Hi people,
I'm new here and i really need your all help in getting this project done asap as it's my college project, and it will require time to order them and setting them up. I'm trying to be as cautious as much as I can so that I do not order any extra/useless materials as i'm a little tight on budget.
My goal is to take readings from an LVDT( Linear Variable Differential Transformer) sensor(in mV) and then display the final output/readings in my laptop(mm). For this i believe that i will require an arduino board to convert the analog signals from the LVDT( Linear Variable Differential Transformer)( i.e in MilliVolts) and then connect it to my laptop and then do some coding(in the arduino IDE) to get the final readings continuously.
First, I need to know that what are the types of LVDTs( Linear Variable Differential Transformer) compatible with the arduino?( if anybody could suggest me what parameters to keep in mind when ordering an LVDT( Linear Variable Differential Transformer) that would be suitable for my requirements that would be great).
I am mainly confused about connecting the LVDT( Linear Variable Differential Transformer) to the arduino directly? i mean can i connect them both directly or do i need a signal conditioner/ multichannel preamplifier/ buffer or some extra equipment for the signals to get processed by the arduino board?
Please see that i'm not an electrical/ electronics student and have very little knowledge regarding these devices, so please correct me wherever i am wrong.
You mean a Linear Variable Differential Transformer? Embarrassed to say I have a degree in Physics but never heard of that. So please don't assume we know what you know.
Eh investigado acerca del tema, sin embargo no eh encontrado mayor información, únicamente un post de hace 6 años donde toman el mismo tema Measuring Force and Displacement with arduino, sin embargo, al igual que en todos los sensores que se conectan a Arduino, debes acondicionar la señal y ver la características de dicho sensor como voltaje de alimentación, voltaje de salida, etc. También encontré un vídeo que probablemente te de una idea Arduino+LVDT y alguno que otro vídeo donde usan el ejemplo de ReadAnalogVoltage del Arduino IDE, pero no creo que sea tan sencillo. Espero esto te ayude a resolver parte de tu duda y suerte
As the name implies, the LVDT is a transformer with one primary coil and two secondary coils. You need some electronics between an Arduino controller and the 3 coils in the LVDT. The primary coil can be exited with a constant AC signal (sine wave). The two output coils are picking up the AC signal with an amplitude directly related to the position of the core inside the LVDT.
The mechanical construction is used to move the core inside the LVDT.
In a simplistic implementation, you need to convert the AC amplitude to DC amplitude and then use an ADC port for both secondary coil readings. If you have enough computing power in your controller, you could use a simple diode just to protect the ADC port and then read the positive values to find the current amplitude.
A typical excitation frequency is between 1 and 3 kHz. To find the maximums, you need to sample the values at the speed of 100,000 samples (or more) per second).
There are several companies that are selling the LVDT interface boards in price range from $100 to $500. You can do this for $20 using a fast MCU if the maximal accuracy is not your goal.