Virtual instrument for measurement, processing data, and visualization of vibration patterns of piezoelectric devices

This article describes a virtual instrument that automates the obtaining of real vibration patterns of a piezoelectric device, based upon a set of displacement measurements collected for a discreet group of points of its surface. The real vibration pattern information is not easy to model when nonlinear effects appear in the piezoelectric devices. A program in Labview language has been developed for the system control and data acquisition in the sample. Another program, also in Labview language, has been developed to perform the analysis and treatment of the collected data, with the final goal of obtaining a three-dimensional (3D) image representative of the vibration pattern of the sample. A description of the control, measurement, and data processing software and hardware of the developed system is included in this article. Finally, experimental results are shown for a PZT5 working in resonant pattern and with nonlinear effects. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.