Hospitor Guide - find your way in a hospital

Everyday a hospital receives hundreds of persons which do not know the facilities. It is usual for the first time visitors to be lost searching for the room where his relative or friend is.

In a hospital where exists a visitor management system like GestViDI, a lost visitor will be wasting visiting time for other coming visitors.

Some hospitals use the volunteers to help the visitors to guide through the facilities, but this solution has a problem to not respond to every visitor when it arrives unless he wants to wait for the next available volunteer.

In order to solve this problem that some of our hospital customers had indicated,

Hospitor Guide was designed and developed by LINCIS to implement a hospital navigating system that could be easy enough to use and yet affordable for the hospital.

Hospitor Guide solution is based on a network of information terminals which are connected to the GestViDI through the hospital ethernet network using wired or wireless, which ever is more easily available. These information terminals have a visitor card RFID reader which allows the visitor to approach the visitor card to the terminal so it can be read. After reading the visitor card ID, the Hospitor Guide application will inform the user how to reach his destination within the hospital.

The information terminals shall be located on the main way decision points within the hospital so the users can find their way easily.

Using a simple and intuitive interface Hospitor Guide will give the more important information so the user can easily reach the desired destination.

ECU CAN ON/OFF stress test system

Our client is a multinational company dedicated to the manufacturing of car multimedia systems. The company quality laboratory needs to make several tests to car multimedia systems.

In joint cooperation with LINCIS our customer required the development and implementation of a system capable of measuring and recording the results from stress tests during repetitive environment cycles (temperature, humidity and vibration).

The ECU CAN ON/OFF stress test system uses KVASER Leaf family for the CAN communication between the PC and the ECU under test. Up to 5 ECU can be managed, controlled and tested on a single test system.

It automates the test process of switching the ECU ON and OFF, during a pre-determined number of cycles or test time. During the complete test sequence the ECU parameters and test results are recorded for further analysis and report generation.

Graphic builder - a Diadem based automatic report generation tool

Graphic builder is a Diadem based automatic report generation tool developed by LINCIS to make it easy and automatic the laboratory test results report from any system connected to the Laboratory Test Results Repository.

Using a central data repository for all lab systems, users only need one system report for all lab systems. Graphic builder is highly customizable and helps to achieve higher operation efficiency.

Car audio antenna test system

Our client is a multinational company dedicated to the manufacturing of car multimedia systems. The company quality laboratory needs to make several tests to car multimedia systems.

In joint cooperation with LINCIS our customer required the development and implementation of a system capable of measuring and recording the results from stress tests during repetitive environment cycles (temperature, humidity and vibration).
The antenna module test system was developed to measure the current consumption of up to 20 antennas per test system before, during and after several stress conditions.
The system hardware is based on a CompactRIO system from National Intruments and customized instrumentation hardware from LINCIS. The several antenna module test systems are connected through WiFi connection to a PC running the main software for setup, system management and centralized data collection.

Overall system architecture

Each system run independently on its CompactRIO, acquiring data and making it available for the centralized PC software. The picture below shows one screenshot of the application software.

A new perfume sensation with MySensis and XLSense200 - a success story of cooperation between LINCIS and I-SENSIS

Our client, I-Sensis, is a well known portuguese company acting on two fronts: perfume design and olfactif marketing.
LINCIS and I-Sensis worked together in close cooperation to develop two products: XLSense200 and MySensis.
Both products enables I-Sensis to implement olfactif marketing solutions from a small shop to a complete shopping mall. The breakthrough technology used on both products is being patented by I-Sensis at worldwide level.
In both solutions the customer can control the intensity of the perfume, the schedule and time to dispense the fragrance into the air. The technology used to transform the liquid fragrance into a fine perfumed air does not change any of the fragrance properties or harm the environment, unlike other technologies present on the market, just frangance, which puts I-Sensis solutions on the top list of world perfume dispensing technology.

Fully developed and produced in a partnership between LINCIS and I-Sensis, MySensis and XLSense200 represents a commitment to excellence developed and produced in Portugal.

Audio Stress - Automated stress test system for car audio systems

Our client is a multinational company dedicated to the manufacturing of car audio systems. The company quality laboratory needs to make several stress tests to car audio systems. 

In joint cooperation with LINCIS our customer required the development and implementation of a system capable of measuring and recording the results from stress tests during repetitive environment cycles (temperature, humidity and vibration).

The system must be able to measure the following parameters of up to 5 Devices Under Test (DUT):

• Button actions
• Current consumption
• Audio level
• THD (Total Harmonic Distortion)
• SINAD (Signal to Noise relation)
• Audio frequency (main component)
• Crosstalk

The system must be able to control the DUT using CAN or MAUS car protocols implemented.
The system must be able to operate in automatic or in manual test mode.

The hardware solution was implemented with PXI modular instrumentation from National Instruments and CAN interfaces from KVASER. The software was developed with LabVIEW from National Instruments.

Some screenshots of the software interface can be seen below:

Car window lift leveling test system

Our customer is a tier one automotive supplier and produces car window lifts.

For its production line, LINCIS was requested to implement a lift leveling test system so that all the parts should be tested before going to the final assembly line of the car manufacturer.

Based on a distance measurement laser sensor, an USB data acquisition module from National Instruments and a PC already present on the production line with a software developed in LabVIEW, LINCIS implemented a low cost, simple and effective test system to measure, record and validate the distance between two points of the car window lift.

ARMit - Industrial terminal based on ARM

ARMit is a general purpose rugged industrial data collection terminal designed by LINCIS. Its aluminum enclosure and internal structure gives its ruggedness although it is simple to install.

It can used in data collection systems for shop-floor information systems, product and process traceability systems in productio lines, HMI for machines or processes, or any other customized application.

ARMit is based on a powerful 32-bit ARM based microcontroller, with a 4x20 display for simple HMI and a capacitive keyboard for heavy environments.

ARMit has a broad range of communication protocols available for the user: Ethernet, USB, CAN and Serial port.

ARMit has an optional RFID reader (ISO15693 and ISO14443 compatible) which opens its use for person identification, product and process tracking applications.

There is also an OEM version available as shown below.

The main features of ARMit are:

• Based on NXP LPC2292 microcontroller w/ 256KB flash code memory and 16KB RAM
• 4x20 Alphanumeric display
• 6 x Serial ports (2 RS232 + 4 TTL level)
• 2 x Opto-isolated CAN channels
• 1 x Ethernet
• 1 x USB connection
• EEPROM (up to 256KB)
• Real Time Clock
• MicroSD slot (memory card not included)
• Capacitive touch keyboard
• 20 I/O available for the user
• 24Vdc powered

As an option user can also add:

• FRAM (128KB)
• 4MB Flash
• Buzzer
• RFID reader (ISO15693/ISO14443 compatible)

GestViDI - Hospital visitor management system

GestViDI is a dynamic visitor management system developed for hospitals, based on RFID technology and access control points. It helps to manage, control and regulate the flow of visitors to the hospital, reducing and limiting the number of simultaneous visitor to one same patient.
The hospitals where GestViDI is running can easily achieve a better regulation of the visitor flow during the allowed visit period. This flow regulation will benefit the workplace of medical staff as less outside visitors will be walking around the hospital and so less time is spent on asking people to leave the patient's room when is too crowded, which leaves more time for patient care. This also leads to a more efficient work of medical staff and more calm and quiet recover for the patients.
Indirectly it can help also to reduce intra hospital disease transmission, as less people from outside the hospital will be at the same time in the hospital.
GestViDI works integrated with hospital management system. This enables the system to dynamically change the visitor access authorization to the hospital and proceed with visit according to the patient health status and service visiting period. In fact, with GestViDI it is possible for a doctor to limit or even prohibit the visit to a patient based on the health status.
Usually a hospital have distinct visit time periods according to the different services, GestViDI enables to implement distinct visiting time periods, visit rules and visitor profiles.
GestViDI is currently running on 9 portuguese hospitals. Below is shown an example of an installation and GestViDI interface of an access control point:

CAVEST - Street parking license system management

CAVEST is a street parking license management system based on RFID and mobile applications for PDA/mobile phone based terminals. It implements a complimentary alternative parking fee management system for street parking. The municipality authorities can establish distinct parking fees according to streets or zones. For residents and local business owners it is a better way to be allowed to have a parking slot on the street without having to bother with parking machines based on coins.

Developed in cooperation with Camara Municipal de Braga, CAVEST was requested to be simple to use and also counterfeit proof.

The system uses a RFID tag that withstands inner automotive environment (high and low temperatures and relative humidities).

The street parking auditor can validate the parking license of a user with a PDA like the image above. If the user license fee is not valid the auditor can issue a fine to the user. Optionally the auditor can carry a portable printer to automatically issue the fine.

The system can work on offline mode or online mode depending on the auditing terminal used. For online mode it is required to use a mobile phone with GPRS connection for communication with central system. With the offline mode anytime the auditor wants to go out for fee validation he must synchronise the PDA with the CAVEST database, so his terminal has the most up to date fee information.

Fully developed and produced by LINCIS, CAVEST represents a commitment to excellence developed and produced in Portugal.

WallWallet - Deposit machine for printing management systems

WallWallet™ is a deposit machine for use with printing management systems (PMS) based on a pay by usage. It allows the user to make a deposit either with coins or bills into his PMS account. After the deposit is made and verified by WallWallet™, it will add the deposited value as a credit into the PMS user account.
WallWallet™ product design was conceived with architectural concerns and can be installed in many different environments, providing the deposit service at any time.
Each of the WallWallet™ blocks plays a different role, allowing the functional separation of management, deposits and maintenance actions.
WallWallet™ in two versions: Light and Full.
WallWallet™ Light has a coin validator, a deposit receipt printer and a keyboard for user input.
WallWallet™ Full has the same functions of WallWallet™ Light plus bill validator and user card reader (RFID, Chip card, etc.)
LINCIS also allows the color scheme to be customized at client request.
For ease of integration with any PMS, LINCIS has created an API for full control of the equipment.
Fully developed and produced by LINCIS, WallWallet™ represents a commitment to excellence developed and produced in Portugal.
The WallWallet™ product flyer is available in this link.
If you need more information on this products you can contact LINCIS using the contacts available on this link.

ACTIVPRO™ - Double platform vibrating fitness equipment

 

Combining innovative design with cutting edge technology, this fitness machine using vibrating movements with double platform makes a difference for its robustness and quality. Simple and intuitive ACTIVPRO™ was developed taking into account the ergonomic aspects and ease of use between the user and ACTIVPRO™.

The ACTIVPRO™ can optionally have incorporated the system time4use™, which allows the use of the machine in a pay by usis mode of operation, namely through a prepaid card with available time for the use of ACTIVPRO™.
These kind of fitness equipment with vibratory movements have long been used for training of astronauts and more recently by elite athletes getting in less time and with less effort a better result.
Fully developed and produced in a partnership between LINCIS and VIPMáquinas, ACTIVPRO™ represents a commitment to excellence developed and produced in Portugal.

pacVIEW - Simple information display for CompactRIO

pacVIEW is a simple information display module for CompactRIO family from National Instruments, adding simple information display functionality. With a simple to use VI library, LabVIEW programmers can easily send information to the pacVIEW module. The navigation keys enables easy and simple user interface implementations at low cost.
Based on 32-bit ARM microntroller, there are 3 models available: pacVIEW mobile, pacVIEW panel and pacVIEW DIN rail. Up to 20 variables can be updated for information display at pacVIEW. pacVEW panel and DIN rail models can be connected up to 500m away from pacVIEW interface module.
CompactRIO users can easily integrate pacVIEW into their application using LabVIEW to interact with pacVIEW module through the simple VI library available.
The english product flyer in PDF format can be found here.
If you have interest in this product you can buy it or see more information on this link.

time4use - your time, your use - pre-paid time control system

Our client is dedicated to the sales and distribution of fitness machines and needed to control the user's time for each machine. The business model is to provide fitness machines at gyms and fitness centers on a pay by use by the user. Coin based time control system has the disavantage of coin management and collection.

time4use is a system that includes all the hardware and software necessary to implement a pre-paid time based management system based on proximity cards.

Our client requeired that time4use system should be able to:
   control the ON/OFF state of an equipment
   only allow authorized user’s access to the controlled equipment
   only allow user cards with “time credit” to access the controlled equipment
   enable authorized users to buy “use time” of the controlled equipment
   keep a database with the systems user cards

LINCIS solution to these requirements is an access system composed by:
   RFID cards – RFID proximity cards that holds encrypted information and the “time credit” that a user has previously bought
   Time controller module – based on a ARM core microcontroller with a proximity card reader integrated, enables the ON/OFF control of the equipment;
   PC application – Manages a database of the system’s registered proximity cards and setup the cards with the “time credit” that a user buy.

The security of the system is achieved by the use of encrypted data RFID proximity cards. These cards require access keys that are managed at different levels and are out of reach to both, end users and system managers.

The PC application created for this system was developed using National Instruments LabVIEW. The software to the embedded controller was developed in C programming.

This solution contains a local database where credit card, users and equipment are stored. The software is able to retrieve equipment, card or user statistics.

Car audio ECU stress test system

Our client is a multinational company dedicated to the manufacturing of car audio systems.
The company quality control laboratory makes several stress tests in the car audio systems.
These tests include:
   Actuation on buttons;
   Actuation on CD mechanisms;
   Actuation on rotary encoders;
   Switch on/off the unit.

Our client didn’t have any test unit capable of making such tests so he contacted LINCIS requesting a test unit capable to perform these types of stress tests on their car audio systems.

Customer requirements:
   Due to the large number and type of car audio systems to be tested the test unit should be configurable.
   The test sequence to perform should be easily programmable.
   The unit control software should run on a laptop and have a friendly graphical user interface.
   Due to the large duration of the tests (several days) the unit software should be able to give an estimative of the test duration, in order to provide information to the laboratory resource planning.
   Test data should be saved in a central database.
   The unit should be able to test 5 car audio systems at the same time.
   The hardware needed to fix the car audio systems should be separate from the test unit.

The following solution was implemented:
LINCIS developed a solution based on National Instruments hardware. The base of the unit is an NI DAQPad 6508 device.
For motor actuation and for analogue reading/writing a customized electronic board with a 32bit ARM7 microcontroller was used.
The system is composed by several modules:
   One module is aimed for button actuation. It’s made of 24 air outputs. Each air output is individually controlled and can be used to actuate on a piston. The air input is passed through a proportional valve
and its output pressure is controlled (set and read back).
   One module is used for motor (rotary encoder) actuation. Motor actuation is done with stepper motors.
   Speed, angle of rotation and rotation direction are controlled.
   There are 2 sensing modules. One is used to measure the car audio current, determining if the car audio system is switched ON or OFF, the other is used to sense if the CD mechanism is in or out.
   One module is used to power the car audio systems and simulate the loud speakers.

The software was developed with National Instruments LabVIEW.
The connection between the test unit and the laptop is done by USB.
This solution contains a local database where the stress test results are stored in real-time.
Those results are also migrated, in real-time to a centralized database using the client TCP/IP network infrastructure.
The centralized test results are then accessible through Graphic builder application from LINCIS, which allows the user to analyze the results and generate graphics for further reporting.
Below you can see some screenshots of the software application.

Software test sequence edit screen

Software runtime screen

Multifunction display automated stress test system

Our client is a multinational company dedicated to the manufacturing of car audio systems. The company quality laboratory needs to make several stress tests on a car Multi Function Display (MFD). These testes include measurement of the MFD current consumption (100uA to 600mA), control the MFD state (ON/OFF/STANDBY), test the MFD navigation status, test MFD CAN communication, test MFD LIN communication, evaluate the MFD audio channel during navigation.

Our customer requirements are:
• The test sequence to perform must be easily programmable.
• The result of each action in the test sequence should be shown in the screen.

• During the test should be possible to change the MFD navigation view.

• Control the system power supply during the test sequence.

• Test data should be saved in a central database for further analysis.
• It should be possible to execute all the test actions manually or automatically.
• The system should be able to test six MFD samples at same time.

LINCIS has developed the following solution:

LINCIS have developed a system that meets all requirements demanded by our client. All samples are connected to a Sorensen DC power supply, and to implement the current measurement we use a multimeter and a multiplexer from Agilent. These instruments are connected to a computer through a GPIB controller from National Instruments.

To implement CAN and LIN communication we have six KVASER Leaf Professional HS and six KVASER Leaf Professional LIN interfaces.

The software created for this system was developed using National Instruments LabVIEW.

This solution contains a local database where the stress test results are stored in realtime. Those results are also migrated, in realtime, to a centralized database using the client TCP/IP network infrastructure.

The centralized test results are then accessible through Graphic builder application from LINCIS, which allows the user to analyze the results and generate graphics for further reporting.

Below you can see some screenshots of the software application.

Software main screen


Software calibration screen

Software test editor screen

Software test execution screen