The PACE6000Aero, from the Sensing business of GE Energy, Measurement & Control Solutions, can now be seamlessly integrated with LabView 2010 software, allowing automated, high precision control of pressure sensor testing and calibration, specifically for the aerospace sector. The compatibility has been made possible by GE's development of LabVIEW drivers for the PACE pressure controller/indicator, which can be controlled by a general purpose interface bus (GPIB).

The PACE6000Aero already incorporates purpose-written software to allow compatibility with all aeronautical measurement parameters and is particularly distinguished by its optional single or dual range configuration, that enables simultaneous dual output, cost-effectively offering two high accuracy instruments within a single casing. It incorporates full digital control, the latest generation of piezo-resistive devices and pulse width modulation control valves to allow high control stability to 10ppm and high slew rate. It offers split screen or single screen display and simultaneous dual output in a wide combination of pressure ranges up to 910 knots or 80,000 feet. Designed primarily for 19-inch rack systems, it is equally at home as a bench top instrument and is ideal for integration into automated processes, where fast and accurate pressure control is required.

It has been up-graded to LabVIEW compatibility for applications such as logging sensor data from an air data computer during the simultaneous application of temperature, pressure and vacuum stimuli. This data can them be used to establish sensor calibration coefficients. As Mike Wood, aerospace specialist at GE's Sensing business, explains, "Such an automatic calibration procedure subjects an air data computer to a typical temperature profile of -40ºC to +70ºC at a 1ºC per minute rate of change. At defined points during this temperature profiling, pressure is applied simultaneously to pitot and static pressure ports over an 1200mb absolute pressure range in 100mb steps and data is recorded at each step. Obviously this complex process demands very high accuracy from the pressure controller and this is provided by the PACE6000 instrument."