Adding a Digital Panel Meter to MTI Analog Output Products

Description

Microtrak 3 Laser Displacement Sensor08 - Accumeasure-analog

Some MTI Products with Analog outputs, Accumeasure 9000 and Microtrak 3 laser 

How To Use Digital Displays with Analog Outputs

MTI Microtrak 3 Lasers and some of our Accumeasure amplifiers such as the Accumeasure 9000 only have analog outputs. If you wish to add a digital display, then the Lascar Panel pilot ¬© makes a nice cost effective (~ $110) addition – Fig 1. These Digital panel meters have both 1 & 2 channel display capability and the user can customize the display with a variety of interesting formats. The meter can operate off 4-30VDC which is compatible with the MT-3 power supply and the panel meter inputs can handle 0-10V which is compatible with MTI MT-3 and Accumeasure products. The meters also come with a mounting bezel.

Configure and Connect a Digital Panel Meter to the MTI Instruments MicroTrak 3 Laser

PanelPilot Two Channels

Fig. 1 Model SGD 24-M Panel Pilot showing 1 CH digital and analog, 2.4 inch (61 mm) display. The same model display can also be configured to show two channels

Connecting the meter

The panel meter has a 4 screw terminal connector on the rear of the meter  for connecting power, ground and the two analog inputs. The MTI sensor ground output goes to the panel meter ground (0V)  and the MTI sensor analog output goes to the panel meter channel input ( CH-1 is term (2) and CH-2 is terminal (1) ) .  Typically, you will need to connect the meter’s power supply ground and MTI sensor ground to the same screw terminal (3) on the panel meter. Your power supply’s  + output goes to the panel meter screw terminal (4) . See Fig 4 for a simplified wiring diagram.

PanelPilot SGD 24-M

Fig 2 Panel meter inputs

Each display also has a mini-B USB type connector. By connecting the display to a PC’s USB port, you can select a configuration (from Lascar’s website) and customize the meter to your needs. This includes converting the sensors analog output to engineering units (scaling), adding a bargraph and choosing one or two channel display format. It can then be downloaded to the display for use in your application.

Panel meter programming

Fig 3 Program the panel meter for your configuration with your laptop USB port

Lascar has an InstallShield Wizard for the PanelPilot screen configuration that is fairly easy to use. This is software you load on your computer to configure the panel meter. Its free and easy to use.

Go to the url below get the installation wizard.

https://www.lascarelectronics.com/software/panelpilot-software/panelpilot-m

This link will take you directly to the introductory page for the SGD 24-M

MTI DigitalPanel to Analog Output Diagram

Fig 4 Wiring diagram for a MTI Microtrak 3 laser to Panel Pilot for digital Display