A DSP-based telemetric data acquisition system for in-process monitoring of grinding operation

A low power telemetric data acquisition and processing system is presented. The system, built around a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) TMS320C542, is designed to be structurally integrated into a grinding wheel of about 35 cm (14") in diameter. A total of fifteen force and acoustic emission sensors are being embedded in the wheel structure to monitor the wheel-workpiece interaction during the grinding operation. To enable on-line, in-process wheel operation monitoring, the system contains an RF-telemetric data transmission module that operates in the 900 MHz ISM band. The entire system is designed to operate on a 6V-battery, with a total supply current less than 150 mA.