The Testing Blog

National Technical Systems Awarded 2-Year Extension of Exclusive MoCA Certification Agreement

Derek — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 19:24:12 +0000

Testing of Faster, More Robust MoCA 2.0 Products Coming Soon

Calabasas, CA (August 17, 2010)…National Technical Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: NTSC) (NTS), a leading provider of engineering services, announced today that the Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA®) has extended its agreement with NTS to be the exclusive worldwide testing laboratory for MoCA product certifications for an additional 2 years.

High Speed Digital Infrared Imaging of the M201A1 Grenade Fuze Initiation Train

Felicia Niemeier — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 14:23:05 +0000

The Ordnance Sciences Division within the NTS Defense Group has been fortunate this year to participate as co-authors with the NSWC Crane, Detachment Fallbrook, ESED customer and support their presentation of papers at two NDIA conferences. The paper presentations were: “High Speed Digital Infrared Imaging of the M201A1 Grenade Fuze Initiation Train,” that was presented at the NDIA Fuze Conference in May 2010, and “Pyrotechnic Shock Loading of the M82 Percussion Primer in the M777 Light Weight Howitzer Magazine Assembly,” that was presented at the NDIA Joint Armaments Conference, also in May 2010. More recently, Ryan Hill and Jon Conner of the NTS Ordnance Sciences Division presented a paper at the Gun Tube Tube M3 Symposium hosted by the US Army Research Laboratory at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD in July 2010. The title of this paper was “Transient Heat Transfer Model to Support Rapid Trade Studies of Machine Gun Barrel Geometries and Materials.”

The Ordnance Sciences Division at NTS recently added the capability to perform computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis to their suite of high end engineering analysis software tools. The CFD software acquired included CFDesign from Blue Ridge Numerics and FloTHERM from Mentor Graphics. CFDesign is ideally suited for general purpose internal and external flow analysis including high speed compressible flow (up to Mach 5) and can accommodate rotating projectiles such as the 81 mm HE Mortar Projectile shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. CFDesign Analysis of the External Flow Around an 81 mm Mortar Projectile at 225 fps.

FloTHERM is ideally suited for the solution of heat transfer problems incorporating conduction, convection, and radiation phenomena with complex assemblies (including electronic circuit boards) and incompressible fluids. An example of the steady state flow induced in the surrounding air by natural convection heat transfer from an electronics enclosure is shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2. FloTherm Analysis of Natural Convection Through a Wall Mounted Electronics Enclosure.

2010 TWISTEX Field Operations: Home Again

Felicia Niemeier — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 18:09:40 +0000

As of July 1st, TWISTEX has concluded their 2010 deployments and the team is currently settling down to evaluate the many hours of research they gathered.Tim and crew have been from Texas all the way up to Minnesota gathering data to help better understand the science of tornado activity. Using several in-situ deployment instruments to gather data from the core of the supercells and tornadoes, TWISTEX captured the first-ever wind speed data at two different heights. With so much data to evaluate, it’s inevitable more will be revealed. They are eager to discover the impact their research will have in the final analysis.In addition to their great contribution to the science of meteorology, Samaras and crew lent a helping hand to those in need in the wake of tornado activity in Wadena, MN on June 17th. After one vehicle was temporarily sidelined with a flat tire in South Dakota, part of the group arrived in Wadena just in time to witness numerous tornadoes, including a wedge tornado that caused significant damage to this small town. The team regrouped in time to see another rain-wrapped tornado move over the town of Wadena from the southwest, while a smaller one was observed going through the south part. Having arrived minutes after the tornado swept through and left citizens stunned, the TWISTEX crew jumped into action and helped out those injured while surveying the massive damage left behind. Wadena ended up with extensive damage in the main path that included thrown vehicles, destroyed houses, and the loss of the local high school building. As stated by Samaras, spending time searching for victims puts into perspective on why TWISTEX is so driven to understand these powerful storms.

11 weeks, 28,000 miles, and hours upon hours of footage later, the TWISTEX team is now home. Aside from the flat tire, there were no mechanical breakdowns, safety or traffic incidents within the 5-6 vehicle convoy the entire operation. We look forward to seeing the final results of their hard work in upcoming episodes of Storm Chasers on the Discovery Channel.

NTS Plano to host EMC Seminar

Nia — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 10:50:34 +0000

Critical EMC Concepts for Meeting Radiated Immunity Requirements Seminar
An examination and discussion of the nature of external EMC influences, product enclosure design and physical artifacts of the chassis i.e. shielding and various design compromises, effects of system cabling and interconnection, external interface port design and RF referencing of supporting circuitry, and resident internal design structures that would assist/weaken external interface ports. Includes coverage of troubleshooting techniques to quickly characterize the specific issue, isolating the circuit function affected, identify point(s) of entry and transmission mechanism(s), and determining mode of propagation along with effective mitigation techniques. Visit the events page for more information and to register.

NTS TSE Awarded Boeing Contract

Nia — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 10:46:15 +0000

NTS Test Systems Engineering Division to Develop Automated Test Equipment (ATE) for the Boeing 777 Program

Calabasas, CA (July 7, 2010)…National Technical Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: NTSC) (NTS), a leading provider of engineering services, announced today that its Test Systems Engineering Division has been selected by The Boeing Company to provide Automated Test Equipment (ATE) systems in support of its 777 Program. The ATE systems will perform tests on 777 systems, avionics and engines using automation to quickly perform measurements and evaluate the test results.

Via: NTS News

Felicia Niemeier — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 18:20:01 +0000

youtube video clip of Storm Chasers Series from Discovery Channel

Intercepted two supercells from Torrington, Wyoming to Scottsbluff, Nebraska. The western most cell seemed to be the one most likely to produce a tornado. Intercepted the supercell when it was north of Scottsbluff, and when it was tornado warned (actually produced a brief tornado). We stayed north in hopes of getting into the path of the 70+ dBZ core for in-situ hail measurements. Did encounter some large hail (maximum size was 1.5″). Returned to Denver for the evening

Forecast:

Zonal flow continues over the high plains where some modest upslope remains (although the surface winds are more southeasterly by 0z).

Moisture improves significantly by early afternoon with 60+ dewpoints against the Colorado/Wyoming front range with RUC forcast CAPE of 3,000 J/Kg by late afternoon. Thunderstorms should initiate by ~22z in the higher terrain, and (hopefully) move off into western Nebraska panhandle by 0-1z.

National Technical Systems (NTS) Completes ZigBee Smart Energy Certification Testing for SimpleHomeNet Appliance

Derek — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 13:47:57 +0000

National Technical Systems (NTS) Completes ZigBee Smart Energy Certification Testing for SimpleHomeNet Appliance
Rapidly Expanding Smart Grid Compliance Testing Market Is Key NTS Initiative

CALABASAS, Calif., June 4, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ –National Technical Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: NTSC) (NTS), a leading provider of engineering services, announced today that it recently completed ZigBee Smart Energy certification testing for a feature-rich, wireless electric load controller manufactured by SimpleHomeNet, a division of Compacta International. The tests were run at the NTS laboratory in Culver City, CA. Following completion of the certification tests, the ZigBee Alliance reviewed the test results submitted by NTS and the application submitted by SimpleHomeNet and certified the load controller.
NTS is the market leader in ZigBee smart energy certification testing and one of only three companies worldwidewith rights designated by the ZigBee Alliance to test wireless products for ZigBee Smart Energy certification. Completion of the certification tests for SimpleHomeNet is another example of NTS’ expanding leadership in the burgeoning testing market for ZigBee Smart Energy.
ZigBee Smart Energy is the market leading wireless home area network (HAN) standard with more than 40 million smart meters being installed around the world. Last year, it was selected by the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as an initial interoperable standard for HAN devices. ZigBee has also been adopted by over 350 global manufacturers andthere is a large total potential market of 1.5 billion devices that could be installed in homes worldwide for energy management and demand response, according to a recently published report by ON World.
Smart energy device testing is a rapidly expanding global industry and a growing market for NTS,said NTS Chief Executive Office William McGinnis. The U.S. Department of Energy has allocated $30 billion as part of a national energy initiative backed by national utility companies, which is expected toencourage the development and certification of a broad range of smart energy products McGinnis said.
ZigBee Smart Energy certification demonstrates that a wireless product such as a load controller, or other wireless device, is compliant with the ZigBee Smart Energy standard that was created by energy experts and ZigBee Alliance members. ZigBee members include Ember, Freescale, Texas Instruments, Landis & Gyr, Itron, Cisco, General Electric, Honeywell, Intel, Mitsubishi Electric Corp., Philips, Samsung Electronics, Siemens, Sony and many other leading corporations around the world.
“This is already a large, rapidly growing market and an expanding list of companies is committed to the smart energy path, which we believe is a good opportunity for us,” McGinnis added. “We not only provide the test services, but we also design the test tools to simulate the functions of the appliances that allow our clients to do self-testing. We have a full solution for our clients with software testing and validation and multiple engineering services.”
Remotely controlled, wireless appliances such as thermostats, meters, load controllers, pool pumps, water heaters and display units designed for homeowners as part of a HAN are key components of a smart grid created to reduce energy usage, increase reliability and cut costs for consumers, said NTS Chief Technology Officer Osman Sakr. The NTS testing demonstrates that the appliances work together properly and can accurately show how much energy is being used, thereby allowing a consumer to manage energy efficiently.
Al Choperena, President and CEO of Compacta International, said the NTS testing and ZigBee Smart Energy certification of its load controller “is a key milestone in our ZigBee product roadmap and signals our strong commitment to the future of the smart grid. To date, our certification efforts have been on track thanks to our ongoing partnership with NTS.”

Felicia Niemeier — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 14:57:18 +0000

Are Tornado Chasers Getting Too Close?

As this video from KUSA channel 9 in Colorado shows Tim Samaras and his team of researchers came within 50 yards of a tornado on June 1st. Watch the video and read the whole article to see Tim’s perspective of close encounters.

KUSA – At only 23 years old, Andy Gabrielson has seen more adventure than perhaps most people will see in a lifetime. He has been a professional storm chaser for eight years.Sometimes it’s a matter of going out for every event and hoping you get lucky,” he said when asked how he knows where to go to spot a storm.

Gabrielson got incredibly close to a tornado in Baca County Monday afternoon. The video he shot has been shown across the country, including on NBC’s The Today Show, on which he did a live interview on Tuesday morning.

The Luverne, Minnesota resident estimates he was 50 yards from the twister. He has drawn criticism from those who say he was too close.

“It was right there. I didn’t get any closer because that’s where I felt comfortable,” he said, adding he always has an escape route. “If I had to, I had plenty of options to get away.”

Gabrielson does not chase storms full time. He is an online student at Colorado Technical University, majoring in business. He takes the spring and summers off to chase storms and he spends time at his family’s farm helping during harvest time.

Gabrielson often spends hours following storms.

“It’s almost like I stalk the tornado,” he said.

He said he watched Monday’s storm for an hour before seeing rotation.

“Finally, an hour later, after all the shenanigans, we got a nice tornado,” he said.

He adds it was the slowest moving storm he has ever seen.

“The storm was moving very slowly, about 5 to 10 miles per hour. It didn’t really change its course. The tornado, while it was on the ground, it stayed pretty consistent,” he said.

Gabrielson is an independent contractor for the website www.severestudios.com. The company coordinates payment from networks and production companies who buy the video from Gabrielson. Flat rates, which are often charged to networks, can range from $400 to $1,000 for a segment of video. After storm season is over, Gabrielson says production companies looking to do detailed storm stories or documentaries purchase his video for as much as $50 per second.

“I’m out there doing what I love to do,” he said. “It’s cool that people are noticing it and they think it’s cool too. It makes me feel good.”

Gabrielson says he normally chases storms alone. On Tuesday in Baca County, he was accompanied by a friend and an employee of The Weather Channel. At last check Tuesday afternoon, Gabrielson was chasing a storm near the Nebraska/Kansas state lines.

Storm chasing veteran and Colorado resident Tim Samaras said, “There is a definite rather disturbing trend that chasers are getting pretty darn close, uncomfortably close.”

Samaras was also close to Monday’s storm. You can see Samaras’ white pickup in Gabrielson’s video.

Samaras says the distance from a storm or tornado is a judgment call that comes with experience.

“For some, there’s really no technical reason for them to be that close other than to get that extreme video,” Samaras said.

Samaras says he gets close to tornados to collect meaningful scientific data, and to provide the National Weather Service with updates.

Samaras thinks people who treat storm chasing as an extreme sport are risking their lives.

“I think the first chaser death due to a tornado is actually going to be wind-driven debris through the windshield killing a chaser because he just got too close, and had to get the extreme video,” Samaras said.

NTS to exhibit at Farnborough International Air Show

Nia — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 19:51:41 +0000

NTS is pleased to announce that we’ll be exhibiting at the upcoming Farnborough International Air show to be held from July 19 to 25, 2010 in Farnborough, UK. The Air Show at Farnborough is the premier global showcase for everything that is part of the aerospace industry. Held once every two years, the 2008 Air Show attracted nearly 300,000 visitors. Exhibitors include nearly all the world’s aircraft manufacturers including Boeing and Airbus, as well as manufacturers of aircraft components and services. More information on the show can be found on their website. NTS will be in stand H2/B35.

Currently On the road in Mobridge, SD

Felicia Niemeier — Wed, 26 May 2010 13:04:58 +0000

May 22:

Huge success for TWISTEX on this day. Deployed the new instrument in the path of the developing wedge tornado that crossed to the north of Bowdle, South Dakota. Tornado then developed into a strong/violent tornado causing incredible damage to high-voltage line towers about 2 miles north of Bowdle. Several farm houses were heavily damaged. One tower was ripped off its footings and tossed over 300 meters. Watched 3+ tornadoes on this day. Helped National Weather service in Aberdeen, South Dakota with a damage survey, and based collectively on our findings–helped to get the big Bowdle tornado rated an EF4.

May 24:

TWISTEX crew witnessed as many as 9 tornadoes near Bison, SD and just across the border in North Dakota. Team attempted a couple of deployments as well with the smaller in-situ probes. Congrats to the entire