Product overview and engineering role
The SimtoLink strain and bridge acquisition instrument supplies constant-voltage or constant-current excitation, auto-balance, and temperature-drift compensation for full-bridge and half-bridge strain gauges and load cells. It reports force in engineering units or microstrain. Hopper scales, structural health monitoring (SHM), and extra channels on a test machine are the usual jobs.
Parallel-bridge diagnostics, long-line resistance compensation, and power-frequency rejection are included. USB and Ethernet are the common links. SimtoLink provides gauge-bonding guidance, a shield-wiring sketch, and a suggested calibration-weight chain, so a metrology or civil integrator can get through type approval and a site spot check.
Reliability and field fit
CCC test items that apply to this instrument cover electrical safety and EMC. Ports are protected against surge and reversed polarity. Reinforced grounding and a partitioned layout cut ground-loop and common-mode risk. Outdoor or coastal sites can take a higher ingress rating and a corrosion-resistant coating.
Parameters load in bulk, thresholds can be set, and models that include it store event video or a waveform. Configuration and firmware go out over the air. Site acceptance is a power-on self-test, time sync on the link, and a sample spot check. For metering or safety use, SimtoLink helps with a third-party metrology-institute submission and supplies the type-test file.
Key hardware parameters
Figures below are a typical build of this bridge instrument, for selection and for a tender clause. A wider range, redundant power, or an intrinsically safe version is quoted separately; ask SimtoLink for the hardware specification and the installation and commissioning guide. Order codes in the family can differ slightly. The nameplate and the papers shipped with the instrument govern.
| Parameter | Specification | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Channels | 8 strain | Differential or single-ended, configurable |
| Resolution | 18 bit | No missing codes |
| Sample rate | 1 kS/s | Simultaneous sampling |
| Input range | 0～20mA | Programmable gain |
| Accuracy | ±0.092 %FS | Calibrated at constant temperature |
| Isolation | Non-isolated economy build | Withstand 1kV |
| Clock | GPS/IRIG-B | Sync error <1 μs |
| Communications | USB3.0 | SCPI/Modbus |
| Trigger | Threshold | Pre-trigger depth |
| Power | <32 W | Typical full load |
Typical applications
Three jobs this instrument is usually bought for, so a design and a result can be judged against them:
Hopper scales and batching
Several sensors in parallel, with corner-error correction. This instrument or a PLC reads live weight into a PID batching loop.
Bridge and steel SHM
Stress change and fatigue build-up are watched over a long term, and the record is read with weather and vibration stations.
Spindle and bearing preload tests
Microstrain curves from process development and outgoing inspection are checked against the torque curve.
Installation, grounding, and maintenance
- Confirm the AC supply window and polarity before energizing. If the panel drawing is unclear, measure bus voltage and breaker rating with a multimeter.
- Run the link on shielded twisted pair, ground the shield at one end, and do not bundle it for a long run with high-power cable.
- In the lab, prove bidirectional read and write and a threshold trip against the platform before the instrument moves to the structure.
- An outdoor head needs drainage and a way to breathe. Recheck the seal face. Lightning-protection earth resistance has to meet the local code.
- On a running installation, take a sample spot check and archive the logs every 6 months.
Ordering, documentation, and support
The hardware specification, outline drawings, a wiring table, and an example project are available for this instrument. Volume orders can include a sample review and inspection at the factory. Warranty and calibration follow the contract and the papers packed with the unit.