SELF BALANCING STRAIN GAGE SIGNAL CONDITIONING FOR THE TRIDENT II (D-5) MISSILE

Abstract

Strain gage signal conditioning requirements of the Trident II (D-5) Missile offer the instrumentation designer some unusual challenges. Large quantities of strain gages are installed in inaccessible locations of the missile. These strain gage signals require balance adjustment a few seconds after application of power. Traditional strain gage balance techniques were rejected due to the inaccessibility of the units and the time requried for the adjustment. This paper discusses the selected solution to this problem – the Aydin Vector BCA-916 Self Balancing Bridge Conditioning Amplifier. The amplifier assembly achieves high performance in a small package through the use of thick film hybrid technology. The amplifier uses a digital autobalance technique to offset the strain gage unbalance on application of power. The unique design of this signal conditioner fulfills the requriements of the Trident II Missile.