QuantumX – How to Record Measurements Across Sensor Types in an Accurate, Scalable, and Distributed Way

To develop, improve, certify, or troubleshoot a product, physical testing is required either on a test bench or in the field. Usually, the more complex or larger the product, the more measurements are required. The physical quantities to measure vary including force, torque, pressure, strain, displacement, speed, acceleration, on, current or voltage, etc. Sensors used to measure these quantities, their active principle and their output also vary.

To support a detailed analysis, all measurements need to be time synchronized and completed at the appropriate sampling rate, whilst also being visible in one system. When tests are done in the field, geo-location is a critical element in understanding how the environment impacts the product’s behaviour. Recording and synchronizing videos and measurements also help visualizing and understanding what is taking place with the said product.

QuantumX is an incredible data acquisition system (DAQ) developed by HBK/HBM and supported in Oceania by NVMS. QuantumX is very popular in industries such as rail, civil engineering, engineering consulting firms and across universities. It is also to be mentioned that the QuantumX’s ruggedised version, SomatXR, is also popular.

QuantumX meets all the above requirements. The products many modules can work individually, be stacked up, be put on racks, or be distributed and synchronised. Some modules can handle a large array of sensor technologies whilst other modules are more specialised. The product range covers an extremely large number of measurement scenario. A few modules are presented hereafter.

QuantumX MX840B , for example, is a universal DAQ. With 8 channels, it supports strain gauge full bridge, half bridge and quarter bridge, inductive full and half bridge, piezoresistive full bridge, current-fed piezoelectric transducers (IEPE, ICP®), potentiometric transducers, electric voltage, electric current, ohmic resistance, resistance thermometer, thermocouples, rotary encoder, frequency measurement, rotational speed measurement (rpm), pulse counter and CAN bus.

QuantumX MX1615B is a strain gauge bridge amplifier. With 16 channels, it handles strain gauges in full‐, half‐, or quarter‐bridge, with bridge excitation being DC or carrier frequency. QuantumX MX1609B is a 16-channel thermocouple amplifier for type K/T while QuantumX MX403B is a 4-channel module for electrically isolated voltage measurement.

Data recording can be done in a connected laptop or in a standalone and autonomous way using QuantumX CX22B-W. A dozen of other modules can be found on QuantumX Data Acquisition System | DAQ

To explore if and how QuantumX could be of assistance, you can browse the overview or contact our friendly NVMS team at sales@nvms.com.au for further assistance.

Author: Christian Ebel (MEng, MBA, MIEAust) – Business Manager, Test & Measurement

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