USB high-accuracy digital signal conditioning amplifier for strain gauge devices

The DSCUSB is configured and data is acquired by the supplied Instrument Explorer software, or via your own code module written in applications such as Visual Basic, C++ and LabView. Thus data manipulation is possible without the need for amplifiers, filters & multimeters. No additional power supply is required. Ideal for a 1:1 interface, multiple DSCUSBs may be connected to on USB port by using a suitable hub. A choice of ASCII, MODBUS RTU, and MANTRABUS protocols is available.

The DSCUSB requires a full-bridge strain gauge, that is, four individual strain gauges arranged in a square Wheatstone Bridge formation. A stable excitation voltage (5V DC is supplied by the DSCUSB from the USB port) is applied across two opposite corners of the bridge, and the output signal taken from the remaining two corners. The instrument may be used with single and dual strain gauges provided that the remainder of the bridge is provided using dummy precision resistors.

A PCB version of the DSCUSB, with solder-pad connections, is available, and also the DSJ2, for mounting the DSCUSB PCB with easy-connect screw terminals.

Roy Carter, Managing Director of Celsum Technologies, said, The DSCUSB is a welcome addition to our range of instrumentation. Many computers these days are supplied with USB ports but not 9-pin serial ports. With the supplied DSC Toolkit version of Instrument Explorer, an application can be up and running very quickly indeed. The software can display the data from the strain gauge in real time, and can save the data to a 'csv' file that can be read by applications such as Microsoft Excel®. Alternatively, it is easy for a skilled programmer to write a code segment to read, display and save the data in common applications such as Visual Basic, C++ and LabView. The DSCUSB is ideal for laboratory applications, field trials, process condition monitoring, test rigs, weighing applications, safety systems and prototypes.