Keywords
Citation
(2003), "New OmniSens digitally compensated pressure technology", Sensor Review, Vol. 23 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/sr.2003.08723baf.004
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2003, MCB UP Limited
New OmniSens digitally compensated pressure technology
New OmniSens™ digitally compensated pressure technology
Keywords: Pressure, Pressure sensors, Intelligent systems
BEI Edcliff announces the release of OmniSens™, a new electronics interface technology that provides digital accuracy and flexibility to pressure sensing instrumentation. OmniSens™ incorporates a microcontroller and proprietary firmware to give unprecedented reliability, flexibility and value. This new technology will be applied in several families of BEI Edcliff pressure sensors (Plate 3).
Plate 3 New OmniSens™ digitally compensated pressure technology
Accuracy
The OmniSens™ pressure electronics technology employs specialised algorithms to compensate for the mechanical non-linearity and thermal sensitivity of the pressure die. This method of software compensation results in a significant improvement in accuracy and performance over less sophisticated products that utilise look-up tables to condition signal output. This compensation methodology enables products incorporating OmniSens™ to achieve 0.25 per cent total error band (TEB) accuracies on standard configurations and 0.1 per cent TEB accuracies on non-standard requests.
Reliability
A "re-zero on command" function provides new flexibility in controlling zero-point drift. Zero-point drift can represent a significant issue in maintaining equipment calibration. OmniSens™ re-zero on command, provides the ability to rescale zero at start-up or during predetermined maintenance intervals. This results in reduced maintenance costs, increased equipment uptime, and higher sensor reliability.
Flexibility
OmniSens™ technology is easily packaged into standard, industrial, aviation and military pressure sensor packages making retrofit and replacement of other sensors simple. The technology offers additional functions to control the characteristics of the sensor. These advanced functions include the ability to "re-span" the sensor either manually with the push of a button or electronically via firmware interface. This allows the sensors full span output (FSO) to be adjusted to non-standard pressure ranges. Similarly the "reconfigure output on command" function enables users to reconfigure or scale the output signal of the sensor into a variety of units of measure. Additionally media temperature output is available on request.
The analogue output of the OmniSens™ is synthesised by the microprocessor using the same compensation algorithm as the digital output to provide a highly accurate signal. Analogue outputs include industry standard 4-20 mA and 1-5 V output signal types. In addition, the OmniSens™ product can be configured to provide custom analogue outputs to a customer's specification.
OmniSens™ technology is available in many different package configurations for applications in the following markets; medical equipment, process equipment, instrumentation, waste handling, pulp and paper, refrigeration and HVAC.
For further information, please contact: Graham Baker, BEI Technologies Inc., Evegate Park Barn, Station Road, Smeeth, ASHFORD, Kent, TN25 6SX, UK. Tel: 01303 812778; Fax: 01303 812708; E-mail: systron@easynet.co.uk