A general hardware platform for sensor validation

A new hardware platform has been developed to meet the demands of sensor validation research. The first application of this platform, the self validating DOx sensor, has demonstrated that the new platform can fulfil the tasks which might be assigned by the project or arose during the research. In this new platform, the 133 MHz Pentium supplies enough computing power, the FPGA offers a flexible hardware structure to different prototypes of self validating sensors and the communication card has various communication functions to guarantee the sensor can easily be integrated to an industrial plant. Further applications of this platform are also being considered including the digital Coriolis flow meter and the self validating valve