A number of applications require a sensor with analog output (such as a load cell, torque sensor, displacement sensor, pressure sensor etc.) to be connected to a PC, Tablet, Phone or other devices via USB or WiFi or other contemporary communication protocols. The DI-100 or DI-1000 Digital Sensor Interface is a device that makes it easy for you to do that.

DI-100 16 bit Digital Sensor Interface with UART/Serial TTL/USB Output

The DI-100 is a digital sensor interface that can handle inputs up to 3 mV/V and provides an output via a UART/Serial TTL port in the form of a miniB USB connector. Then using our S2U Serial to USB dongle, we convert this raw digital signal into a USB output. Users can choose to work directly with the UART output and connect to their own microprocessors or micro controllers via a Serial TTL/UART port for their embedded applications. Or they can order it as the DI-100U which comes with the DI-100 and the S2U UART to USB converter and a miniB to miniB cable with 6 foot length.

Connect a sensor (load cell) to the DI-100U to operate on a PC:

The DI-100U is digital sensor interface with a built-in 16-bit ADC chip and it outputs a UART signal (Tx,Rx) which is converted to USB by our S2U Serial to USB adapter (included with the purchase of a DI-100U). The UART signal can be directly read by a micro-controller and commands can be sent to read from and write to the interface.

Click here for an example on how to interface the DI-100U to an Arduino microcontroller. In order to make it easy to access the Tx, Rx pins and connect it to an Arduino or other micro-controller, we offer the HX-100 break-out board that gives access to those pins without destroying the ability to use the S2U for USB access.

The DI-100 is meant for devices that output no more than 3 mV/V or in other words if 5V power is supplied, then the max output from the sensor is 15 mV.

How to connect a load cell to a DI-100U USB Load Cell Interface:

There is a terminal block inside the interface device (under the lid) with screw terminals to connect the sensor. The pinouts are as shown below:

Video Demo of a USB Load Cell for Force or Weight Measurement Using DI-100U

DI-1000 24 bit Digital Sensor Interface with USB and/or Wireless Output

The DI-1000 is a digital interface with a 24-bit ADC that can handle inputs up to +/- 2V with a variable gain setting that can be set depending on the type of signal available and provides a native USB output and an optional wireless output.  There is a terminal block to connect the external sensor to it more easily than in the case of the DI-100U.

It comes in three flavors:

• DI-1000U for Wired USB Output
• DI-1000ZP with USB and Wireless Point to Point 802.15.4 protocol and receiver dongle
• DI-1000WiFi with a wireless WiFi TCP/IP protocol.

DI-1000U USB Sensor Cell Interface shown connected to a load cell, a torque sensor or a pressure sensor with mV/V output:

DI-1000ZP - Wireless Sensor Interface with 802.15.4 Protocol for Point to Point Wireless & Cordless Operation

The DI-1000ZP wireless sensor interface comes with a separate USB receiver dongle that is attached to the PC's USB port in order to receive and read data from the DI-1000ZP via a Serial connection.

Video Demo of wireless force or weight measurement using a Load Cell and a DI-1000ZP (or DI-1000WiFi) Interface

DI-1000WiFi Wireless Sensor Interface with TCP/IP Protocol for Wireless and Cordless Operation 

The DI-1000WiFi transmits via WiFi and hence the PC or Tablet or Phone's built in WiFi receiver can be used directly to read and display values. When connected to a sensor such as a load cell, the wireless configuration would look like this:

If you wish to receive data on a WiFi connected PC, Tablet, Phone or other device, use the DI-1000U for USB access and the DI-1000WiFi for the easiest wireless access to the data. The DI-1000WiFi and DI-1000ZP offers a built-in cordless rechargeable battery operated wireless solution. 

DI-1000U-5V or DI-1000WiFi-5V or DI-1000ZP-5V

The DI-1000U-5V can be used as a general purpose USB Data Acquisition system for use with sensors such as LVDTs, temperature sensors etc. that have a 0-5 V DC Output. Similarly if you wish to get wireless data transfer from your 0-5V sensors, then we offer two version with WiFi and 802.15.4 protocols for those sensors.

DI-1000UHS and DI-1000UHS-1K High Speed Sensor Interfaces

For dynamic measurements such as impact force measurement or for testing to failure you need very high speed data update rate to capture the data in a very short time span.

We offer two versions of the DI-1000U for that purpose:

• DI-1000UHS - offers at least 500 Hz data update rate
• DI-1000UHS-1K - offers at least 1 KHz data update rate

The corresponding software packages to use with them are the LV-1000HS or the LV-1000HS-1K respectively.

Powered by USB Power - no need for external power source for USB Operation on a Windows PC/Tablet

USB 16-bit Sensor Interfaces (DI-100U/DI-100UHS) and 24-bit USB Sensor Interfaces DI-1000U/DI-1000UHS/DI-1000UHS-1K/DI-1000U-5Vwork directly from the power supplied via the USB port. There is no need for additional external power supply. For the wireless battery operated versions, we provide a power adapter to help you charge the internal rechargeable battery which can then be used to operate the sensor and interface not just wirelessly for the communication, but also cordlessly!

Video Demo of Impact Force Measurement Solution Using DI-1000UHS-1K USB Sensor Interface and LV-1000HS-1K software