Method and system of signal representation for NDT/NDI devices
View Patent ↗Disclosed is a method and system to provide an improved signal representation of non-destructive test/inspection instruments by proper color display, in order to emulate as closely as possible, the visual rendering effect of those seen in the traditional non-electronic testing, including penetrant testing and magnetic particle testing. The foregoing object of the invention is preferably realized by providing an eddy current or phased array instrument with a color palette module that allows the deployment of an array of color representation system typically used in traditional non-electronic testing methods.
1. A non-destructive testing or inspection (NDT/NDI) device configured for inspecting a test object, and providing a display of measurement results, the device comprises:
a data acquisition unit,
a data processor, including a color palette module, a colored display,
wherein the data processor is configured to process input signals from the data acquisition unit, providing measurement values in a series of marker points, wherein the color palette module is operable to match a set of RGB (Red, Green and Blue) values for each of the corresponding marker points emulating a specific color used in at least one traditional non-electronic testing setup for the corresponding marker point,
wherein the color palette further configured to choose a selected color palette name selected from one of the following color palette names related to the at least one traditional non-electronic testing setup, including a penetrant testing method (PT) or a magnetic particle method (MP), and comprising that listed in column one of Table-B, below,
wherein the color palette module is further operable, under the selected color palette name, to match a set of R/G/B (Red, Green and Blue) values for each of the corresponding marker points substantially equivalent to that listed in Table-B,
TABLE B
Marker Point Names
R/G/B Values
Marker Points
Color Palette Names
Bottom
Good Test
Halo
PT-visible (red dye)
204/204/204
224/224/224
N/A
0%
10%
PT-fluorescent (blue/
0/75/244
2/68/218
N/A
green)
0%
20%
PT-fluorescent (purple/
175/5/173
114/10/118
N/A
blue)
0%
20%
MP-fluorescent (purple
131/9/110
42/10/122
89/72/11
shades)
0%
22%
54%
MP-fluorescent (blue
7/2/210
17/8/136
35/71/11
shades)
0%
20%
53%
MP-visible (red powder)
223/223/223
240/240/240
241/241/241
0%
20%
50%
MP-visible (black
243/245/199
250/250/250
N/A
powder)
0%
20%
Marker Points
Color Palette Names
Transition
Bad test
Top
PT-visible (red dye)
224/224/224
157/7/14
59/11/21
55%
66%
100%
PT-fluorescent (blue/
11/37/95
95/237/1
172/252/0
green)
60%
70%
100%
PT-fluorescent (purple/
22/10/110
13/247/255
185/243/245
blue)
60%
70%
100%
MP-fluorescent (purple
95/237/1
N/A
172/252/0
shades)
62%
100%
MP-fluorescent (blue
95/237/1
N/A
172/252/0
shades)
62%
100%
MP-visible (red powder)
128/128/128
133/29/3
140/8/52
58%
66%
100%
MP-visible (black
241/241/241
64/64/64
0/0/0
powder)
55%
70%
100%
and wherein the processor instructs the colored display to display the measurement values with the corresponding matched RGB values accordingly.
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the color palette module is further operable to adjust the scale of the measurement results.
3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the color palette module is further operable with the measurement values to be based on a series of corresponding absolute values of amplitude indicative of a corresponding measurement result.
4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the color palette module is further operable with measurement values to be based on normalized values in percentage of a reference amplitude.
5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the color palette module is further operable with the measurement values to be based on exponentially normalized values.
6. The device of claim 1 is an eddy current device with array sensors.
7. The device of claim 1 is an ultrasonic phased array device.
8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the color palette module in emulating the traditional non-electrical testing setup, is operable to match a set of RGB (Red, Green and Blue) values for each of the corresponding marker points to be equivalent to the RGB values listed in the Table A
TABLE A
Measurement
Marker Points
values
RED
GREEN
BLUE
Bottom
0%
204
204
204
Good Test
50%
224
224
224
Halo
60%
229
165
245
Transition
77%
97
11
15
Bad test
90%
75
11
19
Top
100%
127
9
15.
9. A method of providing color display for a non-destructive testing or inspection (NDT/NDI) device used for inspecting a test object, the method comprising steps of,
collecting input signals from inspecting the test object,
processing the input signals and providing measurement values in a series of marker points, matching a set of RGB (Red, Green and Blue) values for each of the corresponding marker points emulating a specific color used in at least one traditional non-electronic testing setup for the corresponding marker point,
selecting a selected color palette name from a series of color palette names referring to at least one traditional non-electronic testing setup, including a penetrant testing method (PT) and a magnetic particle method (MP), which are listed in column one of Table-C, below,
under the selected color palette name, matching a set of R/G/B (Red, Green and Blue) values for each of the corresponding marker points substantially equivalent to that listed in Table-C,
TABLE C
Marker Point Names
R/G/B Values
Marker Points
Color Pallette Names
Bottom
Good Test
Halo
Transition
Bad test
Top
PT-visible (red dye)
204/204/204
224/224/224
N/A
224/224/224
157/7/14
59/11/21
0%
10%
55%
66%
100%
PT-fluorescent (blue/
0/75/244
2/68/218
N/A
11/37/95
95/237/1
172/252/0
green)
0%
20%
60%
70%
100%
PT-fluorescent (purple/
175/5/173
114/10/118
N/A
22/10/110
13/247/255
185/243/245
blue)
0%
20%
60%
70%
100%
MP-fluorescent (purple
131/9/110
42/10/122
89/72/11
95/237/1
N/A
172/252/0
shades)
0%
22%
54%
62%
100%
MP-fluorescent (blue
7/2/210
17/8/136
35/71/11
95/237/1
N/A
172/252/0
shades)
0%
20%
53%
62%
100%
MP-visible (red powder)
223/223/223
240/240/240
241/241/241
128/128/128
133/29/3
140/8/52
0%
20%
50%
58%
66%
100%
MP-visible (black
243/245/199
250/250/250
N/A
241/241/241
64/64/64
0/0/0
powder)
0%
20%
55%
70%
100%
using the matched R/G/B values to display color for the measurement values.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the color palette module is further operable to adjust the scale of the measurement results.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the color palette module is further operable with the measurement values to be based on a series of corresponding absolute values of amplitude indicative of a corresponding measurement result.
12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the color palette module is further operable with the measurement values to be based on normalized values in percentage of a reference amplitude.
13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the color palette module is further operable with the measurement values based on exponentially normalized values.
14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the device is an eddy current inspection device with array sensors.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the device is an ultrasonic phased array device.
16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the color palette module is further operable to adjust the scale of the measurement results.
17. The method of claim 9 , wherein the color palette module is further operable with the measurement values to be based on a series of corresponding absolute values of amplitude indicative of a corresponding measurement result.
18. The method of claim 9 , wherein the color palette module is further operable with the measurement values to be based on normalized values in percentage of a reference amplitude.
19. The method of claim 9 , wherein the color palette module is further operable with the measurement values based on exponentially normalized values.