When we are trying to set up channels for data acquisition, we often need to set proper amplifier and sensor settings in the Channel setup. There, we encounter different types of connections, displayed as lines, between the Amplifier and the Sensor, which oftentimes prove to be quite confusing for an average user to understand.
As a result, this solution was created, with which we hope to highlight the key points of connection diagrams.
Dotted lines and bold lines
The dotted lines are optional connections that you can make, while the bold ones are necessary.
In the image below, you can see an example of how to connect a resistor to the STG amplifier:
We can also say that the image represents the two ways we can make a 3-wire connection for resistance measurements.
Let's compare these two images to the original image you see when you try to set the properties of the Amplifier and the Sensor in order to measure Resistance:
As we can see, the lines from In+ and In- are bold, which means that we have to make these connection between the Amplifier and the Sensor. the other lines, however, are dotted, which means that it is not necessary to make them, as long as we properly connect all the pins. We can therefore connect the resistor to the STG amplifier in two ways, as shown in the image above.
Connection diagram explanation
The image below gives a brief explanation of how the connection diagram works.
We can clearly see that the connection diagram is divided into three parts:
- the Amplifier
- the Connections
- the Sensor
We concern ourselves mostly with the middle part- the Connector or a cable, since this is usually the only part of connecting a Sensor to an Amplifier that we have to do on our own. We must always take care that we properly connect the sensor to the correct pins of the amplifier.
As mentioned previously, we also have to be mindful of whether the lines dotted or bold, which tells us whether or not this is an necessary connection