MTS TestLine - Manual (Page 43)

How MTS Files Work Together
The basic workflow is as follows:
• You use the Station Manager application to open a Station Configuration.
• You select a Parameter Set (which includes specific Sensor Calibration files) for your Station
Configuration.
• You use the Station Manager application to optimize your Station Configuration for the test you desire
to run.
• While keeping the Station Manager application running, you use the Multipurpose Express application
to select the Test Procedure appropriate for your test.
• You start the test with the Multipurpose Express application.
• You create a Test Report with the Multipurpose Express application.
Using MTS Applications and Files to Run Tests
Understanding the Control Loop
MTS TestLine Test Systems use closed-loop control, and understanding it lays a foundation for many of
the topics in this document. Closed-loop control is a basic servomechanism concept of controlling a test,
in which a controlling element controls a controlled element.
Closed Loop Control Concept
The controlling element is the computer, the digital controller, and the MTS Station Manager application.
The controlling element produces a control signal (Command) that represents the direction and amount
of force the actuator should apply to the specimen. The controlled element comprises the servovalve, the
hydraulic actuator, and the specimen itself. The controlled element applies the required forces (Command)
to the specimen and the specimen reacts to it. The Feedback is the response from one of various sensors
that indicates how the controlled element has responded.
MTS TestLine Test System Operation | 43
Key Concepts