%0 Journal Article
%T A Soft Computing Approach to Crack Detection and Impact Source Identification with Field-Programmable Gate Array Implementation
%A Arati M. Dixit
%A Harpreet Singh
%J Advances in Fuzzy Systems
%D 2013
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2013/343174
%X The real-time nondestructive testing (NDT) for crack detection and impact source identification (CDISI) has attracted the researchers from diverse areas. This is apparent from the current work in the literature. CDISI has usually been performed by visual assessment of waveforms generated by a standard data acquisition system. In this paper we suggest an automation of CDISI for metal armor plates using a soft computing approach by developing a fuzzy inference system to effectively deal with this problem. It is also advantageous to develop a chip that can contribute towards real time CDISI. The objective of this paper is to report on efforts to develop an automated CDISI procedure and to formulate a technique such that the proposed method can be easily implemented on a chip. The CDISI fuzzy inference system is developed using MATLAB¡¯s fuzzy logic toolbox. A VLSI circuit for CDISI is developed on basis of fuzzy logic model using Verilog, a hardware description language (HDL). The Xilinx ISE WebPACK9.1i is used for design, synthesis, implementation, and verification. The CDISI field-programmable gate array (FPGA) implementation is done using Xilinx¡¯s Spartan 3 FPGA. SynaptiCAD¡¯s Verilog Simulators¡ªVeriLogger PRO and ModelSim¡ªare used as the software simulation and debug environment. 1. Introduction Crack detection and impact source identification in materials is a renowned problem found in variety of commercial and military applications like beams, bridges, turbines, pavements, armor plates, vehicle body plates, bones, teeth, and so on. This long-standing interest in development of CDISI is evident from variety of methods proposed in the literature [1¨C33]. Ultrasonic guided waves are used for the crack detection [1, 2]. The crack detection is done by measuring lamb wave signals using the dual PZT transducers [3]. Wireless inductively-coupled transducers are used for the crack detection [4]. The wave velocities of concrete are measured by the portable transient elastic wave system to track the health of concrete [5]. Automation for different crack detection and impact source identification methods is lately carried out in the literature using soft computing and VLSI techniques. Image processing techniques are used for the crack detection [6, 7]. One of the most effective tools to deal with complex problems with lack of certainty, accuracy, and absolute truth is the soft computing. Zadeh [8] describes soft computing ¡°Soft computing is tolerant of imprecision, uncertainty, partial truth, and approximation than the traditional Hard Computing. The role model for
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/afs/2013/343174/