How to connect an Omega Pressure transducer to a SCXI-1520 module?

[brezi80]

Hi. I'm new to DAQ. I have a SCXI-1000DC with an USB interface (SCXI-1600) that I've been using to read from strain gages through a SCXI-1520 module (with 1314 terminal block). I heard a pressure sensor is basically a pair of strain gages. I bought an omega PX309-015GV pressure sensor ( http://www.omega.com/ppt/pptsc.asp?ref=PX309-100mv&Nav=preb02 ) but I've been unable to connect it. I have no idea what quarter bridge of full bridge means, I've been looking at the 1520 manual, but everything is for strain gages, not for transducers.

Any help how to wire it and set it up in the DAQ-mx (MAX)?

Thank you,
Luis.

[Nick_F1]

Hi Luis,

Thank you for posting on the National Instruments forums.

If you look at the Spec Sheet for the transducer, which you can find here:  PX309 Series you can see that the transducer has 4 main pins.  Excitation (+), Excitation (-), Output (+) and Output (-).  Basically what you need to do is to send the correct excitation voltage (according to the spec sheet) depending on what kind of reading you would like to take, and then measure the voltage or current from the transducer.  That measurement will correspond to a pressure which, I imagine, would be in the manual that came with the sensor. 

One thing you can do is to create a custom scale to make the voltages easier to read.  You can do this in the Measurement and Automation Explorer (MAX).  You can then take that scale and apply it to a task you create in MAX so that the output you see is the scaled data instead of the raw voltages. 

If you need more information on scaling and tasks, you can go to www.ni.com and type in search terms in the top right.  It will come up with several knowledgebase articles or Developer Zone articles to help you out.

I hope this was helpful.