New generation instrument
The Brief
A next-generation instrument was required to measure gas concentrations of a wider range of gas types, flow rates, and pressures to a much tighter specification than the current generation of instruments.
The challenging specification required a fresh approach to the physical principle at the core of the product. This called for a design and simulation phase before implementing electronics
Additionally, the client wanted to tackle obsolescence problems that were beginning to affect the original instrument.
The Solution
The project involved the development of a precision low-level front end. The first stage of work involved much research into advanced algorithms for extracting very low-level signal data from a high-noise background.
Since the product had to cater to a wide range of gas types, flow rates and pressures, its design and testing were performed with great care to ensure that it would deliver the expected generational improvement in practice.
We used high-speed signal processing utilising the benefits of carefully selected FPGA and DSP silicon, resulting in the new instrument exceeding the performance of the current instrument and resolving the legacy obsolescence.
This project drew heavily on our considerable experience in instrumentation design where very small signals need to be detected in a challenging environment.
We utilized our DSP and embedded software experience to effectively process, improve, capture, and interpret the raw signal data.
Timing-critical embedded code ensured that the real-time flow control loop was accurate enough to meet the demanding, higher-level performance requirements of the product.
Our considerable instrumentation design experience was used in the modelling and design of a low noise front-end.
Whilst DSP filtering was applied to further enhance the clarity of signal, fundamentally the raw analogue signal needed a generational improvement in clarity.
We carefully modelled different stimulus and detection methods of the flow transducer system to maximise both the clarity of transmitted signal and minimise background noise, and improve the detection circuitry for better temporal resolution.