Laboratory Project in Semi-Active Vibration Control

A laboratory project experiment is described which forms part of a course on microprocessors in electromechanical systems. This course teaches the fundamentals of microprocessor architectures, instruction sets, and interfacing with peripherals. A large portion of the laboratory is devoted to real-time measurement and control of physical processes. The semi-active vibration control project described here teaches students the concept of modifying a system parameter under computer control in order to minimize vibration transmission through the system. It also gives the students an appreciation for working with real systems, including the need for calibration and modeling.