Hawkeye

Real time and safety monitoring is a vital part of the test process for rotating and reciprocating machinery. Traditionally this function has been carried out by a number of highly skilled Test Measurement Engineers watching arrays of small oscilloscopes and frequency analysers.

Modern test practices include a general increase in test size, leading to a number of impracticalities with the traditional methods.

The primary aim of the HawkEye is to provide real-time monitoring and safety-monitoring services on live data being acquired from one or more Hawk systems. HawkEye systems may be located physically close to the vehicle under test (in the control room for instance) or more remotely, depending on network architecture and client needs. The HawkEye uses a client/server architecture using TCP/IP messaging over an Ethernet transport layer.

The principles on which the HawkEye system design is based are flexibility and performance. Key concepts in the HawkEye design are listed below.

Flexibility

The HawkEye is network-based, which makes it highly scalable. The HawkEye can either be used as a single-screen application to monitor a few channels, or in groups distributed over the network to monitor large channel counts with a group of (potentially distributed) users. 

Operators can set-up the different HawkEye Clients to display different groups of channels. This can be useful for large tests involving multiple business units or test teams, for which it may be a requirement that views of data are segregated for maintaining separation of intellectual property.

HawkEye Clients can run independently (each with its own keyboard and mouse), or may be grouped into logical sets (as a multi-screen workstation), controlled by a single mouse and keyboard.

Integration

The HawkEye is fully integrated into the HGL Dynamics Hawk acquisition system.

Automation

The HawkEye provides a range of automated safety monitoring tools, and clear visual (and/or audible) alarms.

Customisation

HawkEye monitoring screen layouts are entirely customisable by the operator. This allows users to set up screen displays in the manner they wish to see their data, and can vary from user to user, and day to day.