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Strain gauge amplifier used by Olympic GB rowing teams

Aptifirst

GB’s Olympic rowing teams used instrumentation based on the DSCUSB digital strain gauge amplifier to optimise performance.

24 August 2012

The instrumentation was designed and built by Loughborough University’s Sports Technology Institute laboratory and the English Institute For Sport based on the DSCUSB digital strain gauge amplifier.

The computer-configured DSCUSB allows strain gauge devices to be connected directly to a computer via a USB port, and is available in cased and uncased PCB versions.

The uncased version has the benefit of being very light in weight. The DSCUSBis available in both “High Stability” and “Industrial Stability” versions, allowing a choice of resolutions up to 1 part in 400,000, and speeds of reading up to 500Hz.

The device is supplied with a software app to allow it to be configured and for the data to be displayed and logged. It is quite easy to address the DSCUSB from programming platforms such as Visual Basic, C and LabView.

Aptifirst also designed for the same application a new, sub-miniature, tension-compression load-cell, the ALC03, with a body diameter of only 16mm and body length of 15mm. The ALC03 is available with full-scale ranges of ±500N, ±1,000N, and ±2,500N.

The ALCO3 is fitted with a 700 Ohm strain gauge giving a sensitivity of 2mV/V, and which will operate from supply voltages of 5 to 10V.

Made of stainless steel and sealed to IP65, ALCO3 may be supplied with male or female connecting threads to suit many applications.