Advanced Pulser Charging and Pressure Control System for TNO developed by Carya Automatisering

As an official NI distributor, CN Rood works with NI system integrators to create complete solutions together. In this case, we tell you how Carya Automatisering developed a solution for TNO’s Laboratory for Ballistics Research. The challenge for Carya, a team of passionate engineers, was to improve operational safety, but also to significantly increase the reliability and precision of TNO’s high-energy experiments. In this case study, we will discuss the challenge, the solution, the NI products used and the collaboration with CN Rood.

TNO Ballistic Research Lab: Enabling Innovation in Protection and Certification

TNO’s Laboratory for Ballistics Research is a world-renowned facility that provides enabling technologies for defense, safety, and security applications. The lab plays a vital role in testing and certifying products and materials used in ballistic protection — offering services to government agencies, NATO partners, and industry clients around the world.

A unique capability of the lab is its use of multiple high-voltage X-ray pulsers (up to 1200 kV). This setup allows researchers to record what happens inside materials during ballistic events — revealing behavior that would otherwise be obscured by smoke, debris, or lighting conditions. With exposure times of 20 or 30 ns, depending of the used system, TNO can capture the exact moment a projectile impacts and interacts with protective material. These insights are critical to the development of more effective armor systems and safer defense solutions.

This high-precision environment demands equally advanced support systems — which is where Carya Automatisering’s expertise became essential.

The Challenge: Precision and Control in a Hazardous Environment

TNO’s original Pulser Charging System lacked precise control and remote operation capabilities, creating inefficiencies and limiting experimental accuracy. Operators had to manually regulate the pulser pressure and high-voltage charging, leave the room, and operate blindly from a remote control room — increasing the risk of pulser malfunction and unsuccessful test recordings.

TNO needed a robust, safe, and remotely manageable solution to monitor and control both pressure and charging state — a system that would allow for more consistent and accurate experiments, even under extreme conditions.

The Solution: A Mobile, Fully Integrated Monitoring and Control Platform

Carya Automatisering delivered a custom-built, mobile solution housed in 19″ racks. This platform can manage up to six pulsers, regulating their pressure and charging them using a 50kV high-voltage power supply and logs the use of the individual pulsers. It features hardware-based safety interlocks and a re-used Crowbar system for safe discharge.

Key features include:

• Remote and local control access via a custom-built LabVIEW application
• Ethernet-based communication with NI hardware
• Modular rack architecture for pressure regulation and system control
• Built-in provisions for future upgrades such as automated pressure-voltage calibration curves

“This was a complex integration challenge,” says André Buurman of Carya. “But we engineered a reliable, scalable system that operates safely in a high-stakes environment.”

NI (National Instruments) Products: The Heart of Reliable Control

Carya selected the NI cRIO-9053 as the central controller, chosen for its rugged design, flexibility, and compatibility with a wide range of external components. Its real-time processing capabilities made it ideal for managing the interlock system during high-voltage operations.

The custom LabVIEW interface allows operators to monitor and control the system from anywhere, greatly increasing flexibility and safety. The Ethernet-based architecture enables remote operation from within the control room — a key requirement for TNO.

Strong Partnerships: CN Rood and Carya Automatisering

As a trusted NI integrator, Carya works closely with CN Rood to select, integrate, and support the right NI tools for each project. CN Rood played a key role in identifying this opportunity by connecting TNO with Carya, and continued to provide technical support throughout the project.

“Even though CN Rood couldn’t supply the high-voltage source in this case, they helped us find an alternative and never stepped away from the challenge,” André Buurman explains. “The collaboration with CN Rood has been excellent — they think beyond hardware and contribute to the bigger solution.”

What’s Next?

The system has already been designed with future enhancements in mind. One of the key upcoming features is the ability to automatically generate pressure-voltage calibration curves, which will fine-tune the operational window of each pulser for even more accurate and controlled discharges.

This forward-thinking approach ensures the solution will continue to evolve with TNO’s needs — enabling more reliable data capture and even safer experiments.

Conclusion

This project is a prime example of what happens when domain expertise, advanced technology, and trusted partnerships come together. CN Rood is proud to support integrators like Carya Automatisering in delivering innovative, field-ready solutions that enable organizations like TNO to push the boundaries of research and safety.