Sensors and Actuators

Module Description:
This Sensors and Actuators module is part of the course "Intro to Mechatronics" at Lawrence Technological University and was developed through seed funding from the Center for Advanced Automotive Technology (CAAT). This module consists of a PowerPoint presentation and accelerometer LabVIEW lab, and associated LabVIEW files.

Module Contents:
Discussed in the Power Point are automotive sensors, actuators, and their use in powertrain (energy use, drivability and performance), body (occupant needs), and chassis (vehicle handling and safety). Some of the types of these sensors are rotational (crank or cam position), pressure (EVAP system or MAP), exhaust gas (oxygen sensor), and actuators (air bag inflators, relays, and injectors). Also included is a section on DC and AC motors operation and their automotive applications (HEV drive motor, window motor, and seat motor).

The lab will introduce students to developing data acquisition for sensors using National Instruments LabVIEW software.

For orientation purposes, viewers should begin Mechatronics Module 4 Presentation.pdf, which offers a preview of the topics covered in this module. 

Below is a list of the files attached. The size of each file is included in parenthesis. 

Module 4 - Accelerometer (3.1MB 5 files)

• Sensors and Actuators Presentation (Mechatronics Module 4.pptx 921KB)
• Sensors and Actuators Lab (Accelerometer v9.docx 1.6MB)
• Accelerometer-Sensor Lab Files 
  • Accelerometer Data Read (Accelerometer_Data_Read.vi 446KB)
  • Accelerometer Sensor (Accelerometer_Sensor.lvproj 195KB)
  • Sensor Acquisition FPGA (Sensor_Acquisition_FPGA.vi 43KB)