Hydraulic Pump EOL Functional Test Software
- Jan 1, 2015
- 1 min read
We developed software for EOL functional testing of hydraulic pumps. The customer's product, hydraulic pumps, are custom-to-order and each pump may require a unique test sequence. The software, written in LabVIEW, provides both a simple and intuitive user interface as well as a full-featured manual control interface. This enables the test system to be used for manufacturing test as well as one-off validation testing.
The software is distributed across a real-time cRIO chassis, FPGA, and Windows PC. The test system includes six large motors/pumps (up to 600 HP), temperature sensors, pressure sensors, Rockwell (Allen-Bradley) motor controllers, and safety interlocks. The software performs closed loop control over the components in order to perform the required tests. It also has multiple safeguards built in to prevent damage to the machine.
The core software is written in LabVIEW Real-time and LabVIEW FPGA and targeted to a cRIO-9068 controller. The operator interface is implemented on an industrial PC running Windows 7 with an Ethernet connection to the cRIO. Real-time system status can be viewed by any device on the customer's intranet via a web-based GUI. The system generates reports in PDF and Word format that the customer can deliver directly to their end-users.
At first glance this is pure hardcore engineering — real-time control, FPGA, safety interlocks, 600 HP machines, zero room for error. And honestly? Respect. This is what real robustness looks like. Hardware issues are visible, measurable, and fixable. If something breaks, alarms go off, safeguards kick in, logs get written, and you iterate.
But reading this also made me think about something we don’t talk about enough: systems are only as strong as the people leading and operating them.
You can have flawless EOL testing software, perfect closed-loop control, and every safeguard imaginable — but human blind spots don’t throw error codes. Leadership styles, decision patterns, and unspoken power dynamics don’t show up in a PDF report. And those “invisible issues”…
For those on a path of personal growth, it's important to look at all sides of your personality. A confidential NPD test can be a private tool for reflecting on your relationship with yourself and others.