Instrumentation System Research Articles

Experience with the utilization of new-generation shared-control robotic system for spinal instrumentation.

Robotic assistance in spine surgery is emerging as an accurate, effective and enabling technology utilized in the treatment of patients with surgical spinal pathology. The safety and reproducibility of robotic assistance in the placement of pedicle screw instrumentation is still being investigated. The objective of this study was to present our experience of instrumented spinal fusion utilizing an intraoperative robotic guidance system. We retrospectively reviewed all cases of spinal instrumentation of the thoracic and lumbo-sacral spine using the Mazor X robotic system (Medtronic Inc, Minneapolis, MN, USA), performed at our institution by one surgeon between July 2017 and June 2020. Wilcoxon Rank test was used to compare time taken to place each screw during the first 20 cases and the cases thereafter. A total of 28 patients were included. A total of 159 screws were placed using the Mazor X robotic system. The overall mean time for screw placement was 7.8±2.3 minutes and there was a significant reduction in the mean time for screw placement after the 20th case or 120 screws (8.70 vs. 5.42 min, P=0.008). No postoperative neurologic deficit or new radiculopathy was noted to occur secondary to hardware placement. No revision surgery was required for replacement or removal of a mispositioned screw. From this single-center, single-surgeon series we conclude that robot-assisted spine surgery can be safely and efficiently integrated into the operating room workflow, which improves after a learning curve of approximately 20 operative interventions. We found robot-assisted spinal instrumentation to be reliable, safe, effective and highly precise.

Development and evaluation of a 2oo3 safety controller in FPGA using fault tree analysis and Markov models

The Safety integrity level (SIL) is a measure of the reliability and availability of a safety instrumented system. SIL determination involves qualitative and quantitative analysis based on international standards such as IEC 61508 and IEC 61511. Several techniques can be used to analyze safety instrumented systems, including reliability block diagrams, fault tree analysis, and Markov models. The aim of this paper is to design and evaluate a pressure control system for a compressed nitrogen tank using a PID controller implemented in a field programmable gate array with 2 out of 3 architecture. This architecture ensures the safety of measurements and command of the system through a voting arrangement. The availability of the system is determined by the redundancy and the one hardware failure tolerance. The quantitative analysis is performed by calculating the probability of failure on demand per hour using Markov models or a relevant probabilistic approach based on fault tree analysis. The Markov model method gives the probability of failure of the system in different states during the system life cycle. The fault tree analysis method determines the probability of failure of the system using its equivalent failure rate. Furthermore, this paper compares the SIL result obtained by each model.

A Comparison of Post-Operative Patient Reported Outcome Measurements Following Bunion Surgery: Modified Lapidus vs Minimally Invasive Techniques

Introduction/Purpose: The modified Lapidus procedure (MLP) or a minimally invasive surgery distal transverse osteotomy (MISDTO) are acceptable surgical treatment options for hallux valgus. The current literature is evolving when comparing the effects of each procedure on patient reported outcomes and post-operative complications. The purpose of this study is to compare postoperative outcomes, time to weight bear, and patient reported outcomes using the Patient Reported Outcome Instrumentation System (PROMIS) for the MLP and MISDTO. Methods: This study retrospectively reviewed patients who underwent a MLP or MISDTO for hallux valgus correction at Prisma Health Midlands between February 2020 – February 2022. Data collected included: demographic data, postoperative outcomes, time to weight bear, and PROMIS scores, including Pain Interference (PI), Physical Function (PF), and Mobility scores. Paired Student’s T-Test and Wilcoxon Rank Sum test were used to compare continuous variables and Chi-Squared test for categorical variables. Results: A total of 81 patients undergoing MLP and 78 undergoing MISDTO were included in the study. Average follow-up for MLP and MISDTO patients was 53.7 and 43.4 weeks, respectively. MLP demonstrated significant improvement in PI (52.5 vs 56.8, P< 0.001) and Mobility (46.3 vs 43.4, P=0.044) scores, while MISDTO demonstrated a significant improvement in PI (48.8 vs 57.1, P< 0.001), PF (50.2 vs 44.9, P< 0.001), and Mobility (49 vs 42.8, P< 0.001) scores. MISDTO patients had significantly larger improvements in PI (7.6 vs 4.5, P=0.008), PF (5.3 vs 2.2, P=0.026), and Mobility (5.5 vs 2.9, P=0.02) compared to MLP patients. MISDTO patients had a significantly lower non-union rate (13.6% vs 2.6%, P=0.025), hardware failure rate (0% vs 9.9%, P=0.007), and time to weight-bear (2.2 vs 7.8 weeks, P< 0.001). Conclusion: Both MLP and MISDTO procedures are effective treatments for improving the pain and mobility issues associated with hallux valgus while maintaining patients’ function. MISDTO was found to improve patient reported outcomes significantly more than MLP, with a lower non-union rate, lower hardware failure rate, and shorter time to weight-bear. These findings suggest MISDTO is superior to MLP in improving patient reported outcomes and postoperative outcomes in the treatment of hallux valgus. Further study multicenter and long term outcome studies could be useful further evaluate these short term findings.

PECULIARITIES OF THE APPLICATION OF FINANCIAL DIPLOMACY SANCTION TOOLS BY STATES

The article is devoted to a comprehensive study of the modern practice by states of the sanctions toolkit of financial diplomacy and an assessment of its political and economic effectiveness. The role of economic sanctions in the system of financial instruments of diplomatic activity of states and their achievement of strategic goals related to accelerating macroeconomic growth and improving the material well-being of the population are defined. Considerable attention is paid to identifying the functional purpose of economic sanctions and revealing their place in the modern regulatory toolkit of international organizations, regional integration groups, and national governments. It has been proven that economic sanctions have been actively implemented in recent decades as one of the means of political pressure on those states that violate the system of international order and threaten the national interests of a significant number of sovereign states. Economic sanctions are also qualified as an important mechanism for states to achieve a number of political and economic goals, de-escalation of global and regional conflicts, as well as deterring countries from aggressive behavior in the international arena. It was found that recent years have been characterized by a significant increase in the attention of researchers to the issue of increasing the effectiveness of the sanctions tools of financial diplomacy used by states.

Noncontact estimation of the onset of ice accretion in turbofan stators

AbstractThe problem of crystal ice formation inside aircraft turbine engines is well‐documented, and poses a significant risk to safety. The problem is not only one of power loss in flight, but the very real possibility that a flame‐out event could occur due to ice accretion on compressor stators, with potentially catastrophic outcomes. Although many instrumentation systems have been developed for wing ice detection, incipient formation of crystal ice is somewhat more difficult to detect. This is compounded by the need for a noncontact sensor which is robust to in‐flight conditions. This paper proposes an approach to the detection of ice formation based on microwave transmission characteristics across the first and possibly the second stage of the compressor stator. It is shown that noncontact detection is feasible under realistic conditions. The contribution of this paper is twofold. First, the microwave transmission approach is motivated using wind tunnel measurements, and appropriate frequency bands are determined. Next, a signal processing approach involving higher‐order analysis of time‐frequency distribution characteristics is then put forward. Experimental results are presented to support the hypothesis that multiband detection offers a workable approach to the incipient crystal‐ice detection problem.

Choroidal Thickness in Healthy Eyes Measured by Widefield Optical Coherence Tomography

Plain Language SummaryThe choroid is the vascular tissue between the retina and the sclera, with one of the most important functions being the nourishment of the external retinal layer. It is affected in ocular diseases and may be visualized using optical coherence tomography (OCT) technology. In this study, a new OCT instrument provided by Canon Corp, Tokyo, Japan was used that permitted a wider, up to 23 mm, field of view. The aim of the present research article was to analyze by measuring both manual and automatic, using a built-in software of the OCT, the thickness of the choroid up to the periphery in healthy eyes. The variation of the choroid with age, the thickest sector, and the validity of the automatic compared with the manual measurements were studied. Choroidal thickness (CT) decreases with age, the most significant variation occurring at 40 years of age. We found that the subfoveolar region is not always the thickest; in our sample, the superior sector was thickest in 62% of the eyes. The automatic and manual measurements were similar, therefore, the automatic system of the new OCT instrument may be valid.

DEVELOPMENT OF A PROCESS AUTOMATION SYSTEM FOR HEATING, VENTILATION AND AIR CONDITIONING FOR THE FOOD INDUSTRY ON THE BASIS OF HONEYWELL EQUIPMENT

Currently, the development of industrial automation makes it possible to implement high-precision control systems that consider the dynamic properties of complex objects. The construction of distributed control systems based on modern software products provides decentralized management of technological processes. The modernization of existing control systems with the help of modern industrial equipment makes it possible to increase the productivity of enterprises and safety at work. This study is devoted to the development of an automated control system for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning processes for the food industry. In this study, a heat exchanger was selected as the control object. A mathematical model of the control object for stability, controllability, and observability was investigated. A PID regulator was synthesized, and its coefficients of the PID regulator were obtained. A comparative analysis of the behavior of the system dynamics at different regulator coefficients was carried out. The results of the modeling and experiments were carried out using real industrial equipment at the Honeywell laboratory at JSC KBTU. Software implementation was carried out using the Experion PKS distributed control system. The configuration of the C300 controller is presented. A Safety Instrumented System (SIS) was developed for the safe and trouble-free operation of the system. SIS was also developed using the Safety Manager and Safety Controller tools. Risk reduction factors (RRF) and Safety Integrity Level (SIL) were calculated and analyzed. A process-controlled mnemonic was developed.

To Evaluate Different Endodontic Instrumentation Systems Regarding Post-Operative Pain After Endodontic Therapy: A Clinical Study.

Despite substantial breakthroughs in instrumentation systems and pharmaceutical interventions, pain following endodontic therapy remains a serious concern. The effect of the type of endodontic instrumentation system in post-operative pain after endodontic therapy has been a matter of debate. To evaluate different endodontic instrumentation systems, namely Reciproc (GmbH, Munich), OneShape® (MicroMega, France), Protaper Gold (Dentsply Sirona, USA), and Hyflex® EDM (Coltène/Whaledent Inc., USA) file systems, regarding post-operative pain after endodontic therapy Methods and materials: The endodontic department treated healthy patients aged 20 to 50 years who were experiencing symptoms of irreparable pulpitis in one or more maxillary molars or mandibular molars. Five hundred was the determined size of the sample. The study participants were divided into five categories, each comprising 100 participants. These categories were: Category 1: Reciproc instrumentation system. Category 2: OneShape® instrumentation system. Category 3: ProtaperGold instrumentation system. Category 4: HyFlex® EDM instrumentation system. Category 5: Control (stainless steel K-files). Following endodontic therapy, these scores were recorded at 6 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours, and 72 hours using the VAS scale. The visual analog scale (VAS) score (mean±SD) in the control group was 0.73± 0.40 (<0.001). The VAS score in the Reciproc group was 0.43± 0.05 (<0.001). The VAS score in the OneShape® group was 0.36±0.09 (<0.001). The VAS score in the Protaper Gold group was 0.41 ±0.08 (<0.001). The VAS score in the HyFlex® EDM group was 0.55 ±0.02 (<0.001). The VAS score in all instrumentation techniques at 72 hours follow-up was lesser in comparison to a control group with meaningful statistical significance (<0.001). However, the post-operative pain among the Reciproc, OneShape®, Protaper Gold, and HyFlex® EDM instrumentation systems was not different clinically when compared among themselves. However, VAS values were greater in OneShape® and HyFlex® EDM compared to Reciproc and Protaper Gold, showing increased post-operative pain in OneShape and HyFlex® EDM compared to Reciproc and Protaper Gold. It was also observed that there was a decline in the VAS score in all instrumentation systems as the follow-up period increased from 6 hours to 72 hours, with maximum post-operative pain at 6 hours of follow-up and minimum post-operative pain at 72 hours of follow-up. However, the decline was lesser in OneShape® and HyFlex® EDM in comparison to Reciproc and Protaper Gold, with increased post-operative pain in OneShape® and HyFlex® EDM in comparison to Reciproc and Protaper Gold. Post-operative pain at all follow-ups of endodontic procedures was less in Reciproc, OneShape®, Protaper Gold, and HyFlex® EDM than in the control group. VAS scores were higher in the OneShape® and HyFlex® EDM groups compared to the Reciproc and Protaper Gold groups, indicating increased post-operative pain with OneShape® and HyFlex® EDM instruments in comparison to Reciproc and Protaper Gold.

SENSITIVITY AND SPECIFICITY OF A NEW TOOL FOR EARLY DETECTION OF RISK FACTORS FOR NON COMMUNICABLE DISEASES IN URBAN WORKERS

Introduction: Non communicable diseases (NCDs) have an impact on health, economy, and quality of life, and can reduce worker productivity. Approximately 41 million people die from NCDs every year, accounting for 74% of deaths worldwide. The Deteksi Dini Faktor Risiko Gizi dan Kesehatan (DDR-GizKes) is instrument designed for the early detection of nutritional and health risk factors related to NCDs that affect the productivity of urban workers . A screening test is essential part of this newly developed tool. Aims: This study aims to test the sensitivity and specificity of the DDR-GizKes instrument for detecting NCDs in urban workers. Methods: This study used a descriptive observational design with a cross-sectional approach. The population consisted of 227 teachers and staff in high schools in Yogyakarta who were selected using a cluster random sampling technique. Hypertension was used as the gold standard for the screening test. Results: The nutritional risk factor test had a sensitivity of 15.8% and a specificity of 94.2%. The positive predictive value (PPV) for the nutritional risk factor was 16.7% and the negative predictive value (NPV) was 93.8%. Meanwhile, the health risk factor test had a sensitivity of 15.8% and a specificity of 86.4%. The PPV for the health risk factor was 7.89% and the NPV was 93.3%. Conclusion: The DDR-GizKes instrument had low sensitivity but high specificity. Further research is necessary to establish the scoring system of the DDR-GizKes instrument in populations with a high prevalence of NCDs using a larger sample size.

Verification and validation optimization method for signal quality bits in digital control system application software of nuclear power plant

Abstract The digitalization enhances nuclear power plant (NPP) instrumentation and control (I&amp;C) system performance, while simultaneously introducing safety and reliability challenges. To enhance the stability of distributed control system (DCS), and minimize the dangerous failure rate and safe failure rate of safety system, signal quality bits (SQBs) are widely used in NPP DCS to identify the validity of important signals. However, in the past decade or so, numerous unscheduled turbine shutdowns and/or reactor trips have resulted from incorrect SQB design or settings. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct optimization research on the design methods and setting principles of SQBs, establish an optimization method for DCS application software SQB verification and validation (V&amp;V), then minimize DCS faults attributed to SQB. With the aim, this work conducts an in-depth investigation and analysis of the definition, design, setting and transmission of SQB in NPP. A specific optimization method for software V&amp;V to conduct SQB on NPP safety DCS application software is proposed. Twelve concerns in the SQB V&amp;V work are detailed. The reactor trip system ΔT protection logic is utilized as a case to illustrate the detail implementation process of this optimization method. This work provides an engineering technical reference and operational guidance for SQB software V&amp;V, conducive to ensuring the safe and economical operation of NPPs.

Digitalization of Pulse Signal Processing for Ex-Core Instrumentation System in Nuclear Power Plants

Nuclear power plants (NPPs) are globally important sources of clean energy. However, high operation and maintenance (O&amp;M) costs are one of the factors hindering the development of NPPs. In this study, we focused on the development of a digital algorithm for ex-core instrumentation systems (EISs) to reduce O&amp;M costs, given that the digitalization of EISs is not progressing compared with other instrumentation and control systems in NPPs. Specifically, we developed a digital algorithm for pulse signal processing in EISs, which traditionally require a significant amount of hardware and maintenance efforts. Our purposes were to simplify the configuration and reduce the O&amp;M costs associated with pulse signal processing. To validate the algorithm, we used a detector emulator and a research reactor. Additionally, we explored a new approach to reduce the workload associated with a discrimination characteristics test (DCT) in EISs. The results of this study demonstrated that the proposed algorithm is effective in achieving good linearity within ±5% of the span and response performance with a delay time of 5 ms, which are required for EISs. Furthermore, the proposed method for the DCT shows promising results in reducing the time required for the test compared with conventional methods.

Back to basics

Modern day practitioners are spoilt for options when it comes to instrumentation, practice gadgets and IT systems. For practitioners past, the approach was somewhat more basic. John Dixon Salt describes the challenges and resourcefulness of early 20th century practitioners

Passive Biotelemetric Detection of Tibial Debonding in Wireless Battery-Free Smart Knee Implants.

Aseptic loosening is the dominant failure mechanism in contemporary knee replacement surgery, but diagnostic techniques are poorly sensitive to the early stages of loosening and poorly specific in delineating aseptic cases from infections. Smart implants have been proposed as a solution, but incorporating components for sensing, powering, processing, and communication increases device cost, size, and risk; hence, minimising onboard instrumentation is desirable. In this study, two wireless, battery-free smart implants were developed that used passive biotelemetry to measure fixation at the implant-cement interface of the tibial components. The sensing system comprised of a piezoelectric transducer and coil, with the transducer affixed to the superior surface of the tibial trays of both partial (PKR) and total knee replacement (TKR) systems. Fixation was measured via pulse-echo responses elicited via a three-coil inductive link. The instrumented systems could detect loss of fixation when the implants were partially debonded (+7.1% PKA, +32.6% TKA, both p < 0.001) and fully debonded in situ (+6.3% PKA, +32.5% TKA, both p < 0.001). Measurements were robust to variations in positioning of the external reader, soft tissue, and the femoral component. With low cost and small form factor, the smart implant concept could be adopted for clinical use, particularly for generating an understanding of uncertain aseptic loosening mechanisms.

Experimental and numerical approach to assess the dynamic performance of an inductive ignition system

This paper envisages studying the features of a conventional inductive ignition system along with its MOSFET and IGBT-based transistorized modifications. The influence of mechanical contact breaker dynamics and ignition coil characteristics on the current and voltage waveforms of the primary and secondary circuits of these studied ignition systems are mathematically and experimentally exposed. The investigation is considered necessary prior to attempting subsequent modeling and diagnostics procedures on the current-voltage performance characteristics of conventional and transistorized ignition systems. The work has demanded the development of an experimental setup based on a basic modifiable ignition system mockup and an instrumentation system to measure and analyze the voltage-current parameters of inductive ignition systems. The paper describes the design details of such instrumentation system, presents mechanical and electrical models for contact breaker and ignition circuits, then simulated to obtain base free-run response waveforms and electrical continuity behavior of the contact. A test of frequency response of the ignition coil provided additional input to the model. An experimental test of continuity of the contact, in agreement with its model, shed light on the actual excitation of the primary coil. The work comments on a sample of the registered current and voltage waveforms in primary and secondary coil windings of the ignition system at atmospheric conditions. Comparisons of waveforms and energy for mechanical contact, MOSFET and IGBT switches are made to establish them as a reference for future tests.

Reliability and Performance Evaluation of Safety-Critical Instrumentation and Control Systems of Nuclear Power Plant

Instrumentation and control systems are nervous systems of nuclear power plant (NPP). These systems interact with several safety-critical components of the NPP, such as actuators, transformers, control valves, sensors, circuit breakers, signal processing units, controllers, and heat exchangers. Therefore, the failure of these systems could result in significant financial loss, harm to human resources, or environmental damage. As a result, these systems need to be highly reliable and accurate. In this article, we suggest a framework, based on the batch deterministic and stochastic Petri nets (BDSPNs) to measure the reliability and performance of safety-critical system. The framework consists of three phases. In the first phase, the system is modeled using the BDSPN to derive the transition rate among the system states. In phase 2, the transition rate matrix is utilized to compute the steady-state probability values, which help to evaluate the response time of the system using Little's law. The third phase uses a transition probability matrix to assess the reliability of the system. The technique is illustrated on shutdown system of NPP and is validated on the operational profile data. The obtained accuracy of 99.9905% in measurement of reliability validates the approach.

Adolescents flexibly adapt action selection based on controllability inferences.

From early in life, we encounter both controllable environments, in which our actions can causally influence the reward outcomes we experience, and uncontrollable environments, in which they cannot. Environmental controllability is theoretically proposed to organize our behavior. In controllable contexts, we can learn to proactively select instrumental actions that bring about desired outcomes. In uncontrollable environments, Pavlovian learning enables hard-wired, reflexive reactions to anticipated, motivationally salient events, providing "default" behavioral responses. Previous studies characterizing the balance between Pavlovian and instrumental learning systems across development have yielded divergent findings, with some studies observing heightened expression of Pavlovian learning during adolescence and others observing a reduced influence of Pavlovian learning during this developmental stage. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether a theoretical model of controllability-dependent arbitration between learning systems might explain these seemingly divergent findings in the developmental literature, with the specific hypothesis that adolescents' action selection might be particularly sensitive to environmental controllability. To test this hypothesis, 90 participants, aged 8-27, performed a probabilistic-learning task that enables estimation of Pavlovian influence on instrumental learning, across both controllable and uncontrollable conditions. We fit participants' data with a reinforcement-learning model in which controllability inferences adaptively modulate the dominance of Pavlovian versus instrumental control. Relative to children and adults, adolescents exhibited greater flexibility in calibrating the expression of Pavlovian bias to the degree of environmental controllability. These findings suggest that sensitivity to environmental reward statistics that organize motivated behavior may be heightened during adolescence.

Implementation of a laser-neutron pump-probe capability for inelastic neutron scattering.

Knowledge about nonequilibrium dynamics in spin systems is of great importance to both fundamental science and technological applications. Inelastic neutron scattering (INS) is an indispensable tool to study spin excitations in complex magnetic materials. However, conventional INS spectrometers currently only perform steady-state measurements and probe averaged properties over many collision events between spin excitations in thermodynamic equilibrium, while the exact picture of re-equilibration of these excitations remains unknown. In this paper, we report on the design and implementation of a time-resolved laser-neutron pump-probe capability at hybrid spectrometer (beamline 14-B) at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. This capability allows us to excite out-of-equilibrium magnons with a nanosecond pulsed laser source and probe the resulting dynamics using INS. Here, we discussed technical aspects to implement such a capability in a neutron beamline, including choices of suitable neutron instrumentation and material systems, laser excitation scheme, experimental configurations, and relevant firmware and software development to allow for time-synchronized pump-probe measurements. We demonstrated that the laser-induced nonequilibrium structure factor is able to be resolved by INS in a quantum magnet. The method developed in this work will provide SNS with advanced capabilities for performing out-of-equilibrium measurements, opening up an entirely new research direction to study out-of-equilibrium phenomena using neutrons.

Expotecnología 2022

Expotecnología 2022 was an event that took place in the city of Cartagena de Indias, from November 2 to 6, 2022, with the slogan “The future of engineering in the face of technological disruption” This eighteenth version was a meeting that brought together the scientific and academic community in spaces for the dissemination and transfer of knowledge, where innovation was the essence and a fundamental part of the event. Expotecnología was created in the Faculty of Engineering Sciences - FACI, of the Antonio de Arévalo University Foundation - UNITECNAR and in this version it maintained as mission, the development of the interaction between science, technology and society, through establishing of knowledge networks and academic and professional cooperation. The main objective was to address the challenges that emerge from the everyday life of the engineering community, the problems immersed in the development of projects and programs of Higher Education Institutions (IES), organizations and research centers at the national and international level. In the development of the day of presentations in a virtual way, it was possible to promote the dissemination of the research work of professionals, teachers and students from all areas of engineering, framed in four (4) thematic axes, as follows:• New technologies: Big data, Artificial Intelligence, Business Intelligence, Software Engineering, Education and new technologies and Mobile Applications.• Petrochemicals and process control: Materials Science, Instrumentation and Control Systems, Robotics and Automation and Industrial Maintenance.• Electricity, electronics and telecommunications: IoT, Fiber optics, Digital Signal Processing, Wireless Networks, Mobile Communications, Power Systems, Energy Storage, Smart Grids, Renewable Energies, Operation and Distribution, Energy Dispatch, Energy Markets• Construction Summit: Modern Building Systems and Computational Modeling.On this occasion, the event was attended by 512 people, representatives from 25 national and 6 international universities. 32 presentations were made, of which 32 articles were selected for this volume of the IOP Conference Cycle: Materials Science and Engineering and 13 articles for the book Engineering, Innovation and the fourth industrial revolution., After a process of Peer Review. The plenary conferences were in charge of 2 national and 8 international speakers .List of Invited speakers, Organizing Committee, Special thanks are available in this pdf.

The CMS Fast Beam Condition Monitor for HL-LHC

The high-luminosity upgrade of the LHC brings unprecedented requirements for real-time and precision bunch-by-bunch online luminosity measurement and beam-induced background monitoring. A key component of the CMS Beam Radiation, Instrumentation and Luminosity system is a stand-alone luminometer, the Fast Beam Condition Monitor (FBCM), which is fully independent from the CMS central trigger and data acquisition services and able to operate at all times with a triggerless readout. FBCM utilizes a dedicated front-end application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) to amplify the signals from CO2-cooled silicon-pad sensors with a timing resolution of a few nanoseconds, which enables the measurement of the beam-induced background. FBCM uses a modular design with two half-disks of twelve modules at each end of CMS, with four service modules placed close to the outer edge to reduce radiation-induced aging. The electronics system design adapts several components from the CMS Tracker for power, control and read-out functionalities. The dedicated FBCM23 ASIC contains six channels and adjustable shaping time to optimize the noise with regards to sensor leakage current. Each ASIC channel outputs a single binary high-speed asynchronous signal carrying time-of-arrival and time-over-threshold information. The chip output signal is digitized,encoded, and sent via a radiation-hard gigabit transceiverand an optical link to the back-end electronics for analysis. This paper reports on the updated design of the FBCM detector and the ongoing testing program.

Zynq SoC FPGA-based water-immersible ultrasonic instrumentation for pipe inspection and gauging

Abstract A re-programmable Zynq system-on-chip (SoC) FPGA-based water-immersible 2-channel ultrasonic instrumentation has been designed and developed and it is mounted inside the IP67-grade enclosures, which is suitable for ultrasonic pipe inspection and gauging applications. The novel, compact Zynq SoC FPGA-based ultrasonic instrumentation system, powered by lithium-ion batteries for its operation over five hours, exhibits its adaptability for challenging environments, including its ability to travel through pipes carrying oil or water. One of the salient features of the 2-channel system is the capability to acquire echo signals using 12-bit/100 MSPS digitizer to provide highly accurate values of the inner diameter (ID) and wall thickness (WT) of the pipe under test. The system has been utilised to acquire and store 256 MB of A-Scan data in the DDR3 memory module of FPGA. Subsequent to five hours of acquisition, data was transferred to the computer to reconstruct B-Scan cross-sectional images for 300 mm nominal bore (NB) Stainless Steel (SS), and Carbon Steel (CS) pipes machined with volumetric and planar standard flaws. The B-Scan images could reveal both types of defects along with the location and size of these flaws. Such ultrasonic instrumentation has become an advanced tool to acquire a large volume of gauging data for pipes operating in harsh conditions, making it a vital asset for the inspection of pipes containing crude oil or processed water for petrochemical and nuclear industries. This paper provides brief details about the ultrasonic PIG instrument, with few inspection results obtained for SS and CS pipes.