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Recent advances in logic array technology and density make it possible to provide
“smart” automatic gain ranging. Simple gain ranging has been feasible for some time.
An example is an amplifier that reduces gain at a specific signal level to prevent
overscale. The 6037’s “smart” gain ranging not only reduces gain but increases it when
the signal is below a specified threshold. Furthermore, the user can program the
signal levels at which to reduce or increase gain for each channel independently and
can program a period of time which the signal must be above or below the threshold
before the gain change takes place. This last feature prevents gain ranging on noise
or transients.
Gain codes for the eight channels on each 6037 are output on two 16-bit “phantom”
channels. By including the “phantom” channels in the Series 6000 scan table, the gain
employed for each data sample is known. PI660 software automatically accounts for
gain ranging in displayed and exported data.
The 6037 is entirely programmable. Software configures it for quarter, half or full bridge
transducer eliminating the usual jumpers, soldering and need for precision bridge
completion resistors. Excitation is programmed in 1-Volt steps from 0 to 12 Volts.
Automatic zero and balance replace the tedious manual adjustments usually
associated with strain gages and bridge transducers. If automatic gain is not
employed, it is programmable from 1 to 5,000 with 0.05% accuracy. A four-pole,
low-pass filter provides bandwidths from 1 Hz to 1 kHz with programmable selection of
filtered or wideband output. End-to-end voltage calibration using a certified standard
provides NIST traceable measurement accuracy.
A 16-bit ADC digitizes the transducer signals at programmable sample rates up to 10K
per channel. Individual sample & hold amplifiers provide 50-nanosecond time
correlation channel to channel. In addition to the digitized output, each channel has a
high-level output for analog monitoring and recording.
Another useful feature is hardware-based limit alarms. Two sets of programmed high
and low alarm levels are monitored for each channel. An alarm violation may be used
to automatically activate digital outputs that can control external equipment or provide
operator warning. Hardware-based alarms provide the fastest means of detecting
conditions that could damage an expensive test article.
A fourteen-inch high, rack-mounting enclosure holds up to 128 channels and with
additional enclosures, a system can be expanded to 4,096 channels. It is available with
IEEE-488, Ethernet or USB 2.0 interface for programming and data output. PI660
Software for Windows supports the 6037 for setup, control and data recording,
distribution and display. An Application Programmers Interface (API) is available for
programming custom application software in Visual Basic, LabVIEW, Excel and other
languages that support DLL calls.
Model 6037 is now available.
Contact
Chris Lloyd
National Sales Manager
(925) 827-9010
clloyd@pacificinstruments.com
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