Single Channel Instrument Amplifier

Single Channel Instrument Amplifier for
Load Cells and Pressure Transducers

A simple yet sophisticated amplifier for millivolt load cells and pressure transducers.

Perfect for 2 and 3 mV/V load cells and transducers

FEATURES:

• Precision design and quality construction.
• Versatile and completely adjustable, customize your gain, balance, and offset to your specific needs.
• High Quality Euro style screw terminals for input, output, and power.
• Excellent front end for popular data acquisition (DAQ) modules such as Dataq and many others.
• Bipolar output for full +/- 10 volt swing to input of DAQ module resulting in maximum DAQ resolution.
• Eliminates need to modify DAQ for single ended or half resolution operation. +/- 9 volt to +/- 12 volt DC power.
• Low power consumption, suitable for short term battery operation, 20 to 30 mA typical.
• Configurable for full bridge or half bridge operation, half bridge operation includes a zero balance adjustment.
• Half bridge configuration is handy for basic “home brew” two element load cells and for connection to low cost, three wire bathroom scale cantilever mounted strain gauges.
• Stable when driving high capacitance long coaxial or shielded output cable. Internal precision 5 volt reference source for driving half or full bridge load cells and pressure transducers.
• Configurable for popular 100 millivolt, 4 wire pressure transducers.
• 500 Hz bandwidth typical for load cells and pressure transducers.
• Output noise of 1.3 mV rms typical for load cell configuration.
• Output short circuit protected.

NON FEATURES:

• LCA-1 is not reverse power polarity protected so don't apply reverse polarity power and expect your amplifier to behave well ever again.
• LCA-1 is a very sensitive device, strong RF fields (like from a close proximity 2 meter handy talkie) will cause undesired misbehavior.
• LCA-1 is designed using electrostatic sensitive components.
• Exposure to ESD may damage or degrade functionality so please follow proper and customary ESD practice when handling the bare PWA.
• LCA-1 has limited input protection, inputs must never exceed voltages higher than 20 volts above positive supply or lower than 20 volts below negative supply.
• LCA-1 will not tolerate corrosive deposits, so it must be protected from all corrosive environments, in particular, the exhaust plume from rocket motors under test.
• It is recommended to apply input voltages concurrently or after power up, it is not suggested to apply voltage to inputs before power up.
• Using the internal 5 volt reference is preferable to ensure that input voltage is not present prior to power up.