Limits of Stability of Microcomputer-controlled
Scanning Systems for Strain-gage Data Readings
by Paolo Cappa
ABSTRACT-The zero-drift and the relative interval of un-
certainty associated with two multichannel sequential auto-
mated systems for strain-gage data readings were examined.
The strain-measurement systems are made up of a switch
contrai unit (with mechanical relays), digitai multimeters,
power-supply unit and microcomputer. These devices are
generally available in laboratories. Significant differences were
observed by comparing the results obtained with the systems
examined.
lntroduction
Tbe utilization of computer-controlled data-acquisition
systems bas increased, as is well known, botb in tbe
laboratory'-' an d in field testing situations. 6 Generally,
tbe automatic multicbannel monitoring systems employ
analog multiplexers, circuits tbat time sbare an A/D
converter among different analog cbannels. Tbe analog
multiplexers operate into a sample-bold circuit wbicb
bolds tbe required anaiog voltage long enougb for A/D
conversion. Tbe costs of tbese measuring systems are
usually Iess tban tbose of parailel recording ones.
Some of tbe proposed automated multicbannel se-
quentiai strain-measuring systems7-l' utilize intermediate
circuitry between tbe multiplexer and tbe A/D converter
tbat is capable of minimizing tbe errors caused by tbe
random variations of tbe voltage drops produced by
switcb and wire resistance. These voltage drops produce
noticeable errors in strain measurements because of tbe
very low leve! of strain-gage signais. Tbe variations of
tbese parasitic resistances will cause nonreproducible
readings, unstable zero readings, and loss of caiibration.
Tbese systems are also capable of suppressing tbermo-
coupled voltages generated at tbe switcbes.
Anotber way to read a large number of strain-gage
data successively is, obviously, tbe utilization of a switcb
unit sucb tbat one measuring instrument may accommodate
several gages. Tbe following automated arrangements
bave been tested and described in tbe literature: Wbeat-
stone bridge out of baiance, 12 and a direct measurement
of tbe gage resistance witb two- and four-wire connec-
tions."·'•
It is tbe purpose of tbis paper to make a comparative
exarnination of tbe limits of stability of two sequentiai
automated systems based on a four-wire connection. Tbe
first system directly evaluates tbe resistance variations by
a digitai obmmeter, tbe latter utilizes a separate and
adjustable constant current source and determines tbe
strain vaiue by tbe simultaneous measurements of tbe
current forced and tbe voltage developed.
Tbe study reported bere represents a preliminary
Paolo Cappa (SEM Member) is Assistant Professar, Dipartimento di
Meccanica e Aeronautica, Università di Roma "La Sapienza", Via
Eudossiana, 18- 00184 Roma, Italy.
Paper was presented at the 1988 SEM Spring Conference on Experimental
Mechanics held in Portland, OR on June 5-10.
Originai manuscript submitted: Apri/28, 1988. Fina/ manuscript received:
March 19, 1990.
300 • September 1990
analysis to be followed by more exhaustive investigations
of long-term strain measurements.
Experimental Arrangement
Tbe four-wire circuit for tbe direct measurement of tbe
gage resistance was adopted witb tbe aim of minimizing
tbe voltage developed across tbe measured resistance of
tbe test leads and connectors. In fact, a current source
forces a current tbrougb tbe unknown resistance develop-
ing a voltage across tbe device. Tbe current is applied
tbrough one set of test leads, wbile tbe voltage developed
is sensed tbrougb a second set of leads. Botb tbe current
source tbat forces a fixed constant current vaiue and tbe
DVM are built in tbe device tbat sbows tbe resistance
value directly. However, tbis metbod does not canee!
otber factors sucb as tbermal EMFs and electrocbemicai
effects tbat can affect tbe resistance measurement accuracy.
Tbe costs of tbe system examined are about 40 percent
less tban an equivaient specialized system.
To increase tbe sensitivity of tbe previous system it was
decided to utilize a separate and adjustable constant
current source. Tbe basic circuit (single constant potentio-
meter circuit) is essentially tbe same as tbe four-wire
circuit except tbat it utilizes tbree separate devices (con-
stant current supply, ammeter, and voltmeter) instead of
only one (obmmeter). Tbe increase of tbe complexity of
tbe system can be compensated for by tbe regulation of
tbe current vaiue to tbe specific power dissipation limit of
tbe strain gage monitored. Tbe cost of tbe system examined
is about 25 percent less tban an equivalent speciaiized one.
A constant current source of 20 mA and 30 mA was
applied. Tbese values of tbe constant current imply tbat,
witb a constant supply, tbe accuracy of static strain
measurements would be moderate or low witb excellent
beat-sink properties of tbe mounting surface."
Tbe devices are interfaced by means of tbe IEEE-488
bus.' 6 ·' 7 Tbis bus is a standard tool in data acquisition. It
ailows up to 15 devices to be connected. By adding inter-
face cards tbe 15 limitation can be overcome. It bas a bus
lengtb of up to 20 meters wbicb can be increased by
using distance extenders.
Tbe nominai vaiues of tbe precision resistors were
120 O and 350 O. Tbe resistors cbosen bave a tolerance
of ±0.01 percent, a temperature coefficient of ± 1ppm/° C,
and, finaily, a maximum drift equai to 25 ppm/year.
Four resistors, witb identica! nominai vaiues, were
monitored simultaneously in eacb test.
Tbe precision resistors were connected to the switcb
contro! unit by using leads that were in tbe range of 2 m
to 40 m in length and in diameter to 0.4 mm. Twisted
cables were cbosen to minimize magneticaily induced
noise. Tbe shields were grounded at one point.
Tbe accuracy of tbe obmmeter, voltmeter, and ammeter
were, respectively, equai to: ± (0.0035 pecent + 5 counts),
± (0.002 percent + 3 counts), and, finally, ± (0.01 per-
cent + 3 counts).
 The switch-control unit provides high flexibilìty. In The RMstart and BRstart obtained with the first 100
fact, by means of mechanical switches, it allows con- readings for each precision resistor were taken as re-
nections of low level DVM inputs and signal up to 250 V ferences. Then the zero drift, E• .,, and the associated
and 2 A. The mechanical switches of the switch contro! interval of uncertainty, DE•.,, were calculated by employing
unit bave low thermal offset ( < 3 p. V at the end of their the following equations.
life). But this source of error is not compensated.
l RM - RM start ( )
E• .,= F R
Mstart
2
Test Procedure and Results
The tests were organized so that 100 measurements
were taken for each channel every hour for six days. To TABLE 3-SINGLE-CURRENT POTENTIOMETER
assure that the transient conditions had disappeared, each CIRCUIT, l= 20 mA, 120 OHM
reading was done after an interval of 2 s after the channel
switching. The time required to read the 800 values (four Precision Zero Drift Uncertainty
precision resistors, four temperature sensors for the Resistor [pm/m] Associated with
Minimum and Maximum Zero Orift [pm/m]
determination of the average test area temperature), for
Values Minimum and
each cycle, was about 45 minutes. The low sampling rate Maximum Values
caused by the slowest device on the bus, the switch- Test #1 Test #2 Test #1 Test #2
control unit, limited the applicability of the systems to
static and quasi-static phenomena. Bach test was repeated #1 -58; -2 -53; 51 60;70 50;70
twice. #2 -63; -6 -55; 45 58; 71 52;73
lf it was hypothesized that the measurements were #3 -63; -10 -59; 42 58; 70 50;69
subjected to many small sources of random error and #4 -66; -2 -50; 56 62;71 49; 73
negligible systematic errors, the Gaussian distribution
describes the limiting distribution quite well. The results
are reported as: mean ± standard deviation (RM ± BR). TABLE 4-SINGLE-CURRENT POTENTIOMETER
The standard deviation was calculated in accordance with CIRCUIT, l =
20 mA, 350 OHM
the following more conservative, i. e., larger, definition:
Precision Zero Drift Uncertainty
l N s
Resistor [~<mi m] Associated with
bR= [N-l l~~~ (R,-RM)') (l) Minimum and Maximum Zero Drift [~<m/m]
Values Minimum and
where N is the number of readings and R, is the value of Maximum Values
each reading. Test #1 Test #2 Test #1 Test #2
The observed distribution was checked by means of the
x 2 test. 18 The x 2 values obtained at the five-percent #1 -16; 90 -49; -1 53;65 49;61
significance level, for both the systems examined, indicated #2 -20; 92 -50; o 54;63 55;64
that the resistance measurements were governed by a #3 -14; 95 -49; -1 52;64 50;61
Gaussian distribution. #4 -15; 98 -47; 1 52;65 55;65

TABLE 1-FOUR-WIRE DIRECT RESISTANCE TABLE 5-SINGLE-CURRENT POTENTIOMETER CIRCUIT,

MEASUREMENTS, 120 OHM l = 30 mA, 120 OHM

Precision Zero Drift Uncertainty Precision Zero Drift Uncertainty

Resistor [~<m/m] Associated with Resistor [~<lm] Associated with
Minimum and Maximum Zero Drift [~<m/m] Minimum and Maximum Zero Drift [~</m]
Values Minimum and Values Minimum and
Maximum Values Maximum Values
Test #1 Test #2 Test #1 Test#2 Test #1 Test #2 Test #1 Test #2

#1 3; 12 -2;6 10; 13 11; 14 #1 -20; 28 -44; 4 35;70 32;58

#2 4; 13 0;7 11; 14 10; 13 #2 -22; 23 -38; 5 30;67 33;60
#3 4; 8 0;6 11; 14 13; 16 #3 -25; 21 -30; 8 34;65 36;60
#4 3; 12 -1; 7 11; 15 11; 14 #4 -28; 17 -38; 9 36;68 37;62

TABLE 2-FOUR-WIRE DIRECT RESISTANCE TABLE 6-SINGLE-CURRENT POTENTIOMETER CIRCUIT,

MEASUREMENTS, 350 OHM l = 30 mA, 350 OHM

Precision Zero Drift Uncertainty Precision Zero Drìft Uncertainty

Resistor [~tmlm] Assocìated wìth Resistor [~<m/m] Associated with
Mìnimum and Maximum Zero Drìft [~<mlm] Minimum and Maxìmum Zero Drift [pm/m]
Values Minimum and Values Mìnimum and
Maxìmum Values Maximum Values
Test #1 Test #2 Test #1 Test #2 Test #1 Test #2 Test #1 Test #2

#1 -1; 4 -1; 3 0;6 0;7 #1 -29; 70 -50; 8 30;40 33;49

#2 -2; 3 -2; 4 1; 7 2;8 #2 -28; 68 -53; 3 33;42 35;50
#3 -2; 3 -3; 2 O; 7 O; 7 #3 -31; 69 -48; 4 32;43 34;53
#4 -2; 4 -1; 4 0;6 3;9 #4 -28; 74 -54; 5 35; 42 34;49

Experimental Mechanics • 301


where F and oF indicate the gage factor and the associated
interval of uncertainty. A gage factor of two and an
interval of uncertainty equal to ± l percent were assumed.
Equation (3) was obtained from eq (2) with the use of the
propagation uncertainty theory. 18
The observed values of e,.,, obtained by using direct
resistance measurements, confirmed the results obtained
with a specialized scanner unit." In fact, the strain
indicator readings (see Tables l and 2) were always in the
ranges of -2 ~t m!m s e,., s 13 ~tmlm and -3 ~tmlm s
e•., s 4~tmlm for the precision resistors with a nominai
value of 120 O and 350 O, respectively. The results ob-
tained showed that the variations of e,.,, relative to the
350-0 resistors, approximately fall within the changes of
system input caused by test-area temperature variations
( s 5o C). Moreover, Tables l an d 2 show a similar
behavior for the precision resistors in each test. This ob-
servation emerges more clearly from the examination of
Fig. l where the zero drift observed in each of the four
resistors in one of the tests is depicted as a function of'
time. The maximum values of oe• ., were 16 pmlm at
120 O, and 9 pmlm at 350 O.
The maximum and the minimum values of e•., and oe,.,
obtained by supplying the four precision resistors with a
constant current of 20 mA and 30 mA are indicated in
Tables 3-6. The range of variation of test-area tempera-
ture for these experiments was always less than 5° C. It is
apparent that the range of variation of e,., is significantly
higher than the resistance variations of the resistors that
would be caused by test-temperature variations. In fact,
the strain-indicator reading, E,.,, was always in the range
of 106 ~tmlm at 120 O, and 112 pmlm at 350 D, when the
forced current was equal to 20 mA. For a current of 30
mA, the observed e•., values fall within the 48 pm/m and
102 JLmlm for 120 O and 350 D, respectively. By examining
Tables 3-6, it was noticed that the tests were not repetitive.
However, the simìlar behavior of the four resistors
examined in each test was confirmed (see Fig. 2). The
tables show a decrease in the variation of e•., and OE, 11
when the current increased.
The differences in stability observed for the two systems
can be explained by the observation that the current and
the voltage are not read simultaneously in the single
potentiometer circuìt. It follows that a zero drift appears
if the forced current is not constant during the time incre-
ment necessary for the computer to send the trigger
command to the voltmeter and to read the value.
It is possible to observe that the values measured from
the two systems are not influenced by the leadwire length.
Finally, the possibility of obtaining small zero-drift
values in long-term strain measurements carried out with
low-cost general-purpose system emerges when four-wire
direct-resistance measurements are utilized.
Conclusions
As a result of the present study, it can be concluded
that simple and low-cost automated strain-measurement
systems, based on nonspecialized scanner units, can be
utilized in long-term strain measurements when the
temperature variations are within :::5o C. The results
obtained indicate the necessity of further studies for the
302 • September 1990
350 Ohm - test *2
Fig. 1-Zero drift for
four-wire direct-
resistance measurement
of the four precision
resistors
..
-·,'-~-~ .. ---:,::-----::---:,-:::-.,--:e,.,
Tirre [hourl
350 Ohm - test #2
Fig. 2-Zero drift fora
single·current
potentlometer cìrcuìt
(/ = 30 mA· test #2) for
the four precislon
resìstors
24 48 7P. 96 120
Tìme Ihour)
purpose of evaluating stability when the automated data-
acquisition systems examined are utilized in field testing.
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