Manufacturer we represent

Mars Labs in the Southeast

US-built Titan data acquisition systems for vehicle durability, NVH and rugged field testing.

Headquarters: Laurel, MD
Founded: 1999
Coverage: All Vaughn territories

About Mars Labs

Mars Labs, LLC is a data acquisition (DAQ) manufacturer in Laurel, Maryland. Since 1999 it has designed and built rugged, portable measurement systems for test engineers who need reliable data from vehicles, structures and machines. Its core product is the Titan platform, which the company designs and builds in the US under the technical direction of president Ernie Falcone.

What Mars Labs makes

Titan is a family of compact 16-channel input modules that can record on their own to SD cards or connect into large, synchronized multi-module systems. The key idea is universal signal conditioning: one module can accept strain gauges and load cells, accelerometers, ICP/IEPE sensors, voltage signals, thermocouples and tachometer inputs, so a single unit can replace several single-purpose conditioners.

Digital pods and expansion cards add vehicle network and motion data, including CAN and CAN FD, SAE J1939, GPS, IMU, quadrature encoder and wheel force transducer inputs, all time-aligned with the analog channels. For larger test articles, CPU channel expanders link modules over CAT6 cables that carry power, communication and synchronization together, which keeps wiring manageable on high-channel-count installations.

Titan Control Software (TCS) handles sensor setup, calibration, live display and recording, and it exports to RPC III, MATLAB, HDF5, WAV and CSV. Mars Labs also offers calibration and repair, consulting and custom engineering. Published examples of its work include durability, fatigue and NVH testing for Ford Motor Company and a high-channel-count system for a US Army heavy-vehicle program.

Why engineers specify Mars Labs

Fewer boxes in the vehicle. Universal inputs mean a mixed sensor set can run on one 16-channel module.
Same hardware, any scale. Modules work stand-alone for small tests and as part of multi-hundred-channel systems for large ones.
Built for field power. A wide 11–32 VDC input and roughly 3 W base draw suit in-vehicle testing on vehicle or battery power.
Durability workflow fit. Native RPC III export feeds road-simulation and fatigue analysis tools directly.
Direct engineering access. A small US engineering team supports custom cabling, panels and expanders when a program needs them.

Local support from Vaughn Associates

Vaughn Associates represents Mars Labs across all of its Southeast territories. Titan fits the region’s automotive corridor, where OEMs and suppliers run durability and NVH programs, as well as aerospace and defense test organizations around Huntsville and university research labs throughout the Southeast.

Our sales engineers help you translate a test plan into a Titan configuration: channel count, sensor types and connectors, sample rates, digital inputs, recording mode and in-vehicle power. We coordinate quotes and technical questions with Mars Labs, help arrange demonstrations where available and follow up once the system is in use. Systems are typically purchased directly from Mars Labs.

Download the Mars Labs profile above, explore our data acquisition systems overview and noise and vibration analysis pages, request help through /for-engineers/, or find your local rep.

One 16-channel module reads bridge, IEPE, thermocouple, voltage and tach inputs

Runs stand-alone on an SD card or as a synchronized multi-module system

A single CAT6 cable carries power, data and sync to each module

About 3 W base power draw on 11–32 VDC for in-vehicle use

Designed and built in the US, with native RPC III export

Product lines

What Mars Labs makes — product categories we can help you specify.

Titan universal input modules

Stand-alone 16-channel recorders that accept a wide mix of analog sensors on every channel and log to an SD card or directly to a PC. Each has 24-bit conversion, programmable per-channel excitation and on-board bridge completion.

CMS16
BMS16
BSG16
BMS16HCx

Bridge, thermocouple and ICP input modules

Modules focused on a narrower sensor set, connector style or footprint for tests that do not need the full universal module.

CDF16
ADF16
TCx16
CAI16

Digital pods

Digital input devices that record CAN and CAN FD, SAE J1939, GPS, IMU, encoder and wheel force transducer data in sync with Titan analog channels.

EDP09
Digital expansion cards for BMS16 and CMS16

Analog output modules

Analog output hardware that plays back or passes measured signals through to lab equipment, controllers or road-simulation rigs.

DAC16
Internal DAC card

Titan CPU channel expanders

Hubs that combine several input modules into one synchronized system over CAT6 cables carrying power, communication and sync, with stand-alone or TCP/IP remote operation.

CPU04
CPU08
CPU12
CPX08

High-speed channel expanders

Expanders for higher aggregate sample rates, with synchronization distributed separately from data and internal memory on the CML04.

CML04
CMX04

In-vehicle accessories

Displays, gateways, sensors and power accessories that make unattended field and in-vehicle testing easier.

PTC04 in-vehicle display
Mini-CPU Ethernet gateway
TEI-01 quadrature encoder interface
GPS sensor
IMU sensor
Battery backup

Titan Control Software (TCS)

Software for setting up, controlling, viewing and storing data from all Titan hardware, with a sensor database, balance and calibration tools, an API and export to common analysis formats.

Calibration, repair and custom engineering

Factory calibration and repair through an RMA process, plus consulting and custom hardware, cabling and interface design for specific test programs.

RMA calibration and repair
Custom adapter panels and cabling

Applications

Durability and fatigue testing
Road-load data acquisition
NVH and acoustics
Ride quality and vehicle dynamics
Engine and drivetrain measurement
Multi-point thermocouple surveys
Military and heavy vehicle testing
Road-simulation rig integration
Structural strain and shock measurement

FAQ

Common questions about Mars Labs

What sensors can a Mars Labs Titan input module read?

Universal Titan modules such as the BMS16 and CMS16 are configured in software channel by channel. Each channel can read full-, half- or quarter-bridge strain gauges and load cells, accelerometers, 2.5 mA ICP/IEPE sensors, voltages up to ±32 V, J, K or T thermocouples, and tachometer or totalizer pulses. Programmable excitation and on-board bridge completion let you mix sensor types without external signal conditioners.

How many channels can a Mars Labs Titan data acquisition system scale to?

A single Titan input module provides 16 analog channels plus digital inputs. CPU channel expanders combine modules: the CPU04, CPU08 and CPU12 support 64, 128 and 192 analog channels. A CPX08 links three 8-port CPUs for up to 384 channels, and the CML04 and CMX04 pair reaches 256. Mars Labs has also built a 20-port, 320-channel CPU20 for a US Army program.

Can Titan record CAN bus, J1939 and GPS data in sync with strain and acceleration channels?

Yes. Digital expansion cards and the EDP09 digital pod add CAN and CAN FD inputs with SAE J1939 and ISO 15765 decoding, along with GPS/GNSS receivers, a LORD MicroStrain IMU, quadrature encoders and Kistler or Michigan Scientific wheel force transducers. Mars Labs states that digital data is synchronized with analog channels to within one millisecond or one scan period.

Which file formats does Titan Control Software export for durability and NVH analysis?

TCS exports recorded data to RPC III, MATLAB, HDF5, WAV, CSV and TSV. RPC III supports road-load data and drive files for servo-hydraulic road simulators, MATLAB and HDF5 suit custom scripting and large datasets, and WAV works with acoustic and NVH tools. TCS also provides an API for integrating Titan control and data into custom or third-party test software.

Can a Titan data logger run in a vehicle without a laptop connected?

Yes. Titan input modules record directly to an on-board SD card, and the CMS16 ships with a 32 GB card. The modules run on 11–32 VDC vehicle or battery power and draw about 3 W before sensor loads. An optional PTC04 in-vehicle display shows record time and run count, and a battery backup accessory rides through power interruptions during unattended tests.

Who represents Mars Labs data acquisition systems in the Southeast?

Vaughn Associates, an independent manufacturer's representative headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama, represents Mars Labs across all of its territories: Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. Vaughn's sales engineers help size Titan systems to your channel count and sensor mix and coordinate quotes and technical questions with Mars Labs engineers.

Local support

Territory map