Cell phones in zero gravity are best examined with measurement technology from NI.

One of dataTec's customers from research deals with the question of how objects behave in weightlessness. Without further ado, he throws various objects down a drop tower.

Why versatility leads to success.

The task: a stress test.

Why is it important to know how objects behave in weightlessness? The cell phone example makes it clear: because it is also exposed to G-forces in everyday life. In an airplane, for example, during full braking of a car, or when it is left in your pocket on a roller coaster ride. But also when it falls off the dining table or simply vibrates.

The electronics in the cell phone should easily survive these everyday situations. To ensure this, the products have to be tested before their market launch. Precisely by throwing the cell phone down a tower and thus putting it through its paces under controlled conditions.


The challenge: measuring instruments in the smallest possible space.

This tower has a height of approx. 8 m in the first step, later even up to 20 m. The diameter is only 30 cm. Inside there is a drop capsule in which various test objects are placed. Such as a cell phone, liquids, new materials for aerospace or semiconductor components. During the fall, sensors in the tower and in the drop capsule measure exactly the object‘s behaviour. For example, in relation to the ambient temperature, pressure or acceleration. This requires measuring instruments with very small dimensions so that they fit into the capsule.  

They also have to communicate with each other and be able to answer individualized questions. The height of the drop tower poses a further challenge: the measurement data must be recorded in real time despite the distance, and measurement accuracy and reliability must not suffer as a result.


The solution: modular measurement technology from NI.

Such a drop capsule can be equipped with the help of NI's comprehensive portfolio. This ensures that the measurement technology is individually programmable and can be used differently depending on the problem. The measurement systems are synchronized, deliver measurement data in real time and also fit into the capsule. But which technology exactly is suitable for this experimental setup?


An exemplary setup for the gravity experiment:

Suitable for the drop capsule: sbRIO

Suitable for the drop tube: cDAQ Chassis and cDAQ Modules, Multifunctional I/O devices

CompactDAQ Chassis (cDAQ)
To the products
Single Board Controller (sbRIO)
To the products
CompactDAQ Modules (cDAQ)
To the products
Multifunctional
I/O
To the products

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Everything you need to know about modular measurement technology:



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