A General Purpose Analog Circuit to Accumulate Data From Resistive Sensors

Abstract: Minimizing the need to physically adjust hardware platforms used for sensor measurements during the construction phase of an electric vehicle can be beneficial. Since different sensors have different measuring ranges a hardware platform used for a specific sensor might not work for another one, without physically tampering with it. One way to solve such an issue is to build a general hardware platform that can be adjusted digitally through software to match the range of a variety of sensors. In this thesis, the implementation of a prototype General Purpose Data Acquisition Unit has been investigated. The design consists of a Wheatstone bridge implementation for measurements with resistive sensors, due to its capabilities of accurate detection of small changes in resistance. Digital potentiometers were implemented in the design to add dynamic capabilities for calibration and measurements with different types of resistive sensors through software. The proposed implementation has been tested on a prefboard and built on a Printed Circuit Board. Further testing is required to better specify and evaluate the proposed implementation.