Investigation of Alternative Data Compression/Transmission Methodologies

This paper examined existing data acquisition technologies and proposes an alternative method to gather and store data. This proposed method significantly reduces the size of the cable bundle that interconnects the crash test dummy with the control room, vehicle or sled mounted to five wires, three for power, two for the communications bus. A systems analysis reviewed the requirements for data acquisition for crash test dummies and determined that the proposed system, a distributed data acquisition system, was a promising solution to the problem. This approach would replace one central data acquisition system with numerous data acquisition systems distributed through out the dummy. Each distributed data acquisition module would have eight channels and could be used singly or in-groups. At the core of each module would be an Analog Devices ADuC812 component that handles the analog to digital conversion, data acquisition control, memory management, and the communications bus. The project took this component and designed the power, signal conditioning, and memory circuits needed to support the ADuC812. Most of the design was assembled into a breadboard and electrically tested to measure its performance. Its performance met expectation and showed that this approach would be successful.