Wineman Technology, Inc., announces the Tire Pressure Monitoring System Spin Tester (TPMS-120).  The TPMS-120 is an end-of-line audit TPMS Spin Tester capable of tests such as sensor identification, pressure, temperature, battery status, rotation, RF output power, bit width, RF nominal frequency, and low frequency (LF) sensitivity. 

The system includes a PXI-1042 chassis with a PXI-8186 embedded controller running a LabVIEW-based application on a Microsoft Windows XP operating system.  The PXI-5421 arbitrary waveform generator formulates specific sensor command messages to solicit RF transmissions from the sensor.  Subsequently, the PXI-5660 RF signal analyzer intercepts the sensor’s RF transmissions.  Eliminating the need for custom hardware, the NI RF hardware, Modulation toolkit, and Spectrum Analysis Toolkit offer a cost effective and flexible solution for modulating and demodulating signals. 

Successful system operation calls for precise control of speed and pressure.  The LabVIEW application controls motion via a drive and 3-phase AC motor.  The system also controls pressure via proportional pressure control (PPC) and pilot-operated regulator valves.  The system pressurizes of up to 125 psi and spins a tire pressure sensor to an acceleration force of up to 20 g’s.

The system uses a PXI-6052E multifunction DAQ device to acquire temperature, chamber pressure and drive speed.  Temperature is acquired through a non-contact infrared temperature sensor.  An integrated pressure transducer verifies chamber pressure, and an encoder is used to monitor drive speed.  The PXI-6052E device also generates signals to stimulate chamber pressure and drive speed commands.

A variety of interface screens are available including automatic test control, manual test control, test sequence building, and test reporting.  With the system’s modular structure, you can customize it to meet your needs.