Sensor Interfaces
Sensors generally are analog devices with an electrical output. The output is usually a change in voltage (mV/V), frequency, or current. When a user wants to connect a sensor to a PC, PLC, Tablet, SmartPhone or an LED/LCD display, a sensor interface device or signal conditioner is needed.
Loadstar Sensors provides a variety of interfaces that can connect to your sensor and offer either Analog outputs (0-5 VDC) to connect to a PLC or Digital Outputs (USART/UART, USB, XBee (802.15.4), WiFi or Bluetooth) to connect to a PC/Tablet/Smart Phone. We even offer devices that can get data from your sensor and transport it to the Cloud for easy access through a web browser anytime, anywhere on any Internet connected device!
Types of Load Cell Interfaces
We offer two types of load cells: Resistive load cells made from strain gauges with mV/V output and Capacitive load cells with frequency or digital UART/USB output. We have matching interfaces for both types of load cells. The Resistive load cell interfaces such as, the DI-1000 family can be used for other types of sensors (displacement, torque, temperature, etc.) as well.
Resistive Interfaces
Loadstar Offers a variety of analog signal conditioners and digital interfaces with UART, USB, XBee, WiFi and Bluetooth outputs for your 4-wire or 6-wire strain gauges, resisitive load cells and other wheatstone bridge based devices.
Capacitive Interfaces
Loadstar Offers a variety of analog and digital interfaces with UART, USB, XBee, WiFi and Bluetooth outputs for the iLoad Mini Series capacitive load cells with frequency output and for the iLoad, iLoad TR and iLoad Pro Series load cells with UART or USB output.
If you are Ordering an Interface Only
The Interface needs to be mated and calibrated with the sensor. Once calibrated, these need to be used as a pair. You can not use the interface(s) interchangeably with other sensors.
If you are buying a new sensor with an interface, please add the appropriate Calibration Service for that sensor. For example, if you are buying a load cell then, add Compression, Tension, or Universal (both Compression and Tension) calibration, as needed for your application.
If you already have a sensor that you want to use with the new interface, you will need to send your sensor to us. Add the Calibration Service option to your order. We will calibrate the sensor with the new interface and send the calibrated pair back to you.
In case you would like to calibrate the sensor with the interface yourself, please ensure that you have the reference weights or reference equipment required for calibration and the calibration utility to compute and burn calibration coefficients. Our software LoadVUE Pro (LV-1000), SensorVUE (SV-1000), and ControlVUE (CV-1000) have the calibration utility built-in. Make sure you have the latest version of the software.
Common Interfaces & Displays
In addition to sensor specific signal conditioner and interface devices, we offer displays, gateways and routers that you might need for your particular application.
Touch Screen Displays
Many times instead of connecting a sensor to a PC or to a PLC, one simply needs to show the values on a LCD display. For those instances, we offer these easy to use touch screen LCD displays with one or four channels. The displays are capable of being used wit USB or wireles BLE load cell+interface pairs.
Works with capacitive iLoad, iLoad TR, iLoad Pro & iLoad Mini + DQ-1000U sensors. It also works with any resisistve load cells mated and calibrated with a DI-100U, DI-1000U or DI-1000BLE interface.
Key Features include:
- Tare and Read Capabilities
- Change Units as needed
- Comes with a Power Supply that provides 5 VDC via a micro USB connector
- Comes with a swivel stand that can be placed on a flat surface and whose angle of display can be adjusted manually
DS-3000-Pro-4 Channel
Load Cells Only
Tare, Read, Change Units,
Peak & Low Values
Sensor to Cloud Interfaces (IoT Gateways)
These devices allow a user to connect a sensor via USB to the Cloud via WiFi or other wireless protocols.
Node
The Node is an IoT Gateway that connects to a sensor or scale with USB Output and transmits the data periodically to the SensorVUE or StockVUE Cloud. Works with any of our digital USB sensors or sensors with USB Interfaces (DI-100U, DI-1000U, DI-1000U-5V, DI-400U) or with sensors that are connected wirelessly via DI-1000ZP. Has a small form factor.
- Small device size (3.5 x 2.5 x 1.25 inches)
- Connects to SensorVUE or StockVUE Cloud via WiFi
- Perforated case for efficient thermal heat transfer
- Comes with 5V power adapter with micro USB connector
Node +
The Node+ identical to the Node device but has a touch screen display that can be used to view information locally. Connect a keyboard and mouse to have a complete desktop compouter! Works with any of our digital USB sensors or sensors with USB Interfaces (DI-100U, DI-1000U, DI-1000U-5V, DI-400U) or with sensors that are connected wirelessly via DI-1000ZP.
Device size (8.75 x 4.5 x 4 inches)
Connects to SensorVUE or StockVUE Cloud via WiFi
Perforated case for efficient heat transfer
Comes with 5V power adapter with micro USB connector
SC-1200Z
The SC-1200Z wireless sensor router is a 12 port device that connects to our digital sensors and uploads the data wirelessly to SensorVUE or StockVUE Client on a PC/Tablet. It also works with our Node & Node+ IoT Gateways seamlessly to upload data to StockVUE or SensorVUE Cloud.
- Device size (9.18 in. x 5.25 in. x 1.5 in.)
- Each port has a MiniB USB Connector
- Compatible with iLoad, iLoad TR, iLoad Pro and any resistive load cell or scale with UART outoput via MiniB connector
- Provides power to each connected sensor and communicates with it via UART
- Comes with a 9V/12V power supply
