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1
c is the bridge voltage supply for the WB-IC and
VoaM-so as previously noted, is equal to when the DRM-SO
potentiometric circuit output has been nulled. Thus, as is well
known fora linearized quartrr-bridge configuration:
(5)
and therefore comparing the DR1vt-SG sensitivity, SoaM-So
with that of the WB-IC, Sw
8
1
c. i t is:
P. Cappa et al./ Sensors and Act110tors A 55 ( /996) 173-178
175
:l
7 '...i\
6 \
es '\ r.
'l\
g " \
Lll 3 ', l'
J \
"'\
\
,-
1
,.l
WB rl
l
l
l
-l
l
l
,_,
l
l
-2000 -1000 o 1000
2000 3000
lnput strain [Junlm)
Fig. 2. Non-linearity error for DRM-SG and WB-IC as a functioo of lhe imposed input.
AE/VoaM-so.,.,.,{AE/Vwa-IC)='H' IC
SoaM-SG ARso/Rsot \ARso/Rso. 6oUWII-
(6)
that is, the proposed DRM-SG configuration is intrinsically
linear and, compared to a constant-voltage-supplied WB-IC,
has twice the sensitivity.
3. Test procedure and results
With the aim of evaluating the metrological performance
ofthe DRM-SG circuit, it has been decided to carry out three
different kinds oftests aimed at determining the non-linearity
of tbe calibration curve, the zero-shift and the temperature
coefficient.
As regards the commercially available WB-IC, ti'. has been
decided to utilize a wide-bandwidth strain-gage signal-con-
ditioner integrated circuit. Such an IC supplies the bridge
with a constant voltage and is equipped with an instrumen-
tation amplifier.
Considering medium-sized strain gages with a nominai
resistance of 120 n, applied on a material with agood thermal
conductivity, the value of the electrical current that can ftow
through the transducers without causing noticeable self-heat-
ing phenomena [ 15] has been chosen equalto IO mA. Con-
sequently, on the quoted electrical current, the value of the
voltage supply for the WB-IC is equalto 2.4 V. Il must b,}
underlined that the voltage value obtained in sucb a way turns
out to be lower than the IO V value for wbicb the IC manl-
facturer assures the best metrological performance; the 2.4 V
value is also less than the minimum value, equalto 4 V, for
which the manufacturer suggests the appropriate circuit set-
tings to adopt. Such considerations bave made necessary the
experimental determination of the WB-IC behavior for the
specific voltage supply that bas been chosen. Finally, a board
on wbicb both the DRM-SG and the WB-IC bave been assem-
bled has been realized in such a way as to reasonably consider
a uniform temperature distribution around the ICs.
The sensitivity of the DRM-SG circuit and the WB-IC has
been experimentally assessed by choosing the configuration
witb one active arm and imposng known strain values in the
range 3000 pm m - by means of a Micro Measurements
1550 A Strain Calibrator. The data collected bave confirmed
the double sensitivity of the DRM-SG prototype compared
lo that of the WB-IC (SDRM.so=2.41 mV (pm m-
1
) -,
Swa-IC = I.IOmV (pm m -) -). With the aim ofhighl ;ht-
ing the non-linearity error for the two circuits under
comparison, the data computed from the best straigbt lines
through zero are shown in Fig. 2; t is possible to obse-ve that
in the examined measurement field equalto 3000 pm m -,
the DRM-SG shows an error always between l pm m-
1
,
whereas for the WB-IC the error s included in the range - I
to +9pmm-.
In the zero-shift tests, as well as for the temperature-coef-
ficient evaluation, a constant input has been imposed by util-
izng two 120 n precision resistances from Micro Measure-
ments, specific for strain-gage equipment (temperature coef-
ficient equalto :t: l ppm oc-. stability of25 ppm per year);
furthermore, test-area temperature variations havl" beenmon-
itored with a PtlOO thermometer. The precision resistances
bave been connected on the two active arms for the DRM-
SG and in a half-bridge configuration for the WB-IC. lt was
decided to warm-up the DVMs utilized to measure the two
v out for at least 3 h, whereas, because of the reduced number
of electronic components used, the significant part of the
warm-up transient for the DRM-SG and the WB-IC is limited
to the first 5 min. In the two zero-shift tests, theenvironmental
temperature has been within the l "C interval. Each ofthe
zero-shift tests lasted 60 h and the output of both the DRM-
SG and the WB-IC was acquired every 15 min. The results
of the first zero-shift test are shown in Fig. 3, which shows
that the DRM-SG zero-shift turns out always lower than l
176
-4
40
35
30
e
l25
~ 20
i::
<
5
o
10
e -1o
].
c -20
"i!
u
l-30
~ -40
.so
~ o
20
P. Cappa ~ .. l Sensorsand Actuators A 55 (1996) 173-178
10
20
20 30
Timc[h]
40
Fig. 3. Zero-shift as a function of lime.
40 60 60
Timc[min]
100
Fig. 4. Apparenl sttain as a funclion of lime: hcating test.
40 60 60 100 120 140
Timc[min]
50
180
Fig. S. Apparent sttain as a function oftime: cooling test.
120
180
30
25
60
55
so
45 u
t....
25
30
-5
p.m m-
1
l t is useful to observe that, from the comparative
examination ofthe graphs in Fig. 3, the trend ofthe zero-shift
versus time might be ascribed to the effects induced on the
DRM-SG by the test-area temperature variations. More
specifically, the temperature affects the instrumentation
emplifier IC
3
, see -ig. l, as it is the only element ofthe DRM-
SG circuit for which a sym;:>letrical compensation element is
not present. Such a result, although included within b few p.m
m -, turns out to be more relevant for the WB-IC. The second
zero-shift test has confirmed the results obtained in the first
P. Coppa el al./ SeRSors and Aclllalors A 5S ( 1996) 173-178
177
one; in particular, the effects induced by the environmental
temperature on the WB-IC can be highlighted. Moreover, it
has shown that the DRM-SG has a zero-shift comparable to
thatoftheWB-IC p.mm- comparedto
but it appears to be Iess sensitive to the temperature effects.
To evaluate the temperature coefficient of the DRM-SG,
four tests bave been carried out: two heating tests in the
interval 25-50 C and two cocling ones from 2S down to O
C; for the heating tests a thermal gradient o i ;;; l "C min- l
has been applied, whereas for the cooling or.es the applied
gradient has been 0.4 C min-
1
Tne data bave been
acquired every 15 s, either for the heating or cooling tests.
The results of one heating test are shown in Fig. 4, from which
a mean temperature coefficient can be calculated; for the
DRM-SG it is equa! to p.m m- oc-, wherr.lS forthe
WB-IC a value of p.m m- oc- has been found. The
results relative to one cooling test are given in Fig. 5 and,
even for these tests a significant temperature coefficientequal
to l p.m m-
1
C-
1
has been found for the WB-IC, whereas
for the DRM-SG a value of l p.m m-
1
oc - is confirmed.
From the comparative examination ofthe cooling and heat-
ing tests, a delay ofthe ICs outpu! ,less marked for the cooling
tests, can be observed and seems to be attributable to the
differenl thermal gradient imposed in the cooling tests, which
was 40% of the imposed gradient in the heating tests.
4. Conclusions
From an examination of th, tests carried out in order to
evaluate the metrological performance of a simple and in.:x-
pensive innovative configuration for strain-gage signa! con-
ditioning, the following conclusions can be drawn:
l. An acceptable resolution value ( l p.m m-
1
), a calibra-
tion c"rve tbat can be considered linear (non-linearity
error < l p.m m-
1
in a measurement range of 3000 p.m
m-).
2. The 60 h zero-sbift tests for the DRM-SG bave sbown a
small deviation from the zero ( l p.m m- ! ) ; further-
more, such a value does not seem to be mainly caused by
the variations of test-area temperature, whicb has been
kept constant for the experimental set-up within l C.
3. The temperature-coefficient evaluation tests of the pro-
posed circuit bave therefore higblighted wbat bas previ-
ously been observed, or rather tbe small influence of the
effects induced by temperature on the realized DRM-SG
the temperature coefficient bas been evaluated
to be <1).1 p.m m- oc-.
References
(l] E.J. Nelson, C.D. Sikorra and J.L. Howard, Measuring strain gages
direclly wilhoul signal condilioning. Exp. Techniques, 7 ( 1983) 26-
28.
(2] L. W. Zscbary, K.G. M<:Connellmd N. T. Younis. Accoua1i11g l'or lead
wiJe resistance chmlges md loss of zero iB kmc-term suain
measumnen!S, Sac. E:rp. Mechanks Spring Omf. Exp. Meclwlics.
Albuquerque. NM. USA. U .filM, 1990. pp. 201-204.
(3] P. Cappa. K.G. McConnellmd L.W. 7ac:bary, Zero-sllifl values of
automati<: ar,d il:expensive stnWI gage iiiSinlmenwion syseems, Exp.
Mechllnics, 31 (1991) 88-92.
( 4] P. Cappa. A comparative examilllllioo of IIUtOmati<: sequential direct
systems for strain-gage dala o:eadin&s based OD a low-cost switch-
cootrol tmil. Exp. Techniques. 13 ( 1989) 13-15.
[S] P. Cappa. Umits of stability of IDCIOCIIIIIpll-col!lrolled sca1111iag
systems for strain gage dala readings. E::p. Mec'-ic.. 30 (1990)
300-303.
(6] M. Kreuzer. Comparillg lhe effecl of llllld md Vll
voltage- md current-fed suain-pge circuits. Reporrs Applied Meas ..
l ( 1985) 12-16.
(7] M. Kreuzer, How to avoid enms caused by beat dfects iB strain gage
measumneniS wheo usiag scanniag UIIIS. Proc. VllltA lnt. Omf.
Experimenlal Strm Analysis. Amsterdam. 1M Nerherlmttls. 12-16
May. 1986. pp. 455-464.
(8] WJ. Versel. Compen.<l&lion of leadwire effects willl resislive
straingauges in multi-cbannel suaingauge nstrumenwion, Proc.
VII/rh lm. Conf ExfHrimental Stress Analysis, At:IS1erdam. 1M
12-16 May. /986, pp. 455-464.
[9) B.G. Mahrenbolz. An improved strain-gage signal COIIditioner for
d)'lllllllil: stress measurement. !SA Proc. 37th /nt. IIIStrllmerltslion
Symp .. San Viego, CA. USA. S-9 May 199l, pp. IIIS-1129.
(IO] P. Cappa md Z. Del Prete. An experimenlal anal)'SIS of accuracy md
precision of a bigli speed strain gage system based on lhe direct
resistance rnelhod. Exp. Mechllnics, 32 ( 1992) 78-82.
(11) P. Cappa.Z. Del Prete. K.G. McConncllmdL.W. Zachary,Zero-sllift
evaluation of autumalic strain gage systems based OD direct md
reverse-current method. Exp. Mec'-ics, 33 ( 1993) 293-299.
( 12] LJ.M. Joosten, A hybrid signal COIIditioner l'or measuriag small
resistance varialioos. in applil:alion ofmeasuring crack-length iB meta!
plale unch:r faligue - Uve testing, Colloq. /m. Ekctroniq11e MeSKre
(lnt. Conf Ekctronics Measuremenrs). Paris, France, 26-30 May.
1975. p. 634.
( 13] P. Sente, M. Deladriere md H. Buyse. A 'smart' digilal signal
condiliooer for suain gage bridge 5e1ISOIS, IMEKO TC-4 TeC::.
Comminee on Measurement of Eleclrical Quantiries, lnt. Symp.
lnrelligent lnstrumenrarion for Remote and On-site Measurements,
Brussels, Belgium. 12-13 May. 1993, pp. 188-191.
( 14] J.W. r,111ly md W.F. Riley, Experimental Stress Analysis, McGraw
Hill, New York/Kogakusha. Tokyo. 1978. pp. 243-248.
( 15] Oprniz.arion strain gage e.tcitarion kvels, TN-502. Measurement
Gr,)Up lnc., Raleigh. NC, USA, 1979.
Biographies
P. Cappa was bom in Rome, Italy, in 1956. He receiveda
degree in mecbanical engineering with bonours from the Uni-
versity of Rome La Sapienza in 1980. In the same year he
joined the Mechanical and Aeronautica! Department of the
Faculty of Engineering, University of Rome La Sapienza as
assistant professar. Since 1990 he has been an associate pro-
fessor of sensors and transducers al the University of Rome
La Sapienza. His current interests are innovative trans-
ducers, automatic data-acquisition systems, and biomedical
instrumentation.
178 P. Cappa et al. l Sensors and Actuators A 55 ( 1996) 173-178
Z. Del Prete, bom in 1963, graduated in mechanical engi-
neering within an instrumentation course in 1990 at the Uni-
versity of Rome La Sapienza. He joined the Mechanical and
Aeronautica! Department as an assi: lnt professor in 1992.
His mai n interests in the mechanical field include strain meas-
urement, fatigue test methods, automatic data-acquisition
systems, and biomedica! instrumentation.
F. Marinozzi was bom in Rome, Italy, in 1964. He
graduated in electronics engineering in 1991 at the
University of Rome La Sapienza. He is a doctoral student
in mechanical measurements for engineering. His cur-
rent main research activity involves high-precision
stress-strain measurements with traditional and optical
techniques.