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A low cost wireless multi-channel measurement

system for strain gauges

P. Bielen, M.Lossie, D. Vandepitte


K.U.Leuven, Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Celestijnenlaan 300B, B-3001, Heverlee, Belgium.
e-mail : paul.bielen@mech.kuleuven.ac.be

Abstract
This paper describes the development of a wireless measurement system for multiple strain measurements on
rotational structures.
Impulse to this development has been given by an industrial need to measure strains on complex loaded
rotating cylinders.
After an introduction into the basics of strain measurements and signal conditioning, the principles of the low
cost, wireless microphone system are explained, followed by a discussion on the data acquisition process.
Finally, preliminary validation results are discussed.
The major challenge for this development being wireless multi-channel data transmission, other design
criteria like portability, lightweight and ease of setup were to be fulfilled at low cost, without compromising
on reliability, accuracy and bandwidth.
The developed system is multipurpose as it is not limited to strain gauge signals only, but can be used for
other sensors too.

1. Problem statement
Strain gauges have a long tradition in measuring
strains on structural components. Usually, a wire
network connects these sensors with their signal
conditioning and data acquisition system. However,
in case of rotating structures, sensor data must be
transmitted in a wireless way. Commercially
available wireless systems like inductive
(contactless) or slip rings (contact) systems have to
be tailored to the application and hence are very
expensive.
For one-off measurements or multipurpose
measurement needs, a low cost, flexible and
adaptive wireless measurement system is needed.
Such need was expressed within an industrial
project concerning the replacement of existing but
degraded cylinders used in film production by new
lightweight versions.
The current cylinders, made of glass reinforced
polyester, are 195 cm long, have a diameter of
663

30 cm, contain 2 stainless steel inserts at both ends


and weigh about 30 kg in total.
During film production, storage and shipment,
film is wound onto these cylinders at high speed
(300m/min) to a total weight of 2 ton, aged at
elevated temperature, stored and unwound again,
resulting in many cycles of severe alternating as
well as long term loads throughout the service life
of the cylinder.
The majority of these cylinders has been in
service for many years and needs to be replaced in
the near future. However, their laminate lay-up,
fibre reinforcement and shell thickness have been
evolving over many years based on best practices,
without detailed structural analyses.
Hence, in order to design and develop a new
generation of cylinders, an updated set of design
criteria had to be specified.
However, although loading conditions during
winding on full or half width and during storage can
be assessed qualitatively, no quantitative design data
corresponding to real service loads were available.
During film winding e.g. static axial compression,

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driving torsion and radial compression are combined


with cyclic bending in axial and circumferential
direction. Major unknowns are the load distribution
over the length of the cylinder (depending on mills
near film edges) and the contribution of the film to
the overall cylinder stiffness as the wound film
thickness is built up.
Hence it was decided to deviate reliable load
estimates from in service measurements by means
of inverse load identification.
This inverse load identification route would include:
- generating a finite element model of the
cylinder
- selection of an appropriate set of forces and
points of application, together representative for
the assumed load distribution for the considered
load cases
- set-up of a transfer function (matrix) between
each of these forces and strains at half span and
quarter span of the cylinder length (based on
individual finite element analyses)
- formulating and solving the inverse problem (in
terms of forces explaining the experienced
strains), and this for each of the relevant
segments during winding and unwinding
- deduce the real load evolution the cylinder is
subjected to in real service conditions
However, in order to allow for in service
measurements, first a low cost wireless strain gauge
measurement concept had to be designed, developed
and built. Next sections discuss the development of
such innovative wireless system.

2. Basics of strain gauge


measurements
While several methods exist for measuring strain,
the most common one is using a strain gauge. This
device has its electrical resistance varying
proportionally to the strain in the device [5].
A strain gauge consists of a very thin wire or,
more commonly, a metallic foil arranged in a grid
pattern. The grid pattern maximizes the lenght of
metallic wire on a minimum surface. The cross
sectional area of the grid is minimized to reduce the
effect of shear and Poisson Strain.
The thin wire grid is mounted onto a foil or thin
backing, which is called the carrier. The foil is
attached to the surface of investigation. The strain
of the surface is transferred directly to the wire of
the strain gauge.

P ROCEEDINGS OF ISMA2002 - VOLUME II

Figure 1: Metallic strain gauge


The strain causes a variation in length of the
wire of the strain gauge, which responds with a
change in electrical resistance. There is a linear
relationship between strain in the surface of
investigation and resistance variation of the strain
gauge :

k=

where:

R / R R / R
=

L / L

(1)

k : gauge-factor
R : resistance of the wire
L : length of the wire

Strain gauges are commercially available with


  
    
 !"#$!$!$! % &('*) +,
-/.0$1234065879:-80$040<;
=>? @ACBD>FEHGIBKJGELEHG@
values.
Constantan, a copper-nickel alloy, is commonly
used as wire material. A typical value for the gauge
factor is about 2.05. A rigid fixation of the strain
gauge foil onto the test specimen is crucial for an
accurate strain transfer between substrate and strain
gauge. The applied adhesive layer has to be as thin
as possible and must allow the strain to be
transferred to the wire without additional
deformations due to elasticity of the glue. The foil
has to be a good electrical insulator.
Ideally, one would like the resistance of the
strain to change only in response to applied strain.
However, strain gauge material as well as the
specimen material to which the gauge is applied,
will also respond to variations in temperature.
Strain gauge manufacturers attempt to minimize
sensitivity to temperature. They design specific,
gauge material to compensate for the thermal
expansion of particular specimen material. While
compensated gauges reduce thermal sensitivity, they
cannot exclude thermal effects totally. Hence,

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665

techniques of signal conditioning must be applied to


remove the thermal sensitivity.
A further need for signal conditioning is related
to the extremely low signals being measured. In
practice,
strain measurements rarely
involve values

      
! -3
). Therefore,
measuring the strain requires accurate measurement
of very small changes is resistance. For example,
suppose a !test
specimen undergoes a substantial
! /10 2436587:9;9<7:=?>@ ABC =EDBF DGHIC @ JEB
"# $%'& (*),+.-

gauge
factor k = 2 and an electrical resistance of 120
K
LIM N NPOQ8RSTULVM T WRVOQYXZM[XT[R\ S8Q]SW R\ ^Q]_,`ba ced.fg:h,h<d
10-6ikj?lnm oqp osr[lnm1t uwvyx zx|{:} ~ sx[x|{<zY,z
such very small resistance change one needs special
signal conditioning techniques.
3. Basics of signal conditioning
The most common way to measure the resistance is
to supply a constant voltage and to measure the
current through it. However, as electrical resistance
variation due to temperature effects in the wire can
be of the same order of magnitude as the resistance
variation due to the thermomechanical strains of
interest, strain gauges are mounted in a Wheatstone
bridge [1]. Such bridge consists of 2 identical
resistors, one active strain gauge and one passive
strain gauge.

 1Y<V Y;

R sa

V EX

Figure 2 : Quarter bridge circuit

The output voltage of the Wheatstone bridge is:

Rsp
Rsa
VO = VEX

R + Rsa R + Rsp

(2)

where : VO = output voltage


VEX = excitation voltage
Rsa = resistance of the active strain gauge
Rsp = resistance of the passive strain gauge
R = resistance of the fixed resistors

1YbZ 1  

Y<

T E?

1wI   1[]  

coefficient of the strain gauge wire material. Any


change in temperature will affect both gauges in the
same way.
Assuming that both R are really identical, it is
easy to derive that the variation of the output
voltage of the Wheatstone bridge is :

VO = VEX

k
4 + 2k

(3)

VO = output voltage
VEX = Excitation voltage
k = gauge factor

VO

sense the same temperature and the same


temperature variation. The electrical resistance
change caused by the temperature can be expressed

where :

R sp

The passive strain gauge is mounted in a


location as close as possible to the active strain
gauge, but in such direction that it is not subjected
to any strain. It is essential that both strain gauges
exhibit the same temperature, the same temperature
variation and have the same temperature sensitivity.
When the strain gauges are not loaded, Rsa
equals Rsp and hence the output voltage VO will be
zero. Under these conditions, the bridge is said to
be balanced. Any change in resistance in any arm of
the bridge will result in a nonzero output voltage.
Assume the normal resistance of the active and
the passive strain gauges are designated as RG. Then
the strain-induced change in resistance of the active
 'v } z'u
S Pe1I,YZY S = RG k

8 1's'

An important conclusion from this equation is


that the output voltage depends only on the strain
and is independent of temperature.
This bridge configuration is the basis of
configuring a temperature compensated strain gauge
bridge and is called a quarter-bridge circuit.
One can improve the bridge sensitivity by
making the passive strain gauge also active. This is
possible if a location can be found on the structure
exhibiting the same amount of strain as the active
gauge, but with inverse sign. One gauge is mounted
in a tension location, the other is in a compression
location. The electrical resistance change of the
 1I I: k< ; ' [  S = RG Y
However the strain gauge, that was passive in the
previous discussion of the quarter bridge, now
becomes active too and it has a resistance variation

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P ROCEEDINGS OF ISMA2002 - VOLUME II



S = -RG  


     !
"# $"%"#!  &'"&"
voltage of the bridge is doubled. This bridge
configuration is called a half bridge.

Vo =

k
VEX
2

(4)

Also in this configuration, the output voltage is


independent of the temperature.
The limitation of the use of a half bridge is that
one needs to find a place with the same but opposite
strain.
Finally, one can further increase the sensitivity
of the circuit by making all four arms of the bridge
active by mounting two gauges at the tension side
and two gauges at the corresponding compression
side. Such system is called a full bridge. The
output voltage is :

VO = kVEX

the input stage of the amplifier to control this


initial voltage away.
A third method is to measure the initial
unstrained output of the circuit and compensate
for it in the software.
The last two methods limit the total measurement
range because the initial bridge condition is already
in unbalance.
A newer technique is a combination of
amplifier offset control and software. If the test
procedure allows it, one can balance the bridge by
software controlled potentiometers on a moment
that is assumed to be a strainless moment. This is
called auto-resetting or auto balancing.

4. Tailored signal conditioning for


film cylinder case

(5)

However, in spite of the sensitivity


improvement the output voltage of the bridge
remains very small and needs amplification.
Typical values for amplification are between 100
and 2000 times. The amplifier requires a high input
resistance to avoid loading of the Wheatstone
bridge. In case static or low frequency dynamic
strains are investigated, high quality DC amplifiers
are needed with very low temperature drift.
In most measurement setups the output voltage
of the amplifier is sent to a voltage meter,
oscilloscope, display, recorder or a data acquisition
system.
The equations given for the Wheatstone bridge
circuits assume an initially balanced bridge that
generates zero output when no strain is applied. In
practice however, resistance tolerances, the
electrical resistance of the lead wire, contacts and
strain induced by mounting the gauge will generate
some initial offset voltage. This offset can be
handled in three ways.
First, one can use an offset-nulling, or balancing
circuit to rebalance the bridge to zero output. In
practice, this is done by installing a
potentiometer in one arm of the bridge.
If, due to practical reasons, mounting such
potentiometer in the bridge is not feasible, one
can use an amplifier with offset control. The
amplifier, which amplifies the output voltage of
the Wheatstone bridge, will give a certain
voltage due to the unbalance of the bridge. An
electronic offset controlling circuit is applied at

In the application under study, where multi-axial


strains were to be measured in several locations of a
rotating cylinder, optimal measurement conditions
were hard to implement.
Standard bridge configurations, balance
techniques and temperature compensations like
discussed in the previous paragraph, were not
feasible in practice.
The inner surface of the cylinder shell was not
accessible and hence strain gauges could only be
fixed at the outer surface. Moreover, due to the
complex loading of the cylinder, no duo locations
could be found with purely opposite strains.
Unfortunately only the insensitive quarter-bridge
was applicable.
Temperature compensation was an important
issue. During film winding, the cylinder is rotating
at variable speed, yielding different air cooling
conditions. None of the above mentioned classical
temperature compensation techniques was directly
applicable.
Passive temperature compensating strain
gauges should be mounted at a place that is
strainless and has the same temperature as the active
strain gauge. In practice, this means the passive
gauge is usually placed adjacent to the active one in
a perpendicular direction. Metals are highly thermal
conductive and facilitate finding a strainless location
with equal temperature. However, as glass fibre
reinforced plastics are thermal isolators, the passive
gauge should be positioned very close to the active
one. Unfortunately, due to the complex loading of
the cylinder, combined effects of longitudinal

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667

flexion, torsion and compression occurred, together


with cross-sectional compression and flexion,
thereby preventing to find neighbour locations with
nearly zero strain for each strain direction of
interest.
In order to solve for this temperature
compensation issue, one single zero-load position
was defined close to the end of the cylinder, where
due to the underlying metal insert, mechanical
strains would be quasi zero. (gauge 7 in fig 3).
As this location for the passive strain gauge
was not close to the active strain gauges,
temperature differences might occur. However,
these would be negligible with respect to effects of
air cooling or of main environmental changes,
which were accounted for.
Hence, the measurement from gauge 7 in figure
3 was used to realize a temperature compensation on
all other measurement points by software.
Figure 4 shows one particular measurement
point, with 4 strain gauges necessary to fully
characterize the multi-axial strain state in that point.









  
   



Figure 3 : Location of some strain gauges

5. Wireless
In normal test setups the strain gauges on the
structure are directly connected to the signal
conditioning and data acquisition equipment on the
fixed floor, by means of long, high quality cables.
In case of rotating structures, cable connections
cannot be used.
Industrial wireless telemetry
systems for strain gauges are available on the
market and could be used. However, most of the
time they are large and heavy. They include only a
few channels and are very expensive.
To allow for inverse load identification, many
measurement locations and directions were needed.
Although several measurements could be performed
sequentially, a simultaneous measurement of 8
strain signals was considered as a minimum. With
commercially available equipment this would be
unaffordable for a single measurement campaign.
Hence, an innovative low cost system was
developed. The key element in this measurement
system is the use of a commercial wireless
microphone system. For an acceptable price a good
quality (hi-fi) signal transmission is available.
High-end models are equipped with double
receivers to allow large movement of the
microphone without receiving gaps.
The output of the signal condition of the strain
gauges has to be converted to a microphone-like
signal and has to be sent to the transmitter.
For this application, microphone transmitters
have attractive features : they are simple, small,
lightweight, but most of all, they have a low cost per
channel.

6. Equipment configuration

Figure 4 : Four strain gauges are needed for complete


strain information in one point

In each point of interest on the cylinder, strain


gauges were mounted in the directions of interest.
This could be up to 4 directions per point, i.e. at 0,
45, 90 and -45 degrees. The measurements in all
those points had to be synchronized.
Very well tied wire leads connect the strain
gauges to a local electronic circuit, which rotates
together with the cylinder. The local electronic
circuit contains a circuit to balance the bridge and
amplifies the bridge output voltage up to 500 times.
For reasons of flexibility, even here a balance circuit
is provided.
This signal is sent to a modulator to produce an
asymmetric square wave [4]. Then an electronic
circuit converts this signal to a signal that is

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P ROCEEDINGS OF ISMA2002 - VOLUME II

compatible with a phantom powered condenser


microphone, so it can be sent by the transmitter of a
wireless microphone system.

Figure 5 : Equipment that has to rotate with the cylinder.

All these electronics, including batteries, shown


in figure 5, had to be as compact and lightweight as
possible because it has to be mounted on the
rotating cylinder which reached speeds up to 150
RPM. Centrifugal forces should be kept low.

R otating pa rt
tra nsm itter

m odulator

strain gauges

tube



Fixed part

receiver

dem odu lator

daq -system

Figure 6 :Block diagram of the test setup

7. Modulation
The service loads analysis needed information from
long term strains changes (months), slow changes
(hours) to fast changes during the winding process
(150 RPM). Hence, the measuring system had to be
designed from DC to 200 Hz.
The wireless microphone transmitter is not
capable of transmitting DC-signals or very low

frequency signals. Hence, the measured signals


with a bandwidth from 0 to 200 Hz are converted in
such a way that they can transmitted by the
microphone transmitter. This conversion is done by
a frequency modulator.
The frequency modulator is designed as such
that the frequency of the output square wave is the
main carrier frequency when there is no input
voltage.
By a charge balance voltage to
frequency-technique the input voltage is frequency
modulated on the carrier frequency.
This technique is based on charging and
uncharging a capacitor. During a fixed amount of
time a constant current charges the capacitor. After
this charging time, a certain voltage is built up over
the capacitor. Then, the capacitor is switched over
and uncharged with a current linear to the input
signal. This can be assumed as an integration
process. The time to uncharge the capacitor is linear
to the input signal. This is accomplished by an
asymmetric period-modulated square wave.
Techniques of normal FM-modulation can not be
applied. To reach a linear operation of the modulator
demodulator, the carrier frequency is not put in de
middle of the available bandwidth (20Hz- 20kHz) of
the transmitter because the period modulated signal
does not have symmetrical sidebands.
This
modulated square wave is sent to an electronic
circuit which changes it into a microphone-like
signal, ready for transmission.
On the fixed floor the output of the wireless
microphone receiver sends the FM-modulated signal
to a frequency to voltage converter. The principle is
the same as described above only in the opposite
order. The incoming frequency modulated signal
charges a capacitor with a fixed current. The
voltage over the capacitor is proportional to the time
of the period of the incoming signal.
After amplification and DC-level shifting the
signal can be sent to the data acquisition equipment.

8. Multi channel transmitter


In this measurement system, a high quality wireless
microphone system has been selected, i.e. the WMS
80 from AKG [3]. It contains a dual microcontroller
receiver concept in the UHF band. The
microcontroller in the receivers compares both
received signals. The signal with the best receiving
level is sent to the output. This avoids receiving
gaps. With moving transmitters there is a risk that
the receivers sees gaps in the incomming signal.
These gaps are posistion dependent of the

I NSTRUMENTATION

transmitter. The combination of direct waves and


reflected waves is then too low for good signal
receiving.
In this measurement system the transmitters are
turning on the cylinder.
This
dual
transmitter/receiver system is really improving the
quality of the measured data.
A second important reason why this wireless
microphone system was chosen was the multi
channel aspect. This system is designed to use up to
16 channels together without intermodulation
between the several transmitters. A well-chosen set
of carrier frequencies between 734 and 745 MHz is
used in such a way that there is only a small risk for
intermodulation of the carrier frequencies of one of
its harmonics.

9. Specifications
UHF transmission frequency : 740 MHz
LF carrier frequency : 17kHz
 
        
!"#$

UHF transmitter power : 10 mW


distance : about 10m
bandwidth : DC- 200Hz
dynamic range : 27 dB

10. Test setup


A test cylinder was completely instrumented with
strain gauges, signal conditioning module, batteries
and transmitters. At both ends the cylinder had
metal inserts for clamping, supporting and driving.
The cylinder was mounted into the film winding
machine and fixed to the driver system by applying
a pneumatic pressure of about 4 bar in the
longitudinal direction of the cylinder.

669

In this test setup different combinations of


simplified loads could be applied in static and
rotating situations.

11. Calibration
To do quantitative measurements all sensors had to
be calibrated. Two calibration test were done on an
empty cylinder : internal pressure and torsion.
Calibration was done by fixing the cylinder to avoid
turning. By applying a known pneumatic pressure
in the longitudinal direction and knowing the overall
cylinder stiffness, all strain gauges in this direction
could be calibrated.
Next, a beam of 1 m length was fixed at one
end of the tube. A known mass was mounted at the
end of the beam, thereby loading the cylinder in
torsion. All strain gauges mounted under 45
degrees could be calibrated in this way.
However, for the remaining strain gauges, it
was nearly impossible to apply a particular force
resulting in easily predictable strains. Hence, by
means of approximation, the same calibration values
were used. Such approximation is justified in case
the strain gauges all originate from the same batch
and are mounted in the same way, which was more
or less the case.

12. Typical experiments


In figure 8 one can see a typical time evolution of
the axial strain when the pneumatic pressure in the
longitudinal direction is changed.
V

0.37

1bar

0 bar

0 bar

0.30
0.25

2 bar

1 bar

0.20
0.15

3 bar
0.10
0.05

4 bar

0.00
-0.02
0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

220

file name : C:\_paul95\agfa\R4_press_op2.dat

scan rate : 100.00

Figure 8 : Evolution of longitudinal compression in the


cylinder
Figure 7 : Overview of the test setup

243

sec

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P ROCEEDINGS OF ISMA2002 - VOLUME II

In figure 9 the longitudinal flexion in shown in the


middle of the cylinder during rotation.
V

0.19
0.10
0.00
-0.10
-0.20
-0.30
-0.40
-0.50
-0.59
3

file name : C:\_paul95\agfa\R2_draai.dat

scan rate : 100.00

sec

14. Conclusion
The design and development of a wireless
measurement system has been described. The
system can measure strains in up to 16 points. It
uses a wireless microphone system technology,
capable of transmitting signals from DC to 200 Hz.
Main advantage apart from the wireless aspect is its
low cost per channel.
This low cost wireless system has been
designed to estimate service loads of rotating
cylinders used in film industry.
Preliminary
experiments have proved the capabilities of the
wireless sytem.

Figure 9 : Progress of flexion in the rotating tube

References
13. Data-acquisition
The signals received from the wireless microphone
system are converted by the demodulator to analog
signals between 5V in the baseband. These signals
can be received by common data acquisition boards.
For this project a DAQCard1200 multi function
analog input data acquisition from National
Instruments was used. A PCMCIA card plugged in
a notebook run the data-acquisition software. This
software was written in LABView. The advantage
of such a tailored program is that during the
measurement in real time some important analysis
can be done and can be monitored. The raw
measured data are stored on disk and remain
available for later analysis.

Figure 10 : Overview of the equipment on the fixed floor

[1] Walt Kester, Analog Devices Inc., Practical


Design Techniques for sensor signal conditioning.
Published by Analog Devices
[2] Joseph J.Carr, Secrets of RF Circuit Design
second edition, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
1997.
[3] AKG Acoustics GmbH, Reference manual
WMS80 wireless microphone system, AKG
Acoustics GmbH Vienna Austria
[4] L.J. Giacoletto, Electronics Designers
Handbook, second edition, McGraw-Hill Book
Company, New York, 1977
[5] John P. Bentley, Principles of Measurement
Systems, Third edition, Prentic Hall, London, 1995

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