What was the challenge or problem to solve?
We were faced with the need for one of our clients to carry out a life test of a series of devices. To carry out this task, a microcontroller was used to switch the devices on and off in periods of fifteen minutes, measuring the voltage and current consumed in each of them, in order to analyse the evolution of these over time.
The difficulty of the project lay in several factors, such as the fact that an accurate and continuous measurement of the voltage and current consumed by multiple loads at the same time over a long period of time was required, as well as a control of their activation and deactivation.
Our team started the project with the design of an electronic circuit, which was initially developed by means of a sketch, specifying the components required. Before any electronic circuit assembly is carried out, it is necessary to design it to ensure that the needs are met and to determine the material that will be needed.
After checking the material available in our laboratory, the remaining necessary components were sought and purchased from different electronic component suppliers.
The software that controlled the switching on and off of the loads was then programmed, with the intention of measuring these voltages and currents and saving them in a file. The control of the switching on and off of the loads was carried out by means of a microcontroller programmed in its own language. The voltage and current measurement control was programmed in Python, one of the most widespread and easy-to-use languages for simple applications.
Finally, the complete circuit was assembled and tested for correct operation. In order to control the switching on and off of the loads, a microcontroller and relays were used, as these allow switching between different loads and provide the separation between the power electronics and the control electronics. To measure the voltages and currents, the power supplies themselves were used as sensors, as they are much more accurate and convenient than external sensors.
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