A method for measuring a position of a device which is connected to a position sensor is provided. The method includes the steps of controlling an excitation unit to generate an excitation signal which excites the position sensor to provide a first feedback signal proportioned to the displacement of the device, controlling a sampling unit to sample the first feedback signal and obtain a plurality of first feedback samples, and calculating the position of the device based at least in part on the first feedback samples.

Embodiments generally relate to assembly and methods for precisely rigging a linear variable differential transformer (LVDT). For example, the probe rod assembly of a dual tandem LVDT may comprise two moveable cores, a probe fitting, and a probe rod. Generally, the first moveable core may be configured to achieve electrical zero with its respective transformer. Without adjusting the position of the probe rod with respect to the one or more coils of wire, the second moveable core may be configured to achieve electrical zero with its respective transformer. This may ensure that both moveable cores simultaneously achieve electrical zero in the null position. Typically, the probe fitting may be configured to fit at a first end of the probe rod projecting outward from the outer housing. The disclosed assembly and methods may be used to precisely rig dual tandem LVDTs, single channel LVDTs, and dual parallel LVDTs.

A method of measuring a movement, the method comprising the steps of: acquiring and digitizing both a first measurement voltage across the terminals of a first secondary winding and also a second measurement voltage across the terminals of a second secondary winding of an inductive movement sensor; multiplying the first measurement voltage by itself in order to obtain a first component of a crossed vector, multiplying the second measurement voltage by itself in order to obtain a second component of the crossed vector, and multiplying together the first measurement voltage and the second measurement voltage in order to obtain a third component of the crossed vector; applying the crossed vector as input to a lowpass filter in order to obtain a filtered vector; and estimating the movement from the components of the filtered vector.

A plug gauge includes a housing, defining an internal volume, first openings, and second openings. The plug gauge includes first contact elements, each at least partially received in a respective one of the first openings. The plug gauge includes a first plunger in the internal volume and movable relative to the housing. The first plunger is biased to urge the first contact elements radially outward through the first openings. The plug gauge includes a first sensor sensing movement of the first plunger. The plug gauge includes second contact elements, each at least partially received in a respective one of the second openings. The plug gauge includes a second plunger in the internal volume and movable relative to the housing. The second plunger is biased to urge the second contact elements radially outward through the second openings. The plug gauge includes a second sensor sensing movement of the second plunger.

Embodiments of the invention include systems and techniques for implementing voltage differential transducer (VDT) fault detection. Embodiments include a computing resource electrically coupled to an AC power supply, a VDT including a primary winding and a set of secondary windings, wherein the VDT is electrically coupled to the AC power supply. Embodiments also include a current sensing circuit electrically coupled to the AC power supply and the VDT, and a signal processor electrically coupled to an output of the VDT and the computing resource, the signal processor providing a signal indicative of a voltage differential of the set of secondary windings of the VDT, that is used by the computing resource to make an error determination.

An electronic sensor includes a signal generator configured to output a first excitation signal and a second excitation signal and a variable differential transformer connected to the signal generator to receive the first excitation signal and the second excitation signal. The variable differential transformer may include a primary coil, a first secondary coil connected to the signal generator, a second secondary coil connected to the signal generator, and a core disposed at least partially in a magnetic field generated via the first secondary coil and the second secondary coil and the first excitation signal and the second excitation signal. A phase of an output signal of the primary coil corresponds to a position of the core.

A caliper-arm-position sensor comprising a differential variable reluctance transducer (DVRT) and circuits to drive the DVRT with a substantially sinusoidal signal and to sample a signal at the DVRT once per drive-signal cycle at a predetermined position in the drive-signal cycle is disclosed.

A measurement method using an inductive displacement sensor including a magnetic core and transformer with a primary winding and two secondary windings. The method includes an excitation phase of applying an AC excitation voltage across the primary winding terminals; acquisition phase for acquiring and digitizing two measurement voltages across the two secondary windings' terminals; first main processing phase performed on two measurement voltages including the steps of: multiplying the measurement voltage by a reference sine wave and reference cosine wave to obtain two resulting signals; carrying out a first integration of each resulting signal over a sliding window with width equal to the excitation period to obtain two integrated signals; carrying out a second integration of each integrated signal over a sliding window with width equal to half an excitation period to obtain two doubly integrated signals; producing amplitude of the measurement voltage from the doubly integrated signals; first final processing phase for producing a positional estimate of the magnetic core from the amplitudes of the two measurement voltages.

A position sensing system for sensing a position of an input shaft of a variable differential transformer (VDT), comprising said VDT, which comprises first and second AC signal output means that are configured to output a first AC output signal and a second AC output signal respectively. The sensing system further comprises AC/DC converting means configured to convert said first AC output signal to a first DC output signal and an AC/DC converting means configured to convert said second AC output signal to a second DC signal. The first and second DC output signals each indicate an individual position of said input shaft.

A method and system to measure a parameter associated with a component, device, or system with a specified accuracy, including: providing one or more sensors operably disposed to detect the parameter; obtaining a coarse measurement of the parameter within a first range using the one or more sensors, wherein the first range includes minimum and maximum values for the parameter; obtaining a fine measurement of the parameter within a second range using the one or more sensors, wherein the second range is smaller than the first range and has a specified ratio to the first range that provides the specified accuracy; determining a current value of the parameter by combining the coarse and fine measurements; and providing the current value of the parameter to a communications interface, a storage device, a display, a control panel, a processor, a programmable logic controller, or an external device.