Airbus has selected the Q.raxx EC with EtherCAT interface as the
integrated control and measurement solution for
their component structural testing lab
Airbus Helicopters is a world-leading designer
and manufacturer of helicopters. The company�s
product line offers the full spectrum of
rotary-wing aircraft solutions for civil,
government, military, law enforcement and
parapublic uses. With the growth in business and
innovation of their product offering, Airbus
Helicopters decided to modernize their
structural test facility at their main facility
in Donauw�rth, Germany.
Typical test applications
that are performed by component structural
testing lab are blade fatigue testing, rotor
hub endurance testing, and full-scale
airframe testing. The legacy control and
data acquisition system used by Airbus
Helicopter, called �AMOS�, is a
comprehensive and proprietary concept used
across all their test rigs. The system
offers extensive functionality and
flexibility, nevertheless is expensive to
maintain and difficult to upgrade to meet
today�s demanding test requirements.
The new control and data acquisition system had
to maintain the functionality and flexibility
that Airbus is accustomed to, whilst introducing
state-of-the-art hardware and software
technology. A challenging assignment. Many
well-known control and data acquisition system
vendors presented their latest solutions. After
a long and intensive evaluation, considering all
technical and commercial aspects, Gantner
Instruments was selected as supplier of choice
for the Airbus� new control and data acquisition
system solution.
�We
chose the best, most modern and most flexible
concept for our next generation Control and DAQ
system. For this project we chose Gantner
Instruments.�
Sr. Test Engineer Airbus Helicopters
The heart of the Gantner Instruments� supplied
control and data acquisition system is the
Q.raxx EC A106 I/O module in a 19″ rack
enclosure. Key features of the Q.raxx EC
include; distributed clock for data
synchronization (ETG.1020.0), File access over
EtherCAT (ETG.1000.5), CAN over EtherCAT (
ETG.5001.1), XFC� technology for data rates up
to 100 kHz, and configurable PDO mapping to
optimize the data throughput.
Click to open the large image
The Q.raxx EC ensures that both control and
measurement system work together on one
fieldbus, eliminating the uncertainty of
data skew during critical test conditions.
Gantner Instruments� Q.raxx EC sets the
standard for data acquisition performance
and flexibility � meeting, and exceeding,
the most demanding test system
specifications set by Airbus Helicopters.
