What is a USB Pressure Sensor?
A USB pressure sensor is a device that measures pressure and converts it into an electrical signal that can be read by a computer through a USB connection. Key features of a USB pressure sensor include:
- Pressure sensing element – This is the part of the sensor that detects changes in pressure, usually based on silicon-on-sapphire technology like piezoresistive or capacitive sensing. Common pressure ranges are from 0-1 bar up to 0-500 bar.
- Analog to digital converter (ADC) – This converts the analog signal from the sensing element into a digital value that can be read over USB. Higher resolution ADCs provide more precision.
- USB interface – This allows easy connection to PCs and other devices with a USB port. No external power is required as power is provided over USB.
- Housing – The sensing element and electronics are enclosed in a protective casing with an opening/port to expose the sensor to the pressure.
- Software – Drivers and libraries are provided to allow easy integration into programming languages and software applications.
USB pressure sensors can measure air, gas or liquid pressure and have applications in weather monitoring, manufacturing, automation, lab research, and more. Compared to analog sensors, the USB interface makes it easy to log and analyse pressure data on a computer. Overall, USB pressure sensors provide a convenient way to add pressure measurement to a project or system.
USB Sensor Description
The UPS-High Sample Rate has been designed and developed for ease of use, reliable data logging and real-time monitoring to cover the majority of applications where a simple interface to a computer is required. Without the fuss of complicated interfaces, converters, external power supplies and USB driver issues, the UPS-HSR interface is simply a USB cable that powers the pressure sensor, self-installs the drivers on the computer and has automatic recognition of the sensors that connect to the software.
Fuss-free USB connection
Each UPS-HSR is supplied with a USB mini B socket; when properly connected to the supplied mating cable assembly with a USB connection, it provides IP66 protection to the pressure sensor, which is ideal if you are installing the pressure sensor in wet or arduous conditions. Power is provided to the sensor from the computer’s USB port, so no additional connections are required. The USB cable is 2m long and can be extended if required.
Adjustable recording rate
Using the software, the sample rate can be adjusted to suit the application’s requirements, from a high sample rate capability of 1kHz for dynamic applications to slower rates for static applications.
High-performance Silicon-On-Sapphire sensor technology
The sensing technology used in the UPS-HSR is Silicon-On-Sapphire (SoS), which produces outstanding performance, accuracy stability, repeatability and thermal stability. This level of accuracy enables the UPS-HSR to provide resolution with a precision of 1 in 100,000.
Low to very high range pressure capability
With a wide range of pressures from -1 bar (-14.5 psi) to 5,000 bar (72,500 psi), this device should cover every pressure measurement requirement in many applications. The software can select other engineering units, such as bar, mbar, psi, MPa, Pa, mH2O, mmHg, atm or kg/cm2.
Titanium alloy wetted parts
Custom test report generator
The software includes a ‘Certificate Generator’, which enables the user to upload their company logo, enter details about the test, site location, and date and add a signature. Whilst running the test in certificate generator mode, markers can be placed along the graph for reporting on significant events or points of interest. Once the test is complete, you can freely print the certificates or export the data to excel or other spreadsheets/database programs.
Accessories included
Every UPS-HSR is supplied in a robust ABS plastic carry case and comes complete with downloadable software and interface USB cable so you are ready to plug & play.
USB Temperature Measurement
In addition to the pressure measurement, this sensor can act as a temperature sensor which can be read and recorded in the software and scaled in either °C or °F.
Software Specifications
Operating system compatibility
The PC logging software provided with this USB pressure sensor is compatible with the following version of Windows OS:
- Windows 7
- Windows 8
- Windows 8.1
- Windows 10
Application compatibility
This USB pressure sensor can be configured to send measurement data to the following application software, and DLL files are available for free download:
- Microsoft C# (C Sharp) programming language
- Microsoft VB (Visual Basic) programming language
- National Instruments (NI) Labview (Laboratory Virtual Instrument Engineering Workbench) programming language
- Microsoft Excel VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) (api dll library)