The advantages of potentiometric travel and angle measurement are well known to its users for long times: good accuracy, very high resolution and reproducability, long life time and especially the easy and uncomplicated utilisation. This allows even not unstudied service staff to conduct a functional analysis using a simple Multimeter.
However, during the connection of a potentiometer, certain things have to be observed, if the potentiometer shall take maximum use of ist unique properties:
On the one hand, the potentiometer shall be supplied with a constant voltage, on the other hand, the signal pickup has to be very high ohmic. Apart from the availability of high ohmic signal inputs, such small signals generally are liable to be disturbed if the signal path is across longer lengthes. Additionally, it happens quite often that the actual length or angle of the transducer is much larger than the travel or angle actually used in the application.
To disburden the user from the potential necessitiy of purchasing extra hardware for this, Novotechnik already offers signal conditioners that exactly do the jobs described above: generally, uncomplicated connection of a potentiometer and the possibility to redefine the output slope in order to adopt it to the actual travel or angle.
To perform the redefinition of the output slope much easier as before, Novotechnik has developed a new signal conditioning unit that – by usage of state of the art components – strongly eases the Teach-In of a nominal slope.
The 2-points Teach-In of the nominal slope is done easliy by using 2 Buttons to teach the respective set point. The Teach-In can be inhibited by a switch to avoid erratic overwriting of teached data. Additionally, the device incorporates both voltage and current output, user selectable by another switch.
Conclusion: The new MUP400 is in conjunction with a potentiometer ideally suited for measurement tasks where a standard interface is needed and easy installation is desired and high accuracy at a reasoable system cost has to be fulfilled.