I�C was made to communicate over short distances between printed circuit boards and is really a simple, 8-bit serial data bus. In the meantime, it is not only PCB-mountable pressure sensors that utilize the I�C signal for data transfer, but also pressure sensors remote from customer electronics.
Remote sensors usually have the advantage of being less sensitive to contaminated or aggressive media and having the capacity to measure directly at the process. In the case of sensors mounted directly on the circuit board, the sensor element is, oftentimes, exposed right to the medium. With remote sensors, steel or ceramic generally serve because the wetted surface.
I�C circuit
The I�C bus, alongside both supply lines, requires only two further lines:
SCL (serial clock line)
SDA (serial data line)
Additional possibilities through I�C
The I�C bus is really a well-known standard in electronics, offering additional possibilities for communication with a pressure sensor than having an analogue signal:
In the data protocol, in addition to the pressure value, a temperature value and diagnostic information (for instance an integrity test of the info transfer) could be transmitted with a status byte.
Several pressure sensors could be linked to a bus line as ?slaves? to the client electronics that functions as a ?master?.
On the client side, as opposed to the usage of pressure sensors with analogue signals, the analogue-to-digital conversion of the pressure value for further signal processing is unnecessary because the pressure value has already been present in digital form. This contributes to faster and easier signal processing.
The electronics for communication could be built with standard components readily available on the market.
Often, I�C signal pressure sensors may also be optimised to take less energy, making them ideal for battery-powered applications. In the WIKA portfolio, for example, this applies to the MPR-1 pressure sensor module.
Rare with the use of I�C
Since I�C is not a fieldbus, long wire lengths aren’t recommended. The maximum wire length depends, at length, on the operating environment and the corresponding disturbing influences. I�C communication is best used in projects where the pressure sensor or the pressure sensor module is integrated into the customer product and therefore protected against external influences. It will also be noted that with any digitally processed signal, the response time because of discrete-time sampling will be somewhat slower than for an analogue, continuous signal.
Note
Your contact person will undoubtedly be happy to help you with any more questions on digital interfaces.
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