Conditioning amplifier transforms a strain gauge device into a digital strain transducer now available with fieldbus capabilities
The Canopen interface is a fieldnet bus which allows easy, rapid and reliable communications and has very flexible configuration capabilities.
Although originally developed for motion-oriented machine control networks, such as handling systems, it is now used in many applications including medical equipment, off-road vehicles, maritime electronics, public transportation, building and factory automation, industrial machine control, lifts and escalators, and for non-industrial control.
Canopen is a high-level adaptation of the CAN (controller area network) protocol, which was developed in the early 1980s for automotive applications.
The DCell is a digital conditioning amplifier for strain gauge based sensors such as load cells and pressure transducers.
Designed using state-of-the-art surface-mount technology as a cylindrical 'puck' to enable fitting into a typical strain gauge pocket, the DCell, with just the addition of a suitable power source, allows the strain gauge device to be connected directly to a computer-based system.
The new generation DCell allows data to be read at speeds of up to 500 readings a second, with accuracies to 1 part in 400,000 and baud rates to 230,400.
It is available in high stability and industrial stability versions, it has built-in peak and trough recording, a programmable dynamic filter, remote shunt calibration and real mV/V calibration, reverse polarity protection, optional temperature sensing, seven-point linearisation, continuous auto-zero operation, and many other advanced features.
Richard Carter, Celsum's marketing manager, says: "The DCell is a very powerful conditioning amplifier which transforms a strain gauge device into a digital strain transducer.
"The availability of the Canopen communications option, in addition to the RS232, RS485 and Modbus options, offer the user maximum flexibility in their system design.
"The DCell is competitively priced and has many application both with OEM users for for R and D projects."
