Montalvo A4 Digital Amplifier Technical manual€¦ · 3/29/2016 · Montalvo’s Digital Amplifi er Utility is a free app to assist in performing important ___A4 Digital Amplifi

www.montalvo.com / Technical details subject to change without notice. A4-technical manual-ENG-01 © Montalvo

EST. 1947

207-856-2501 / 800-226-8710+86-21-52188010+45 75 57 27 11+49 (0)511 760 691 41

Need help installing?

www.montalvo.com

TECHNICAL MANUAL

A4 Digital Amplifi er

Hardware Version 3.0 / Firmware Version 1.3

Publication Date: 2016-03-29

EST. 1947

p. 2


A4 Digital Amplifi er__ ___________________________________________________________________________________Technical Manual

INDEX

Specifi cations Dimensions ...............................................................................................3

Technical Data ...........................................................................................3

Installation Mounting A4 .............................................................................................4

Connecting Power Supply .........................................................................5

Connecting Signal Output .........................................................................5

Connecting Load Cells Dual Half Bridge Semiconductor Strain Gauge Load Cells .........................6

Single Full Bridge Semiconductor Strain Gauge Load Cells .......................7

Single Half Bridge Semiconductor Strain Gauge Load Cells ......................8

Dual Foil Gauge Load Cells .......................................................................9

Calibration Zero Point ...............................................................................................10

Full Scale ................................................................................................10

Keypad Lockout Introduction .............................................................................................11

Locking the Keypad ................................................................................11

Unlocking the Keypad .............................................................................11

Blinking Codes Introduction .............................................................................................12

Descriptions ............................................................................................12

Digital Amplifi er Utility

Overview .................................................................................................14

Downloading / Installation .......................................................................15

Screen Descriptions ................................................................................16

Calibration ...............................................................................................26

Password ................................................................................................26

Filtering ...................................................................................................26

Troubleshooting Software .................................................................................................27

Hardware ................................................................................................27

EST. 1947

p. 3


Specifi cations A4 Digital Amplifi er__ ____________________________________________________________________Technical Manual

Supply Voltage 24VDC

Overvoltage Category III (IEC 66-4)

Load Cell Input Range ±50mV / ±250 mV

Load Cell Supply 5 VDC ±1%

Gain Adjustment 11 to 510

Maximum Power Consumption 3.5VA

Maximum Power Supply Fuse 10A

Connector 14 pin / screw

Communications Connector USB Type B

Mounting Type DIN Rail EN-50035

Mounting Orientation Not Critical

Temperature-Operating +14 to +122ºF (-10 to +50ºC)

Temperature-Storage +14 to +176ºF (-10 to +80ºC)

Humidity <95% Non-Condensing

Degree of Protection IP20 (IEC 529)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

CAL ZERO

A4Digital Amplifier

1 : +Ex 2 : Sig 3 : -Ex 4 : +Ex 5 : Sig 6 : -Ex 7 : TOTAL 4-20mA 8 : TOTAL 0-10V 9 : LEFT 0-10V 10 : RIGHT 0-10V 11 : GND12 : +24 VDC13 : GND14 : GND

}Left Load Cell

}Right Load Cell

}Input

SN:

2.78(70.6)

3.23(82)

14 pin connectorscrew terminal

0.97(24.5)

0.30(7.5)

DIN RAIL mount EN-50035

1.31(33.4)

USB type B

}OutputProportionalTo Tension

Dimensions

Technical Data

EST. 1947

p. 4



INSTALLATION

Mounting A4

1 The A4 should be mounted in a suitable cabinet for maximum protection,

however it may be installed just about anywhere for convenience. Avoid

dusty or wet locations.

2 Mount the A4 to a standard 35mm DIN rail section (EN-50035).

3 Ground the A4 using either terminal 11 or 14.

4 If the A4 is to be used in conjunction with PC for setup and monitoring,

make sure to provide cable/plug access to the USB port which is located

on the top.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

CAL ZERO

A4Digital Amplifier

SN:

35mmDIN RAIL mount

EN-50035

USB type B

EST. 1947


p. 5


INSTALLATION

Connecting Power Supply

1 Connect 24VDC 3 wire power supply to terminals 12 (+24V), 13 (0V) using

either 11 or 14 as GND.

2 Make sure to provide current overload protection.

Connecting Signal Output

1 Connect meters such as Montalvo’s analog M4, digital meters or a PLC to

OUTPUT terminals 7 thru 10 as desired.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

CAL ZERO

A4Digital Amplifier

(14) GND

(13) OV

(12) + 24V

(11) GND

(10) Right 0 to 10V

(9) Left 0 to 10V

(8) Total 0 to 10V

(7) Total 4 to 20mA

Power Supply INPUT

Signal OUTPUT

EST. 1947

p. 6



CONNECTING LOAD CELLS

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

CAL ZERO

A4Digital Amplifier

+ Excitation (1)

Left Signal (2)

- Excitation (3)

+ Excitation (4)

Right Signal (5)

- Excitation (6)

BN or RD

WH

BK

BN or RD

WH

BK

(14) GND

(13) OV

(12) + 24V

(11) GND

(10) Right 0 to 10V

(9) Left 0 to 10V

(8) Total 0 to 10V

(7) Total 4 to 20mA

RIGHT Load Cell

LEFT Load Cell

Standard conductor colors for Montalvo load cell cables

4 pin connector 6 pin connector 3 pin connector

Brown (BN) Red (RD) Red (RD)

White (WH) White (WH) White (WH)

Black (BK) Black (BK) Black (BK)

Dual Half Bridge Semiconductor Strain Gauge Load Cells

EST. 1947


p. 7



1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

CAL ZERO

A4Digital Amplifier

+ Excitation (1)

+ Signal (2)

- Excitation (3)

- Signal (5)

BN or RD

WH

BK

BU or GN

(14) GND

(13) OV

(12) + 24V

(11) GND

(8) Total 0 to 10V

(7) Total 4 to 20mA

LEFT Load Cell



Brown (BN) Red (RD) NA

White (WH) White (WH) NA

Black (BK) Black (BK) NA

Blue (BU) Green (GN) NA

Single Full Bridge Semiconductor Strain Gauge Load Cells

EST. 1947

p. 8




1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

CAL ZERO

A4Digital Amplifier

+ Excitation (1)

Left Signal (2)

- Excitation (3)

BN or RD

WH

BK

(14) GND

(13) OV

(12) + 24V

(11) GND

(8) Total 0-10V

(7) Total 4 TO 20mA

LEFT Load Cell

100Ω resistor (4)

(5)

100Ω resistor (6)



Brown (BN) Red (RD) Red (RD)

White (WH) White (WH) White (WH)

Black (BK) Black (BK) Black (BK)

Single Half Bridge Semiconductor Strain Gauge Load Cells

EST. 1947


p. 9



1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

CAL ZERO

A4Digital Amplifier

+ Excitation (1)

Left Signal (2)

- Excitation (3)

+ Excitation (4)

Right Signal (5)

- Excitation (6)

(14) GND

(13) OV

(12) + 24V

(11) GND

(10) Right 0-10V

(9) Left 0-10V

(8) Total 0-10V

(7) Total 4 TO 20mA

RIGHT Load Cell

LEFT Load Cell

TTC

C

TTC

C(5)

(4)

(6)

(3)

(5)

(1)

(2)(2)

Dual Foil Gauge Load Cells

EST. 1947

p. 10



CALIBRATION

Zero Point

1 Connect the load cells to the A4 as described in the WIRING section.

2 Make sure the application is set up so that any weight that is supposed

to be tared out (such as the weight of the roller in use) is present.

3 Press the ZERO button on the A4 and hold it until the LED above the

button fl ashes green.

When the zero point on the A4 is calibrated, it will automatically adjust the full

scale value to keep the measurement range the same as it was prior to the new

calibration.

Full Scale

1 Connect the load cells to the A4 as described in the WIRING section.

2 Select a weight that is 20% of the maximum load expected to be present

on the load cells. If desired, the Windows application can be used to pick

a different percentage of total weight. This is particularly useful in

applications where a 20% weight is much too large to be practical.

3 Suspend the chosen weight from a rope that has been fed through the

rollers of the machine exactly as the feed material will be in the application.

It is important that the rope match the wrap angles on the roller that will be

used when the machine is running.

4 Spin all of the rollers the rope wraps around in the direction of the weight.

This is done to counteract friction forces on the rope from the rollers, which

will cause inaccurate readings.

5 Press and hold the CAL button on the A4 until the LED above it fl ashes

green. Alternatively, the windows app can be used to set the full scale.

6 To verify that the full scale has been set correctly, use a multi-meter or

the Windows application to observe that the output from the A4 matches

the weight that is being hung.

Known

Weight

Rope fastened

to this roller

Load Cell

Roller

EST. 1947


p. 11


KEYPAD LOCKOUT

Introduction

The A4 has a feature which allows for the keypad of the A4 to be locked out

in order to keep calibration values from being mistakenly changed. When the

keypad is in lockout mode, the LEDs on the face of the amplifi er will fl ash green

whenever a button is pushed. While in lockout mode, the buttons of the face of

the A4 will have no effect on the stored calibration values.

Locking the keypad

In order to lock the A4 keypad, press and hold both of the buttons on the face

of the amplifi er at the same time for 5 seconds. When the keypad is locked all

of the LEDs on the face of the A4 will fl ash simultaneously 5 times, indicating

the lockout was successful.

Unlocking the keypad

In order to unlock the A4 keypad, press and hold both of the buttons on the

face of the amplifi er at the same time for 5 seconds. When the keypad is

unlocked all of the LEDs on the face of the A4 will fl ash simultaneously 5 times,

indicating the lockout has been removed.

EST. 1947

p. 12



BLINKING CODES

Introduction

The A4 has a collection of blink codes

programmed into it that are represented

by blinking the three LEDs on the face of

the amplifi er in a particular pattern. These

codes are used to indicate the status of

the A4 and can be useful in determining

when there is a problem in the setup or

operation of the device.

Descriptions

Center LED - steady GREEN No Error - This is the status displayed during normal operation.

Center LED - blinks RED 1 time every 2 seconds Over range on terminal 2 load cell - The reading for the load cell connected

to terminal 2 is above the calibrated full scale for that channel.

Center LED blinks RED 2 times every 2 seconds Over range on terminal 5 load cell - The reading for the load cell connected

to terminal 5 is above the calibrated full scale for that channel.

Center LED blinks RED 3 times every 2 seconds

Over range on both load cells - The reading for both of the load cells

connected to the A4 are above the calibrated full scale for their respective

channels.

All LEDs blink GREEN in alternating pattern 5 times

Keypad locked out - When a button on the A4 is pressed and the keypad

is currently locked out, the lights will fl ash green to indicate that the lockout

must be released before a change can be made. To release keypad

lockout, hold down both of the buttons on the face of the A4 for 5 seconds.

All LEDs blink GREEN simultaneously 5 times Keypad lockout acknowledged - Locking out the keypad prevents

accidental changing of either the full scale or zero calibration points. To lock

out the keypad, hold down both CAL and ZERO for 5 seconds. After the

blink pattern fi nishes, pressing either CAL and ZERO will have no effect

until the lockout condition is turned off.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

CAL ZERO

A4Digital Amplifier

GREEN GREENGREENor

RED

EST. 1947


p. 13


BLINKING CODES

Center LED steady RED and CAL LED blinks GREEN 2 times every 2 seconds Full scale calibration / Weight too large - The weight being used to

calibrate the A4’s full scale range is too large, and will not allow for

proper measurement. To clear error, hold down the ‘CAL’ button for a few

seconds.

Center LED steady RED and CAL LED blinks GREEN 4 times every 2 seconds Full scale calibration (Reversed action) - This error is generated when the

terminal connections for the A4 are backwards, meaning the positive and

negative terminals are incorrect. This error is cleared by holding down the

CAL button for a few seconds.

Center LED steady RED and CAL LED blinks GREEN 5 times every 2 seconds

Full scale calibration (Missing zero point) - This error is generated when

there is no zero point programmed into the A4 from which the full scale can

be calculated. This error is cleared by holding down the CAL button for a

few seconds.

Center LED steady GREEN and CAL LED blinks GREEN 3 times Full scale calibration (Calibration good) - Indicates that the full scale

calibration has completed successfully.

Center LED steady RED and CAL LED fl ashes GREEN 2 times every 2 seconds Zero calibration (Calibration value over range) - This error is generated

when the chosen zero value will cause the set full scale value of the

amplifi er to go beyond the range of the possible values. Even though an

error is generated, the zero point for the amplifi er will be set to the new

calibration value. This error is cleared by holding down the ‘ZERO’ button

for a few seconds.

Center LED steady RED and ZERO LED fl ashes GREEN 4 times every 2 seconds

Zero calibration (calibration failed) - Indicates that there is a problem with

the zero calibration attempt. Even though an error is generated, the zero

point for the amplifi er will be set to the new calibration value. This error is

cleared by holding down the ZERO button for a few seconds.

EST. 1947

p. 14



DIGITAL AMPLIFIER UTILITY

Overview

Montalvo’s Digital Amplifi er Utility is a free app to assist in performing important

tasks at setup and during operation and provides critical feedback for optimum

productivity. Utilize the integrated USB port to connect the A4 directly to a

computer to remotely calibrate and graphically monitor both raw inputs from

the load cells and amplifi er outputs.

Features

• Sensor Calibration

• Output Calibration

• Tension Monitoring

• Alerts

Use the link below to download your free copy now:

http://www.montalvo.com/products/a4-digital-amplifi er/____________________________________________________

EST. 1947


p. 15



Download / Installation

1 Connect the A4 amplifi er to a 24 VDC power supply at pins 12 (+24V) and

13 (0V).

2 Connect the A4 to a PC using a USB cable.

3 Navigate to the location on the C drive where the A4 software is located.

4 Click on the setup.exe fi le to install the application.

5 A dialog window will open asking if you want to install the application. Click

the [Install] button.

6 Once the application has fi nished installing, the device selection window

should appear (see below).

7 Select the desired A4 (there should only be one choice unless multiple A4s

are connected to the PC) and click the [Connect] button.

EST. 1947

p. 16




Monitor Window

This window is used to monitor the current status of the A4. It graphs the

output channels of the device as well as displaying details about the connected

A4’s fi rmware revision, sensor type and serial number.

Key Elements

1 The [Re-Discover] will detect if there are any A4 devices connected to the

computer and allow the user to select one to interact with through the GUI

(if there are multiple units connected).

2 The [About] button just lists details about the software and A4 unit.

3 The [Keypad Lock] button will lock the controls on the A4 so that the

push buttons on the device itself will not have any effect. When the keypad

is locked out, the button will turn red, and will be green when the buttons

aren’t locked out.

4 The [Activate] button will unlock the Analog Output Calibration tab when

the correct password is entered. The password is: Montalvo2010.

EST. 1947


p. 17


1 Re-Discover 2 About 3 Keypad Lock 4 Activate


Monitor Tab

EST. 1947

p. 18




Confi guration Window

The /Confi guration/ window is used to view the A4 devices serial number and

set the fi ltering options available to the user.

Deadband The deadband in the A4 is used to fi lter out noise on an idle roll. Essentially, it

will treat any signal below the set percentage as though it were 0. It is important

to keep the deadband value set low, particularly for signals that might not be

particularly large to begin with. Between 0 to 2% should be a good range for

the deadband.

In applications that use shallow wrap angles and / or over-sized load cells, it’s

important that the deadband be kept within the recommended range. Using

values outside this range in these applications can cause performance issues

with PID controllers.

Exponential Filter

The A4 fi rmware has a simple, confi gurable exponential fi lter. The user is able to

customize the fi lter behavior by adjusting the alpha value in the fi lter. Values for

alpha should be between 0 and 1. A value closer to 0 will more heavily weight

past measurements (more heavily fi lter the signal) while a value of 1 will place

all of the weight on the most recently taken sample (essentially no fi lter). The

default value for alpha should be 0.7, offering some light fi ltering. The behavior

of the fi lter is given by:

Signal = (alpha * samplepresent ) + (1 - alpha) * Signalpast

Where Signal is the output from the A4, sample is the current measurement

from an attached load cell, Signalpast is the weighted value from previous

sampling and alpha is the scaling factor that determines the weighting between

the most recent sample and past samples.

Key Elements 1 Display of the serial number for the A4 currently connected to the PC.

2 The [Read Values] button will read the current value for both the deadband

and exponential fi lter settings in the A4.

3 The [Set Values] button will set the values of both the deadband and the

alpha value of the fi lter. The deadband value should be kept to a small

fraction of the total signal (0 to 2%) for best results. The alpha value should

be between 0 and 1.

4 When reading back values stored in the A4, the percentages won’t

perfectly match the values that were entered. This is normal, and a result of

the way the A4 stores numbers.

EST. 1947


p. 19



1 Serial Number 2 Read Values 3 Set Values

Confi guration Tab

EST. 1947

p. 20




Sensor Calibration Window

The Sensor Calibration window is used to set up the zero point and full scale,

as well as the ratios used to calculate those values. The procedure for setting

the full scale is describing in Calibration / Full Scale. The user can calibrate

the A4 either using the GUI or the buttons on the face of the A4. Using the GUI

allows for a few more options in setting up the calibration, but works in the

same manner otherwise.

Key Elements

1 [Cal Units] is used to describe the weight being used to calibrate the A4.

It exists as a convenience for the user, and does not necessarily need to

be set in order to calibrate the A4 (If you know the weight values in kg,

but the ‘Cal Units’ is set to lbs, it will work just fi ne). The Desired Full Scale

fi eld should be set to the maximum weight that the load cells are going to

measure. The Calibration Value fi eld is the weight that is being hung as part

of the calibration procedure, and allows the A4 to calculate the full scale

range.

2 The [Save Calibration Parameters] button will save the input values for

Desired Full Scale and Calibration Value. This is useful in the case of

wanting to use a different ratio between desired full scale and calibration

value than what is programmed into the A4 by default.

3 The [Set Defaults] button is used to reset the calibration values of the A4 to

factory defaults.

4 The [Apply Zero] button will set the A4’s zero point at whatever the current

weight present on the load cell when the button is pressed. Pressing this

button is synonymous with pressing the [ZERO] button on the A4 itself.

5 The [Apply Full Scale] button will calculate the full range of measurement

for the A4 based on the ratio between the Desired Full Scale and the

calibration weight being used. Pressing this button is synonymous with

pressing the (CAL] button on the A4 itself.

EST. 1947


p. 21



1 Cal Units

2 Save Calibration Parameters

3 Set Defaults 4 Apply Zero 5 Apply Full Scale

Sensor Calibration Tab

EST. 1947

p. 22




Analog Output Calibration Window

The Analog Output Calibration window is used to precisely calibrate the output

values of the A4. Without calibration, it’s possible for the A4 to output a value

at full scale that isn’t actually 10V (9.93V for example), and the same is true

for when the output should be at 0V. Each of the four output channels can be

calibrated separately. This may not matter in all applications, but the option

is available if needed. This tab is password protected to prevent accidental

changes. To unlock this tab, the password must be entered on the ‘Monitor’

tab.

When this tab is selected, the A4 is put into a special operation mode where

the output from the device is set to either the zero point or full scale point. This

means that this tab should not be selected while the device is in operation as it

will no longer be transmitting the signal from the load cells.

Key Elements

1 This dropdown is used to select the channel that should be calibrated. It’s

important to remember that channel 1 is a current output rather than voltage.

2 This is where the user adjusts the outputs. When one of the update

buttons is clicked, the A4 will output the voltage / current for that column.

Adjusting the counts value (by typing in a value or using the up / down

buttons) and then clicking update will adjust the A4 output accordingly.

3 Pressing the [Save Cal Data] button will store the new calibration values in

the A4.

4 Press [Use Defaults] to restore the A4 outputs to factory default settings.

EST. 1947


p. 23



1 Channel

2 Adjust Outputs

3 Save Cal Data 4 Use Defaults

Analog Output Calibration Tab

EST. 1947

p. 24




Alerts Window

The Alerts window will report any errors encountered while the application is

trying to communicate with the A4. It does not currently report any errors that

result in a blink code on the LED of the A4.

Key Elements

1 Error output window.

2 The [Clear Alerts] button will clear all messages currently displayed in the

error message window.

3 The [Re-Discover] button will attempt to detect any A4 units attached to

the computer.

EST. 1947


p. 25



1 Error Output 2 Clear Alerts 3 Re-Discover

Alerts Tab

EST. 1947

p. 26




Analog Output

The analog outputs on the A4 can be adjusted to ensure that a full scale weight

outputs precisely 10V and the zero point weight outputs precisely 0V. There are

four output channels on the A4 that can be calibrated:

Total channel 4-20mA

Total channel 0-10V

Left channel 0-10V

Right channel 0-10V.

To calibrate the analog outputs on the A4, follow these steps:

1 Connect the A4 to a PC using a USB cable and open the A4 windows

application Montalvo Digital Amplifi er Utility.exe.

2 On the home page of the windows application, enter the password:

Montalvo2010, then navigate to the /Analog Output Calibration/ tab.

3 Select the channel to be calibrated, and click the [Update] button for the

maximum output column. This will be labeled as 20mA for the current

channel and 10V for all of the others. Using a multi-meter, or other accurate voltage/current measurement instrument, confi rm the output (20mA or 10V, depending on the channel). 4 Make adjustments to the Counts value to dial in the output of the A4. Each

time the Counts value is changed, the [Update] button needs to be clicked

to send the command to the A4.

5 Once the maximum output has been calibrated, click the [Update] button

for the minimum value (0mA or 0V) and repeat the process, dialing the

output in to read 0.

6 Once calibration is completed, click the [Save Cal Data] button to save

these changes to the A4, otherwise the calibration will be erased should the A4 lose power at any point.

EST. 1947


p. 27


TROUBLESHOOTING

Software

The A4 is connected to a PC with a USB cable, but the software isn’t detecting it...

• Make sure the A4 is powered with 24 VDC from an external supply,

connected to terminals 12 and 13.

• Make sure that Windows is properly detecting the A4 when it is connected

to the PC. It should display in the device manager as a USBExpress

device. The fi rst time the A4 is connected to an PC, allow some time for

Windows to download the correct drivers for the device.

Hardware

The A4 is connected and calibrated but isn’t generating any output when a load is applied...

• Make sure the load cell(s) are oriented in the proper direction.

• Make sure the load cell isn’t defective. The load cell can be tested by

disconnecting it from the A4 and measuring the resistance between

the brown and white wires and between the black and white wires using

a multimeter. Assuming there is no load on the cells, the measured

resistance should be roughly 90Ω. An open circuit means there is

something defective in the load cell.

• Make sure the load cells are correctly connected to the A4. Reference the

diagrams in this manual for directions on how to do this.

• If using the Windows application to calibrate the A4, make sure that the

calibration weight chosen matches the percentage that was set through

the app. The factory setting for the calibration weight is 20% of the full

scale weight.

EST. 1947



CONTACTS

The Montalvo Corporation50 Hutcherson Drive

Gorham, Maine 04038 USA1-800-226-8710

Tel: [email protected]

AsiaRoom 1103, Block 11, Lane 599

East YunLing Road, PuTuo District

Shanghai, PRC 200062

Tel: +86-21-52188010

[email protected]

EuropeJeppe Aakjærs Vej 18

DK-8700 Horsens

Denmark

Tel: +45 75 57 27 11

[email protected]

GermanyMailänder Strasse 2

D-30539 Hannover

Germany

Tel: +49 (0)511 760 691 41

[email protected]

Documents

Montalvo A4 Digital Amplifier Technical manual€¦ · 3/29/2016 · Montalvo’s Digital Amplifi er Utility is a free app to assist in performing important __ _____A4 Digital Amplifi

Montalvo A4 Digital Amplifier Technical manual€¦ · 3/29/2016 · Montalvo’s Digital Amplifi er Utility is a free app to assist in performing important ___A4 Digital Amplifi