A digital strain-gauge amplifier from Aptifirst is being used to help sports scientists and technologists to optimise the performance of England's Olympic teams.
The DSCUSB amplifier, being used by both the Sports Technology Institute at Loughborough University and the English Institute for Sport, allows strain-gauge devices to be connected directly to a computer via a USB port and is available in a cased and an uncased version.
The uncased version has the benefit of being very light in weight and is suitable for fixing to the body of an athlete to monitor forces during their exertions.
The DSCUSB is a combined miniature precision strain-gauge conditioning amplifier and an analogue-to-digital converter with a USB serial interface.
It has five-point temperature compensation and seven-point transducer linearisation algorithms, all available via the comm port.
The strain gauge, load cell, pressure transducer and torque sensor may be programmed to produce an output in engineering units; real mV/V calibration may be applied.
The DSCUSB also features an onboard shunt calibration resistor.
The resolution is selectable to one part in 66,000 and may be programmed to take up to 500 points per second, with programmable peak-and-trough recording built in.
According to Roy Carter, Aptifirst's senior partner, the DSCUSB complements the company's range of analogue and digital strain-gauge conditioning electronics and controllers.
'It has many applications, including, as here, laboratory research and development, quality control, weighing, troubleshooting, process monitoring and manufacturing control,' he added.
