Securing and Accelerating Measurements and Data Acquisition Using TEDS

TEDS stands for “Transducer Electronic Data Sheet.”

In practical terms, TEDS allow you to plug your sensor in a data acquisition system (SomatXR, QuantumX, LAN-XI, PMX, ClipX, etc.) and to start your test and measurement tasks immediately. TEDS remove the need to manually enter the sensor characteristics into the data acquisition system (DAQ), therefore saving time. Importantly, they also reduce the risk of not performing accurate measurements due to wrong data entry, that risk being even greater when transducers move across DAQ’s or when multiple staff take turns in performing measurements.

Indeed, the transducer characteristics required to set up the measurement chain are stored in the TEDS in the form of an electronic data sheet, which is read by the DAQ or amplifier. All data is stored in so-called templates in the TEDS chip. These templates can be imagined as tables, where the sensor parameters are listed. The amplifier reads the information, and the measurement chain can be set up automatically in no time. This significantly simplifies handling of sensors.

Physically, the chip can be in the cable adaptor, as per photo above, showing a displacement sensor with TEDS in a QuantumX MX440B. The use of such adaptor, when supplied with a TEDS, allows retrofitting TEDS technology into older sensors, originally supplied without any.

TEDS is based on the IEEE 1451.4 standard, recognized by many manufacturers including HBK.

The sensor’s sensitivity (rated output) in the TEDS can be overwritten with new data, for example, in case of recalibration. With the free HBM software “TEDS Editor”, the information can be read and written easily into the TEDS chips by the end-users.

HBK DAQ’s can obviously read TEDS and take full benefits of the technology. The snapshot below shows how QuantumX and catman easily associates TEDS data onto a sensor in catman.

For more information, please contact info@nvms.com.au

Author: Christian Ebel (MEng, MBA, MIEAust) – Business Manager, Test & Measurement

‍