REMOTE UNIT FOR MOBILE-TELEPHONY TELEMETERING FROM DISTRIBUTED ULTRASONIC TRANSDUCERS

In some ultrasonic inspections, distributed measurements have to be made at different locations, which are distant from the station where the data collected must be checked and analysed. In this paper, the design of a remote unit for such purpose is described. This unit is intended to make ultrasonic measurements and transmit them to a local unit. The involved ultrasonic and telecommunication stages are explained. This development combines low-cost commercial devices with own-designed technologies. The design parameters and the block diagrams of each subsystem are detailed. Additionally, the configuration of a laboratory prototype, developed in order to test the design viability, is presented. This prototype includes a high voltage spike generator for the transducer driving, a broad-band signal amplifier, a multiplexed signal acquisition / A-D card, a mobile telephony system for the ultrasonic data transmission, and the software controlling telemetering aspects in remote and local units