Mark-10 CG1000, CG500 User Manual

Series CG

HIGH CAP ACITY DIGIT AL FORCE GAUGES

User's GuideUser's Guide

User's GuideUser's Guide

User's Guide

Mark-10 Corporation has been an innovator in the Force and T orque

measurement fields since 1979. We strive to achieve 100% customer

satisfaction through excellence in product design, manufacturing and
customer support. In addition to our standard line of products we can
provide modifications and custom designs for OEM applications. Our

engineering team is eager to satisfy any special requirements. Please

contact us for further information or suggestions for improvement.

We make a measurable difference in f orce and torque measurement

Mark-10 Corporation

11 Dixon Avenue
Copiague, NY 11726
1-888-MARK-TEN
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Internet: www.mark-10.com
E-mail: [e-mail]

32-1030

1003

.com

Series CG

1

Thanks!

Thank you for purchasing a Mark-10 Series CG Digital Force Gauge. We are
confident that you will get many years of great service from this product.

Mark-10 digital force gauges are designed to be easy to use and ruggedly
constructed for many years of service in laboratory and industrial environ­ments.

This User's Guide provides setup, operating, and programming instruc­tions. Dimensions and specifications are also provided. For additional
information or answers to your application questions, contact us and our
technical support and engineering teams will be eager to help you.

Thank you again for your purchase and happy testing!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

GENERAL - Section 1.................................................................................... 2

Controls .......................................................................................... 2

Orientation ...................................................................................... 2

Mounting ......................................................................................... 3

POWER - Section 2 ....................................................................................... 3

CONFIGURATION - Section 3 ....................................................................... 3

FILTERS - Section 4 ...................................................................................... 6

EXTERNAL TRIGGER MODE - Section 5 ...................................................... 6

SET POINTS - Section 6................................................................................ 7

AVERAGE MODE - Section 7......................................................................... 7

GAUGE CONTROL LANGUAGE - Section 8.................................................. 8

OUTPUTS - Section 9.................................................................................. 10

RS-232 ......................................................................................... 10

Mitutoyo BCD ................................................................................ 10

Analog........................................................................................... 10

I/O connector pin diagram............................................................. 10

CALIBRATION - Section 10 ..........................................................................11

SPECIFICATIONS - Section 11 .....................................................................11

General..........................................................................................11

Capacity x graduation .................................................................... 11

Dimensions.................................................................................. 12

WARRANTY - Section 12............................................................................. 12

OTHER FORCE GAUGES BY MARK-10...................................................... 13

TEST STANDS BY MARK-10 ....................................................................... 14

User's Guide

14

TEST STANDS BY MARK-10

Force, Torque, Manual, and Motorized,
up to 1,000 lb and 100 lbin

GENERAL

Controls

Six keys on the front panel are used for all functions and control of the instrument.
Some have more than one function, depending on the mode of operation. The main
functions are labeled above the keys and the secondary functions are below the keys
in smaller type. In the list below the secondary functions are in parenthesis. For a
detailed description of the secondary functions see Section 3.

POWER (ENTER) Turns power on and off
UNITS ( ) Selects units of measurement
ZERO ( ) Zeroes any tare value (up to the full capacity of the

instrument) and clears the peak readings
DATA Initiates a data transmission sequence
MODE (ADVANCE) Switches the display between normal and peak modes

of operation
CLEAR (ESCAPE) Clears peak readings from memory

Section 1

User's Guide

2

Series EG

• Reversible aluminum housing for hand-held use or stand

mounting

• Three units of measurement: lb, kg, N

• Programmable initial status of units and mode of operation

• Automatic peak memory

• Push-button calibration

• Battery or AC operation with programmable automatic

shutoff

• Permanent configuration memory

• Optional RS-232, Mitutoyo and analog outputs

Series MG

• Low cost and small size

• Aluminum housing is reversible for hand-held use or test

stand mounting

• Peak memory for tensile and compressive loads

• Selectable units of measurement programmable auto shutoff

• Push-button calibration

• IPM - Intelligent Power Management system for reliable

operation

Series BG (in addition to Series EG)

• RS-232, Mitutoyo and analog outputs

• GCL – Gauge Control Language for full control of all

functions

• Automatic timed output on RS-232

• Dual set points with outputs

• General purpose I/O for external device control

• Programmable analog and digital filters

• Averaging mode for obtaining average force readings over

time

OTHER FORCE GAUGES BY MARK-10

Capacities from 0.25 lb (1 N) to 500 lb (2500 N)

Series CG

13

FRONT HOUSING

FRONT PANEL ASSEMBLY

Alternate orientation

(for test stand mounting, etc.)

1. Remove the four screws in the rear housing

2. Separate the front and rear housings

3. Remove the two inside screws, separating the front

housing and front panel assembly, as depicted below

4. Rotate the front panel assembly 180°

5. Reassemble the front housing and front panel assembly

6. Attach to the rear housing, and retighten the four screws

Orientation

In order to accomodate a variety of testing requirements,
the orientation of the loading surface may be set up in either
of the two positions shown below. Follow the instructions
below to change the loading surface orientation:

Upright orientation

(as supplied)

1.87 [47.5]

2.76 [70.1]

2.650 [67.31] X2

0.55 [14.0] X2

5.300 [134.60] X2

2.350 [59.70] X2

7.45 [189.2]

0.70 [17.8]

0.500 [12.70]

1.40 [35.6]

1.000 [25.40]

2.00 [50.8]0.96 [24.4]

0.05 [1.2]

Mounting

POWER

The gauge is powered by a 7.2-volt NiCd rechargeable battery. Since batteries are subject to
self-discharge, it may be necessary to recharge the unit after a prolonged period of storage.
Plug the accompanying charger into the AC outlet and insert the charger plug into the recep­tacle on the gauge. The gauge may be operated for 8-10 hours after approximately 16-18
hours of charging. Do not use chargers other than supplied or instrument damage

may occur.

There are three levels of low battery voltage indication. At the first level, the display shows a
steady "LO BAT" indicating approximately one hour of charge remaining. The second level is
indicated by a flashing "LO BAT". At the third level, the whole display except the "LO BAT"
indicator will flash for three seconds after which time the gauge will turn itself off. This
prevents the instrument from working at voltages too low for reliable operation.

CONFIGURA TION

Series CG gauges have several features with programmable options allowing many user­specified choices. In order to access the configuration menu, perform the following:

1. Turn off the gauge

2. Press and hold MODE

3. Turn on the gauge

4. Release MODE

Gauge shown mounted
on a Model TSF test stand

Section 2

Section 3

Series CG

3

Dimensions

in [mm]

WARRANTY Section 12

Mark-10 Corporation expressly warrants to its buyer for one year from the date of
delivery that the goods sold are free from defects in workmanship and materials.
Mark-10 Corporation will, at its option, repair or replace or refund the purchased price
of goods found to be defective. This remedy shall be the buyer's sole and exclusive
remedy. Any modification, abuse, exposure to corrosive environment or use other than
intended will void this warranty. This warranty is in lieu of all other warranties,
including implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for an intended purpose. In
no event shall Mark-10 Corporation be liable for any incidental and consequential
damages in connection with goods sold or any part thereof.

User's Guide

12

To mount the gauge to a Mark-10 test stand, line up the 1/4" hole in the gauge's housing with
the protruding dowel pin in the gauge plate. Then, fasten four thumb screws through the
gauge plate into the gauge housing.

The software version number will be displayed for a short time followed by "FLtA".
The following secondary functions of keys are used during the configuration process.

ADVANCE Step through menu choices
ENTER Select a menu choice
ESCAPE Quit any function (no change)

& Increment or decrement displayed values

The following list shows all configuration options. Italics indicate factory settings.

FLtA - Analog filter

FA 0 2.5 Hz RC filter disabled

FA 1 2.5 Hz RC filter enabled

FLTd - Digit al filters

FC 1 No filtering of current (displayed) readings
FC 2 Average of 2 samples for each reading
FC 4 Average of 4 samples for each reading

FC 8 Average of 8 samples for each reading

FP 1 No filtering of peak readings
FP 2 Average of 2 samples for each peak reading
FP 4 Average of 4 samples for each peak reading

FP 8 Average of 8 samples for each peak reading

232 - RS-232 settings

232D Output disabled

232E Output Enabled

300 300 baud
600 600 baud
1,200 1,200 baud
2,400 2,400 baud
4,800 4,800 baud

9,600 9,600 baud

7-1E 7 data bits, 1 stop bit, even parity
7-1o 7 data bits, 1 stop bit, odd parity
7-2E 7 data bits, 2 stop bits, even parity
7-2o 7 data bits, 2 stop bits, odd parity
7-2n 7 data bits, 2 stop bits, no parity
8-1E 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, even parity
8-1o 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, odd parity

8-1n 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, no parity

8-2n 8 data bits, 2 stop bits, no parity

Ft F Full data (numeric + units)

Ft n Numeric data only

User's Guide

4

CALIBRA TION

Mount the gauge firmly with the loading surface directed downward. Go into the
configuration mode as described in the previous section and select the calibration sub­menu by pressing ENTER three times when the display shows 'CAL'. After the display
shows 'null' press ZERO, while insuring that there is no weight on the loading surface
other than the weight of the required attachments (hooks, etc.). The next displayed
prompt is 'SPAn' at which time apply the exact weight equal to the full capacity of the
gauge in pounds and press ENTER. A successful calibration procedure is indicated by
'donE' on the display. Press ENTER to save the new calibration data and to return to
normal operation. In some cases the display will show 'nnnn' or 'uuuu' to indicate
excessive or insufficient calibration weight. This can be caused by incorrect weights,
tare weight of over 10% of the full capacity of the gauge or an overloaded sensor. The
calibration procedure may be aborted without changing the previous calibration
information at any time by pressing ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATIONS Section 11

General

Accuracy ±0.2% of full scale, ±1 count
Tare capacity 110% of capacity. Display shows "----" at 110%
Overload capacity 150% of capacity. Display shows "----" at 110%
Sampling rate 65 samples per second
Display update 2.5-10 times per second in normal mode, depending on

filter settings. 65 times per second in peak mode
Display 4-1/2-character LCD 0.3" [7.6 mm] high
Load cell deflection Maximum 0.010" [0.25 mm] at full scale
Outputs

RS-232 Baud rates between 300 and 9600
Mitutoyo S tandard Mitutoyo SPC BCD output
Analog ±1 VDC ±0.25% FS

Connector 9-pin D-type male
Power 7.2 NiCd battery or included AC adapter/charger
Battery life 8-10 hours per charge
Weight 1.8 lbs [0.8 kg]

Capacity x graduation

CG500 500.0 x 0.2 lbF 250.0 x 0.1 kgF 2500 x 1 N
CG1000 1000.0 x 0.5 lbF 500.0 x 0.2 kgF 5000 x 2 N

Section 10

Series CG

11

out - Outputs selection (other than RS-232)

SP d Set point outputs disabled

SP E Set point outputs enabled

bcd d Mitutoyo BCD output disabled

bcd E Mitutoyo BCD output enabled

nPOL Mitutoyo readings without polarity (absolute value)

POL Mitutoyo readings with polarity; positive for compression, negative for

tension

Et d External trigger disabled

Et E External trigger enabled in edge mode

Et L External trigger enabled in level mode

EtHL Data capture during high to low transition of trigger signal

EtLH Data capture during low to high transition of trigger signal

Aout - Automatic output (RS-232)

no Automatic output disabled

1 Every sample transmitted

2 Every 2nd sample transmitted

4 Every 4th sample transmitted

8 Every 8th sample transmitted

16 Every 16th sample transmitted

32 Every 32nd sample transmitted

64 Every 64th sample transmitted

128 Every 128th sample transmitted

AoFF - Automatic shutoff settings

no Disabled

1 1-minute automatic shutoff

5 5-minute automatic shutoff

10 10-minute automatic shutoff

20 20-minute automatic shutoff

30 30-minute automatic shutoff

init - Initial (default) settings

LB Pounds as default units

KG Kilograms as default units

N Newtons as default units

A Average mode at turn on

EtE/EtL External trigger mode at turn on

TC Real time display at turn on

PEAK T Peak tension display at turn on

PEAK C Peak compression display at turn on

A - Average mode settings

A E Average mode enabled

A d Average mode disabled

dEL Initial delay prompt

At Average time prompt

trF Trigger force value prompt

CAL - Calibration. See Section 10.

Series CG

5

OUTPUTS

RS-232

The data transmission can be initiated by pressing the DATA key or by an external
device by sending ASCII "?" to the gauge. The gauge will respond by sending the
current reading in either full or numeric format, depending on the configuration settings
(see Section 3). Polarity sign indicates tensile (-) or compressive (+) forces. The
transmitted string has the following format:

[POLARITY (SPACE OR -)][DA T A][SP ACE][UNITS (IF ENABLED)][CRLF]
The display will flash "Err" and no data will be transmitted if DATA is pressed during

the average computation while in the Average mode or during the input scanning in the
External trigger mode.

Mitutoyo BCD

This output is useful for connection to data collectors, printers, multiplexers or any
other device capable of accepting Mitutoyo BCD data. The transmission is initiated by

the

DATA key or by the receiving device (see Section 3 for settings).

Analog

This output can be used for chart recorders, oscilloscopes, data acquisition systems,
or any other compatible devices with analog inputs. The output produces ±1 volt at full
scale of the instrument. The polarity of the signal is positive for compression and
negative for tension.

1 RS-232 receive Input
2 RS-232 transmit Output
3 Mitutoyo request Input

External trigger "
Input bit 3 "

4 Mitutoyo clock Output

"Within" set point output "

Output bit 2 "
5 Signal ground --­6 +Analog signal Output
7 +12V DC Output
8 Mitutoyo ready Output

"Under" set point output "

Output bit 1 "
9 Mitutoyo data Output

"Over" set point output "

Output bit 0 "

Section 9

I/O connector pin diagram

7

DB-9P

6

1298345

User's Guide

10

FILTERS

For maximum flexibility in noise suppression and peak capturing ability of the instru­ment, there are two types of filters available to the user: analog and digital.

The analog filter is a simple RC network with a cutoff frequency of 2.5 Hz and
attenuation of 20 dB/decade. It can be either turned on or off.

The digital filter utilizes the moving average technique in which consecutive readings
are "pushed" through a buffer and the displayed reading is the average of the buffer
contents. By varying the length of the buffer, a variable smoothing effect can be
achieved. The CG is equipped with a buffer which can hold up to eight readings. The
number of readings to be averaged can be set to 1,2,4 or 8. The selection of 1 will
disable the filter since the average of a single value is the value itself.

The analog and the digital filters should be disabled or set to their mini­mum acceptable values for highest peak capture speed.

EXTERNAL TRIGGER MODE

This mode of operation is useful for measuring electrical contact activation force as
well as synchronization of multiple instruments for a "snap-shot" view of applied
forces. When this mode is enabled through the configuration menu (see Section 3),
the MODE key will sequence through an additional state which is indicated by the
flashing "C" or "T" indicator.

When in this mode, the instrument stops updating the display when the trigger signal is
applied. It is possible to capture the reading with a normally open contact (high to low

transition of the trigger signal) or a
normally closed contact (low to high
transition).

The display will show the captured
reading until ZERO or CLEAR is
pressed if the "edge" mode is set.
The "level" mode provides for the
display to hold the reading only until
the trigger signal returns to its
original state.

Please refer to the diagram for
connection details and to Section 3
for configuration information.

USER - SUPPLIED

SWITCH UNDER TEST

47K

+5V

GND

TRIG

3

5

GAUGE

Section 4

Section 5

User's Guide

6

FULL RS-232 transmission with units
NUM RS-232 transmission without units (only numeric values)

MIT Enable Mitutoyo output
MITD Disable Mitutoyo output
POL Mitutoyo outputs with polarity. (+ for compression, - for tension)
NPOL Mitutoyo outputs without polarity (absolute value)
PM Print/send data to a Mitutoyo compatible device

Sn Set output bit (open collector, pull to ground). n=0,1,2
Cn Clear output bit. n=0,1,2
Rn Read current status of output bit or level of input pin. n=0,1,2,3

SAVE Save current settings in nonvolatile memory
CAL Enter Calibration mode. See Section 10 for more information
LIST L i s t c ur r e n t s e t t in g s a n d s t a tu s . H e r e i s a t y p i c a l L I ST o utput:

V3.00;LB;PC;FLTC8;FLTP1;FLTA1;AOUT00;AOFF05;FULL;MIT;POL;B0
All fields are separated by ";". The first field shows the software version,
the last field shows the remaining battery power (B0=full charge,
B3=minimum power). All other fields show the status of settings and fea

tures using the same abbreviations as the commands to set them.
Any detected errors are reported back by means of the following error codes.
*10 Illegal command

*11 Not applicable; e.g. SPHn command without enabling the set points
*21 Invalid specifier; e.g. AOFF2
*22 Value too large
*30 Calibration weight too high
*31 Calibration weight too low
*50 Communication error
*51 Command string too long

Following is a sample BASIC program illustrating the use of some commands. It switches
the units to kilograms and sets the display to zero. Press any key to get a reading on the
screen. Use "ESC" to exit the program.

10 CLS: OPEN "COM1:9600,N,8,1,RS,CS,DS,CD,LF" AS #1
20 PRINT #1 "KG"
30 PRINT #1 "Z"
40 PRINT "PRESS ANY KEY FOR READING OR <ESC> T O EXIT"
50 KEYPRS$=INKEY$: IF KEYPRS$="" THEN 50
60 IF KEYPRS$=CHR$(27) THEN SYSTEM
70 PRINT #1 "?"
80 LINE INPUT #1,A$
90 PRINT A$

100 GOTO 40

Series CG

9

SET POINTS

This feature is useful for tolerance checking (GO/NO GO) or alarm indication in process
control applications. Two limits, high and low, are specified and stored in the non­volatile memory of the instrument and all readings are compared to these limits. The
results of the comparisons are indicated through the three open-collector outputs

provided on the 9-pin connector, thus
providing "under", "in range" and "over"
signaling. These outputs can be
connected to indicators, buzzers or
relays as required for the application.

After the Set Point mode is enabled
through the configuration menu (see
Section 3), pressing the MODE key will
sequence through an additional step
indicated by "SP" on the display. To enter
or change the values of the set points

press ENTER. The high set point is
displayed. Use the and keys to increase or decrease the value and MODE for
changing between tension and compression. When the desired value is displayed,
press ENTER and repeat the above steps for the low set point. After entering both
values "donE" will appear on the display. Press ENTER to store the changes or ESCAPE
to quit. In either case "SP" will appear on the display and the ENTER key may be used
for re-entering the set point change mode or the MODE key for proceeding with the
normal operation of the gauge.

AVERAGE MODE

This mode is used for obtaining an average force reading over a specified period of
time. Applications include measurement of peel force, muscle strength, frictional force
and any other tests requiring time-averaged readings. There are three user-program­mable parameters associated with this mode: trigger force, initial delay and average

time. The programming of these
parameters and the enabling of the
Average mode are done during the
gauge setup. Please refer to the
"Configuration" section for more
information.

Press MODE until "A" is displayed
and then CLEAR or ZERO to begin
testing. The process of averaging
begins as soon as the programmed
trigger force is reached and is
indicated by a flashing "A". The

conclusion of the test is indicated
by an alternating "A" and the calculated value. The readings obtained during the initial
delay will not be part of the average, but the peak value is stored for later recall. A new
test may be started by pressing CLEAR or ZERO.

DELAY

AVERAGE TIME

TIME

FORCE

PEAK

AVE

TRIGGER

FORCE

USER - SUPPLIED

40 ma MAX

AS ABOVE

SAME

2N3904

GAUGE

9

8

5

GND

4OUT

_

+

24V MAX

LOAD

Section 6

Section 7

Series CG

7

GAUGE CONTROL LANGUAGE

The instrument can be controlled by an external device through the RS-232 channel. The
following is a list of supported commands and their interpretations. All commands must be
terminated with a Carriage Return character (hex 0D) or with a Carriage Return/Line
Feed combination (hex 0D+0A). The gauge responses are always terminated with a
Carriage Return/Line Feed.

A Enable Average mode
AD Disable Average mode
AM Select Average mode (if enabled)
ATn Average time. n=0.1-300.0 seconds
DELn Initial delay. n=0.1-300.0 seconds
TRFn Trigger force. n=value (+ for compression, - for tension)

SP Enable Set Point mode
SP D Disable Set Point mode
SPHn High set point. n=value (+ for compression, - for tension)
SPLn Low set point. n=value (+ for compression, - for tension)

AOFFn Auto-shutoff. n=0,1,5,10,20,30 minutes. 0=always on
AOUTn Auto-transmit every nth reading. n=0,1,2,4,8,16,32,64,128. 0=disabled

LB Switch units to pounds
KG Switch units to kilograms
N Switch units to Newtons
G Switch units grams

E T Enable External trigger mode
ETD Disable External trigger mode
ET E Edge triggered External trigger mode
ETL Level triggered External trigger mode
HL Reading captured on a high to low transition
LH Reading captured on a low to high transition

CUR Current mode (real time display)
P T Peak Tension mode
P C Peak Compression mode
CLR Clear peaks, start a new average, or external trigger test
Z Zero display and perform the CLR function

? Request the displayed reading
?C Request the current reading
?PT Request the peak tension reading
?PC Request the peak compression reading
?ET Request the reading obtained during the External trigger mode
?A Request the average reading obtained during the Average mode

FLTCn Digital filter for current (displayed readings). n=1,2,4,8
FLTPn Digital filter for peak readings. n=1,2,4,8
FLTAn Analog filter (2.5 Hz). n=1,2. 1=on, 0=off

Section 8

User's Guide

8