ACPD - Limos

__________________________________________
LIMOS USER MANUAL

Software Version 1.x
__________________________________________
Martin C. Lugg
Technical Software Consultants Ltd.

6 Mill Square, Featherstone Road,
Wolverton Mill, Milton Keynes, MK12 5RB
UNITED KINGDOM
Document:
Date:
Revision:
Issue:
TSC/MCL/1773
8th January 2008
1.0 (1)
1
2008. Technical Software Consultants Ltd.
Document Revision Approval Sheet
6 Mill Square, Featherstone Road, Wolverton Mill,

Milton Keynes, MK12 5RB
TECHNICAL SOFTWARE CONSULTANTS
LIMITED
KEYWORDS:
Controlled Copy:
Yes
No
TITLE:
LIMOS USER MANUAL

Software Version 1.x
Document: TSC/MCL/1773
1.0 ( 1 )
MCL
Issue(Rev) Initiated by
Draft issue
Checked by
Approved by
08/01/2008
Date
Issued Document Revisions
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 1
2. HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS............................................................................ 2
3. INSTALLATION PROCEDURE ............................................................................. 3
4. OVERVIEW OF LIMOS .......................................................................................... 4
4.1. Glossary of Terms......................................................................................... 4
4.2. Start-Up Screen ............................................................................................ 5
4.3. Pull-Down Menus .......................................................................................... 6
4.3.1. File Menu ............................................................................................. 6
4.3.2. Test Menu............................................................................................ 6
4.3.3. Collect Menu........................................................................................ 7
4.3.4. Data Menu ........................................................................................... 7
4.3.5. Help Menu ........................................................................................... 9
4.4. Control Buttons ............................................................................................. 9
4.5. Display Area................................................................................................ 10
4.6. Data File Page Bar ...................................................................................... 14
5. MULTIPLE FIXED PROBE ACPD ........................................................................ 17
5.1. Start Up and Instrument Settings ................................................................ 17
5.2. Setting Up A Test ........................................................................................ 20
5.2.1. New Test Settings.............................................................................. 20
5.2.2. Channel Definition ............................................................................. 21
5.2.3. Site Definition .................................................................................... 22
5.2.4. Save Test Set-Up .............................................................................. 29
5.3. Running a Test............................................................................................ 29
5.3.1. Open Setup File................................................................................. 29
5.3.2. Collecting Data .................................................................................. 30
6. Fixed Single Probe ACPD ................................................................................... 34
6.2. Setting Up A Test ........................................................................................ 34
6.2.3. Site Definition .................................................................................... 37
6.2.4. Save Test Set-Up .............................................................................. 43
6.3. Running a Test............................................................................................ 43
6.3.1. Open Setup File................................................................................. 43
6.3.2. Collecting Data .................................................................................. 44

7. Moveable Single Probe ACPD............................................................................. 47
7.2. Setting Up A Test ........................................................................................ 48
7.2.3. Site Definition .................................................................................... 50
7.2.4. Save Test Set-Up .............................................................................. 55
7.3. Running a Test............................................................................................ 55
7.3.1. Open Setup File................................................................................. 55
7.3.2. Collecting Data .................................................................................. 56
LIMOS Vn 1.0 User Manual
1. INTRODUCTION
This document describes version 1.x of the general purpose ACPD
inspection/monitoring program LIMOS (Long-term Inspection and Monitoring Of
Structures). LIMOS was written for use with Technical Software Consultants' (TSC's)
U20 Laboratory model ACPD Crack Microgauge to provide automated instrument
control, data storage facilities and dedicated graphical output. LIMOS runs under the
Windows 2000, XP or Vista environments, allowing easy data transfer to other
Windows programs such as spreadsheets and word processors.
LIMOS is used to control crack growth monitoring with the ACPD technique using
fixed probes. It also supports the deployment of single moveable voltage probes for
crack detection and sizing. Users unfamiliar with the ACPD technique should refer to
TSC's introductory literature.
LIMOS operates in one of three modes:
a) Multiple fixed probe (e.g. large-scale monitoring test in laboratory)
b) Single fixed probe (e.g. single-site monitoring in the field, or laboratory CT
sample)
c) Single moveable probe (e.g. obtaining depth profile in the field)
In fixed probe ACPD operation, LIMOS obtains a set of voltage measurements from
the probes attached to the Crack Microgauge. The probes are arranged in pairs
(cross crack and reference) and the voltages from each pair are used to calculate a
crack depth using the simple formula:
rVc c
d1 = 2 V -
r r
where is the probe spacing, and the suffices c and r designate cross-crack and
reference respectively. (N.B. This formula applies to high aspect ratio cracks in
ferritic steel - other formulae or correction factors apply in other cases). LIMOS then
plots the array of depths as a crack profile. Scans of the probes can be made at
user-defined time intervals and LIMOS will then plot crack growth curves for any
given location.
Alarm levels can be set so that when defect depth exceeds a user -defined value, a
digital output pulse is produced by the computer which can be used to stop a fatigue
machine, for example.
In moveable probe ACPD operation, LIMOS collects voltage measurement pairs on
demand to calculate depths. The cross crack and reference voltages can be
obtained from successive readings from a single probe, or from two simultaneous
readings from a twin output probe. These depths can be assigned to position s to
display a crack profile as with fixed probe ACPD.
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2. HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS
The software has been developed to run under the Windows environment (2000, XP
or Vista).
The PC must also have a serial port (or USB to serial converter) for communications
with the U20 instrument, and methods for installing the software (usually a CD drive)
and for backing up data (e.g. CD writer or USB port).
The program is designed to control TSC's Model U20 ACPD Crack Microgauge. This
instrument was produced primarily for use in the laboratory and supports
multichannel input as well as single probes. The top panel of the instrument is
shown below:
The picture shows an instrument with one 16-channel module fitted. Up to four such
modules can be fitted if required. Also, the number of field outputs fitted can be
either one or four.
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3. INSTALLATION PROCEDURE
This section describes how to install and start up the LIMOS software.
Note that Administrator rights are generally required to install the program onto a
PC. The software packages are usually supplied on a CD-ROM.
Insert the CD-ROM into the drive on the PC.
Using Explorer or My Computer, select the CD-ROM drive.
Double click on the ReadMe file.
Follow the onscreen instructions to install the software.
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4. OVERVIEW OF LIMOS
This section describes the contents of the main menus and start -up screen of
LIMOS without going into any details. The following sections are intended to
introduce the user to the most commonly used features of LIMOS by following
typical procedures for the three modes of operation listed in Section 1.
4.1. Glossary of Terms
The following list explains the terms used in the software.
Input
A pair of wires carrying a voltage from the sample into the U20. There
are two inputs available for manually deployed probes, while inputs
from fixed probes are in groups of 16.
Module
A group of 16 inputs. The standard U20 instrument supports up to 4

modules (i.e. 64 inputs in total).
Field
A current output from the U20 to the sample. The U20 instrument can
support up to 4 fields.
Channel
An input into the U20 (designated by module number and input

number within that module e.g. Module M2 Input 10). A channel is
either a Crack Channel (meaning the input wires are across the crack)
or a Reference Channel (meaning the input wires are adjacent to the
crack).
Point
A pair of channels (one Crack and one Reference) used to calculate a

crack depth measurement. Each point is linked to a field.
Site
A group of points that are plotted on the same graph (usually covering
a complete crack). May include points from more than one field (e.g.
for long cracks). LIMOS supports the use of multiple Sites, plotted on
different graphs.
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4.2. Start-Up Screen

The first screen seen on start up is the main screen:
The screen display is split into a four different regions top to bottom.
The first line under the title contains pull-down menus where all commands can be
accessed (including some which are also available elsewhere on the scr een).
The next section down contains buttons to select which graphs are displayed (when
data is available), and to start and stop data collection, with windows on either side
displaying information on the test status.
The main central section is where the graphs are displayed.
The bottom section contains arrow keys to control which part of the data (Site, Time
and Location) is displayed.
The regions and their functions are described in more detail below.
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4.3. Pull-Down Menus

The top line contains the various pull-down menus:
The menus are accessed by clicking with a mouse, or by typing ALT to bring up a
highlight followed by the initial letter (e.g. F for File).
The various pull-down menus available are briefly described below:
4.3.1. File Menu
Typing ALT, F brings down the following menu:
The options available here allow the creation of new data files, the opening of old
files, saving and closing the program. Short-cut keys (if available) are shown next to
the menu option.
4.3.2. Test Menu
Typing ALT, T brings down the following menu:
The Options option brings up the following dialog:
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Set the Comms Port to that being used by the PC serial port. This will usually be
Com1 or Com2 for a 9-pin serial port, but a higher number if a USB to serial adapter
is used. The Baud Rate should be set to 19200 for use with the U20 instrument.
The other options contained here allow control over the experimental set -ups (e.g.
number of channels, sampling rate, graph scalings etc.). The Test Panel option
allows full control over the instrument settings.
4.3.3. Collect Menu
Typing ALT, C brings down the following menu:
The options contained here are used to start or stop scheduled data collection, or
take single sets of readings. These duplicate the functions of buttons in the second
section of the display.
4.3.4. Data Menu
Typing ALT, D brings down the following menu:
These options are used to control the format and display of ACPD data in various
forms. The first option Data Sets brings up the following window listing the data
collected for the currently selected site:
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The next three options select which of the display types are shown in the main part
of the screen (duplicating the functions of buttons in the second sectio n of the
display).
The next two options apply (and remove) normalisation of the data. Normalisation is
usually done at the start of a fatigue test and it adjusts the depth values to those
specified as Start Depths in the test set-up. Typically, there is a known crack depth
at the start of a test (usually zero), but small variations between nominal probe gap
and actual gap give rise to small non-zero values of crack depth. Applying
normalisation makes adjustments to the stored probe gap values to bring the initial
depths to the known values.
The Export this site option allows all data from the current site to be exported to a
Windows Excel spreadsheet file for further manipulation if required.
Finally the last option allows individual data sets to be dele ted.
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4.3.5. Help Menu

Typing ALT, H brings up the Help menu. This has one option About, giving
details of the version number of the software:
4.4. Control Buttons

The next line in the display contains the control buttons used to cont rol the running
of the program and the display areas showing test progress:
The functions of all these buttons are duplicated in the Collect and Data menus
described above.
Start starts a scheduled test and Stop stops it. Take is used to collect data
immediately as a one-off scan on the active Site, or to start taking single readings
from a moveable probe. Normalise adjusts the stored values of probe gaps to force
calculated crack depths to match those specified as the Start Depth values.
The three icons above the buttons are used to toggle on and off the three different
graphs displayed (Crack Depth Profile, Crack Growth Curves and Voltage readings).
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A tick appears over the icon when this graph is displayed. The box underneath
displays graph values (time, depth, channel number, voltage etc.) when the cursor is
placed over any point on the graphs.
The window on the left shows the time of the next scan due during scheduled data
collection, and the most recent voltage readings. The window on the right shows the
unacknowledged Events (including alarms triggered, error messages etc.). Pressing
the Details button brings up a more detailed list of all events, which may be filtered
using the tick boxes at the top, and acknowledged using the buttons a t the bottom:
4.5. Display Area

The main central part of the screen is taken up with a number of displays of data.
The actual displays used can be selected using the Graph buttons described above
from the types described in the following sections.
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4.5.1. Crack Growth Graph
The crack profile graph above is a plot of crack depth versus position. Crack depth is
plotted downwards from the top so that the plot gives the appearance of a slice
through the specimen. The user can choose the vertical scaling (depth represented
by each band, and the number of bands). This is done during the Site Definition
task.
If a maximum crack depth is set up in Alarms, this value appears as a horizontal red
line.
The window above the graph controls the horizontal scaling. Either all the points in a
site are plotted, or all the points in the current data set, or a part of the current set
(the start position of this set can be controlled using the slider bar). Note that this
window is duplicated above the Chart Recorder graph, so that changing settings in
either window affects both graphs.
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4.5.2. Crack Growth Graph
The crack growth graph above plots crack depth versus time (or cycles) for a series
of measurements at one given point on the sample. This point can be changed using
the Next/Previous buttons under the table. The vertical scale matches that chosen
for the Crack Profile plot.
If a maximum crack depth is set up in Alarms, this value appears as a horizontal red
line.
test are plotted, or a subset (controlled using the From-To option or the slider). The
subset can be forced to be the latest scans in a test by ticking the Last button
(useful in test where crack initiation is a large fraction of the total test).
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4.5.3. Chart Recorder Graph
The chart recorder graph shows voltage readings plotted against position. Two
voltage traces are plotted, namely Vc (or Cross crack voltage) in red, and Vr
(Reference voltage) in green. The user can choose the vertical scaling (difference in
voltage between top and bottom of graph) during the Site Definition task.
If maximum and minimum voltages are set up in Alarms, these values appears as
horizontal red lines.
site are plotted, or all the points in the current data set, or a part of the current set
(the start position of this set can be controlled using the slider bar). Note that this
window is duplicated above the Crack Profile graph, so that changing settings in
either window affects both graphs.
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4.6. Data File Page Bar

The area immediately under the display area contains buttons to control the data
being displayed. They become active (i.e. ungreyed) when data has been collected.
The active Site is selected in the left hand window. This is used to control which site
is being displayed (if more than one is defined). It also defines which site will be
normalised when the Normalise option is selected.
The displayed Data Set (for Crack Profile and Voltage plots) is selected in the
middle window. The displayed Point (for Crack Growth plot) is selected in the right
hand window. First, Previous, Next and Last Site, Data Set or Point can be selected
by the arrow buttons under each window.
Pressing Details under each window brings up the related dialog boxes showing
more details of the results. The data displayed on the graphs can also be controlled
using any of these dialog boxes.
Site Details brings up the Site Definition dialog:
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Data Set Details brings up the Data Sets dialog:
Selecting a data set here changes the data plotted in the Crack Profile and Chart
recorder graphs.
Pressing the Edit/View Points button here brings up the Data Set Points dialog
where voltages and depth values can be seen.
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Finally, Measure Point Details brings up the Measure Points Definition dialog:
Selecting a Measure Point here changes the data plotted in the Crack Growth graph.
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5. MULTIPLE FIXED PROBE ACPD

This section describes a typical procedure for crack growth monitoring using fixed
multi-site ACPD. For more information about the theory and practice of the ACPD
technique see TSC's introductory literature.
5.1. Test Set-Up and Wiring
Connect the voltage inputs from the sample (e.g. spot-welded pins) to the 37 way Dconnector(s) on the top panel of the U20 instrument. It is recommended that
separate twisted pairs are used for each voltage input, as used in T SCs multi-way
cable, shown below:
The pin-out for the 37-way D connector is:
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The wiring of the TSC cable is as follows:

Pin No
Colour
Pin No
Colour
Pair / Input No
Brown
20
Black
Brown/Black 1
Red
21
Black
Red/Black 2
Orange
22
Black
Orange/Black 3
Yellow
23
Black
Yellow/Black 4
Green
24
Black
Green/Black 5
Blue
25
Black
Blue/Black 6
Brown
26
Green
Brown/Green 7
Red
27
Green
Red/Green 8
Orange
28
Green
Orange/Green 9
10
Yellow
29
Green
Yellow/Green 10
11
Blue
30
Green
Blue/Green 11
12
Brown
31
Red
Brown/Red 12
13
Orange
32
Red
Orange/Red 13
14
Yellow
33
Red
Yellow/Red 14
15
Blue
34
Red
Blue/Red 15
16
Green
35
White
Green/White 16
17
Black
36
White
Black/White
common mode
18
N/C
37
N/C
19
Screen
If a non-TSC cable is used, the wiring must follow the same scheme (i.e. each
twisted pair is wired to pins 1 and 20, 2 and 21 etc).
The wires connected to pins 17 and 36 are used to remove any common -mode
voltage. These wires should be fixed to the sample near to the ce ntre of the test
area.
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The 16 pairs of wires for the voltage inputs should be soldered onto the pins with the
lower pin number on the same side of the gap, otherwise some voltages will be of
opposite polarity. For example, if inputs 1 and 3 are cross-crack channels, and 2 and
4 are reference channels, the wires should be connected as shown:
Connect the current input lead(s) from the sample to the connectors on the top
panel bulge on the U20. Connect the serial line between the U20 and the computer's
serial output port.
Start up LIMOS to obtain the following screen:
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5.2. Setting Up A Test

If the test settings have been set up before and stored under a Setup File name, this
can be opened to restore those settings (see Section 5.3). If a new test is being
designed, follow the set up procedure described below.
5.2.1. New Test Settings
Select the button New on the screen to bring up the following dialog:
If a previously stored test with similar settings to those required for the new test is
available, these stored settings can be opened and modified as required. Selecting
Yes brings up the following dialog:
Select the required test file name and select Open, then select Channels from the
Test pull-down menu to proceed with the test set-up.
If no suitable previously stored test settings are available, press No to proceed
directly to the Channel definition set-up.
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5.2.2. Channel Definition

Selecting Channels from the Test menu (or pressing No after New) brings up
the following display (note that data will be present in the window if a previously
stored test has been opened):
In this dialog, all the individual inputs from the sample are defined in terms of
position and probe spacing (gap between the contacts).
The channels will be a mixture of Cross crack and Reference inputs, and can be
connected in any order to the U20. However, it is usual to have Cross Crack and
Reference inputs in pairs at the same distance from the datum. In this case, it is
easiest to keep adjacent Cross crack and Reference input pairs as consecutive
Input numbers, and to connect up the pairs (Points) in order of distance from the
datum with a constant increment in distance between Points. To assist the data
entry in this situation, enter this constant increment distance in the Auto Increment
Distance box, and tick the adjacent select box.
Start from the datum point of the sample (usually the first voltage reading from left to
right on the sample). First select which module (between 1 and 4) this input is
connected to from the Module drop down list. Then select which Input of this module
the input is connected to from the Input drop down list.
Then type in the spacing in mm on the sample between the contacts in the Chan
Separation box, and the distance along the sample from the datum in mm in the
Location box. Press Save to store this data it will appear in the window on the
right.
Then, enter all the Cross crack inputs in alternative Inputs (e.g. Module 1, Inputs 1,
3, 5 etc). When all the Cross crack inputs are entered for a given Site, reset the
Location to the start value (usually zero), and enter all the Reference inputs (e.g.
Module 1, Inputs 2, 4, 6 etc).
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The window on the right displays all the entered data in the first 4 colu mns. The final
column shows how many Points each input is assigned to. This will be determined
after the Site Definition procedure in the next section.
If any inputs are later found to be wired up the wrong way round by mistake (i.e. a
negative voltage reading is obtained), this can be corrected here by selecting the
Invert box for that input.
Once the details of all the inputs have been entered and saved, press Close to
close this dialog box and proceed to the sites definition dialog by pressing the S ites
button.
5.2.3. Site Definition
Selecting Sites from the main screen (or following Close in Channel Definition
when setting up a new test), brings up the following dialog box:
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First select the Site ID number. Most fatigue tests will have only one Site, but tests
on large specimens where more than one part is expected to crack, or tests
involving more than one sample, will have more than one Site.
Then enter a short description of the Site in the Description box. More notes
describing the test site can be entered in the Site Notes box if desired. Press the
Save button at the bottom of the window.
Press the Close button (or press the Measure Points button if editing an old test)
to bring up the Measure Point Definition dialog:
Use this dialog to pair up the Crack and Reference channels to form Points at which
crack depth values will be calculated.
Assuming the channels have been set up previously, these will be available from
drop down lists in the Crack and Reference channel boxes:
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Typically, these will be adjacent Inputs at the same distance from datum (e.g. Mod 1
/ 1 above may be a Crack Channel, with Mod 1 / 2 being the associated Reference
Channel). In some cases, however, the same Reference Channel may be used with
more than one Crack Channel.
For each Measure Point, a Start Depth value can be entered if the test is being
carried out on a known pre-existing crack. This allows the software to remove any
small variations in calculated depth due to errors in measurement of Channel
Separation gap etc.
Also, each Point must be assigned to the appropriate Field output, if more than one
is being used.
Following definition of each Point, press Save to store the data. The stored values
appear in the window on the right:
Once all the Points have been set up, press Close to return to the Site Definition
screen.
Now the schedule and other test settings can be set up. On the General tab under
the Site Notes, a Test Frequency can be assigned if required. If the fatigue test is
running at a fixed frequency, tick the Track Test Cycles box and enter this
frequency in the Cycle Test Frequency box. Crack growth curves can then be
plotted against number of cycles instead of time.
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Now select the Schedule tab and define the schedule for data collection. Three
parameters can be defined the test start, the test finish, and the interval between
scans.
The scan interval is selected from the Interval drop-down list (with the shortest
interval being 5 seconds and the longest being 30 days). The first scan is defined in
the Start box to be either as soon as the scheduled test is started, or at a certain
time of day after the test is started.
The last scan is defined as being either after a set number of scans, or at a certain
time of day. Note that the test can also be stopped manually from the front screen,
or when an Alarm is triggered, so for an indefinite test length, set the number of
collections to a high number and stop the test manually when required, or
automatically through an alarm.
To set an alarm, select the Alarm tab:
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Alarm thresholds can be set on a maximum depth value, or on minimum or

maximum input readings (the latter being useful to check for faulty or broken wiring,
or voltage saturation).
When an alarm threshold is broken, the software can be programmed to carry out
any combination of the tickable actions in the Action box. Log Event simply
records the alarm in the log of events on the front screen; Audible Alarm produces
a beep on the PC; Stop Test stops data collection; Flag on USB port (not yet
implemented) will output a pulse on the specified port number (which can be used to
stop a fatigue test machine, for example).
Note that if Enable Alarms is selected, values must be entered for both Ma x
depth and Min and Max voltage readings.
The Instrument tab is used to set up the instrument settings for the particular site.
In order to assist in setting the Gain, the Test Panel button can be used to check
the voltages received by the instrument. This brings up the following panel:
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The black boxes in the bottom right indicate which channels have been configured
for use (matched to the input numbers shown top right).
Before proceeding, the U20 ACPD instrument must be connected and turned on.
Select which Site is being set-up (if more than one is defined) using the control at
bottom left of screen. Select which Field is being used (if more than one is fitted).
Then, after pressing the Check Now button, the software obtains a reading from
each configured channel and displays them as shown:
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The Gain value, and/or field input positions on the sample, should be adjusted to
give reasonably uniform values across all the channels, with values of between
about 200 and 500, depending on the maximum depth value expected during the
test.
For example, if the initial cross crack and reference voltages are both 200, and
probe spacings are 10mm, the maximum cross crack voltage reading obtainable
before saturation (2040) will occur at a crack depth of 46mm. If the maximum depth
will only be 10mm, the initial voltage should be set higher (e.g. 700) to give optimum
sensitivity.
The Phase Angle at which the instruments phase-sensitive rectifier is set can be
adjusted to improve performance on different materials.
The Settle time is a delay to allow the voltage to reach a steady value after each
channel select. This should be set to 100 for the U20 instrument.
Filter Length is the number of times a channel is read, with the displayed voltage
being an average of these readings.
Average is the number of A-to-D samples taken for each reading.
Press Check Now several times and compare successive readings on one
channel. If these vary by more than one digit, try increasing Filter Length and/or
Average to obtain more stable readings. If the readings are already stable, try
reducing Filter Length and/or Average to obtain faster data collection, while
maintaining adequate stability.
Once satisfactory readings are obtained across the whole site, press the appropriate
Save button, and proceed to the next Site (if more than one is defined).
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Finally, the Scales tab is used to set up graph scalings.
The Depth Scale Step sets the size of the gap between lines on the Crack Profile
and Crack Growth plots. This should be set to a small value if only small crack
depths are expected during the test.
The Number of Stripes sets the number of lines on the graph. This can be chosen,
for example, such that Depth Scale Step x Number of Stripes = sample thi ckness (or
maximum crack depth expected during the test.
The Default Chart Recorder Range sets the full-range scale on the Voltage
Reading graph (difference between maximum and minimum).
5.2.4. Save Test Set-Up
Once all the test settings have been completed, save the set up using the Save As
(if creating a new test) or Save (if modifying an existing test) option in the File
menu.
The set-up procedure is now complete and a test can be run.
5.3. Running a Test
5.3.1. Open Test File
If the test set-up has previously been stored, the set-up can be restored by opening
the LIMOS Test file as described below. If no set-up has been saved previously, the
set-up procedure described in Section 5.2 must be followed before running a test.
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To open a stored Test file, enter ALT, F, O to bring up the following OPEN menu:
Select the required test file name and press Open.

It is recommended that the test settings are checked before starting data collection
(as in section 5.2).
5.3.2. Collecting Data
To enable LIMOS to set up the instrument, ensure that the ACPD Crack Microgauge
is connected to the computer via the RS232 port and switched on. If LIMOS tries to
collect data without the instrument being connected and turned on, the follow ing
message appears:
Before starting a scheduled test, it is possible to normalise all data collected, such
that initial depth values will match those selected in the Start Depth box in the
Measure Point Definition dialog (section 5.2.3.). If this is required, press the Take
button to collect a one-off set of data from the required site. Then, if the depth
results are close to those expected, press the Normalise button. Repeat this for
any other Sites defined.
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Note that, if any calculated depth differs from the defined Start Depth value by more
than 1mm, the following warning message will appear:
Check the values obtained and check for broken wires etc. before proceeding.
Once a satisfactory Normalisation has been carried out (if required), the data sets
collected can be deleted, or stored in a separate file.
Note that it is possible to Normalise at any stage during a test, but this should be
done only if crack depths are still close to the defined Start depth values.
Now press the Start button to start the scheduled data collection. The first scan will
be taken either immediately (if option At beginning of Test was selected in the
Schedule), or at the set time selected.
If data has already been stored in the file (e.g. during set-up and normalisation), the
following message appears:
Press Yes to remove and store this data in a new file, with the name <current
filename>.PreTest.pdt, or press No to keep the data in the current file. Note that
old data will be plotted against time of collection on the Crack Growth Graph (or
against zero if using cycle counting).
If a site has not been normalised, the following warning appears:
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Press Yes to continue without normalising, or No to go back and carry out a

normalisation.
If an extra scan is required at any time, pressing the Take button will immediately
initiate a scan of all probes.
Once data is available, the three graph buttons become operational (Crack Profile,
Crack Growth, and Voltage Plot, as described in Section 4). Click on the icons to
toggle each display on and off. When displayed, the icon shows an overlayed tick.
Displays are tiled horizontally across the screen.
In the crack profile plot, the crack depths are plotted against location. The plot is
drawn as if looking face-on to the crack growing into the specimen, so that depth is
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plotted downwards from the top. The site and data set displayed can be changed
using the arrow keys under the display. The chart recorder plot shows the cross
crack and reference voltages associated with the crack profile.
The test progress display in the top left window is updated to show the time of the
last scan on each field and the time of the next scan.
As the test progresses, the crack growth plot is also updated. In this display, the
depth calculated at one particular point on one field is plotted against time (or
number of cycles, if a test frequency was set). In this case, depth is plotted
conventionally upwards, so that as the crack grows, this results in a line or curve
sloping upwards from left to right. The point at which the depth is plotted can be
changed by using the arrow keys under the display.
Once started, the test will continue taking scans of the probes at the requested
intervals until the test is stopped by pressing the Stop button, or until the requested
number of scans (or end of test time) is reached.
Data is automatically saved in the test file, along with the set -up information.
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6. Fixed Single Probe ACPD

Data collection using a fixed single probe is set up in a similar manner to multiple
probe ACPD, but using just the Manual inputs. The main difference is that each scan
results in just a single depth measurement at a fixed point. This is obtained from
successive readings of cross-crack and reference voltages from a 3 or 4 pin probe
connected to inputs Manual Probe1 and Manual Probe2.
6.1. Start Up and Instrument Settings
Connect the Cross-Crack channel to Manual Probe1 and the Reference channel to
Manual Probe2. Connect the current input lead from the sample to the Field
connector on the top panel bulge on the U20. Connect the serial line between the
U20 and the computer's serial output port.

If the test settings have been set up before and stored under a Test File name, this
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Select the required test file name and select Open, then press Channels on the
main display to proceed with the test set-up.
If no suitable previously stored test settings are available, press No to proceed to
the Channel definition set-up.
Selecting Channels from the main screen (or pressing No after New) brings up
the following display (but note that data will be present in the window if a previously
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First select Manual in the Module drop-down list. Then select Probe 1 in the
Input drop-down list. Enter the cross crack probe spacing in the Chan Separation
box. Press Save to store these settings. Then, select Probe 2 in the Input drop down list, enter the reference probe spacing and press Save:
The window on the right displays all the entered data in the first 4 columns. The final
Once the details of the inputs have been entered press Close to close this dialog
box and proceed to the sites definition dialog automatically (or select Sites from the
Test menu).
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Selecting Sites from the test menu (or following Close in Channel Definition when
setting up a new test), brings up the following dialog box:
Enter a short description of the Site in the Description box. More notes describing
the test site can be entered in the Site Notes box if desired. Press the Save
button at the bottom of the window.
Press the Close button (or press the Measure Points button if editing an old test)
to bring up the Measure Point Definition dialog:
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Use this dialog to assign the Crack and Reference channels to form a Point at which
drop down lists in the Crack and Reference channel boxes.
Select Manual Probe 1 for the Crack Channel and Manual Probe 2 for the
Reference Channel.
A Start Depth value can be entered if the test is being carried out on a known pre existing crack. This allows the software to remove any small variations in calculated
depth due to errors in measurement of Channel Separation gap etc.
Press Save to store the data. The stored values appear in the window on the right:
Press Close to return to the Site Definition screen.

Now the schedule and other test settings can be set up. On the General tab under
the Site Notes, a Test Frequency can be assigned if required. If the fatigue test is
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running at a fixed frequency, tick the Track Test Cycles box and enter this
frequency in the Cycle Test Frequency box. Crack growth curves can then be
plotted against number of cycles instead of time.
Now select the Schedule tab and define the schedule for data collection. Three
parameters can be defined the test start, the test finish, and the interval between
scans.
The scan interval is selected from the Interval drop-down list. The first scan is
defined in the Start box to be either as soon as the test is started, or at a certain
time of day after the test is started.
The last scan is defined as being either after a set number of scans, or at a certain
time of day. Note that the test can also be stopped manually from the front screen,
or when an Alarm is triggered, so for an indefinite test length, set the number of
collections to a high number and stop the test manually when required, or
automatically through an alarm.
To set an alarm, select the Alarm tab:
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maximum input readings (the latter being useful to check for faulty or broken wiring).
a beep on the PC; Stop Test stops data collection; Flag on USB port (not
implemented yet) will output a pulse on the specified port number (which can be
used to stop a fatigue test machine, for example).
Note that if Enable Alarms is selected, values must be entered for both Max
The Instrument tab is used to set up the instrument settings for the particular site.
the voltages received by the instrument. This brings up the following panel:
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The black boxes in the bottom right indicate which channels have been configured
for use
The instrument settings can then be adjusted in the top left panel. Then, after
pressing the Check Now button, the software obtains a one-off reading from each
configured channel and displays them. Alternatively, pressing the Start Continuous
button displays continuous updates of the readings (press Stop Continuous t o stop
data collection):
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The Gain value, and/or field input connection positions on the sample, should be
adjusted to give reasonably uniform values across all the channels, with values of
between about 200 and 500, depending on the maximum depth value expected
during the test.
For example, if the initial cross crack and reference voltages are both 200, and
probe spacings are 10mm, the maximum cross crack voltage reading obtainable
before saturation (2040) will occur at a crack depth of 46mm. If the maximum depth
will only be 10mm, the initial voltage can and should be set higher (e.g. 700) to give
optimum sensitivity.
Filter Length is the number of times a channel is read, with the displayed voltage
Press Check Now several times and compare successive readings on one
channel. If these vary by more than one digit, try increasing Filter Length and/or
Average to obtain more stable readings. If the readings are already stable, try
reducing Filter Length and/or Average to obtain faster data collection, while
maintaining adequate stability.
Once satisfactory readings are obtained, press the appropriate Save but ton.
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for example, such that Depth Scale Step x Number of Stripes = sample thickness (or
Reading graph.
menu.
6.3. Running a Test
6.3.1. Open Test File
the LIMOS Test file as described below. If no set-up has been saved previously, the
set-up procedure described in Section 6.2 must be followed before running a test.
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To open a stored Test file, enter ALT, F, O to bring up the following OPEN menu:

collect data without the instrument being connected and turned on, the following
message appears:
Before starting a scheduled test, it is possible to normalise all data collected, such
that the initial depth value will match that selected in the Start Depth box in the
Measure Point Definition dialog (section 6.2.3.). If this is required, press the Take
button to collect a one-off set of data. Then, if the depth result is close to that
expected, press the Normalise button.
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Note that, if the calculated depth differs from the defined Start Depth value by more
than 1mm, the following warning message will appear:
Check the values obtained and check for broken wires etc. before proceeding.
Once a satisfactory Normalisation has been carried out (if required), the data sets
collected can be deleted.
Note that it is possible to Normalise at any stage during a test, but this should be
done only if crack depth is still close to the defined Start depth value .
Now press the Start button to start the scheduled data collection. The first scan will
be taken either immediately (if option At beginning of Test was selected in the
Schedule), or at the set time selected.
If an extra scan is required at any time, pressing the Take button will immediately
initiate a scan of all probes.
Crack Growth, and Voltage Plot, as described in Section 4).
In the crack profile plot, the crack depth is plotted as a single point, with increasing
depth plotted downwards from the top. The scan displayed can be changed using
the arrow keys under the display.
The test progress display is updated to show the time of the last scan and the next
scan.
As the test progresses, the crack growth plot is also updated. In this display, the
depth calculated is plotted against time (or number of cycles, if a test frequency was
set). In this case, depth is plotted conventionally upwards, so that as the crack
grows, this results in a line or curve sloping upwards from left to right.
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Once started, the test will continue taking scans of the probes at the requested
intervals until the test is stopped by pressing the Stop button, or until the requested
number of scans (or end of test time) is reached.
Data is automatically saved in the test file, along with the set -up information.
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7. Moveable Single Probe ACPD

Data collection using a single probe, is set up in a similar manner to fixed single
probe ACPD. The main differences are that depths can be measured at several
locations along a crack, but that all data collection has to manually triggered. Data is
obtained from successive placements of either a two-pin probe connected to input
Manual Probe1 (which has to be moved between taking cross-crack and reference
voltages), or from readings from a 3 or 4 pin probe connected to both inputs Manual
Probe1 and Manual Probe2 (which is not moved between cross -crack and reference
voltage readings).
7.1. Start Up and Instrument Settings
If using a 2-pin probe, connect this to the Manual Probe1 connector on the top panel
of the U20 instrument. If using a 3 or 4-pin probe, connect the Cross-Crack channel
to Manual Probe1 and the Reference channel to Manual Probe2. Con nect the
current input lead from the sample to the Field connector on the top panel bulge on
the U20. Connect the serial line between the U20 and the computer's serial output
port.
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If the test settings have been set up before and stored under a Test File name, this
Select the required test file name and select Open, then press Channels on the
main display to proceed with the test set-up.
If no suitable previously stored test settings are available, press No to proceed to
the Channel definition set-up.
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Selecting Channels from the main screen (or pressing No after New) brings up
the following display (but note that data will be present in the window if a previously
First select Manual in the Module drop-down list. Then select Probe 1 in the
Input drop-down list. Enter the probe spacing in the Chan Separation box.
Press Save to store these settings as shown:
If using a twin output (3 or 4 pin) probe, select Probe 2 in the Input drop-down list.
Enter the reference probe spacing, and press Save:
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The window on the right displays all the entered data in the first 4 columns. The final
Once the details of all the inputs have been entered and saved, press Close to
close this dialog box and proceed to the sites definition dialog by pressing the Sites
button.
Selecting Sites from the main screen (or following Close in Channel Definition
when setting up a new test), brings up the following dialog box:
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Enter a short description of the Site in the Description box. More notes d escribing
the test site can be entered in the Site Notes box if desired. Press Save to store
this information and Close to proceed to the Measure Point Definition dialog
(Press the Measure Points button if editing a previous test):
Use this dialog to pair up the Crack and Reference channels to form a Point at which
If the channels have not all been set up previously, select the Channels Define/Edit
button to do this now.
drop down lists in the Crack and Reference channel boxes.
If using a 2-pin probe, select Manual Probe 1 for both Crack and Reference
Channels. If using a 3 or 4-pin probe, select Manual Probe 1 for the Crack
Channel and Manual Probe 2 for the Reference Channel.
If using the same manual probe input for both channels (i.e. a 2 -pin probe), the
Moveable Deployment box will be ticked automatically and greyed out. If using
both manual probe inputs (i.e. a 3 or 4-pin probe) enter a tick in this box for
moveable deployment.
Press Save to store the data. The stored values appear in the window on the right:
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Press Close to return to the Site Definition screen.

Note that the Schedule tab will now be greyed out.
To set an alarm (if required), select the Alarm tab:

maximum input readings (the latter being useful to check for faulty or broken wiring).
a beep on the PC; Stop Test stops data collection; Flag on USB port (not yet
implemented) will output a pulse on the specified port number (which can be used to
stop a fatigue test machine, for example).
Note that if Enable Alarms is selected, values must be entered for both Max
Select the Instrument tab to set up the instrument settings.
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the voltages received by the instrument. This brings up the following pane l (for a 2pin probe):
The black box in the bottom right indicate which channel(s) has been configured for
use.
The instrument settings can then be adjusted in the top left panel . Then, after
pressing the Check Now button, the software obtains a one-off reading from the
configured channel(s) and displays them as shown. Alternatively, pressing the Start
Continuous button displays continuous updates of the reading (press Stop
Continuous to stop data collection):
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The Gain value, and/or field input connection positions on the sample, should be
adjusted to give reasonably large values across the crack without saturation.
Place the probe over the deepest part of the crack (move the probe along the crack
to find this). Adjust the gain to give the highest reading possible without saturation
(i.e. less than 2000).
Filter Length is the number of times a channel is read, with the displayed voltag e
Press Check Now several times and compare successive readings. If these vary by
more than one digit, try increasing Filter Length and/or Average to obtain more
stable readings. If the readings are already stable, try reducing Filter Length
and/or Average to obtain faster data collection, while maintaining adequate
stability.
Once satisfactory readings are obtained, press the appropriate Save button.
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for example, such that Depth Scale Step x Number of Stripes = sample thickness (or
Reading graph.
menu.
7.3. Running a Test
7.3.1. Open Setup File
the LIMOS Setup file as described below. If no Setup file has been saved previously,
the set-up procedure described in Section 5.2 must be followed before running a
test.
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To open a stored Setup file, enter ALT, F, O to bring up the following OPEN menu:

collect data without the instrument being connected and turned on, a warning
message Com1! appears in place of the voltage values:
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Once set up, data is collected by pressing the Take Reading button to bring up the
following live display:
If you are going to take a series of readings along a crack, enter the location of the
first reading in the Distance from datum box, then press Save. A short note can
be entered at the same time, if desired.
If it is planned to take readings at regular intervals along the crack, enter this interval
in the Auto Increment Distance by box, and tick the adjacent tick box.
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Place the probe on the crack such that the Cross Crack pins straddle the crack.
Watch the reading in the Crack window. When this reaches a stable value, press
the Take Reading button, or type ALT-T to capture the Cross Crack value. Now
watch the reading in the Reference window. When this reaches a stable value,
press the Take a Reading button, or type ALT-T to capture the Reference value. A
crack depth value will now be calculated and displayed in the window on the left.
Continue taking readings as required along the crack.

If the field connection is not in good contact with the s ample, the warning text Field!
appears in the data window. In this case, check the field connections and retake the
data.
If a probe is not in good contact with the sample, the voltage value will appear in red.
In this case, it is recommended that the data point is discarded and retaken.
Crack Growth, and Voltage Plot, as described in Section 4).
In the crack profile plot, the crack depth is plotted against location, with i ncreasing
depth plotted downwards from the top. The scan displayed can be changed using
the arrow keys under the display.
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If the cross-crack and reference readings are taken in the wrong order by mistake,
such that a significant negative depth is obtained (< -0.5mm), the software
automatically switches the voltages in the depth calculation to give a positive depth.
In this case, the depth value is highlighted in colour in the table of data:
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If scans are added at a later time, the crack growth plot can be used. In this display,
the maximum depth calculated anywhere during each scan is plotted against time. In
this case, depth is plotted conventionally upwards, so that as the crack grows, this
results in a line or curve sloping upwards from left to right.
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__________________________________________

LIMOS USER MANUAL

Technical Software Consultants Ltd.

2008. Technical Software Consultants Ltd.

Document Revision Approval Sheet

6 Mill Square, Featherstone Road, Wolverton Mill,

LIMOS USER MANUAL

Issued Document Revisions

6.3.2. Collecting Data .................................................................................. 44

LIMOS Vn 1.0 User Manual

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LIMOS Vn 1.0 User Manual

New ACPD manual.doc

LIMOS Vn 1.0 User Manual

New ACPD manual.doc

LIMOS Vn 1.0 User Manual

A group of 16 inputs. The standard U20 instrument supports up to 4

An input into the U20 (designated by module number and input

A pair of channels (one Crack and one Reference) used to calculate a

New ACPD manual.doc

LIMOS Vn 1.0 User Manual

4.2. Start-Up Screen

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LIMOS Vn 1.0 User Manual

4.3. Pull-Down Menus

The Options option brings up the following dialog:

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LIMOS Vn 1.0 User Manual

New ACPD manual.doc

LIMOS Vn 1.0 User Manual

New ACPD manual.doc

LIMOS Vn 1.0 User Manual

4.3.5. Help Menu

4.4. Control Buttons

LIMOS Vn 1.0 User Manual

4.5. Display Area

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LIMOS Vn 1.0 User Manual

4.5.1. Crack Growth Graph

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LIMOS Vn 1.0 User Manual

4.5.2. Crack Growth Graph

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LIMOS Vn 1.0 User Manual

4.5.3. Chart Recorder Graph

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LIMOS Vn 1.0 User Manual

4.6. Data File Page Bar

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LIMOS Vn 1.0 User Manual

Data Set Details brings up the Data Sets dialog:

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LIMOS Vn 1.0 User Manual

New ACPD manual.doc

LIMOS Vn 1.0 User Manual

5. MULTIPLE FIXED PROBE ACPD

The pin-out for the 37-way D connector is:

New ACPD manual.doc

LIMOS Vn 1.0 User Manual

The wiring of the TSC cable is as follows:

New ACPD manual.doc

LIMOS Vn 1.0 User Manual

New ACPD manual.doc

LIMOS Vn 1.0 User Manual