Ruggedised notebook acquires pressure data

A Dolch Computer Systems (UK) product story

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Nov 17, 2003

When a three-year PhD research project called for a ruggedised laptop computer that could be carried by individuals through harsh environments, only one machine was up to the job.

When a three-year PhD research project called for a ruggedised laptop computer that could be carried by individuals through harsh environments, only one machine was up to the job: a Dolch NotePAC Plus.

The project being undertaken at the Human Sciences Department of Loughborough University involved taking real-time pressure measurements from various parts of the body while the subject negotiated assorted terrains around the world.

Because the pressure measurements - obtained using paper-thin sensors - had to be recorded in real time, the computer needed to be able to operate even under conditions of shock and vibration.

Furthermore, the machine had to survive in hot, cold, humid and wet environments without failing or losing any of the valuable data.

Although the standard Dolch NotePAC ruggedised portable notebook computer fits this specification, the NotePAC Plus was selected due to the expansion slice that enabled an ISA card to be installed for data acquisition.

Another deviation from the standard specification was the optional second battery that resides within the bay normally reserved for a floppy disc, CD-ROM, CD-RW or DVD drive.

During the course of the three-year project the computer has been subjected to some hostile operating conditions, yet it has survived intact.

In use, the pressure sensors are connected to intermediary units from which cables run to the port on the computer that inputs signals to the data acquisition card.

The volume of data being collected necessitates writing to the computer's hard disc, which has continued to operate reliably even when the subject has been walking or running across rough ground.

NotePACs are built within a robust cast magnesium case that offers a high degree of protection from knocks and bumps while remaining compact and lightweight; environmental sealing is to IP52.

Inside the case the components are packaged to withstand a 15g operating shock load and temperatures ranging from 0 to 50C.

In particular, the hard disc is a removable 2.5in ruggedised unit that is mounted in a shock-absorbing sealed cartridge that slides into the side of the notebook.

Gary Jones, the Post-Doctoral Research Associate undertaking the project at Loughborough, comments: "A review of the ruggedised portable computers on the market pointed us towards the NotePAC; nothing else seemed to offer the same specification and have the capability to accept an off-the-shelf expansion card.

In order to give sufficient recording time we opted for the extra battery in the drive bay, which is an extremely neat solution to the problem of ensuring there is always enough power".

Now that the research project is drawing to a close, the NotePAC has proved its worth, allowing a vast volume of real-time data to be collected in a way that has never been possible before.

As a result of the ensuing analysis, there is now a better understanding of the pressures exerted on the human body during physical exertion.