Charge and Capacitive Signal Conditioners

Charge and capacitive signal conditioning modules or systems amplify, attenuate, filter and/or convert a charge signal from an accelerometer, load cell, pressure transducer, displacement transducer or other type of capacitive sensor. Accelerometers are sensors and instruments for measuring, displaying and analyzing acceleration and vibration of a body. Accelerometers can be used on a stand-alone basis, or in conjunction with a data acquisition system. The most common types of accelerometers are piezoelectric, capacitance, null-balance, strain gage, resonance, piezoresistive, and magnetic induction. Charge and capacitive signal conditioning can be subdivided into two parts: charge conditioning and capacitive signal conditioning. Charge conditioning is used for piezoelectric transducers such as charge accelerometers, force transducers, impact hammers, and hydrophones. A capacitive signal conditioner provides excitation power for capacitive accelerometers and prepares their measurement signals for readout, recording, and data acquisition. A capacitive signal conditioner is available in portable, benchtop, modular, and rack-mount styles. Battery and optional dc-power supplies units of a capacitive signal conditioner are suited for in-vehicle applications or remote testing environments. High performance charge and capacitive signal conditioning has always been the foundation for recorders and data acquisition systems.

Charge and capacitive signal conditioning modules measures a wide range of physical, electromechanical, and electrical parameters. Charge and capacitive signal conditioning has up to 32 channels per amplifier. Attenuators are circuits that reduce the power level of a signal by a certain amount (gain) with little or no reflection. Attenuators reduce output signal power relative to input signal power by a fixed amount over a specified bandwidth while the input and output impedances are kept close to the nominal level, usually 50 or 75 W. Capacitance sensors are the non-metrology system of choice for the most demanding precision positioning and scanning applications. Capacitance sensors measure the distance between their front face and the target without touching the target and have a temperature rating of 200ºF (-130ºC) to 400ºF (205ºC), accuracy± 0.1%, or better, of range when calibrated to a known standard and pressure rating standard of 200psig. Charge output sensors attach directly to input of readout instruments to eliminate potentially troublesome high-amplitude resonance peaks. Charge output sensors provide 12 dB / octave or 40 dB / decade roll-off for attenuating high frequency, high-amplitude signals associated with structural resonance. Accelerometers accommodate transducers with sensitivities from 50 to 150 mV/g, and provides a +24V excitation supply for transducers with integral electronics signals. Charge and capacitive signal conditioning modules demands flexibility along with accurate, continuous, non-interrupted data monitoring, recording, and analysis in a standardized environment.

Charge and capacitive signal conditioning modules are used in many different applications. Examples include their use in research, development, and production. A capacitive signal conditioner is ideal for in-vehicular application or remote testing environments where AC power may be unavailable. Accelerometers are used for monitoring machinery vibration. Charge and capacitive signal conditioning is used in signal filters, instrument amplifiers, sample-and-hold amplifiers, isolation amplifiers, signal isolators, multiplexers, bridge conditioners, analog-to-digital converters, digital-to-analog converters, frequency converters or translators, voltage converters or inverters, frequency-to-voltage converters, voltage-to-frequency converters, current-to-voltage converters, current loop converters, and charge converters. Charge and capacitive signal conditioning modules should adhere to ISO 9001 and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standards.

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