A numerical comparison of real-time phase-shifting algorithms

Among data acquisition techniques in digital photoelasticity, the integrated phase shifting technique (IPST) can real-time analyze the photoelastic parameters at a video rate of the high speed CCD camera. In this paper, fourteen algorithms are described by different configurations of the rotating an analyzer at a constant rate and an output quarter-wave plate at another constant rate. The theoretical comparisons of the algorithms are given by the simulated phase distributions of the isochromatic and isoclinic parameters of the disk under two cases that the load keeps unchangeable or linear increasing in exposure time of the camera. Then a guideline is given to alleviate the influence of the load changing with time on the IPST. (C) 2003 Published by Elsevier Ltd.