Measure up to 2 load cells or Wheatstone Bridge-based sensors with this input module. Connects to a VINT port.
Bridge-based sensors are are a common type of resistive sensor that produce a very small voltage drop. Load cells, strain gauges, pressure sensors, and piezoelectric sensors are all examples of sensors that usually operate in this way. In order to measure these tiny voltage changes, you need a Wheatstone bridge input. The Wheatstone Bridge Phidget uses a high-resolution ADC to to read up to two of these signals and plugs into any VINT port. See the Connection & Compatibility tab for a list of VINT Hubs.
Accurate and Adjustable
This board is equipped with a 24-bit analog to digital converter, resulting in accurate measurements at resolutions as high as 59.6 µV/V. The bridge gain can be changed in software to 1, 2, 64, or 128, allowing you to get the best resolution for the range of the sensor you use. An error event will be launched whenever the measurement value saturates, so your program can dynamically change the gain when necessary.
Specifications
Board
Controlled By
VINT
Number of Bridge Inputs
2
Bridge Inputs
Bridge Voltage Resolution
59.6 nV/V
Sampling Interval Max
60 s/sample
Sampling Interval Min
20 ms/sample
Bridge Current Max
50 mA
Input Voltage Limit Min
Ground + 0.25V DC
Input Voltage Limit Max
5V Supply - 0.25V DC
Electrical Properties
Current Consumption Min
25 μA
Current Consumption Max
*bridge current plus 1.5 mA
Physical Properties
Recommended Wire Size
16 - 26 AWG
Operating Temperature Min
-40 °C
Operating Temperature Max
85 °C
Note: The extra 1.5mA of current consumption varies depending on the data interval selected. See the technical section of the User Guide for details. Additional gain-sensitive specifications can also be found there.
