Octal Bridge Amp

Overview:

The FE228 Octal Bridge Amp is an eight-channel, non-isolated bridge amplifier designed to allow the PowerLab to connect to most DC bridge transducers, including commonly available force transducers, temperature probes, light meters, displacement transducers, pressure transducers, and similar devices. They are capable of supporting various powered transducers, and certain low-impedance unpowered transducers.

The FE228 Bridge Amp will only operate with PowerLab /SP, /25, /30 and /35 or later units and are not suitable for use with other data acquisition systems.

The FE228 will only operate with Chart version 5.4.2 or later (Win & Mac) and LabChart 6 or later (Win & Mac).  The FE228 Bridge Amp will not operate with earlier versions of Chart 5 or Chart 4.  For an upgrade to LabChart please contact your nearest ADInstruments Representative for further information.

The FE228 will only operate with Scope for Windows (3.7.8 or later) or Scope for Mac (4.0.3 or later).  The FE228 Bridge Amp will not operate with earlier versions of Scope.  Free updates for Scope are available from our Downloads site. For further information or assistance please contact your nearest ADInstruments Representative.

Features:

• Low-drift instrumentation amplifier
• Software-controlled zeroing
• Wide amplification range (±200 µV to ±5 V in 14 steps) allowing the amplifier to be used with a wide range of transducers
• A high impedance input (2 x 1 MΩ single-ended, 2 MΩ differential) ensures the Bridge Amp will not load the transducer
  
• An overload light for each of the channels indicates whether the attached transducer is operating correctly or incorrectly
• To connect transducers with Grass connectors, a MLAC11 Grass Adapter Cable will need to be purchased.

Applications:

Used for measuring force, displacement and physiological pressures from a wide variety of transducers, such as strain gauges used in force platforms, some respiratory transducers, blood pressure transducers and others. Ideal for multichannel isolated tissue studies.

Specifications:

Input

• Number of inputs: 8 (Octal), (8-pin DIN)
• Input configuration: Differential
• Amplification range: ±200 μV to ±5 V full scale in 14 steps (combined PowerLab and Bridge Amp)

• Amplification accuracy: ±0.5% (combined PowerLab & Bridge Amp)
• Maximum input voltage: ±10 V
• Input impedance: 2 x 1 MΩ (Single-ended) 2 MΩ (Differential)
• Low-pass filtering: 1 Hz to 2 kHz in eight steps (software selectable)
• Frequency response (-3 dB): 2 kHz maximum at all gains with the 2 kHz filter selected.
• CMRR (differential): 100 dB at 50 Hz (typical).
• Input noise: <1μV_rms referred to input at highest gain

Excitation and Zeroing

• Excitation voltage range: 0-20 volts DC (±10 V referred to ground), adjusted by external resistor
• Transducer drive current: ±45 mA maximum
• Zeroing circuitry: Software-controlled, either manual or automatic
• Internal offsetting range:
  

• Internal offset resolution: 
  

Control Port

• I²C port: Power and control bus for front-end units. Supports a number of front-ends dependent on the PowerLab. Interface communications rate of ~50 Kbits/s.

Physical Configuration

• Model Dimensions and weight
• Octal (ML228): 300 mm (h) x 60 mm (w) x 300 mm (d); 3.4kg
• Power requirements: (Without transducer attached)
• Octal (ML228): 5.0 W
• Operating temperature range: 10 to 40 °C, 0 to 90% relative humidity (non-condensing)

ADInstruments reserves the right to alter these specifications at any time