Application Summary
The manufacturing of golf clubs requires ongoing research and development. One goal is to design a club which delivers the maximum amount of force to the ball without generating excessive shaft vibration that will be transferred to the hands of the golfer. One such manufacturer, a known leader in the world of golf, created a new golf club head design. Accelerometers were mounted over the entire head and shaft of the club to monitor vibration as it moved up and down the club.

Potential Solution
The first test solution the developers considered was an 8-bit two-channel digital storage oscilloscope (DSO), with an IEPE signal conditioner. This approach was rejected because of its limited number of channels, awkward size, and limited memory. Also it was awkward to transfer the data to a PC.

IOtech’s Solution
For this application, the researchers configured a test system with IOtech’s WaveBook PC-based data acquisition system and the WaveBook’s WBK14 8-channel dynamic signal conditioning option. The IOtech system was selected for its ease-of-use and portability. The researchers appreciated the system’s convenient BNC connectors which allowed fast cable connection in the field. The included WaveView Out-of-the-Box software enabled them to quickly view the data in the field before returning to the lab for detailed analysis. The WaveView software also provided a “pre-trigger feature” that triggered acquisition to begin at the time of impact. The complete system was very compact, making it easy to transport to the green. When in the field, the system was powered by a 12V golf-cart battery.