 17 Flat top window (HP)

Enum WEIGHTING
Integer
Window Type Window Type Description
Equivalent
WEIGHTING_LINEAR 0 Linear Weighting
WEIGHTING_A 1 A Weighting
WEIGHTING_B 2 B Weighting
WEIGHTING_C 3 C Weighting
WEIGHTING_D 4 D Weighting
WEIGHTING_NONE 5 No Weighting

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Adding ActiveX Signal Reader to a Project

This section will guide you through the process of adding the Dactron ActiveX Signal
Reader to your project. The ActiveX Signal Reader should already be installed on your
development PC. If it has not been installed, please install before continuing with this
section.

Visual C++

Step 1- Create a dialog based application

• Start Visual C++

• Select “New” from the file menu

• Click on the Projects tab

• Click “MFCAppWizard(EXE)”
• Enter a name for the project (ReaderDemo)

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 ActiveX Signal Reader

• Click “Ok”
• Select Dialog based as the type of application.

• Click “Finish”
• Click “Ok”

The default dialog based application is now configured.

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 ActiveX Signal Reader

Step 2 – Modify the User Interface

• Remove the “Cancel” button and rename the “Ok” button to “Exit”

• Add a new button and name it “Load Signal”

• Use the Class Wizard to add a message handler for the “Load Signal” button called
“OnLoadsignal”

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The dialog box has now been configured with two buttons, “Load Signal” and “Ok”.

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 ActiveX Signal Reader

Step 3 – Add the IDacSignal, IAdvancedSignal, and IChanStatus client

interface classes

• Open the Class Wizard

• Click the “Add Class” button and select “From Type Library”

• Locate and select your Dactron Signal Dll.

• Click “Open”

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 ActiveX Signal Reader

• Click “Ok“ to confirm the creation of the new classes.

The wizard will create classes for the IDacSignal, IAdvancedSignal, and IChanStatus
interfaces.

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 ActiveX Signal Reader

Step 4 – Using the ActiveX Signal Reader in the project

• Include the Dactron Signal header in the ReaderDemoDlg.h file and add an
IDacSignal member variable to the CReaderDemoDlg class.
#include "DactronSignal.h"
…
IDacSignal m_DactronSignal;
...

• Add the following lines to CReaderDemoDlg::OnInitDialog() to initialize the COM

library and to create an instance of the DacSignal.
CoInitialize(NULL);
m_DactronSignal.CreateDispatch("DactronSignal.DacSignal.1");

• Add the following code to the OnLoadsignal() message handler to load a Dactron
Signal named “demo.sig” when the “Load Signal” button is clicked.
BOOL bSucceded;

bSucceded =
m_DactronSignal.LoadSignal("C:\\ReaderDemo\\demo.sig");

if(bSucceded)
{
MessageBox("Signal loaded",MB_OK);
}
else
{
MessageBox("Error loading signal",MB_OK);
}

Step 5 – Test

Compile and run the application. When the “Load Signal” button is pressed, the signal
in the demo.sig file will be loaded.

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Visual Basic

Step 1 – Create a new project

• Start Microsoft Visual Basic

• Select “New Project” from the “File” menu
• Select “Standard EXE”

Step 2 - Add a reference to the Dactron ActiveX Signal Reader

• Select “References…” from the “Project” menu.

• Locate and select the DactronSignal Type Library.

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 ActiveX Signal Reader

• Click “Ok”

Step 3 – Modify the User Interface

• Add two buttons to the form, one to load the signal and the other to quit the
application.

Step 4 – Add functionality to the User Interface

• Add a Dactron Signal to the default form

Private DactronSignal As New DacSignal

• Add the following code the Load Signal Click event handler.
Dim bSucceded As Boolean
bSucceded = DactronSignal.LoadSignal("demo.sig")
If (bSucceded) Then
MsgBox ("Signal loaded")
Else
MsgBox ("Error loading Signal")
End If

Step 5 – Test

Run application. When the “Load Signal” button is pressed, the signal in the
demo.sig file will be loaded.

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 Shaker Vibration Control Theory

9 Shaker Vibration Control Theory

Overview
This chapter discusses the basic algorithms, control theory, and digital
signal processing technology used in Dactron’s Shaker Control System.
A vibration test is defined in terms of an excitation level to be applied to
the Unit Under Test (UUT). To perform this type of test, the control
system must drive the shaker and monitor the excitation level actually
produced. If the control signal indicates that shaker output is other than
desired, adjustments are made to the drive signal so that the output of the
shaker will converge with the test profile. The control system
continuously, in real-time, corrects for the dynamics of the shaker/UUT
load to maintain accurate control. Safety checking is enhanced by a
distributed processing architecture that handles the control loop
independent of the PC host computer.
The block diagram shows the process closed-loop random vibration
control. Sensors such as accelerometers are used to measure the
response of the UUT (these sensors provide the Control Signal). The
purpose of a random controller is to continuously output a signal (Drive
Signal) so that the power spectral density of the control signal (Measured
Signal) has the defined spectrum shape. This defined spectrum shape is
called the Reference Spectrum.

Reference Spectrum t
control signal
Unit Under Test (UUT)
f
Shaker
Random
Vibration
Controller
Amplifier

drive signal t

Random Vibration Controller Block Diagram

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 Shaker Vibration Control Theory

Sine and Shock controllers use different types of signals to excite the
structure being tested. This chapter presents the algorithms developed by
Dactron for all three types of vibration controllers.

Single Degree-of-Freedom System

For reference, a summary of the theory for a single degree-of-freedom
model is presented here. This model is frequently used in shaker
vibration control algorithms such as Shock Response Spectrum
Analysis/Synthesis or Resonant Search, Track and Dwell.
The differential equation of free motion of mass m in a single degree-of-
freedom (SDOF) system with a viscous damper is:

mx&& + cx& + kx = 0

The following parameters are derived from this equation:

Natural Frequency:
ωn = k/m

Critical damping coefficient:

cc = 2km

ζ =c / cc
Damping ratio (fractional of critical damping):

Sometimes the damping ratio is represented as a percentage. For

example, in the Shock Response Spectrum Analysis software, an entry of
5% for the damping ratio means ζ is 0.05.

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 Shaker Vibration Control Theory

Resonance Frequencies: The peak of the displacement, velocity, and

acceleration response of a system undergoing forced, steady-state
vibration occur at slightly different forcing frequencies. A resonance
frequency is defined as the frequency for which the response is a
maximum.

Displacement resonance frequency: ω n (1 − 2ζ )

2 1/ 2

Velocity resonance frequency: ω n

Acceleration resonance frequency: ω n (1 − 2ζ )

2 1/ 2

For physical systems with small damping ratios, say ζ<0.1, the
difference among the three resonance frequencies is negligible.

Quality Factor Q: Q = 1/(2ζ)

Bandwith at Half-Power Point ∆ω: ∆ω = ω n /Q = 2ζ ω n

Random Vibration Control

Random Control Process

Random excitation is often used to simulate real world vibration. The
purpose of the random vibration control system is to generate a true
random drive signal such that, when the signal is applied via an
amplifier/shaker to the device under test, the resulting shaker output
spectrum will match a user-specified reference spectrum. The reference
profile is defined in the frequency domain in units of (Acceleration)2/Hz.
This signal is to be applied to the UUT for a specified amount of time to
verify the device's ability to function in its service environment.
If the series of components being controlled (i.e., the amplifier, shaker,
and testing structure) is assumed to be an integrated linear system, then it
can be described by a system transfer function H(f) in frequency domain.
The frequency spectra of the control and drive signals, Y(f) and X(f), can
be linked together by H(f) as:

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 Shaker Vibration Control Theory

Y(f) = H(f) X(f) (1)

Or

X(f) = H(f) -1 Y(f) (2)

Where H(f) -1 is called the inverse transfer function.

If a flat spectrum drive signal excites a shaker/test-article system, the

resulting acceleration response spectrum will not be flat. The armature
resonances and the dynamics of the test-article react on the system to
produce peaks (resonances) and valleys (anti-resonances) in the resultant
spectrum.
To apply a specified spectrum to the test article, the drive spectrum must
be altered to correct for the dynamics of the shaker/load combination.
This process is generally referred to as “Equalization”. The inverse
transfer function is calculated while the test is ongoing to monitor any
change in the system transfer character. Corrections are applied in real-
time.
Given a desired spectrum R(f) (reference spectrum, or profile), the
required value for the drive can be calculated as:

X(f) = H(f) -1 R(f) (3)

Where X(f) is the spectrum of the required drive signal.

Once the drive spectrum X(f) is known, there are several ways to
generate a random output signal in the time domain. The following
constraints are used when generating the output signal x(t):

• It has the spectral shape defined by X(f).

• It is a continuous waveform (without any gap, periodic structure, or
discontinuity (no glitches).
• It has a Gaussian or (clipped by N-sigma) amplitude distribution.

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 Shaker Vibration Control Theory

The algorithm can be summarized with the following procedures:

Step 1. Digitize the input signals and transform them into frequency
domain using the FFT process.
Step 2. Estimate the inverse system transfer function between the
averaged input and output via cross-spectral method.
Step 3. Generate a reference spectrum with random phase.
Step 4. Multiply the reference spectrum by the inverse transfer
function, and apply an Inverse FFT to the result to generate the
output-time waveform.
Step 5. Output the time waveform through a D/A converter.

All these calculations are completed within one frame-period to ensure a

very fast control loop time.

one channel output (drive signal)

8 channel inputs (control signals)

Output

y2(t) y1(t)
window
window window

FFT FFT FFT x(t)

y2(f) y1(f) x(f)

Auto Power Cross Power Auto Power

Spectrum Spectrum Spectrum
channel averaging

Phase
Randomizer
Average Average Average
IFFT

Drive
Control PSD Cross PSD
PSD
Multiply R(f)

Reference
Compute Inverse Editor
Transfer Function
Safety Limit Checking H-1

Dactron Controller Functional Block Diagram

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 Shaker Vibration Control Theory

During the control process various safety checks are applied to ensure
that (1) the test is being performed as defined, (2) the shaker feedback
can be measured, and (3) the drive signal is not clipped.

Safety Checks

High-line Abort / Low-line Abort

Line checking is done by comparing the control signal and the abort
tolerances on a per-spectrum-line basis. If the control signal is higher or
lower than the abort limits by a specified percentage, the system will
abort the test. Because the shape of abort tolerances is defined by the
user, this safety check can tailor UUT protection based on particular
frequency bands.

High-RMS Abort / Low-RMS Abort

The RMS check compares the overall RMS value of the control signal to
user-defined limits. This check protects the UUT from an overall energy
standpoint.

Control Signal Loss

This feature protects against over test by detecting the loss of the control
signal. In the event of a control signal loss, the system quickly and
smoothly shuts the Drive signal down

Maximum Output Voltage Check

This function protects the shaker amplifier from an input voltage

overload.

Mixed-mode Control
Mixed-mode is a general term for the following advanced vibration
control packages:

• Sine-on-Random

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 Shaker Vibration Control Theory

• Random-on-Random
• Sine-and-Random-on-Random

The majority of vibration experienced by equipment in service can be

characterized by broadband random. In some cases, the vibration is
more appropriately characterized by periodic or pseudo-periodic
excitation together with low-level broadband random. Example cases
include excitation from gunfire and reciprocating machinery or
helicopter rotors. The Mixed-mode simulates these complex vibration
environments.
Dactron’s mixed-mode control system uses broadband random, multiple
swept narrowband random, and multiple swept sine waves
simultaneously.
The control algorithm can be divided into three parts: a broadband
random control loop, a multiple-narrowband random spectrum generator,
and a multiple-sine control loop as shown in the diagram below.

control signal

broadband narrowband
multiple sine
random control random control
control loop
loop loop

shaker
burst
control

sum

drive signal

Mixed-mode Control

The broadband random control part of the control algorithm uses the
same methods as the random only control algorithm. In both cases, the
profile is defined in the PSD domain.

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 Shaker Vibration Control Theory

The multiple narrowband random signals are generated by a continuous

modification to a separate random reference spectrum (the narrowband
profile). A similar technique has been described in reference [5]. Each
narrow-band random signal has its own profile (amplitude target) and
pre-defined sweep speed and sweep range. After the narrowband signals
are generated, they are added into the broadband portion. The internal
control loop of the narrowband portion is faster than broadband control
to ensure smooth sweeping. Random-on-Random places much heavier
demand on computational resources than the basic broadband random
controller.
Dactron’s multiple sine tone control technique is proprietary. A tracking
filter with proportional bandwidth extracts each sine tone. The tracking
filter is applied to the drive signal and all the measured input signals.
In the case of Sine-and-Random-on-Random, The Dactron shaker control
system can control up to 12 sine tones. There are 12 independent Sine
controllers working in parallel with two other random controllers (one
for broadband and one for narrowband).
When the narrowbands are turned on or off, there is a smooth, gradual
level decay or rise in the narrowband frequency bands. Ramp-up and
ramp-down rates for the narrowbands are settable.
There are two modes to turn narrowbands on or off: automatic or
manual. With the “automatic” mode, they can be controlled through the
schedule. Manual operation allows you to turn them on or off at any
time.
In simulating gunfire, the sine tones must be turned on/off in
milliseconds, not seconds. This can be done using a Burst-Mode feature.
The on-time and the off-time for the tones are settable.

turned-on manually or turned-off manually or

by schedule by schedule

time

time-on time-off

Controlled by the
Burst-Mode setup

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 Shaker Vibration Control Theory

Each of the 12 tones can have its own sweep speed, and sweep range.
Mil-Std-810E requires a harmonic-tone test mode. When this mode is
enabled, all of the narrowbands sweep synchronously in a harmonically
related manner. The first narrowband signal is defined as the
“fundamental” sweeping component; the remaining narrowbands are
considered harmonics of the fundamental.

Swept Sine Vibration Control

Swept-Sine is another common vibration test. As the name implies, the
drive signal to the shaker is a sine wave that changes in a smooth
continuous manner over a range of frequencies. The amplitude level of
the reference profile can be defined in acceleration, velocity or
displacement units.
A swept-sine test specification includes the following:

• The upper and lower frequency limits of the test.

• The level to be maintained at the appropriate frequency.
• The rate at which the frequency will sweep (logarithm or linear).
• The duration of the test or the number of sweeps.

A high-precision digital sine wave generator is required for the sine

vibration control system. The drive signal (time domain) output is
calculated based on:

d n = An sin(θ n )
(4)

Where: θ n is the phase at nth sample

An is the amplitude at nth sample

d n is the drive signal output amplitude at nth sample

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 Shaker Vibration Control Theory

An , f n are provided by control logic. The generator uses f n to compute

phase θ n , then provides d n for output.

In this control system, a look-up table of pre-calculated values is used

instead of directly calculating the sine function in real time. One sine
wave cycle (from 0 to 2π) with M samples is pre-calculated and stored in
memory. The sine look-up table can be accessed by a base pointer
(points to sine(0.0)) and an index pointer (<M). The phase can be scaled
to the range of (0, M).

2π
∆θ =
M
θn θ
Index n = =M n
∆θ 2π (5)

Then

d n = *( pSineTable + Index n ) (6)

Reference [1] studied the SNR (Signal-Noise-Ratio) and the

computational requirements of various methods for generating sine
waves: Polynomial Expansion, Direct Table Look-up and Table Look-up
with Linear Interpolation. It concluded that the Table Look-Up with
Interpolation is the most appropriate method for applications such as sine
vibration controllers.
The output frequency can be held at a fixed frequency, stepped in a
sequence of fixed frequencies, or swept in time over a range of
frequencies. Swept-sine changes the frequency in a smooth continuous
manner. The rate of frequency change is called the sweep rate. Both log
and linear swept rates are provided. The operating range of this control
system extends from 0.5 Hz to 10 kHz.

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 Shaker Vibration Control Theory

Sine Control Process

The control system generates an output sine wave to excite the device
under test. A level detector measures the control signal amplitude. The
control signal amplitude is then compared with the reference amplitude
and the Drive signal amplitude is updated.

Control (measured from

Reference
test species)
ω

Comparator

Drive (output to the

shaker amplifier)

Updating the Drive Signal by Comparing the Control with the Reference

The level detector outputs results based on one of the following

measurement processes:

• Tracking filter
• RMS
• Peak
• Mean

The Tracking Filter detector produces amplitude and phase data, while
the other measurement methods only produce amplitude data.
The Channel Average block is used to combine the results of multiple
channel detectors and then generate the single control signal.

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 Shaker Vibration Control Theory

Chn 1
Detector Averaging
Exp.
Averaging
Logic
Chn 2
Exp.
Detector Averaging
Channel
Averaging Control (A, ω )
Chn 3 Exp.
Averaging
Detector Block

...
Multiple Channel Averaging

Real-time Tracking Filter with Adaptive Bandwidth

Tracking filters greatly reduce the noise and harmonic signals above and
below the sine drive frequency. A tracking filter has two major
characteristics that specifically address Sine Control for shaker systems.
First, the tracking filter has a center frequency that is always tuned to the
current drive frequency. This allows all other signals to be rejected from
measurement and control. Second, the bandwidth can be defined as
either a fixed frequency span or a span that changes as a function of the
operating frequency.
Some shaker control systems [3] use a linear average over a changing
period of time to achieve the effect of a tracking filter. This type of filter
can only provide about –13 dB rejection at the stop band because the
“filter” has essentially a rectangular data window.

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A tracking filter with changing bandwidth and center frequency

can eliminate the noise outside the band

f1 f2 frequency

Tracking Filter Shapes

The System’s DSP computational power allows the use of a unique

algorithm to realize an extremely high-performance tracking filter. This
algorithm is described below:

Step 1. Based on the current drive frequency and filter type (fixed or
proportional bandwidth), the DSP calculates the current
tracking filter bandwidth and the center frequency of the filter.
Step 2. The DSP calculates updated band pass filter coefficients
adaptively in real-time.
Step 3. It applies the filter to the data of each input channel.

Sweeping Frequency

calcu-
Filter coefficients
lation Filter bandwidth type (fixed
or proportional)

f1 frequency

Tracking Filter Construction

The tracking filter is calculated “on-the-fly” based on the current

operating frequency and bandwidth requirement. This operation is re-
executed every few milliseconds. The filter generated through this

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 Shaker Vibration Control Theory

approach has a rejection of about –60 dB at the stop band. The output of
the filter goes through the averager to produce one control amplitude
value. This value is then used by the comparator to correct the drive
amplitude. This process results in exceptionally accurate control.

RMS, Mean, and Peak Detection

The Peak, Mean, and RMS level detectors analyze time domain data over
preset historical durations. This duration can be computed based upon
the selected bandwidth as follows:

History duration (second) = 1/bandwidth (Hz)

Both fixed and proportional bandwidths are supported. Fixed

bandwidths imply a constant historical analysis duration over the entire
test. Proportional bandwidths imply a changing historical analysis
duration as the test progresses.
For example, if a fixed bandwidth of 100 Hz has been selected, the
historical analysis duration would be 0.01 seconds.

History duration

RMS Detector

Peak Detector

DC Detector

Events during Historical Duration

Assume N is the history duration calculated, according to the selected

bandwidth. The RMS is computed by:

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 Shaker Vibration Control Theory

N −1
1
RMS =
N
∑ x(i )
i=0
2

The Mean is computed by:

N −1
1
Mean =
N
∑ ABS ( x(i ))
i =0

And, the Peak is computed by:

Peak = (+ Peak) + | (- Peak) |

2

The RMS, Mean and Peak measurements do not provide a linear

relationship in the frequency domain. Signals at harmonics of the drive
frequency can contribute to the final overall measurement result.
Therefore, the drive level may be lower than if a tracking filter
processing is used.
On the other hand, a tracking filter measures only signals within the filter
band around the drive frequency. Hence, a higher excitation level will
result as the harmonic responses are filtered out.

Resonant Search, Dwell and Track (RSTD)

This section covers the basics of the resonance search and tracked dwell
process used in Dactron’s Shaker Control System.

RSTD Requires Transmissibility Measurement

The following explanations are drawn from the Shock and Vibration
Handbook (by Cyril Harris) :

The peak of the displacement, velocity, and acceleration response of a

system undergoing forced, steady-state vibration occur at slightly

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 Shaker Vibration Control Theory

different forcing frequencies. A resonance frequency is defined as the

frequency for which the response is a maximum.

There are three types of resonance frequency

Displacement resonance frequency: ω n (1 − 2ζ )

2 1/ 2

Velocity resonance frequency: ω n

Acceleration resonance frequency: ω n (1 − 2ζ )

2 1/ 2

For physical systems with small damping ratios, say ζ<0.1, the
difference among the three resonance frequencies is negligible.
A direct method to find resonances is to measure the transfer function
between the response signal of the test article (acceleration, velocity or
displacement), and the force excitation signal. The resonance will be the
peak on the transfer function curve. Unfortunately, this approach is
unpractical in the shaker control operation because the force
measurement is not easy to obtain. Instead, the transmissibility
measurement is commonly used to find the resonance.
Two accelerometers (one on the shaker table, the other on the UUT) are
used to measure acceleration transmissibility between these two points.
These signals are sampled simutaneously. The transmissibility function
is computed based on the ratio of the two acceleration signals.

response channel

Test Unit
reference channel

Shaker

Test Setup

Every input channel needs a Tracking Filter enabled to measure the

phase relationship between the response and reference channels of the
transmissibility function.

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 Shaker Vibration Control Theory

It is critical to select the right mount locations for the accelerometers

used for the reference and response channels. The wrong location may
make it impossible to find the resonance. Even worse, if the response
and reference channels are reversed, anti-resonances will appear as
resonances. The figure below illustrates this point. The two plot traces,
transmissibility 2,1(f) and transmissibility 1,2(f), are measurements taken
on the same structure, but with the response/reference definition
reversed.

dB transmissibility1,2(f) transmissibility2,1(f)
50.000

40.000

30.000

20.000

10.000

-10.000

-20.000

-30.000

-40.000
-45.000
15.000 100.00 700.00
Frequency (Hz)

Comparison of Two Transmissibility Functions

The signals displayed above are measured on a beam excited by an

electrodynamic shaker. A dozen resonant frequencies are shown in the
graph. The vibration controller allows the user to select certain
parameters such as Q (Quality Factor) or Amplitude Ratio Threshold as
the criteria for detecting these resonant frequencies. After the controller
finds the resonant frequencies in the sweep range, the user has the
opportunity to manually edit the resulting dwell frequency list.
The accelerometer of the reference channel should be mounted on the
shaker table in a location that will accurately record the base movement.
The accelerometer of the response channel should be mounted on the test
article in the location that has the most obvious resonance vibration. The
user should avoid selecting a node as the response point.
If there is more than one response channel in use, run a low-level test and
observe the resonance of each transmissibility function. Select a
function with a clean, high-amplitude peak to use for resonance searches.

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 Shaker Vibration Control Theory

In the Dactron control system, the transmissibility function is represented

as:

Transmissibility y,x (f) = channel y / channel x

where y is the response channel and x is the number of the reference

channel.

After the resonance search, the frequencies detected are used in testing
the article. There are two types of tests in this application: Frequency-
Locked Dwell or Resonance-Tracked Dwell.

Frequency-Locked Dwell
Frequency-Locked Dwell means the controller will output a frequency
fixed at a point selected in the search process. The dwell will continue
until one or more pre-defined conditions are met. For example, during
fatigue testing, the resonant frequency may shift so the ratio of
transmissibility at the dwell frequency may decrease. The amount of this
decrease can be set as a condition that terminates the dwell event.

Transmissibility Transmissibility

f0 f0

resonant frequency shifted

Frequency-Locked Dwell

Resonance-Tracked Dwell
Resonance-Tracked dwell is used in applications such as fatigue testing.
The controller monitors the resonance frequency and adjusts the drive
frequency as the resonance frequency changes. This change may be

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 Shaker Vibration Control Theory

caused by environmental conditions or changes in the mechanical

properties of the UUT caused by progressive damage. The resonant
condition is maintained throughout the test until certain criteria are met.

Transmissibility Transmissibility

f0 f0 f1
resonant frequency shifted while the
excitation frequency keeps tracking
Resonance-Tracked Dwell (Automatic Frequency Adjustment)

Theoretically, resonance tracking can be implemented based on the fact

that the phase of the transmissibility between response and excitation
force is out of phase by 90°. However, this approach is impractical
because it is almost impossible to measure the excitation force. Some
methods use the drive signal to represent the excitation force. This is not
a correct representation of the force applied. In addition, the phase will
not be 90° if the mechanical system has more than one vibration mode.
The phase of the transmissibility function between the response and the
reference channels is computed and used as a tool for resonance tracking.

Degree transmissibility2,1(f)
200.00
180.00

150.00

120.00

90.000

60.000

30.000

-30.000

-60.000

-90.000

-120.00

-150.00

-180.00
-200.00
15.000 100.00 700.00
Frequency (Hz)

Phase Plot of a Typical Transmissibility Function

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 Shaker Vibration Control Theory

The control algorithm tracks the resonance by monitoring the

transmissibility function’s phase value. If the resonance frequency drifts,
the phase change indicates the direction of the resonance’s frequency
shift.

Classical Shock Control

The Classical Shock Control package reproduces waveforms such as
halfsine, sawtooth or trapezoid shapes on the shaker. The control system
will reproduce the time domain of the selected waveform at the defined
acceleration level and duration.

In Shock, two operations are involved:

• Generation of the profile waveform

• Equalization and control

The Dactron Control System includes seven types of classical

waveforms:

• Halfsine
• Haversine
• Terminal Peak Sawtooth
• Initial Peak Sawtooth
• Triangular
• Rectangular
• Trapezoid

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 Shaker Vibration Control Theory

Half-Sine Classical Shock Pulse

Waveform Compensation
At the end of a shock test, the shaker table must be “at rest.” Waveform
compensation ensures that the velocity and displacement will be zero at
the end of the test.
A pulse with a classical acceleration waveform will produce non-zero
ending velocity and displacement. To reproduce the pulse on a shaker,
the ending velocity and displacement must be zero (or close to zero).
Therefore the drive signal must be conditioned so that the initial and
ending acceleration, velocity, and displacement values are zero. This is
done by adding compensation waveforms before and after the main
pulse.

Acceleration
time

Velocity
time

Displacement
time

Acceleration, Velocity, and Displacement of an Uncompensated Shock Pulse

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 Shaker Vibration Control Theory

Given the parameters of the classical shock waveform, the corresponding

optimized waveform can then be calculated. Many types of optimization
methods are available, including:

• Pre-pulse only, with half-sine compensation

• Post-pulse only, with half-sine compensation
• Pre-pulse and post-pulse, with half-sine compensation
• Pre-pulse only, with rectangular compensation
• Post-pulse only, with rectangular compensation
• Pre-pulse and post-pulse, with rectangular compensation
• Pre-pulse and post-pulse, with double rectangular compensation
• Pre-pulse and post-pulse, with triangle compensation
• Minimum displacement
• Minimum duration

The waveforms are all defined in terms of acceleration in the time

domain. The expression for half-sine is
π ⋅t
a (t ) = A × sin( )
T (9)
Post-test velocity can be removed by adding a long-duration bias pulse
with a velocity change equal and opposite to the velocity change of the
selected classical waveform. By timing the delay properly between the
start of the velocity-compensation pulse and the desired waveform, it is
usually possible to produce the desired event within the displacement
limits of the shaker.

Shock Pulse Compensation

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 Shaker Vibration Control Theory

When generating the profile waveform, be careful not to exceed the

limits of the shaker. These limits can include: the voltage and current
capabilities of the power supply driving the system; and the ability of the
system to generate peak acceleration, force, velocity, and displacement
levels.

Shock Control Process

Dactron’s Shock Control package is an FFT based time-domain
waveform replication process. The algorithm is similar to the one used
for Random Control. The test system between the output drive and the
input control signals is viewed as a linear system. The system transfer
function is estimated based on the Fourier transform spectra of the
system input and output.

x(t) * h(t) = y(t)

drive x(t) Shaker/Testing control y(t)
System

X(f) H(f) = Y(f)

The system output y(t) can be calculated as the convolution between the
system input, x(t), and the system impulse response, h(t).

y(t) = h(t) * x(t) (7)

In the frequency domain, multiplication governs the relationship between

system input (the drive signal) and system output (the control signal).
The required system input, X(f), which produces the desired system
output, R(f), (or r(t) in the time domain) is calculated as:

x(t) = IFFT( X(f) ) = IFFT( R(f)/H(f) )

= IFFT( FFT( r(t) ) / H(f) ) (8)

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 Shaker Vibration Control Theory

The desired waveform, r(t) is specified for the control system by the
operator during the test setup process.
The system transfer function is updated every frame. Even if the system
is time varying, control will still be accurate.

Shock Response Spectrum (SRS) Synthesis

SRS Synthesis simulates a wide range of environments from brief high-
frequency pyrotechnic events to extended low-frequency earthquakes. It
can also be used to maximize the test potential of a shaker by
automatically creating waveforms, which match the Required Response
Spectrum while minimizing total displacement.

Basics of SRS Synthesis

The purpose of Shock Response Spectrum Synthesis is to generate a time
domain waveform that meets the criteria defined in the Shock Response
Spectrum (SRS) domain.
A pure sine wave will generate an SRS with a sharp peak, as shown in
the following graphic:

SRS

The SRS of a Wavelet

To generate an SRS without a sharp peak, but with a spectral shape

defined from a breakpoint table, it is possible to use a composite
waveform made up of multiple frequency components .
SRS Synthesis uses a sequence of sine waves (called wavelets) to
generate the time waveform. Because mapping from the frequency

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 Shaker Vibration Control Theory

domain to time domain is not linear, the synthesis may not converge.
The synthesis process may also require iteration.
“Shaped” sine waves are used for waveform synthesis. Shaping methods
include windows such as an Exponential Tapering and Hanning.

SRS

The SRS of Multiple Wavelets

If we have a collection of wavelets that contain different frequencies, the

combination of these wavelets will give a “controllable SRS”. By
changing the amplitudes of these wavelets, the shape of this SRS can be
controlled to an extent. This is the basic mechanism of SRS synthesis.
Although the synthesized waveform may meet the SRS criteria, it may
not meet the zero ending-velocity and zero ending-displacement criteria.
Therefore, after the waveform is synthesized, it still needs compensation
in order to meet the zero-ending value criteria to use with a shaker table.
The synthesis process uses an iterative method called Analysis-Based-
Synthesis. It can be described as follows:

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 Shaker Vibration Control Theory

User defines the Required SRS including frequency range,

resolution, damping etc. These parameters can be different from
that of SRS Analysis. In the other words, users can analyze the
data with another set of SRS parameters.

User defines the waveform type. If sine wave, select following

window types: RECT, HANN, EXP, ...
User defines other criteria such as time duration, etc.

System calculates the sampling rate and other parameters such as

the number of periods of sine waves.

Make the first guess of frequency/amplitude of the sine waves

then start the following iteration

DO SRS Analysis

Compare the Required SRS and the SRS of the time waveform
being synthesized. Adjust the amplitude (or the frequency, or the
length) of each individual sine waves.

If the Error is less than what user specified or the synthesis is

diverging, stop the synthesis. Otherwise do another iteration.

Waveform compensation (zero-vel and zero-disp)

The practical implementation of the algorithm is very complex. It is

sometimes difficult to select the various parameters used in the synthesis.
For a better understanding of the SRS Synthesis algorithm, see Reference
[6].
The following examples illustrate the SRS Synthesis process.
The first figure below shows a time waveform with only one wavelet.
The wavelet is a sine waveform with 51 half cycles and a sine data
window. Its SRS is shown in the second figure.

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 Shaker Vibration Control Theory
G profile(t)
720.0m

600.0m

500.0m

400.0m

300.0m

200.0m

100.0m

-100.0m

-200.0m

-300.0m

-400.0m

-500.0m

-600.0m

-700.0m
-720.0m
0 100.0m 200.0m 300.0m 400.0m 500.0m 600.0m 682.5m
Time (seconds)

Time Waveform with One Wavelet

G control(f)
39.8

10.0

1.0

100.0m

10.0m
2.5 100.0 1.0K
Frequency (Hz)

The SRS of Time Waveform with One Wavelet

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 Shaker Vibration Control Theory

The next two figures show a time waveform with two wavelets and the
corresponding SRS. The wavelets have different frequencies and delay
times. It is possible to control the two peak values in the spectrum by
changing the amplitude of individual wavelets.

G profile(t)
500.0m

400.0m

300.0m

200.0m

100.0m

-100.0m

-200.0m

-300.0m

-400.0m

-500.0m
0 40.0m 80.0m 120.0m 160.0m 200.0m 240.0m 280.0m 341.2m
Time (seconds)

The Time Waveform with Two Wavelets

G control(f)
39.8

10.0

1.0

100.0m

10.0m
2.5 100.0 1.0K
Frequency (Hz)

The SRS of Time Waveform with Two Wavelets

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 Shaker Vibration Control Theory

Combining many wavelets results in a pulse representative of the real

world and a match to the SRS across the frequency range. The following
two figures show a waveform synthesized with 24 wavelets at different
frequencies and the corresponding SRS. Using many wavelets, a smooth
SRS spectrum is obtained.

G profile(t)
6.9

6.0

5.0

4.0

3.0

2.0

1.0

-1.0

-2.0

-3.0

-4.0

-5.0

-5.9
0 100.0m 200.0m 300.0m 400.0m 500.0m 600.0m 682.5m
Time (seconds)

The Time Waveform with 24 Wavelets

G profile(f) high-abort(f) low-abort(f) control(f)

39.81

10.00

1.00

0.11
2.46 100.00 1000.00
Frequency (Hz)

The SRS of the Time Waveform with 24 Wavelets

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 Shaker Vibration Control Theory

Limiting Control with Automatic Drive

Notching

Limiting control is a software option for the following software

packages:

• Swept-Sine Control,
• Random Control, and
• All Mixed-mode Control (SoR, RoR, SRoR).

Any of the enabled input channels can be used as a limiting channel.

Limiting control can be applied to any channel selected as either a
Control channel or Monitor channel.

input 1
Main control(f) PSD
Control Weighted
Loop Average
input 2

Limiting
Control

Limiting input 3
Control
drive spectrum

drive

Limiting Control Block Diagram

In Random, limiting control is applied to the drive signal’s PSD. The

control(f) signal, which is generated either from the weighted average of
multiple channels, or from a single measurement, is used in the main
control loop to generate the drive spectrum. Each limit control block
may modify the drive spectrum further, based on the comparison
between the limiting profile and the input spectrum. As a result, the
generated drive may contain less energy in particular frequency ranges.
This process is also called “Automatic Drive Notching.”

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 Shaker Vibration Control Theory

Sine limiting control is similar to Random except that it requires even

faster computation (shorter loop time).
The limiting control for SoR uses similar technology with a more
complicated structure. In addition to the 8 random limiting control
blocks, each sine tone needs one separate limiting control block. In the
extreme case of 8 input channels, 12 sine tones are enabled at the same
time. This requires a total of 8 + 8 x 12 = 104 limiting control blocks.

Long Time History Replication

Long Time History (LTH) is used to replicate recorded time domain
waveforms such test track data for automobiles and seismic events. The
other vibration control applications such as Random, Sine and Shock use
a modeled approach to simulate vibration environments. For example, in
Sine the controller outputs a precise sine wave with a specified
frequency, amplitude, and sweep rate. A mathematical model, the
amplitude versus frequency spectrum, describes the excitation signal
supplied to the shaker. Similarly, in Random the controller follows a
frequency domain profile to generate the drive signal. Classical Shock
requires a control signal with a time domain shape derived from as
mathematical model such as a half-sine function.
The drawback of these modeled approaches is that the real environment
can never be precisely simulated. For example, consider the vibration an
automobile experiences as it is driven over a rough road surface.
Although the vibration waveforms tend to appear as random-like signals,
they are actually a combination of random waveforms, shock transients,
and cyclic signals. Instead of using a mathematical model to generate a
drive signal, LTH duplicates a waveform recorded in a field test.

Real-time LTH Time Domain Control

There are several approaches for time domain control. One way is by
using a drive signal calculated off-line. This approach first measures the
system transfer function (Hsys). An iterative process computes the drive
signal, segment by segment, based on the waveform profile and
measured Hsys. Then whole drive signal is saved to a disk file. During
the test, the drive signal is simply re-played. This approach has a number
of disadvantages:

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 Shaker Vibration Control Theory

1. It is very time-consuming to develop the drive signal because of the

iterative segment-by-segment processing method used.
2. During the test, the control system can not adjust for changes in the
shaker or test-article dynamic response. This method is essentially an
open-loop control technique.

Dactron’s LTH control application uses a real-time closed-loop control

algorithm. LTH’s algorithm continuously computes the drive signal
based on the shaker/test-article transfer function Hsys and the target
profile. Hsys is measured during the pre-test, or loaded from a disk file of
a previously measured Hsys, and it is updated adaptively during the test.
The advantages of the approach used in LTH are:

1. It is a true closed-loop control algorithm. The control accuracy is

much higher than for the open-loop approach.
2. It does not require a pre-computed drive signal. The drive signal is
computed based on shaker/test-article characteristics at run time.
3. Multiple control frequency resolutions are available to optimize the
control accuracy and the controller responsiveness.
4. The adaptive update rate can be adjusted by the user, from 0% to
100%.

LTH Control Algorithm

The goal of the LTH control algorithm can be described as:

Given a time domain waveform, profile(t), find a drive signal x(t) so that
the response signal y(t) matches the profile(t).

The waveform profile(t) usually has hundreds of thousands of data

points. These waveforms are too large to apply a FFT to the whole
signal. Therefore the technique used in classical Shock (and TTH) can
not be used. Instead, the large waveform is divided into many
consecutive frames of equal point size. A major issue is the frame to
frame continuity of the drive signal. That is, the generated drive signal
x(t) must be continuous at the boundary between successive output
frames.

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 Shaker Vibration Control Theory

Assume the system transfer function of the shaker and test-article is H(f).
Let x(t) represent the excitation time history and X(f) the FFT of x(t).
Then let y(t) represent the system response time history and Y(f) the FFT
of y(t).

Then,
Y(f) = H(f) * X(f)

and
X(f) = Y(f) *1/ H(f)

Let the inverse of H be

Hinv(f)=1/H(f)

then we have

X(f) = Y(f) * Hinv(f)

Finally, to replicate the recorded time waveform, requires that the

spectrum of output y(t), Y(f), be the same as Profile(f)

X(f) = Profile(f) * Hinv(f)

The frequency domain formula above can be represented in the time

domain by convolution:

x(n) = profile(n) ⊗ hinv(n)

where hinv(n) is the impulse response function corresponding to Hinv(f).

In LTH hinv(n) is a time sequence with discrete number of samples N.
The best value to use for N depends on the damping of the shaker/test-

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 Shaker Vibration Control Theory

article system. A system with sharp resonances tends to have a long

decay time, therefore, its impulse response also has long decay time.
Since hinv(n) is limited to N samples, the impulse response may be
truncated before it completely decays. In signal processing theory this
effect is referred to as a non-cyclic convolution.

There are many techniques to solve the non-cyclic convolution problem.

One way to do it, is to convert the non-cyclic convolution into a cyclic
convolution. This method is easily implemented using FFTs in the
frequency domain and this technique is used in LTH. The signal
profile(n) is sectioned into small blocks with block size N, which are
convolved with the corresponding impulse responses of Hinv(f) to obtain
segments of x(n). Cyclic convolution is realized with FFTs and Inverse
FFTs.

Overlap processing of the segments x(n) assures the frame to frame

continuity of the drive signal generated. The schematic below illustrates
the overlap processing process:

prof(n) 0 prof(n) 1 prof(n) 2 prof(n) 3

hinv(n)

x(n) 0
x(n) 1
x(n) 2
x(n) 3

overlapped x(n)

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 Shaker Vibration Control Theory

Using LTH Time Domain Control

Test setup and execution for LTH time domain control involves the
following tasks:

1. Import the recorded waveform profile from a disk file. Then

compensate the profile to ensure that it is within the performance
limits of the shaker system.
2. Estimate Inverse System Transfer Function in the pre-test so that the
control loop can be equalized.
3. Break up the waveform profile into fixed size frames and perform
frame-by-frame convolution, via FFTs and Inverse FFTs.
4. Perform overlap processing to ensure a continuous drive signal at the
frame boundaries.
5. Output the drive signal.
6. Adaptively estimate the new Inverse System Transfer Function, go
back to step 3, and continuously generate the drive signal.

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 Shaker Vibration Control Theory

References

[1] James Zhuge, Accuracy of the Digital Synthesized Sine Wave, The
67th Shock and Vibration Symposium, November 18-22, 1996,
Monterey, CA

[2] Mark Hansen, Havard Vold, Enhanced Multi-Axis Vibration

Control for Service Simulation Testing Sound & Vibration 4/95

[3] Vibration Control Theory, H.P. 5427 Controller User’s Manual

(Sine & Random)

[4] Marcus Pelletier, Marcos Underwood, Multi-Channel Simultaneous

Digital Tracking Filters for Swept Sine Vibration Control,
Proceedings of IES, pp. 338, Vol 2, 1994

[5] Isaac Wong, Kenneth H. Bosin, GenRad Structural Test Products,

Mil Std 810 Mixed-Mode Testing - An Implementation on a
Workstation Based Vibration Control System, IES Journal.

[6] Dennis B. Nelson, Parameter Specification For Shaker Shock

Waveform Synthesis Damped Sines and Wavelets, Sandia National
Laboratories, Livermore, California.

[7] C. S. Burrus and T. W. Parks, DFT/FFT and Convolution

Algorithms, Wiley, New York, 1985

[8] S. K. Mitra and J. F. Kaiser, Handbook for Digital Signal

Processing, John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1993

Dactron Shaker Control System 510

 Glossary

10 Glossary

Abort Rate
When the system shuts down, it is important that the drive (output) does
not stop too abruptly or the test article may experience a shock transient.
To ensure a smooth shutdown, the drive signal ramp-down abort rate can
be selected in dB/second. Typical range: 20 to 60 dB/second.

Abort Sensitivity
The abort sensitivity sets the criterion for initiating an Abort when the
control signal exceeds the abort tolerances. The criterion for each
application is as follows:

Random and Mixed-mode: Initiate an abort if the ratio of the number of

frequency lines out of the abort tolerances to the total number of lines
exceeds the Line Abort Ratio setting.
Sine and RSTD: Initiate and abort if time duration that the control signal
is outside of the abort tolerances exceeds the Abort Latency setting.
Shock, SRS Synthesis, and TTH: Initiate an abort if the ratio of the
number of discrete signal points outside the abort tolerances to the total
number of waveform points exceeds the Point Abort Ratio setting.

Note: The selected abort sensitivity criterion is used in a like manner to

detect Alarm conditions.

Abort Tolerances
If the control signal exceeds the abort tolerances by the factor defined in
abort sensitivity, the system initiates an abort and shuts down
automatically.

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Acceleration
Vector quantity that specifies the time rate of change of velocity.
Acceleration due to Gravity. See g.

Accelerometer
A sensor that can generate an output proportional to an applied
acceleration input.

Alarm Tolerances
If the control signal exceeds the alarm tolerances by a factor defined by
abort sensitivity, the system will generate an alarm warning.

Amplitude
Amplitude is defined as the maximum value of a sinusoidal quantity. It is
also used to describe the maximum value of a shock pulse.

Anti-Aliasing Filter
When an analog signal is digitized, an effect known as aliasing can occur
if the analog input signal contains components at frequencies higher than
appropriate for the sampling rate. This aliasing effect can cause false
frequency components to appear in the digitized signal.
Anti-aliasing filters are used in digital systems to screen out frequency
content that is above the cutoff frequency for the sampling rate used.
Dactron’s system utilizes three anti-aliasing filter stages: a fixed RC
analog filter, a sigma-delta A/D converter with digital filtering, and a
high-order DSP digital filter. The anti-aliasing filter system has a cutoff
frequency of about 0.45 of the sampling frequency, a stopband
attenuation of about -100 dB, and linear phase filter characteristics (non-
distorting for time waveforms).

Anti-Resonance
For a system in forced oscillation, an anti-resonance exists at frequencies
for which the response to the driving signal is zero or very small.

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Auto-correlation Function
The auto-correlation function of a signal is the average of the product of
the value at time t with the value at time t + τ:

R(τ ) = x ( t ) x ( t + τ )

For a stationary random signal of infinite duration, the power spectral

density (except for a constant factor) is the cosine Fourier transform of
the auto-correlation function.

Averaging
Averaging is widely used in spectral measurements of signals that are
purely random, mixed random and periodic. The purpose of averaging is
to improve statistical accuracy or suppress external noise.
Linear: In linear averaging, each set of data elements (a record)
contributes equally to the average. The value at any point in the linear
average is given by the equation:

Sum of Re cords
Avg =
Number of Re cords

The advantages of linear averaging are the speed of computing and the
un-biased result it produces from the record set. However, since the
average tends to stabilize, this method is suitable only for analyzing short
signal records or stationary signals. The contribution of new records
eventually will cease to change the value of the average.
Exponential: In exponential averaging, records do not contribute equally
to the average. New records are weighted more heavily than old ones.
The value at any point in the exponential average is given by:
Avg ( k ) = ( Avg ( k − 1) × (1 − α ) + Re cord ( k ) × α ) 0 <α <1

Where: Avg(k) is the kth average, Record(k) is the kth new record, and α
is the weighting coefficient. Usually α is defined as 1/( Averaging
Number).

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The main advantage of exponential averaging is that it continues

indefinitely. That is, the average will not converge to some value and
remain unchanged, as is the case with linear averaging. The average will
dynamically respond to the influence of new records and gradually
ignore the effects of old records. Exponential averaging simulates an
analog filter smoothing process.

Averaging Number
This number governs the exponential averaging process in Random. For
a test, the averaging number is preset in the setup and cannot be changed
during the test. However, control system itself changes the averaging
number during transition modes such as a level change.
The larger the averaging number, the less the variance of the control
spectrum (the spectrum is smoother). Advanced control strategies have
been incorporated into this controller so that the loop time and the
control feedback time are not directly related to the averaging number.
Because frequency-line abort checking does apply to the averaged
control spectrum, the averaging number influences the rapidity of abort
checking.

Bandpass Filter
A bandpass filter has a single passband extending from a lower cutoff
frequency to an upper cutoff frequency. Frequencies outside the
passband are attenuated and are in what is called the stopbands. The
attenuation rate of the stopband is an important specification for a
bandpass filter.
In Random, each line of the power spectrum represents a single bandpass
filter. In Sine, bandpass filters are tuned to the drive frequency. The
bandwidth of the bandpass filter can be either fixed or adaptively
changed relative to the drive frequency.

Bandwidth
Sine Tracking Filter: The tracking filter has a center frequency at the
current drive frequency. The bandwidth is either defined in Hz for a
fixed bandwidth filter, or defined in % of the drive frequency for a
proportional bandwidth filter.

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When Peak, Mean or RMS is selected as the filter type, the bandwidth
value is used to compute the time history duration. The history duration
is calculated by:

History duration (second) = 1/bandwidth(Hz)

For example, if you select a fixed bandwidth of 100Hz, then history

durations of 0.1 seconds or longer are memorized for each channel and
used for Peak, Mean or RMS detection.

In Dactron’s Sine controller, the selected bandwidth (or history duration)

does not affect the loop time. Whatever the sweep frequency or
bandwidth, the loop time is always about 10 ms. On the other hand, the
value of bandwidth does influence the measurement delay. As the filter
bandwidth becomes narrower, the duration for each time history becomes
longer.

Bandwidth, Fixed
In Sine, if the channel analysis type is Filter (i.e. tracking filter), a fixed
bandwidth implies that the tracking filter bandwidth will not change as
the drive frequency changes.
If the channel analysis type is Mean, RMS or Peak, a fixed bandwidth
means the time history duration remains constant as the drive frequency
changes.

Bandwidth, Proportional
In Sine, if the channel analysis type is Filter (i.e. tracking filter), a
proportional bandwidth means that the tracking filter bandwidth changes
automatically in proportion to the drive frequency.
If the channel analysis type is Mean, RMS or Peak, a proportional
bandwidth means the time history duration changes, in an inversely
proportional way, as the drive frequency changes.
The proportional bandwidth value is set in percentage, relative to the
current drive frequency.

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Broadband Random Vibration

Broadband random vibration is random vibration having its frequency
components distributed over a broad frequency band. (See random
vibration.)

Channel Status
A window that displays the input level status of each channel; including
the maximum, minimum and RMS value of the input signal.

Compensation, Shock Waveform

Compensation allows use of the full stroke and velocity capabilities of
the shaker. After compensation, the reference waveform will achieve
zero ending-velocity and zero-ending displacement.

Composite
A composite window consists of a plot containing multiple traces that
represent control, profile (reference), abort and alarm signals.

Compression Rate
In Sine, the maximum rate of the drive correction is called the
compression rate (or compression speed) and is usually expressed as
decibels per second (dB/sec). The required compression rate is a
function of frequency, sweep rate, and the system dynamics. The
bandwidth of the digital tracking filter can affect the stability of the
control loop. If the compression rate is too fast, the control system could
be unstable. If the compression rate is too slow, the correct amplitude
may not be maintained, especially when the sine is sweeping through an
area with sharp dynamics (such as lightly damped resonances).
The compression rate can be set to either as Adaptive or Fixed. If a
Fixed compression rate is selected, the system utilizes the same value for
the entire test. Typical range: from 10dB/second to 100dB/second.
The Adaptive compression rate enables a system-tuned compression rate
based on current test conditions. The control system monitors the
convergence of the control signal to reference signal and calculates the
compression rate at run-time, in real-time. To control sharp resonances
or anti-resonances, or when using a fast sweep rate, choose Fast adaptive

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compression rate. Fast adaptive compression rate is roughly equivalent

to a 60 dB/second fixed compression rate; Slow adaptive is about the
same as a fixed compression of 20 dB/second.

Control
The label Control in the control panel refers to the measured value of the
control signal.
Random and Mixed-mode: RMS acceleration of the control signal.
Sine and RSTD: Zero to Peak acceleration of the control signal.
Shock, SRS Synthesis and TTH: Peak and RMS acceleration of the
control signal.

Control Dynamic Range

Control dynamic range is defined as the ratio of the maximum value of
the drive signal to its minimum value. This definition is valid while the
system is running a single test under acceptable control conditions.
In Sine for example, if the drive can range as high as a 10 volt peak and
as low as 1mV while the test is under control, we say the control
dynamic range is 10V/1mV = 10,000 (ratio) => 80 dB.
In Random testing, the maximum and the minimum values of the drive
signal are measured in the PSD domain.
Control dynamic range is generally limited by the Digital to Analog
Converter’s dynamic range (and other output characters such as Signal to
Noise Ratio (SNR) and Total Harmonic Distortion (THD). It is related,
but not equal to the A/D converter dynamic range. Control dynamic
range is a better indication of the quality of control than the ambiguous
term “dynamic range.”

Control Loop
See Equalization.

Control Signal
The Control signal is synthesized using the Control Strategy from
measurements of all designated control channels. It is used in the
equalization and alarm/abort checking process.

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Control Strategy
There are four basic control strategies:

Single channel: The control signal, either in time domain or frequency

domain, is generated based upon the measurement of a single control
channel.
Weighted average: All control channels are combined in a weighted
average to form a final control signal. The weighting coefficient is
defined in the channel table. Weighted average allows you to set the
emphasis for each channel independently.
Maximum: Every analysis line is continually evaluated across all control
channels to find the single maximum value at each line. These
maximum values are combined to form a final control signal.
Minimum: Every analysis line is continually evaluated across all control
channels to find the minimum value at each line. These minimum values
are combined to form a final control signal.

Correlation Function
The correlation function of two variables is the average value of their
product:

x1 (t ) ⋅ x 2 (t )

The Dactron shaker control systems uses the correlation function to

determine the noise character of the measurements.

Crest Factor
The crest factor is the ratio of the peak value to the root-mean-square
value.

Critical Damping
Critical damping is the minimum viscous damping that will allow a
displaced system to return to its initial position without oscillation.

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Damping
Damping is the dissipation of energy over time.

Decibel (dB)
The decibel is a unit, which denotes the magnitude of a quantity with
respect to an arbitrary established reference value of the quantity, in
terms of the logarithm (to the base 10) of the ratio of the quantities. In
all Dactron’s Shaker Control system, the reference value of decibel is set
to 1.0. For all linear quantities ( i.e., X1 values), the formula to calculate
the decibel value is:

decibel = 20 Log 10 (linear value - X)

For example, if you view the Sine control signal in dB, it will be
calculated with this formula. If the signal value is 0.1 in magnitude, it
will display as -20 dB in dB format.
For all power quantities ( i.e., X2 values), the following formula is used to
calculate the decibel value:

decibel = 10 Log 10 (power values – X2)

For example, if you view the Random control signal in dB, it will be
calculated with this formula. If the signal value is 0.1 in magnitude
(meaning, 0.1 EU2/Hz), it will display as -10 dB in dB.

Degrees of Freedom (DOF)

DOF is a statistical term that refers to the number of independent
variables used to compute an average. For random control, DOF refers
the number of averages used to compute the control PSD. Each average
contributes two DOF. The higher the DOF, the greater the confidence in
the accuracy of the control PSD.

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Demand Profile
The demand profile is a description of the target that the control signal
tries to achieve. The profile is defined in frequency domain for Random
and Sine testing, and in time domain for Shock testing.

Deterministic Signals
A deterministic signal is one whose value at any time can be predicted
from its value at any other time. The sine and the shock outputs are
deterministic signals. The random output is not a deterministic signal.

Displacement
Displacement is a vector quantity that specifies magnitude and direction
of change in position.

Distortion
Distortion is an undesired change in a measured waveform. Noise and
certain desired changes in the waveform, such as those resulting from
modulation or detection, are not usually considered distortion.

Drive
Voltage output of the controller used to drive the shaker system.

Drive Limit
To protect the shaker or test article, a drive limit can be set so that the
output can not exceed a defined voltage level.

Duration of Shock Pulse

The duration of a shock pulse is the time required for the acceleration to
rise and decay.

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Dynamic Range
Dynamic range generally refers to the ratio of largest value to the
smallest meaningful value in one measurement. For example, a 16-bit
A/D converter has a theoretical dynamic range at 96 dB; a 20-bit
converter has a theoretical dynamic range at 120 dB. The actual
dynamic range of these converters is less due to the effects of noise and
system distortion.

Dynamic range also applies to operations such as FFT transforms. A

fixed-point DSP system usually provides very limited dynamic range
(typically 50 to 90 dB). A floating-point DSP system can provide
dynamic range up to 200 dB. See also: control dynamic range

Dwell
Dwell is an output at a fixed frequency for an extended period of time in
Sine. See also: resonance search and dwell

Equalization
Equalization is the adjustment of the amplitude of the output such that
the control signal matches a profile signal either in frequency domain or
time domain. The equalization of the drive waveform can be
accomplished directly by generating an error correction from the
difference between the control and the profile. The equalization can also
be accomplished indirectly through knowledge of the system’s
frequency-response function magnitude.
The status message “Control Loop Closed” means the shaker/UUT load
has been equalized. Conversely, “Control Loop Open” means that the
shaker/UUT load has not yet been equalized.

Fourier Transform
Fourier Transform is a bilateral transform typically used to convert
quantities from time domain to frequency domain and vice versa. It is
usually derived from the Fourier integral of a periodic function when the
period grows without limit, and it is often expressed as a Fourier
transform pair. In the classical sense, a Fourier transform takes the form
of

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∫ x (t )e
− j 2πft
X( f ) = dt
−∞

Where
x(t) continuous time waveform
f analysis frequency
X(f) Fourier transform of x(t)

In the discrete or sampled sense, this can be expressed as

N −1
X ( k ) = ∑ x ( k )e − j 2πkn / N
n=0

Where
x(k) samples of time waveform
n running sample index
N total number of samples or “frame size”
k finite analysis frequency, corresponding to
“FFT bin centers”
X(k) discrete Fourier transform

FFT
The Fast Fourier Transform converts time domain data into frequency
domain data. J. Cooley and J. Tukey invented it in 1965 as a quick
method of computing the Fourier Transform. The speed and the
computation accuracy of the FFT are crucial in the vibration control
process. The Dactron Controller uses dedicated floating-point DSP chips
to compute the FFT in real-time.

Fraction of Critical Damping

The fraction of critical damping (damping ratio) for a system with
viscous damping is the ratio of the actual damping coefficient c to the
critical damping coefficient cc . In Shock Response Spectrum analysis,
the fractional of critical damping is used as one of the input parameters
for the analysis.

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Frequency
Frequency is the number of oscillations or cycles per unit time. The unit
cycle per second is called Hertz (Hz).

G
G is the abbreviation for the acceleration due to gravity on earth. By
international agreement, the value 980.665 cm/sec2 = 386.087 in./sec2 =
32.1739 ft/sec2 has been chosen as the standard acceleration due to
gravity.

H (signal)
H (signal) is the system transfer function.

H inverse (Hinv signal)

The H inverse signal refers to the inverse of system transfer function.

Harmonic
A harmonic is a sinusoidal quantity having a frequency that is an integral
multiple of the frequency of a periodic quantity to which it is related. In
Sine-on-Random, you may select narrowband sine signals correlated in a
harmonic way.

High-pass filter
A high-pass filter attenuates frequencies below the cutoff frequency
while allowing frequencies above the cutoff frequencies to be passed.

Level
Level is the test amplitude with respect to the Demand Profile. Test
Level may be expressed in dB or Percent. For example, 0 dB means
100%, or full testing level; -20 dB means 10%, etc. In Random, the level
is applied to the total RMS of the control signal. In Sine, the level is
applied to the peak value (the amplitude) of the control signal.

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Level Event
Level event is an entry in the schedule for a Random test. Level events
set the demand control level for the demand profile and the duration of
the level run.

Lines (frequency or spectral)

The frequency lines, or spectral lines, define the number of frequency
bins in the FFT computation. The test frequency bandwidth divided by
the number of lines determines the frequency increment.

Line Abort Ratio

The line abort ratio is the ratio of lines outside the abort limits to the
total number of frequency lines. The line abort ratio is also applied to
the alarm line detection. The line abort ratio sets the sensitivity of
detecting an abort/alarm condition.

Linear System
A system is linear if for every element in the system the response is
directly proportional to the excitation. The dynamic properties of each
element in the system can be represented by a set of linear differential
equations with constant coefficients.

Linear Change Rate

The amplitude level of the drive signal is updated by using linear
correction increments when stepping between test levels.

Logarithmic Change Rate

The amplitude level of the drive signal is updated by using logarithmic
correction increments when stepping between test levels.

Loop Time
The time between amplitude corrections is called the loop time. It is
determined by the number of samples taken to define the control
amplitude and the computations required to correct the drive waveform.

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A loop is a complete cycle from the correction of one drive waveform to

the correction of the next drive waveform.

Low-Pass Filter
A low-pass filter attenuates frequencies above the cutoff frequency while
allowing frequencies below the cutoff frequencies to be transmitted.

Maximum Frequency
In Sine testing, maximum frequency defines the upper frequency limit of
the test. Sine output resolution is not related to maximum frequency.
In Random testing, maximum frequency stands for the useful frequency
range available for the testing.

Monitor Channel
The input channels of the controller can be defined as control, monitor or
disabled. Channels defined as monitor channels can be used to measure
the response of the test item, but are not included in the control process
unless limiting (notching) is applied.

Narrowband Random Vibration

Narrowband random vibration is random vibration having frequency
components only within a narrow band. In the time domain, it appears as
sine wave with amplitude varying in an unpredictable manner.
Narrowband random vibration can co-exist with broadband random
vibration in the Random-on-Random control system.

Narrowband Sine Vibration

Narrowband sine vibration refers to the sine waveform in a Sine-on-
Random vibration controller.

Natural Frequency
The natural frequency of a spring mass system is the frequency at which
the system tends to oscillate when excited by a disturbance. For a

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multiple degree-of-freedom system, the natural frequencies are the

frequencies of the normal modes of vibration.

Node
A node is a point, line, or surface in a standing wave where some
characteristic of the wave field has essentially zero amplitude. It is
important not to put a control signal sensor on a node location of the
structure.

Noise
Unwanted signal characteristics, which interfere with, or mask detection
of the desired data, are considered noise. The noise character for all the
channels is estimated in order to achieve high quality control.

Pane
A Pane is a sub-division of a Window. Each display window can be
divided into one, two or four panes. Each Pane can contain a complete
graphical display.

Peak-to-Peak Value
The peak-to-peak value of a signal is the difference between the
maximum and minimum extremes of the quantity. For a sine wave, it is
twice the zero-to-peak value.

Zero-to-Peak Value
The zero-to-peak value is the maximum value of a signal with respect to
the relative zero level of the quantity.

Power Spectral Density (PSD)

Power spectral density (PSD) is a measure of intensity in the frequency
domain. Mathematically, a PSD can be described as the mean-square
response of an ideal narrowband filter to x(t), divided by the bandwidth
∆f of the filter in the limit as ∆f-> 0 at frequency f (Hz):

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X ∆2f
PSD( f ) = Lim ∆f
∆f −> 0

In practice, the PSD is usually computed from the FFT spectra of a

signal.
In the Random Control System, PSD is used to represent the control and
input channel signals.

Pre-Test
Pre-testing takes place before full level testing is started. During the pre-
test, the control system measures input noise levels, checks that the a
closed loop condition exists, and measures the system transfer function.
Parameters such as the Ramp-up rate, initial drive voltage, and Response
Level Goal can be adjusted to control the pre-test.
The pre-test is optional and can be skipped if a previously measured
system transfer function is supplied.

Project
A project is a collection of parameters that completely describe the
testing environment. These parameters include:

Test Definition: maximum frequency, lines, sweep rate, channel

tables, profiles, schedules, shaker limits, etc.
Windows environment: such as color, size, Pane attributes etc.
Data Set: all the signal content and other specified data.

Each project is saved to a single folder. The folder name combines the
project name and an extension appended by the control system. The
default extensions are “(RANDOM)” for Random project, “(SINE)” for
Sine, “(SHOCK)” for Shock. See also the detailed description of project
management in this document.

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Profile and Schedule

One Demand Profile is associated with one Schedule. A project may
contain multiple Demand Profiles and Schedules. Demand Profile
sequencing is accomplished automatically without stopping the control
loop or drive output.

Q (quality factor)
The quality factor Q is a measure of the sharpness of a resonance. Q is
inversely related to the damping ratio. The smaller the damping ratio,
the larger the Q value. To control a high-Q structure with Random,
increase the resolution (lines) in the control parameter. To control a
high-Q structure with Sine, increase the compression rate or reduce the
sweep speed.

Ramp-up rate
The ramp-up rate refers to the speed at which the drive level will be
increased during the initial stage of testing.
Once the system is in closed-loop operation, the level change rate will be
defined by level change rate.
Because the initial ramp-up is a complicated process, only a rough
measure, Fast or Slow, is offered for control of the ramp-up rate.

Random Vibration
Random vibration can be identified by a time domain based signal whose
magnitude is difficult to predict at any one instant, but whose frequency
domain signature remains consistent. The instantaneous magnitude
levels of the time domain are specified only by probability distributions
giving the probable fraction of the total time that the magnitude (or some
sequence of magnitudes) will lie within a specified range. Random
vibration contains no periodic or quasi-periodic constitutes. If random
vibration has instantaneous magnitudes that occur according to the
Gaussian distribution, it is called Gaussian random vibration. This
control system generates a Gaussian random drive signal. When sigma
clipping is enabled, the drive signal will be truncated by a fixed
magnitude.

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Resonance Dwell
Resonance dwell testing excites the test article and one of its natural
frequencies in order to test fatigue characteristics. Dwelling at resonant
frequencies provides valuable information on how well a device
maintains structural integrity when subjected to vibration.

Safety Check
This system performs various safety checks to protect the shaker and test
articles. These checks include open-loop detection, control RMS-high
and RMS-low, control signal lines-high and lines-low. Safety checks are
executed continuously during the run time. Failure to pass any safety
check will result in automatic shut down.
Several other checks, including input over-load (clipping detection),
output clipping, drive limiting, and sigma clipping, provide alarm
messages but do not cause an abort condition.
Safety checks can be manually disabled or disabled through the schedule
if desired.

RMS (Root Mean Square)

RMS is the abbreviation of root-mean-square. It is one method for
determining the overall intensity of a signal. In the time domain, for a
block of data with N samples, it can be calculated by:

N −1
1
RMS =
N
∑ x(i )
i=0
2

It can also be calculated in the frequency domain with the PSD spectra.

RMS check
In this system, the RMS value of the control signal is compared with
RMS upper and lower limits. An alarm or abort message will be
displayed if the limits are exceeded. The upper and lower RMS limits
can be defined by user or calculated based on alarm/abort line limits.

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Schedule
A test project is executed based on a pre-defined schedule. The schedule
consists of a series of event entries such as the level event in Random or
the sweep event in Sine. Certain commands can be incorporated into the
schedule so that these operations are automatically performed.
Multiple entries can be defined in the schedule table. In Random and
Shock schedules, these entries can be looped many times with Loop and
End-Loop entries. There are also other ways to nest elements of loop
logic. This provides a very flexible test set-up method.
In this control system, one schedule is associated with each profile. One
project may contain many pairs of profiles and schedules.

Shock Response Spectrum (SRS)

A Shock Response Spectrum is a plot of the maximum theoretical
response of a simulated single degree-of-freedom system, as a function
of its own natural frequency, to an applied shock. The response may be
expressed in terms of acceleration, velocity or displacement.
The resolution of Shock Response Spectrum is characterized by Nth
octave. Each single degree-of-freedom system is characterized by its
damping factor and natural frequency.

Sigma Clipping
In the Random control system, the Sigma Clipping value specifies the
crest factor which is defined as the ratio of the Peak output drive level to
RMS of the output drive level. With sigma clipping disabled, the crest
factor of drive signal is a near-Gaussian distribution random signal
around 4 to 5 standard deviations. When sigma clipping is applied, the
crest factor will theoretically be equal to the sigma clipping number.
The output anti-aliasing filter has a smoothing effect that may change the
final analog waveform so that the specified sigma clipping can not be
precisely achieved. To reduce this effect, increase the Maximum
Frequency parameters in the test.
Sigma clipping may be used to maximize the power capacity of the
shaker. However, it may introduce broadband drive energy at
frequencies above the control spectrum range.

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Spectrum
A spectrum defines the amplitude of signal components as a function of
their corresponding frequencies. That is, a spectrum defines a curve of
signal amplitude versus frequency. A variety of spectra are used in the
vibration control system. They include power spectral density, transfer
function, and peak-spectrum (used in Sine).

Sweep Cycle
In the Sine control system, a sweep cycle is defined as one complete
sweep-up plus one complete sweep-down.

Sweep Direction
In the Sine control system, the sweep direction is initialized in the sweep
event. The sweep event can begin sweeping up or down in frequency.
The sweep direction can be manually changed during the test.

Sweep Event
In the Sine schedule, a sweep event defines the sweep range, starting
frequency, starting sweep direction and the sweep duration. Multiple
sweep events can be scheduled for a single test.

Sweep Rate
In the Sine control system, sweep rate is the rate at which the frequency
changes during a sweep. Sweep rate is defined in Octaves/min., for a log
sweep, or in Hz/second for a linear sweep.

Sweep Type
Both log and linear sweep types are available in the sine control system.
For a log sweep, the sweep rate is defined in Octaves/minute. For a
linear sweep, the sweep rate is defined in Hz/second.

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Tracking Filter
In Sine, a bandpass filter is tuned so that its center frequency tracks the
current operating frequency. A filter tuned in this way is called a
tracking filter. A fixed-bandwidth tracking filter does not change
bandwidth during the sweep. A proportional-bandwidth tracking filter
will change bandwidth in proportion to the operating frequency.
A tracking filter can be enabled for each input channel.
See bandwidth, bandpass filter

Transmissibility
Transmissibility is the non-dimensional ratio of the response amplitude
of a system to the input amplitude. In this system, it can be calculated
between any of enabled channels and/or the control signal.

Variance
Variance is the square of the standard deviation. It is a measure of the
variability of a signal. In Random PSD measurements, increases the
Averaging Number reduces the spectrum variance.

Waterfall Plot
A waterfall plot is a three dimensional plot. It typically represents a
“stack-up” of a time or frequency function versus time or increment. A
waterfall plot is used to study the characteristics of rotating machinery.
For example, effects such as rotating imbalance, bearing misalignment,
gear wear, bent shaft, cracked shaft, etc., can all be diagnosed by
examining waterfall plots.

Waterfall Plus Slice Window

A waterfall plus slice window includes 2 plots: a 3-dimensional plot on
the bottom and a 2 dimensional plot on the top. The 3-dimensional plot
can be either a multispectrum waterfall or a time waterfall plot. The 2

Dactron Shaker Control System 532

 Glossary

dimensional plot is a slice through the waterfall plot. It can be either an

intersection of the x axis, z axis or an order. By moving a cursor in the
waterfall plot, the current slice can be viewed in the Slice window.

White Noise
White noise is a random time domain signal that has a flat power spectral
density.

Dactron Shaker Control System 533

 License Agreement

11 License Agreement

If you keep the Software, you are agreeing to the terms of this Agreement. Use of the Software is subject to this agreement. If you
do not agree to the terms of this Agreement, return this package to Dactron Incorporated (Dactron) for a refund. Dactron grants you
a non-exclusive right to use this copy of the Software and accompanying materials according to the following:

You may:
a) use and install the Software on only one computer at a time;
b) make one (1) copy of the Software for backup purposes; and
c) transfer the Software from one computer to another so long as the Software is neither used on nor copied onto more than
one computer at a time.

You may not:

a) modify, reverse engineer or copy (except for the backup copy) the Software or accompanying materials;
b) rent or transfer the Software.

This license is not a sale. Title and copy rights to the Software and accompanying materials remains with Dactron, Inc. and its
licensors. Any breach terminates this Agreement.
LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER, AND LIMIT OF LIABILITY

If at any time the software fails to operate as described in the documentation, simply return the original disks to Dactron and
Dactron will replace the software at no charge to you or refund your purchase price, at Dactron's option. Dactron and its licensors
do not warrant your data, that the Software will meet your requirements, or that the operation will be interrupted or error free.

THE WARRANTY ABOVE IS IN LIEU OFF ALL OTHERS, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT
LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
SOME STATES HAVE LAWS THAT MAY RESTRICT OR PROHIBIT THE LIMITATIONS SET FORTH ABOVE AND
YOUR RIGHTS UNDER LAW MAY VARY ACCORDING TO THE LAWS OF YOUR STATE.

Dactron and its licensers shall not be liable for any incidental or consequential damages, including loss of data, lost profits, cost of
cover or other special or indirect damages. Your rights under law may vary.

US GOVERNMENT RESTRICTED RIGHTS

The software and documentation are provided with Restricted Rights. Use, duplication, or disclosure by the Government is subject
to restrictions as set forth in subparagraph c(1)(ii) of the Rights in Technical Data and Computer Software clause at DFARS
252.227-7013 or subparagraphs c(1) and (2) of the Commercial Computer Software - Restricted Rights at 48 CFR 52.227-19 as
applicable. Manufacturer is Dactron, 47300 Kato Road, Fremont, CA 94538.

This license agreement and limited warranty will be governed by the laws of the state of California. If any provision of this
agreement is found void or unenforceable, the remainder of the agreement shall remain valid and enforceable.

Copyright ©1997-2004 Dactron, a division of Ling Dynamics Systems. Ling Dynamics Systems is a member of SPX Corporation.

All rights reserved

Information in this document is subject to change without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, for any purpose, without the express written permission of Dactron Incorporated..

Dactron Shaker Control System 534

 Index

Manual Revision History

Date Manual Version Software Contents added into the Manual in this
Version version
Dec. 1.00, 191 pages 1.0 Use light color in most of the pictures
1997
Feb. 1.10, 258 pages 1.1 SRS, Limiting added, Report improved,
1998 Calibration
April 1.20, 284 pages 1.2 Digital I/O added, RSTD added, Double-side
1998 printed
Aug. 2.0, 316 pages 2.0 Updated for Version 2.0 Software
1998 Enhancements, Reorganized Sections 4 & 5
Sept. 2.1, 313 pages 2.1 Reviewed for consistency and readability.
1998 Made minor changes throughout.
May. 3.0, 382 pages 3.0 Added Long Time History application. 16
1999 Channel and Windows NT installations and
version 3.0 features.
Nov. 3.5, 368 pages 3.5 Added V3.5 features. Sections on
1999 Calibration and Troubleshooting moved to
System Guide.
Dec 3.8, 410 pages 3.8 Added V3.8 features – Signal Map, Angular
2000 Acceleration Units, Default Pane Setting,
Sideband and Quality Factror Q Cursors.
Feb 4.7, 488 pages 4.7 Added V4.7 features – Test ID, Recall
2002 Signals Manager, Test Setup Wizard,
Waterfall and Color Maps, Setup Summary
Window, Response Channel, TRUE DC
Analysis Types, Sensor Calibration, Test
Setup Icons, Memory Check, Email
Notification, Online Tips, and Waveform
Editor Edit Tools.
Dec 4.71, 488 pages 5.0 Signal Map removed
2002
May 5.0, 509 pages 5.02 Added LTH Multiple Profile, FRF and
2003 Coherence, Non-acceleration Control, Active
Reports, Signal Color Map, Annotation
Control, Copy data or pane to clipboard,
Numeric display, Channel Status Plots,
Global Cursor Setup, Y Cursor, Passcode
Administration, Waveform Editor changes
Dec 5.5, 543 pages 5.5 Added License Key, Amplifier Control, Sine
2003 Oscillator, Template Report, PDF Report,
Abort Limit Profile, Minimum frequency
interval for resonances in RSTD, Inverse
pulse as pretest profile, LTH Profile
Schedule, Waveform Editor Profile Import
Window, Export to Excel, Abort Action

Dactron Shaker Control System 535

 Index

July 6.0, 540 pages 6.0 Start-Up page, Improved Profile Setup
2005 Dialogs, Simplified setup and more intuitive
table format, Simplified Control Parameter
dialogs, Simplified data saves and recalls,
Improved Test Sequence, Hinv Monitoring,
Sine Compression rate programmable as
function of frequency, Disable control signal
loss abort, Integer dwell and sweep event
added to the schedule, Waveform Editor
Enhanced displacement compensation for
large data files.

Dactron Shaker Control System 536

 Index

A C
Abort Action · 133 Cache Signal Manager · 59
Abort Latency Calibration · 11
Sine and RSTD · 179 Calibration File · 11
Abort Limit · 524 Cascade · 370
Abort Limits · 480 Chamber Interface Setup · 121
Random and Mixed Mode · 152 Changing Y and X Scales · 440
Shock · 232, 233, 238, 256 Channel Parameters · 96, 97
Sine and RSTD · 192 Sine · 101
Abort Rate · 511 Channel Status Window · 357, 358
LTH · 271 Classical Shock Control · 494
Random and Mixed Mode · 146 Coherence · 120, 134
Sine and RSTD · 188 COLA · 104
Compensation
· 266 LTH · 277, 286, 294, 295, 297
· 137 Shock · 231, 235, 242, 244, 248, 255, 256, 258,
· 218 516
Abort Sensitivity · 511 Waveform · 495
Abort Tolerances · 511 Composite Window · 360
Acceleration · 92, 512 Compression Rate · 179, 516
Accelerometer · 512 Consolidated · 42
Accelerometer Sensitivity · 98 Constant Output Level Adaptor · 104
Active Report · 415 Contents · 535
Active Window · 371 Axes Scales · 378
ActiveX Signal Reader Enumerations · 464 Background Color · 378
ActiveX Signal Reader Methods · 458 Font · 378
ActiveX Signal Reader Properties · 461 Frame Color · 378
Add and Delete Cursor Mark · 383 Grid · 377
Add Cursor Icon · 428 Input Status · 380
Add Text Box Icon · 429 Numerical Format · 378
Adding ActiveX Signal Reader to a Project · 466 Pane · 372
Adding Annotation · 452 Selecting Signals · 372
Adding Cursor Marks · 446 Text · 378
Adding Signal to Display · 372 Tic Mark · 377
Alarm Tolerances · 512 Title · 377
Amplifier Control · 133 X and Y Axis Range · 379
Amplitude · 512 X –Auto Range Display · 373
Angular Acceleration Units · 100 X -Axis Format · 373
Annotation · 452, 453 xTitle · 378
Anti-Aliasing Filter · 512 Y-Axis Format · 373
Anti-Resonance · 491, 512, 516 yTitle · 377
Auto Range Display · 373 Control Dynamic Range · 517
Autosave · 41, 50 Control Icons · 426
Averaging · 266, 307, 432, 513 Control Loss Detection · 142, 183
· 137, 217, 514 Control Panel
LTH · 345
Random and Mixed Mode · 330
B Shock · 342
Sine and RSTD · 333
Control Parameters
Bandwidth · 514, 516, 524, 532
Icons · 426
Bandwidth, Fixed · 515
LTH · 265, 268
Bandwidth, Proportional · 515
Random and Mixed Mode · 135, 136

Dactron Shaker Control System 537

 Index

RSTD · 186 Displacement · 92

Shock · 216, 217, 220, 221, 222, 223 Display
Sine and RSTD · 178, 184 Selecti ng Signals · 372
TTH · 226 Displays
Control Strategy · 518 Acessing Contents · 456
Controls for LTH · 345 Add Annotation · 383
Controls for Mixed-mode · 332 Adding Annotation · 452
Controls for Random and Mixed-mode · 331 Auto Fit Y-Axis · 384
Controls for Shock, SRS Synthesis, and TTH · 342 Axes Scales · 378
Controls for Sine and RSTD · 333, 334 Background Color · 378
Controls menu · 328 Change X Limits · 441
Coupling · 99, 112, 134 Change Y Limits · 441
Crest Factor · 156, 161, 164, 518, 530 Default Parameters · 382
Critical damping coefficient · 476 Delete Annotation · 383
Current Pane · 396, 409 Font · 378
Cursor Frame Color · 378
Harmonic · 450 Grid · 377
Add Icon · 428 Numerical Format · 378
Adding Marks · 446 Text · 378
Delete Icon · 428 Tic mark · 377
Find Nearest Peak or Valley · 390 Title · 377
Harmonic · 389, 449 X & Y Unit Labels and Plot Title · 454
Movement · 444 X and Y Axis Range · 379
Moving the Readout · 445 xTitle · 378
Normal · 388 yTitle · 377
Peak · 389 Zoom In · 383, 442
Q Factor · 390 Zoom Out · 383, 442
Quality Factor and Damping Readout · 448 Zoom Out Icon · 429
Readout for RMS and Power · 446 Drive · 520
Sideband · 389 Drive Limit · 137, 179, 187, 218, 266, 520
Synchronized Dual Cursor Movement · 444 Dynamic Range · 521
Synchronized Movement · 444
Valley · 389, 447
Cursor Global Setup · 391 E
Cursor Menu · 386
Cursor Movement · 444
Engineering Units · 91, 95
Cursors
Acceleration · 92
Add Mark · 383
Displacement · 92
Delete Mark · 383
Force · 92, 93
Level · 92
Sweep Mode · 93
D Velocity · 92
Enum DATAFORMAT · 464
Damping ratio · 476 Enum WEIGHTING · 465
Data Folder · 42 Enum WNDTYPE · 465
Data Format · 43 Equalization · 521
·4 Eunm TRANSUNITS · 464
Decibel (dB) · 519 Export to Excel · 72, 385
Decrease Demand Level Icon · 430
Decrease Frequency Icon · 432
Default Project · 38 F
Define a Project · 87
Degrees of Freedom (DOF) · 519
F Key Commands · 354
Delete Cursor Icon · 428
FFT · 522
Desktop · 22
File Management · 25
Detail View · 53
Filter Type for Sine · 179, 187
Digital Input · 311, 313, 314, 315, 319, 320, 321
Find Nearest Peak or Valley · 390
Digital Output · 312, 313, 314
Folder Append Mode · 42

Dactron Shaker Control System 538

 Index

Force · 92, 93
Four-Pane Window · 363
M
Frequency · 523
Making the Active Pane · 371
Manual Save · 49
Math Operations · 109, 134
G Mixed-mode Control · 480
Mouse Controls · 426, 440
GetData · 458, 459 Moving Pane Borders · 372
GetEventInform · 458, 460 Moving the Cursor Readout · 445
GetSliceValueArray · 458, 460 MS-Word · 398, 452
Go to here · 206 · 398
Graphical View · 53 MS-Word Template · 402, 412
MTS AFU · 44, 284
MTS ATI · 44, 284
H MTS ATI/AFU · 44, 284

H inverse (Hinv signal) · 523

Harmonic · 451 N
Harmonic Cursor · 451
Harmonic cursor setup · 393 New Project · 32, 38, 426
Harmonic Cursors · 389, 449 New Project · 74
Help New Project Icon · 427
About · 427 Next Event in Schedule Icon · 430
About Icon · 431 Next Profile in Schedule Icon · 430
Help Icon · 431 Non-Acceleration Control · 138, 180, 218, 266
Hold Sweep Icon · 433 Normal Cursor · 390, 448
Numeric Display · 366
Signal property · 366
I Numerical Display
System Status · 366
Increase Demand Level Icon · 430 Numerical Indicator Settings · 367
Increase Frequency Icon · 433
Initial Ramp-Up Rate
Sine and RSTD · 178, 184, 185, 186 O
Input Channels · 97
Integer Sweep Event · 205 One- Pane Icon · 428
One-Pane Window · 362
On-Line Save Signals · 329
L Open Project · 24, 37
Open Project Icon · 427
Level · 92, 523 Output a Single Pulse Icon · 433
Decrease Demand Icon · 430 Output Channel · 101
Increase Demand Icon · 430 Output Saved Results to MS-Word · 397, 422
Set Demand Icon · 429 Overwrite · 42
Level Event · 172, 260, 524
License Key · 5, 12
Limiting Profile P
Random · 169
Sine · 198, 199, 200 Pane · 357
Line Abort Ratio · 524 Add Annotation · 383
List View · 53 Add Text Icon · 429
LoadSignal · 458 Annotation · 452
Log Sweep · 93 Auto Fit Y-Axis · 384
Border Movement · 455
Change X Limits · 441
Change Y Limits · 441

Dactron Shaker Control System 539

 Index

Contents · 372, 374, 376, 377, 378, 380, 456 Project Sequence · 309, 310, 355
Contents Icon · 428 · 134
Current · 409
Default Parameters · 382
Delete Annotation · 383 Q
Making Active Pane · 371
Moving Borders · 372
Q (quality factor) · 528
One-Pane Icon · 428
Q Factor · 390, 448, 449
Y and X Unit Labels and the Plot Title · 454
Quick Report · 413, 431
Zoom In · 383, 442
Quick Report Icon · 431
Zoom Out · 383, 442
Zoom Out Icon · 429
Pane Default Parameters · 382
Pane Menu · 371 R
Parameter Summary Window · 424
PDF File Report · 418 Ramp-up rate · 527, 528
Peak and Valley Cursors · 447 Random Vibration Control · 477
Peak Cursors · 389 Recall · 52
Peak/Valley setup · 392 Recall Data
Post-Pulse Only Compensation · 235 pop-up window · 58
Pre- and Post-Pulse Compensation · 235 Recall Signal Manager · 52, 53
Preferences Recall Signals · 373
LTH · 270, 271 Recalled Signals · 59
Random and Mixed Mode · 145, 147, 148 Release Sweep Icon · 433
Shock · 227, 228 Report
Sine · 190, 191 Options · 413
Sine and RSTD · 187, 188, 190 Output Saved Results · 422
Pre-Pulse Only Compensation · 236 Pre-Test · 323
Pre-Test · 323, 527 Quick Report Icon · 431
Random and Mixed Mode · 143 RSTD · 414
Pre-Test Drive Pause · 344 Report Functions · 395
Pre-Test Report · 323 Report Menu · 408
Preview Recalled Signals · 53 report template · 419
Preview Test · 330 Reports
Profile Creating · 356
Block Diagram · 307, 308, 309, 361, 456 Project · 412
LTH · 272, 273, 274, 275, 277, 278 Reset Averaging Icon · 432
Mixed Mode · 160, 161 RMS (Root Mean Square) · 529
Narrowband · 161, 162, 163 RPCIII · 44, 284
Narrowband and Tone · 168 RSM · 52
Random · 148, 150, 153, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, Run a Project · 322
160, 197, 198, 272, 430, 520, 523, 528 Run Folders · 32, 40, 48, 135
Shock · 229, 230, 231, 232, 233, 234, 235, 237 Run Log · 360
Sine and RSTD · 191, 192, 193, 194, 196, 197 Run Process · 323
SRS · 237, 238, 239, 241, 244, 245, 246
Tone · 165, 166, 167, 168
TTH · 248, 251, 252, 253, 255, 256, 257, 258, 259 S
Waveform Editor · 278, 280, 281, 283, 285, 286,
293, 294, 295, 296
Save As · 38, 39, 310, 428
Project · 527
Save Project Icon · 428
New · 32, 38, 74, 426
Save Results · 173, 176, 207, 209, 261, 264, 305, 329
New Icon · 427
Save Results Icon · 430
Open · 24, 37
Save Signal Manager · 41
Open Icon · 427
Save Signals · 45, 135
Running · 322
Schedule
Save Icon · 428
Next Event in Schedule Icon · 430
Saving Defaults · 38
Schedule
Project Folder · 25, 31, 37
LTH · 305
Project Report · 412

Dactron Shaker Control System 540

 Index

Mixed Mode · 177 Start-Up Page · 75

Next Event in Schedule Icon · 430 Status Bar · 371
Random · 171, 172, 175, 176, 260, 263 Status Display Setup · 368
RSTD · 210, 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, 216 Sweep Down Icon · 432
Shock · 259, 260, 263, 264 Sweep Type for Sine · 179
Sine and RSTD · 201, 202, 203, 205, 206, 208, Sweep Up Icon · 432
209 Swept Sine Vibration Control · 483
Schedule Synchronized Cursor
Random · 433 Movement · 444
Schedule Synchronized Dual Cursor
Random · 528 Movement · 444
Schedule
Random · 528
Schedule T
Random · 530
Screen Bitmap · 176, 397, 407
Template Report · 421
Screens
Test ID · 410, 411
Creating · 356
Tile · 370
SDF · 44, 284
Time Characteristics · 110, 134
Set Demand Level Icon · 429
Time Stamp · 42
Set Frequency Icon · 432
Tool Bar · 24, 371, 426, 428
Set Update H Ratio Icon · 434, 435
Tracking Filter · 485, 486, 487, 490, 514, 532
Setting Y and X Unit Labels · 454
Transmissibility · 532
Shaker Parameters · 93
Troubleshooting · 320, 535
Maximum Acceleration · 96
Two-Pane Horizontal Window · 362
Maximum Drive Voltage · 96
Two-Pane Vertical Window · 362, 363
Maximum Velocity · 96
Min and Max Drive Frequency · 96
Positive and Negative Displacement Limits · 95
Shock Response Spectrum (SRS) · 530 U
Sideband Cursors · 389
Sigma Clipping · 137, 530 uninstall · 10
· 129 Unit Under Test · 1, 330, 475
· 129
· 129
Signal Files · 48, 63, 135 V
· 49, 50
Signal Manager · 40
Valley Cursors · 389
Signal Name · 49
Velocity · 92
Signals · 63
Visual Basic · 473
Math Operations · 109, 134
Visual C++ · 466
Recall · 373
Save Icon · 430
Saving · 173, 176, 207, 209, 261, 264, 305, 329
Special Displays · 374 W
Time Characteristics · 110, 134
Types for LTH · 69 Waterfall · 532
Types for Random and Mixed Mode · 65 Waterfall Plus Slice · 532
Types for Shock · 68 Weighted Average
Types for Sine and RSTD · 66, 67 LTH · 266
Units · 64 Random and Mixed Mode · 137
Sine COLA Output · 104 Sine and RSTD · 179
Sine Displacement · 93 Weighting · 98, 137, 179, 266, 346, 434, 513, 518
Sine Oscillator · 178, 186, 187, 333 Window Menu · 361
Single Degree-of-Freedom System · 476 Window Selector · 429
Special Signal Displays · 374 Windows · 357
Special Signals · 108, 134 Active · 371
Start Request · 325 Block Diagram · 361
Cascading · 370

Dactron Shaker Control System 541

 Index

Channel Status · 357 X-Axis Format · 373

Composite · 360
Creating · 356
Four-Pane · 363 Y
One-Pane · 362
Run Log · 360
Y Cursor · 389
Selector Box · 429
Y-axis · 384, 441, 442
Tiling · 370
Y-Axis Format · 373
Two-Pane Horizontal · 362
Two-Pane Vertical · 362
Word 2000 · 399, 401
Working with Windows and Panes · 440 Z
Zoom In · 383, 442
X Zoom Out · 383
Zoom Out Icon · 429
X-axis · 388, 441

Dactron Shaker Control System 542