AN251
Title:
Bridge Sensing with the MCP6S2X PGAs
Description:
Resistive sensors configured as Wheatstone bridges
are primarily used to sense pressure, temperature or
loads. An external A/D converter (ADC) and a digitally
Programmable Gain Amplifier (PGA) can easily be used
to convert the difference voltage from these resistor
bridge sensors to usable digital words for manipulation
by the microcontroller. When the PGA is used in this
system, the other channels of the MCP6S2X can be
used for other sensors without an increase in signal
conditioning hardware or PICmicro® microcontroller I/O
pin consumption. The multiplexer and high-speed conversion
response of the PGA/Analog-to-Digital (A/D)
conversion allows a differential input signal to be sampled
and converted in the analog domain and then
subtracted in the digital domain with the microcontroller.
Keywords:
PGA,bridge,sensing,resistive,sensors,PIC,A/D