Flexible Event Data Recorder

The sponsor transports components ranging from rocket motors to avionics equipment throughout the United States. Harsh transportation events experienced in transit can affect the functionality of components by shortening their lives. The team designed a device to record pertinent data for analysis and determination of component flight-worthiness after transportation.The event data recorder detects whether the cargo shipped has been subjected to events that exceed the design or specified control limits. Information from the event data recorder allows the sponsor to decide if the item meets minimum end-of-life requirements. During transit, data is recorded relating to structural displacement and environmental conditions. The recorder also has room for additional external transducers, such as digital and analog sensors to measure acceleration and vibration. The device houses three internal sensors to monitor six degrees of freedom, temperature and humidity. The data recorder continuously monitors all operational sensor channels for trigger events that exceed specified threshold conditions, which are set before installation by plugging in a USB 2.0 cord and changing the appropriate threshold parameters. When a trigger event is detected, the recorder saves sensor data for a user-specified duration before and after the trigger. Sensor data is downloaded after the shipment reaches its destination.