Low-Power Triggered Data Acquisition for Impact Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing high-speed data acquisition systems for detecting damage and impact in structures and vehicles consume excessive power, making them unsuitable for continuous monitoring due to high power consumption and large size, which limits their application in operational vehicles and structures.
Innovation Solution
A low-power triggered data acquisition system utilizing low-powered circuitry and digital logic interfaced with self-generating transducer inputs, such as piezoelectric sensors, that acquires and stores digital data only when a signal exceeds a set threshold, allowing for continuous monitoring with minimal power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If high-speed data acquisition electronics are used to acquire data at full data acquisition rate, then measurement precision is improved, but power consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses periodic sampling triggered by events rather than continuous high-speed acquisition. The data acquisition operates in periodic bursts only when triggered by a threshold event, rather than maintaining continuous high-speed operation, thereby reducing overall power consumption while preserving measurement precision when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The data acquisition system dynamically adjusts its operating state between low-power standby mode and high-speed acquisition mode based on incoming signal conditions. The system transitions from a static continuous operation to a dynamic event-driven operation, activating full data acquisition rate only when a triggering event is detected.
2Measurement precision
If digital circuit processes acquired digital data continuously to identify transient events, then measurement precision is improved, but power consumption and processor resources increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary threshold-based filtering on incoming analog signals before full digital processing. By comparing signals against predetermined thresholds in analog circuitry first, the system pre-screens events to determine which ones require full digital processing, reducing the overall computational burden and power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
Different processing levels are applied to different signal characteristics. Simple threshold comparisons are performed on all signals, while full digital processing is applied only to signals that exceed the threshold. This localized application of processing resources optimizes power consumption while maintaining detection accuracy for transient events.
3Measurement precision
If data is continuously stored in digital memory, then measurement precision is improved, but power consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and stores only the relevant portions of data - specifically, data associated with triggered events that exceed the threshold. Rather than continuously storing all acquired data, the system selectively extracts and stores only those data segments that contain potentially significant transient events, reducing memory power consumption while preserving measurement precision for important events.
4Measurement precision
If large numbers of piezoelectric sensor channels are distributed throughout the structure, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring system is segmented into distributed autonomous sensor nodes rather than a centralized complex system. Each node independently performs threshold comparison and event detection, dividing the overall system complexity into manageable independent units. This segmentation allows multiple sensor channels to be distributed throughout the structure while keeping individual node complexity low.
5Measurement precision
If high-speed data acquisition and processing is performed for all sensors, then measurement precision is improved, but vehicle resources such as power, mass, and volume become excessive
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial processing action - performing full high-speed data acquisition and processing only for sensor channels that detect threshold-exceeding events, while applying minimal processing to other channels. This partial application of resources maintains impact detection accuracy for significant events while reducing overall vehicle resource consumption.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables continuous monitoring of transitory signals with low latency and low standby power, extending operational duration to months or years without compromising performance, suitable for long-duration missions like space exploration and allowing for precise impact location determination.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing low-powered circuitry, comparators, and digital logic interfaced with self-generating transducer inputs to detect, identify and assess impact and damage
Data Source
AI summary
A low-power triggered data acquisition system and method utilizes low-powered circuitry, comparators, and digital logic incorporated into a miniaturized device interfaced with self-generating transducer sensor inputs to detect, identify and assess impact and damage to surfaces and structures wherein, upon the occurrence of a triggering event that produces a signal greater than a set threshold changes the comparator output and causes the system to acquire and store digital data representative of the incoming waveform on at least one triggered channel. The sensors may be disposed in an array to provide triangulation and location of the impact.