New Bluetooth interface for wireless TorqSense

Sensor Technology Ltd bring total wireless flexibility to real-time torque measurement

SENSOR Technology Ltd have developed a Bluetooth interface and Android App for their TorqSense non-contact torque sensor.

TorqSense is unusual in that it does not have to be physically connected to the shaft whose torque level is being measured. Instead, two tiny piezoelectric combs are glued on to the shaft and an adjacent radio transmitter/pickup monitors their distortion due to the shaft’s rotation, using radio frequency waves. There is no physical connection between shaft and sensor, hence no need for delicate wiring or fiddly slip rings.

Bluetooth is conceptually very similar. It is a wireless technology that allows data exchange over short distances and, like TorqSense, transmits using radio waves. It is commonly found in hands-free phones and other mobile devices, so is already used by many people every day.

In the engineering and industrial worlds, Bluetooth is often favoured as a wireless alternative to RS-232 data cables and can connect several devices simultaneously.

Sensor Technology’s new Bluetooth module brings total wireless flexibility to torque measurement. In use, the module simply plugs into the TorqSense’s existing 15-way ‘D’ digital lead connector. As well as collecting the torque signal, the Bluetooth allows the transducer to be powered through the interface and also provides a USB output for connection to a PC, which allows a full version of the TorqView software to be used.

Having a Bluetooth-enabled TorqSense transducer removes the need for cable runs from the sensing head to the receiver. This can make system layouts easier and even allows torque to be measured in real time in situations where it was previously impossible.

Significantly, the new unit also allows monitoring of the torque signal on any device that has Bluetooth capabilities. The Android App allows real-time viewing of the current and peak values of torque, speed and temperature of a TorqSense reading via a standard mobile phone or tablet computer, providing instant access to information without the need to set up a computer.