Development of host computer program for electric servo test

The application of electric actuators in various fields is becoming increasingly widespread, such as drones, robots, intelligent vehicles, etc. To ensure the performance and reliability of electric actuators, rigorous testing is crucial. This article will introduce the development process of the electric actuator testing upper computer program, including four aspects: requirement analysis, system design, program implementation, and testing.

1、Requirement Analysis

The electric actuator testing upper computer program is mainly used for various performance tests of actuators, such as torque, speed, angle, etc. To achieve the testing objectives, the requirement analysis is as follows:

• Real-time monitoring of the actuator’s operating status, such as current angle, speed, etc.
• Setting test parameters, such as test items, test duration, test frequency, etc.
• Plotting actuator operation curves for easy performance analysis.
• Storing and querying test data for later analysis and processing.
• Having data statistics and analysis functions to assess the performance of the actuator.
• Supporting data access of multiple testing devices to improve the compatibility of the testing system.

2、System Design

Based on the requirement analysis, the upper computer testing system framework is designed, mainly including the following modules:

• Data acquisition module: Real-time collection of actuator operation data through sensors and data transmission lines.
• User interface module: Provides a friendly operation interface for users to set test parameters and view test results.
• Data processing module: Processes the collected data, such as filtering, statistics, etc.
• Data storage module: Stores processed data in a database for later querying and analysis.
• Curve plotting module: Real-time plotting of actuator operation curves for easy observation of performance changes.
• Data analysis module: Analyzes the stored data, supporting performance evaluation and fault diagnosis.
• Data communication module: Supports communication with lower-level devices to achieve data transmission and control command sending.

3、Program Implementation

According to the system design, the program is developed using the C# language, mainly implementing the following functions:

• Data acquisition: Connects with lower-level devices through serial communication to receive real-time actuator operation data.
• User interface: Designs a simple user interface to display the actuator’s operating status and test parameters.
• Data processing: Filters and calculates the average value of the collected data.
• Data storage: Stores processed data in a database for later querying and analysis.
• Curve plotting: Plots actuator operation curves based on real-time data.
• Data analysis: Analyzes stored data, supporting performance evaluation and fault diagnosis.
• Data communication: Implements data transmission and control command sending with lower-level devices.

1) Serial communication

private SerialPort serialPort;
public void InitSerialPort()
{
    serialPort = new SerialPort("COM1", 9600);
    serialPort.Open();
}
public void SendCommand(string command)
{
    serialPort.Write(command + "\n");
}
public string ReceiveData()
{
    string data = serialPort.ReadLine();
    return data;
}

2) Data processing and display

private void ProcessDataAndDisplay(string data)
{
    // Parse data, extract information such as angle, speed, etc.
    // Display on the interface
}
3) Data recording and playback

csharp
private void RecordData()
{
// Use file operations to record data
}
private void PlayBackData()
{
// Use file operations to play back data
}
4) Fault diagnosis

private void DiagnoseFault()
{
    // Based on actual measured data, determine if there are any performance issues with the electric actuator
    // Provide a diagnostic result
}

4. Testing

To ensure the correctness and stability of the electric actuator testing upper computer program, the following tests are carried out:

• Functional testing: Verify whether the program can achieve the required functions, such as data acquisition, curve plotting, etc.
• Performance testing: Test the program’s performance under high pressure, high temperature, and other harsh environments.
• Compatibility testing: Verify whether the program can be compatible with actuator testing equipment of different brands and models.
• Reliability testing: Run the program for a long time to observe its stability and reliability.
• Fault diagnosis: Simulate actuator fault conditions to verify the program’s fault diagnosis capability.

Summary

The development of the electric actuator testing upper computer program is an important task and is significant for ensuring the performance and reliability of actuators. Through the stages of requirement analysis, system design, program implementation, and testing, this article has successfully developed a testing system with functions such as real-time monitoring, data processing, curve plotting, and fault diagnosis. Tested, the system has high correctness, stability, and compatibility, providing strong support for the performance testing of electric actuators.