A Revolution in Science and Engineering EducationRadiant Technologies, Inc. has created a unique educational tool for science and engineering education. The EDU is a fully functional test instrument for the non-linear electroceramics like those used for industrial sensors and actuators. The EDU measures the hysteresis loops of special packaged ferroelectric capacitors Radiant created specifically for the tester. Radiant provides a complete set of tutorials to guide the student in understanding non-linear materials and a set of recommended experiments for the students to work with the ferroelectric capacitors. External ports on the instrument allow the students to then build their own sensor and/or memory projects using ferroelectric components from Radiant and to control their projects using the EDU’s operating software.

The EDU has a 20kHz arbitrary waveform generator and a 20kHz electrometer that run under the control of an elegant graphical data-acquisition program. The EDU architecture allows any laptop with a USB port to become a ferroelectric test instrument in less than a minute, making it a perfect teaching tool in student labs.

Ferroelectric capacitor testers involve the disciplines of solid state physics, thermodynamics, electrical engineering, chemical engineering, sensors, instrumentation, analog measurement, digital to analog interfaces, microprocessors, computer communications, and computer programming. With the EDU’s open architecture and documentation, educators can create laboratory exercises around their specific discipline and link them to real world operation. No matter what project the student is executing, the non-linear nature of ferroelectric capacitors will provide an instant numerical feedback to indicate the success or failure of their efforts whether it involves programming the on-board microprocessor or testing a sensor model.

Click on the link below to download a primer for the EDU in PDF format. The primer is a tutorial on the operation of the EDU with packaged ferroelectric capacitors as well as a force-sensor project available from Radiant.

Introduction to EDU
Radiant EDU Primer
Radiant EDU Hysteresis Tutorial
Radiant EDU Sensor Tutorial
Using Sensors with the EDU Oscilloscope Function

To download the EDU control panel and documentation, click here.

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