Dynamic Distributors 103B11 User Manual

Model 103B11

ICP® Dynamic Pressure Sensor

Installation and Operating Manual

For assistance with the operation of this product , contact the Pressure

Division of PCB Piezotronics, Inc.

Division toll-free 888-684-0015

24-hour SensorLineSM 716-684-0001

Fax [phone]

E-mail [e-mail]

Warranty, Service, Repair, and

Return Policies and Instructions

The informati on contained in this document supersedes all similar i nformation th at
may be found elsewhere in this manual.

Total Customer Satisfaction – PCB

Piezotronics guarantees Total Customer
Satisfaction. If, at any time, for any
reason, you are not completely satisfied
with any PCB product, PCB will repair,
replace, or exchange it at no charge. You
may also choose to have your purchase
price refunded in lieu of the repair,
replacement, or exchange of the product.

Service – Due to the sophisticated nature
of the sensors and associated
instrumentation provided by PCB
Piezotronics, user servicing or repair is
not recommended and, if attempted, may
void the factory warranty. Routine
maintenance, such as the cleaning of
electrical connectors, housings, and
mounting surfaces with solutions and
techniques that will not harm the
physical material of construction, is
acceptable. Caution should be observed
to insure that liquids are not permitted to
migrate into devices that are not
hermetically sealed. Such devices should
only be wiped with a dampened cloth
and never submerged or have liquids
poured upon them.

Repair – In the event that equipment
becomes damaged or ceases to operate,
arrangements should be made to return
the equipment to PCB Piezotronics for
repair. User servicing or repair is not
recommended and, if attempted, may
void the factory warranty.

Calibration – Routine calibration of
sensors and associated instrumentation is

recommended as this helps build
confidence in measurement accuracy and
acquired data. Equipment calibration
cycles are typically established by the
users own quality regimen. When in
doubt about a calibration cycle, a good
“rule of thumb” is to recalibrate on an
annual basis. It is also good practice to
recalibrate after exposure to any severe
temperature extreme, shock, load, or
other environmental influence, or prior
to any critical test.

PCB Piezotronics maintains an ISO­9001 certified metrology laboratory and
offers calibration services, which are
accredited by A2LA to ISO/IEC 17025,
with full traceablility to N.I.S.T. In
addition to the normally supplied
calibration, special testing is also
available, such as: sensitivity at elevated
or cryogenic temperatures, phase
response, extended high or low
frequency response, extended range, leak
testing, hydrostatic pressure testing, and
others. For information on standard
recalibration services or special testing,
contact your local PCB Piezotronics
distributor, sales representative, or
factory customer service representative.

Returning Equipment – Following
these procedures will insure that your
returned materials are handled in the
most expedient manner. Before returning

any equipment to PCB Piezotronics,
contact your local distributor, sales
representative, or factory customer
service representative to obtain a Return

Materials Authorization (RMA)
Number. This RMA number should be
clearly marked on the outside of all
package(s) and on the packing list(s)
accompanying the shipment. A detailed
account of the nature of the problem(s)
being experienced with the equipment
should also be included inside the
package(s) containing any returned
materials.

A Purchase Order, included with the
returned materials, will expedite the
turn-around of serviced equipment. It is
recommended to include authorization
on the Purchase Order for PCB to
proceed with any repairs, as long as they
do not exceed 50% of the replacement
cost of the returned item(s). PCB will
provide a price quotation or replacement
recommendation for any item whose
repair costs would exceed 50% of
replacement cost, or any item that i s not
economically feasible to repair. For
routine calibration services, the Purchase
Order should include authorization to
proceed and return at current pricing,
which can be obtained from a factory
customer service representative.

Warranty – All equipment and repair
services provided by PCB Piezotronics,
Inc. are covered by a limited warranty
against defective material and
workmanship for a period of one year
from date of original purchase. Contact

DOCUMENT NUMBER: 21354
DOCUMENT REVISION: B
ECN: 17900

PCB for a complete statement of our
warranty. Expendable items, such as
batteries and mounting hardware, are not
covered by warranty. Mechanical
damage to equipment due to improper
use is not covered by warranty.
Electronic circuitry failure caused by the
introduction of unregulated or improper
excitation power or electrostatic
discharge is not covered by warranty.

Contact Information – International
customers should direct all inquiries to
their local distributor or sales office. A
complete list of distributors and offices
can be found at www.pcb.com.
Customers within the United States may
contact their local sales representative or
a factory customer service
representative. A complete list of sales
representatives can be found at
www.pcb.com. Toll-free telephone
numbers for a factory customer service
representative, in the division
responsible for this product, can be
found on the title page at the front of this
manual. Our ship to address and general
contact numbers are:

PCB Piezotronics, I nc.
3425 Walden Ave.
Depew, NY 14043 USA
Toll-free: [phone]
24-hour SensorLine

SM

: [phone]
Website: www.pcb.com
E-mail: [e-mail]

OPERATION MANUAL FOR

MICROPHONE

Series 103A

1.0 DESCRIPTION

The Series 103A microphones are high-sensitivity
pressure sensors featuring miniature size, built-in
solid state electronics and acceleration compensation.

The Model 103A (see installation drawing) has
pigtail leads extending radially from the side of the
unit and has a nominal sensitivity of 1500 mV/psi.

The Model 103A11 is similar in appearance and in
mode of electrical connection, but differs from the
Model 103A in that the sensitivity is nominally 500
mV/psi.

Models 103A and 103A11: ICP® Sound Pressure
Sensors

The Model 103A02 is similar physically to the 103A
and has similar sensitivity (1500 mV/psi), but the
electrical connection is made through a top mounted
10-32 coaxial connector.

The Model 103A12 also has the top connector like
the 103A02 but the sensitivity is 500 mV/psi.

These units are ideal for wind tunnel testing of
models because of the small size and high sensitivity.

1

Models 103A02 and 103A12: ICP® Sound
Pressure Sensors

2.0 DESCRIPTION

(Refer to installation drawing no. 103-1010-90
included as part of this manual.)

The 103A Series Sensors utilize a bimorph bender
crystal cantilevered from the side wall and attached to
the center of a thin recessed invar diaphragm.
Pressure acting on the surface of the diaphragm
results in a net force which strains (or deflects) the
diaphragm in proportion to the applied pressure. The
diaphragm bends the crystal creating an output
voltage which is also proportional to applied
pressure.

This voltage is fed to the gate of a miniature
MOSFET source follower amplifier which reduces
the output impedance to less than 100 Ohms allowing
the driving of long cables and permitting operating
directly into most readout instruments.

Refer to Bulletin G-0001B, “General Guide to ICP®
Instrumentation” for a detailed description of the
built-in amplifier concept.

Models 103A, A02, A11, and A12 have output
signals superimposed upon a +4 V (approx.) bias
level at the amplifier output. All PCB signal
conditioners are designed to eliminate this bias
voltage while supplying power to the internal
amplifier.

Drawing Number: 21082
Revision: NR

002ACABLE

POWERUNIT

T

BATTERYSIGNALCONDITIONE

R

OPERATION MANUAL FOR

MICROPHONE

Series 103A

The result is a two-wire system, precluding the need
for multi-conductor cabling.

A second diaphragm, located behind the pressure
diaphragm and attached to another bimorph bender
crystal acting in opposition to the pressure crystal,
provides acceleration compensation to the Series
103A Sensors.

3.0 INSTALLATION

As shown in installation drawing 103-1010-90, the
Series 103A Microphones may be properly mounted
in several ways, the exact method chosen being a
function of the space available along with other use
dictated parameters.

The simplest method of mounting, and also the one
that utilizes the least volume, is the adhesive method.
The microphone is simply bonded directly to the
mounting surface with an (at least) .10” diameter hole
through the surface to feed the pressure signal to the
diaphragm.

Many different types of adhesives may be used to
bond the 103A in this manner. The important point
being to apply the adhesive very sparingly so that
removal does not damage the sensor.

The 103A may also be mounted using the Model
061A04 Servo clamps if space is available.

The Model 060A11 Clamp Nut may only be used
with the top connector Models 103A02 and 103A12
since the radial wire leads of the Model 103A and
103A11 would interfere with the clamp nut. The
installation drawing gives detailed instructions on
preparation of the port for this type of installation.

3.1 ELECTRICAL

For the Models 103A and 103A11 (pigtail models),
connect the center conductor from the “Xducer”
output of any ICP® power unit to the white (Pwr/Sig)
lead and connect the outer shell of the “Xducer”
connector to the black (ground) lead. The black lead
is electrically connected to the outer case. (See figure
below.)

Drawing Number: 21082
Revision: NR

VIEW FROM
DIAPHRAGM
END

Models 103A & All: Electrical Connection

NOTE: No electrical connection is made to the
blue (vent) lead. This lead serves to vent internal
pressure within the sensor when the 103A and
103A11 are used in evacuated chambers. The
internal pressure bleeds out slowly around the wires
of this lead. This lead may be cut off flush with body
if the sensor will never be used in this manner.

To make the electrical connection to the Models
103A02 and 103A12 (top connector models), simply
connect the “Xducer” output of the power unit to the
10-32 coaxial connector using a PCB Model 002C
Series coaxial cable.

The output signal is taken from the power unit
connector labeled “Scope” or “Output”. (See figure
below.)

MODEL 103A02 & A12

Models 103A02 & A12: Electrical Connection

WHITE

BLUE (N.C.)

BLACK

XDUCER

SERIES 480

XDUCER

MODEL 482A04

1

2
3

4

2

TO
READOUT

SCOPE

SCOPE

TO
READOU

OPERATION MANUAL FOR

MICROPHONE

3

Series 103A

Refer to Guide G-0001B for tips on power and signal
utilization.

NOTE: The internal low-noise amplifier in the
Model 103A, A02, A11 and A12 differ from the
standard ICP® amplifiers described in Guide G­0001B in that the turn-on (or bias) voltage is
nominally +4 volts.

Proper turn-on for Models 103A02, A11 and Al 2
will not give center scale reading on the fault monitor
meters found on most PCB signal conditioners but
will show a reading of approximately 20% of F.S. on
these meters. This puts it at the lower limit of the
green (or normal) area of the meters. This is normal
and in no way indicates faulty operation.

4.0 OUTPUT SIGNAL

The output signal from the 103A Series is a voltage
proportional to input pressure. The polarity is
positive-going for increasing input pressure.

The signal is of high enough level and low enough
output impedance to be fed directly into most
oscilloscopes, tape recorders, strip chart recorders, A
to D converters, etc.

Consult the factory for information regarding galvo
driving since special amplifiers are needed to drive
most high-current galvanometers.

Low-frequency response is limited by sensor
discharge TC (given in the specification sheet) and by
coupling time constants throughout the system. To
take full advantage of the TC of the sensor, make sure
that coupling TC's from power unit to readout are at
least an order of magnitude longer than the discharge
TC or use a direct-coupled signal conditioner such as
the Model 484B. Consult factory for details.

5.0 CALIBRATION

The 103A Series Sensors must be dynamically
calibrated using a known step function or pulse, or
with a microphone calibrator.

Drawing Number: 21082
Revision: NR

At PCB, the units are subjected to various calibrated
steps of pneumatic pressure to obtain a linearity curve
over the full range of the instruments.

6.0 MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR

The small size and sealed construction of the Series
103A precludes field maintenance and repair.

Should the time constant degrade or an abnormality
appear in the normal bias voltage, bake the unit out in
a +250° F oven for 1 to 2 hours, then re-test.

If this is not effective or if other problems should
occur, contact the factory for assistance in tracing the
problem or for instructions on returning the unit for
repair.

7.0 PRECAUTIONS

l.) Do not apply voltage to the unit without a
current-limiting device in the line such as
incorporated in all PCB signal conditioners, (20 mA
maximum) to do so will destroy the internal amplifier.

2.) Do not subject these units to temperatures
higher than 250° F.

3.) Do not attempt to disassemble these units as
to do so voids the warranty.

4.) Use caution when removing units that have
been mounted with epoxies or other strong adhesives.
Excessive squeezing or torquing may damage the
units and/or cause a calibration shift.

5.) In vibratory environments, secure cables and
leads to surrounding structures to avoid lead or cable
damage.

6.) Do not over torque when using the Servo
clamps or the clamp nut since this could damage the
units.

7.) Do not overpressure (see specs for
maximum pressure), to do so may change the
calibration.

®ICP is a registered trademark of PCB Piezotronics