NASA Technical Reports Server (NASA) · 1995 · 11 citations · 1 references
EngineeringAerospace EngineeringElectrical EngineeringAnalog ElectronicsCircuit TheoryInstrumentationAnalog InstrumentationCurrent Measurement InstrumentsSensor Signal ConditioningSignal ConditioningStrain MeasurementStrain SensorsAnalog Signal ConditioningBridge Sensor Signal ConditioningBridge Signal ConditioningData ChannelsMechanical TransducersSensor Bridge CircuitsStrain Gauge SensorsWheatstone Bridge Measurement
Current loop circuitry replaced Wheatstone bridge circuitry to signal-condition strain gage transducers in more than 350 data channels for two different test programs at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center. The uncorrected test data from current loop circuitry had a lower noise level than data from comparable Wheatstone bridge circuitry, were linear with respect to gage-resistance change, and were uninfluenced by varying lead-wire resistance. The current loop channels were easier for the technicians to set up, verify, and operate than equivalent Wheatstone bridge channels. Design choices and circuit details are presented in this paper in addition to operational experience.
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