Mantracourt DSCUSB User Manual
DSCUSB Standard User Manual
mantracourt.com
DSCUSB
Digital Sensor Card USB – Strain Gauge Input
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Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................2
Overview ........................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Manual Scope ................................................................................................................................................................... 2
LED Status Indication ...................................................................................................................................................... 2
Chapter 2 Getting Started ...................................................................................................................................................3
Communications Interface Information ...................................................................................................................... 3
DSC Toolkit ....................................................................................................................................................................... 3
What Can The Toolkit Do? ........................................................................................................................................................................... 3
Installing DSC Toolkit ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 3
Connecting the Module to the Computer ................................................................................................................... 4
Using the Found New Hardware Wizard ................................................................................................................................................ 4
Using the Software .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Information Page ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Home Page .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 8
Save and Restore Page ............................................................................................................................................................................. 9
Trend Chart Page ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 10
Logging Page .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 12
Data Rates and Filter Page .................................................................................................................................................................... 14
Calibration Page ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 17
Calibration ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 18
Auto Calibration ................................................................................................................................................................................ 18
Table Calibration ............................................................................................................................................................................... 18
Simple Unit Conversion .................................................................................................................................................................. 19
Shunt calibration ............................................................................................................................................................................... 20
System Zero ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 20
Limits .......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 21
Units ............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 21
Advanced Calibration Page ................................................................................................................................................................... 22
Chapter 3 Installation ....................................................................................................................................................... 23
Identifying Strain Gauge Connections ....................................................................................................................... 23
9 way D Connector Pin-outs ..................................................................................................................................................................... 23
4-wire load cell ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 23
6-wire load cell ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 23
Temperature Sensor (Optional)................................................................................................................................................................ 24
Chapter 4 Specifications .................................................................................................................................................. 25
Technical Specifications ............................................................................................................................................... 25
Dimensions & Mounting .............................................................................................................................................. 26
External Dimensions ................................................................................................................................................................................. 26
LED Position ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 26
Mounting Holes ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 26
DIN Rail Mounting (Optional Kit)........................................................................................................................................................ 27
Cable Clearance ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 27
Cable Retention ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 28
Environmental Approvals ................................................................................................................................................ 28
CE Approvals .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 28
Warranty ............................................................................................................................................................................. 28
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Chapter 1 Introduction
This chapter provides an introduction to the DSCUSB products, describing the product range and main features.
Overview
The DSCUSB product family comprises of Digital Sensor Cards that connect sensors to your PC via USB.
The DSCUSB product is a compact, high-precision Strain Gauge Converter; converting a strain gauge sensor input to
a digital output and is connected to a PC via a USB port. They allow high precision measurements to be made and
communicated directly to a PC and is aimed at applications which require high-accuracy measurement repeatability.
With the appropriate drivers installed, the DSCUSB appears as a virtual serial port to the PC.
Simply by plugging the device into a PC, data can be extracted from most strain gauge bridge input sensors and
acquired by software which allows data manipulation removing the need for amplifiers, filters & multimeters.
Free-standing module fitted with 9-way ‘D’ type socket for load cell and optional temperature sensor connections.
Micro USB socket accepts a USB lead with type ’A’ connector at the PC end.
Manual Scope
This manual covers only the Standard level of functionality and calibration and assumes the operator is going to use
the DSC Toolkit as a means of configuration and to extract data from the module.
The DSCUSB may have already been connected to a loadcell and calibrated in which case this is the only manual you
will need to refer to.
A separate manual covers the Advanced functionality which includes loadcell profiling calibration, information on
writing your own communication software and advice on OEM production techniques.
If you have purchased this module and intend to connect it to a loadcell and perform linearization or temperature
compensation then you will need to refer to the DSCUSB Advanced Manual.
Please note that your DSCUSB module may have had the advanced features locked and if this is the case then you
will only be able to use the features documented in this manual.
LED Status Indication
The module indicates status via a flashing red Healthy LED.
With no load cell connected The LED of the DCell or DSC should flash OFF for 100ms every 500ms (LED will be ON
but flash off for a tenth of a second every half a second).
If a load cell is connected and there are no errors then the LED will Flash ON for 100mS then OFF every 500ms (LED
will be off but flash on for a tenth of a second every half a second).
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Chapter 2 Getting Started
Please ensure that software is installed before connecting the module to your PC
This chapter explains how to connect to a DSCUSB for the first time and how to get it working.
Communications Interface Information
DSCUSB modules can connect to a PC by plugging into a USB port and do not require an external power supply as
they appear as a ‘single unit load’ i.e. they draw <100mA.
Appropriate drivers must be installed which are bundled with the DSC Toolkit. These create a virtual serial port
allowing the DSCUSB to appear to the PC as a normal COM port device.
DSC Toolkit
The DSC Toolkit is a simple configuration tool designed specifically for configuring DSCUSB modules.
This toolkit allows configuration, calibration, logging and parameter management of the modules.
What Can The Toolkit Do?
Communications with a single module at a time to do the following:
Viewing of input with enunciators for integrity and range errors.
Two point auto calibration by application of known weight.
Setting System Zero and under and over range limits.
Select measurement rate and filter settings.
Save module settings including user calibration and ability to restore to same or different USB DSC modules.
Log input value to a CSV file at up to 100Hz which can be analysed in Microsoft Excel.
Trend chart view of live input. Exportable image and data.
Easily switch to alternative engineering units (If module has been previously calibrated)
Advanced Calibration (Not covered in this manual, see DSCUSB Advanced Manual)
o 5 point temperature compensation
o 7 point linearization
o Lockable calibration
Installing DSC Toolkit
Install the DSC Toolkit software by inserting the CD in the CD ROM drive. This should start the ‘AutoRun’ process,
unless this is disabled on your computer.
(If the install program does not start of its own accord, run SETUP.EXE on the CD by selecting ‘Run’ from the ‘Start
Menu’ and then entering D:\SETUP, where D is the drive letter of your CD-ROM drive).
The installation software pre-installs the required drivers so that they can be automatically found when the hardware
is plugged in later on.
After the software has been installed please connect the module and see the next section
before running the DSC Toolkit
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Connecting the Module to the Computer
Connect to a spare USB port on the Windows PC using the cable provided with the module.
Using the Found New Hardware Wizard
Connecting the module will cause the following dialog windows to appear. NOTE: Different operating systems may
present different dialog windows but the dialogs shown below should allow you make the correct choices regardless
of operating system.
The ‘Found New Hardware Wizard’ should now appear.
Select ‘No, not at this time’ so that the wizard does not
try searching online for a driver.
Click ‘Next’.
Now the wizard will start searching for the drivers.
The wizard should then proceed with installing the
software drivers.
Please note that there are two interfaces to the hardware
so that there are two drivers that will be installed
The USB DSC Port and the USB DSC Bus.
So the next dialog box you will see will be for the USB
DSC Port and the steps will be repeated from step 2.
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Using the Software
You can now launch the DSC Toolkit software.
The DSC Toolkit automatically detects the connected DSCUSB modules.
If there is only one DSCUSB connected when you launch the DSC Toolkit it will be automatically selected and the
Information Page will be displayed.
If multiple modules are detected you will be presented with a list to choose one from on the Home Page.
To connect to a module just click on one in the list to highlight it and click the ‘Connect’ button (Or just double click
the module in the list).
You will then see the Information page.
If no modules have been detected the ‘No modules detected’ message appears. Click the ‘OK’ button and the
‘Connect’ button changes to ‘Demo’. If you click the ‘Demo’ button you can navigate through the software
application with no module attached.
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Information Page
Click the icon to access the Information page.
This simply shows a large display and indicates if any error conditions are present by displaying an information box.
If the module has been allocated engineering units these may be displayed in the upper right of the LCD display.
‘Net’ Button
Clicking the ‘Net’ button will zero the display. When zeroed the ‘NET’ indicator will be displayed and the button
caption will change to ‘Gross’
Clicking the ‘Gross’ button will return the display to the actual value from the module. Note that with an
unconnected input you may not see any effect by clicking this button.
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‘Format’ Button
Clicking the ‘Format’ button allows you to select a new format for the displayed value. By using this you can hide
unwanted decimal places.
Just click the required display format in the list.
If any errors are detected these will be shown under the main display. The following screenshot shows an Integrity
error present.
The error box will disappear once the error is no longer present.
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Home Page
To select a different module just click the Home icon
You can then select a different module or plug in a different module. If you change the connected modules click the
‘Detect’ button to re-list the modules. Then select the required module from the list.
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