Support Tips
Our Support Tips section allows you to view answers to some of our most commonly asked technical questions. Questions and answers are categorized by product for easy identification. If after reading through these tips, you do not find the answer to your question, please contact us or submit a support request and we will assist you promptly.
eDAQ
If you want to measure the current flowing through an electrical load, we highly recommend using a non-contact probe or pick-up*.
Another method of measuring current is illustrated below. By measuring the voltage drop across a resistor (shunt) that is in series with the electrical load you can determine the current through the resistor which is equal to the electrical load current.
For TCE calibration use defined value and defined span. Defined value will be zero volts equals zero Amps. The Defined span can be determined by using the mV/Amp rating of the current shunt or by using Ohm's Law (I=E/R).
DO NOT Install a resistive shunt on the power supply side of the electrical load being measured (see the second circular diagram). Doing so may cause damage to the Low Level layer, the eDAQ or both.
Make sure all connections to the current shunt are tight and a large enough conductor, for the given application, is used between the shunt and ground. failure to do so, could cause unwanted current through the eDAQ's ground tap or printed wire board.
*Current probe vendors include:
If you want to measure the current flowing through an electrical load, we highly recommend using a non-contact probe or pick-up*.
Another method of measuring current is illustrated below. By measuring the Voltage drop across a Resistor (shunt) that is in series with the electrical load you can determine the current through the resistor which is equal to the electrical load current.
For TCE calibration use defined value and defined span. Defined value will be zero volts equals zero amps. The defined span can be determined by using the mV/Amp rating of the current shunt or by using Ohm’s Law (I=E/R).
DO NOT install a resistive shunt on the power supply side of the electrical load being measured (see second circular diagram). Doing so may cause damage to the HLSS layer, the eDAQ or both.
Make sure all connections to the current shunt are tight and a large enough conductor, for the given application, is used between the shunt and ground. Failure to do so, could cause unwanted current through the eDAQ’s ground tap or HLSS layer.
*Current probe vendors include:
The Wiring described is for an un-conditioned 3-wire potentiometer. This wiring diagram can be used with any simple potentiometer, string pot, angular or linear displacement potentiometer.
It does not apply to yoyo or displacement type transducers that have conditioned outputs, such as, 4 to 20 mA or 0 to 5 Volt output.
For your potentiometer based transducer, use 5 or 10 Volt excitation and wire as illustrated. When using 10 Volt excitation, the resistance of the potentiometer must be greater than 350 Ohms. The Bridge Board and LLB provide Bi-polar excitation which means that the output of the Potentiometer will be around zero Volts when the pot's wiper is centered and the signal should swing close to the excitation voltage rails.
In TCE for the Bridge Type use "Diff Ampl". Although the pot is a resistive device, DO NOT use Bridge Types of Full or Half Bridge.
For calibration in TCE the best method of calibration is use sensitivity readings from the manufactures calibration data sheet. The first entry into the LLB or BB calibration table could be an external value (typically zero) and the second entry a Defined Span from the manufacture's data sheet. If sensitivity data is not available, You can enter External Value and External Span in the calibration table. Again the first External Value calibration point will be zero. The External Span will require applying two known and precise displacement points (span) when prompted by TCE during the calibration process.
There is a limit of 2 Pulse Counter Channels per Digital Input Connector and a limit of 4 Digital Inputs per Connector. Input bits that are defined as Pulse Counter inputs can also be defined as Digital Inputs. Connectors labeled 1-4 and 5-8 can be defined as and have up to 4 gated outputs per connector. Connectors labeled 9-12 are Input only.
Currently the TCE Help is the most up to date reference for wiring diagrams, cable pin assignments and cable color codes.
The Bridge Board and Low Level Board use the same wiring convention for full- and half-bridge configurations only.
Quarter-bridge configurations use different color codes.
The Low Level Board offers 6-wire shunt calibration, the Bridge Board does not.
See TCE Help for pin assignment and color codes for the Low Level and Bridge Boards.
The eDAQ bridge boards, ELBRG and EBRG, were designed to be used with resistive-, quarter-, half- and full-bridge transducers that have a DC resistances of 120 Ohms or greater. For quarter-bridge, strain gage configurations, the bridge board type of 120 or 350 must match the resistance of the strain gage being measured.
The bridge board can also be used with conditioned transducers that have outputs of less than +/- 10 Volts and are powered by an external power source.
For conditioned transducers a bridge board channel can provide power or excitation to a transducer in a couple of ways. One is a 5.0 Volt single ended power source which can supply a maximum of 50 mA of current. Or, a 10 Volt Bi-polar Excitation (+/- 5.0 Volts) at maximum of 50 mA can be selected.
Always check with the transducer manufacturer or manufacture data sheet before applying power to a transducer. If you have any questions about connecting a transducer to a bridge board channel, you can get help by contacting SoMat Support directly at support@somat.com or via phone at (217) 328-5359, Ext. 59. Please be prepared to email a manufactures data sheet or have the manufacture and model number available.
When you purchased your eDAQ or eDAQ-lite, you likely had an application in mind. If your test has grown or if you have a new application in mind or you simply want to know how to apply a particular transducer, you can get help by contacting SoMat Support directly at support@somat.com or via phone at (217) 328-5359, Ext. 59.
Before returning any hardware to SoMat for service, please contact SoMat for a Service Order Number. (SO#). A service technician will reply with shipping instructions a shipping address and a Service Order Number to track your hardware.
Please be prepared to provide your shipping address, a phone number and email address.
You can contact SoMat Support directly at support@somat.com or via phone at (217) 328-5359, Option 2.
The frequency range is nominally 0.5 Hz to 50000 Hz for the MPB. At a frequency of 50000 Hz, the accuracy of the measurement is 1.0%. Frequency measurements at 5000 Hz are 0.1% accurate. (See TCE Help for detailed information on the various Pulse Counting Modes)
The input Voltage range of the Plus Processor’s Pulse Counter is 0.0 Volts to 5.0 Volts.
For signals larger than zero to five Volts, a Digital I/O Board is recommended.
For typical vehicle power systems with permanent negative battery connection to chassis ground:
The following diagrams show the proper recommended power connection for the eDAQ using vehicle power as the source for eDAQ to vehicle electrical system. The diagrams are by no means detailed nor suggestive of how you will accomplish the recommended connection method. It is highly recommended that you read the entire section on eDAQ backup battery and power considerations to obtain a better understanding of limits and implementation of both main and remote power to the eDAQ unit(s).
I) Recommended Method for Non-Switching battery ground - WITH IMPORTANT NOTES
II) Alternate Method (not preferred) - WITH IMPORTANT NOTES
III) Proper Negative Switching Connection Method
II) IMPROPER Negative Switching System Connection
eDAQ-lite
The eDAQ bridge boards, ELBRG and EBRG, were designed to be used with resistive-, quarter-, half- and full-bridge transducers that have a DC resistances of 120 Ohms or greater. For quarter-bridge, strain gage configurations, the bridge board type of 120 or 350 must match the resistance of the strain gage being measured.
The bridge board can also be used with conditioned transducers that have outputs of less than +/- 10 Volts and are powered by an external power source.
For conditioned transducers a bridge board channel can provide power or excitation to a transducer in a couple of ways. One is a 5.0 Volt single ended power source which can supply a maximum of 50 mA of current. Or, a 10 Volt Bi-polar Excitation (+/- 5.0 Volts) at maximum of 50 mA can be selected.
Always check with the transducer manufacturer or manufacture data sheet before applying power to a transducer. If you have any questions about connecting a transducer to a bridge board channel, you can get help by contacting SoMat Support directly at support@somat.com or via phone at (217) 328-5359, Ext. 59. Please be prepared to email a manufactures data sheet or have the manufacture and model number available.
When you purchased your eDAQ or eDAQ-lite, you likely had an application in mind. If your test has grown or if you have a new application in mind or you simply want to know how to apply a particular transducer, you can get help by contacting SoMat Support directly at support@somat.com or via phone at (217) 328-5359, Ext. 59.
Before returning any hardware to SoMat for service, please contact SoMat for a Service Order Number. (SO#). A service technician will reply with shipping instructions a shipping address and a Service Order Number to track your hardware.
Please be prepared to provide your shipping address, a phone number and email address.
You can contact SoMat Support directly at support@somat.com or via phone at (217) 328-5359, Option 2.
InField
Please view the SoMat InField Maintenance and Licensing Information (PDF) document for a detailed explanation of our licensing policy.
Microsoft Vista® is not officially supported although we know of some instances where it has been successfully installed.
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