Drop-Weight Impact Measurement System Based on LabVIEW

A data acquisition (DAQ) system for the low velocity impact tests is presented. The DAQ system is comprised of transducers, DAQ card, personal computer and self-manufactured impact equipment. The whole impact signal acquisition system has capability of sampling time history of contact force and optical signal which is employed to calculate the falling velocity, and it also generates the control signal for the equipment which catches the drop-weight after its rebound. The test data are presented, which shows the proposed DAQ system is applicable to the test setup for low velocity impact damage pre-set of composites in the aircraft structural industries.