Wet Pressure, Voltage & Temperature Scanners Information

Introduction

Modern testing environments often demand more than just pressure measurement in clean, dry conditions. From hydraulic systems and fuel circuits to thermal management applications and combined sensor suites, engineers increasingly require data acquisition systems capable of handling liquids, variable temperatures, and electrical signals simultaneously. Wet Pressure, Voltage & Temperature Scanners meet these needs by integrating rugged pressure sensing, temperature monitoring, and voltage acquisition into a single, compact, digital platform.

These scanners are purpose-built for high-density, multi-signal measurement in harsh or complex environments. They support wet media applications through specialized construction—using corrosion-resistant materials, sealed connectors, and isolated sensors—while simultaneously digitizing and synchronizing temperature and voltage readings. Designed for Ethernet-based integration, these systems allow engineers to collect, view, and analyze multiple sensor streams in real time, improving diagnostic precision and system insight.

Ideal for use in engine test cells, propulsion systems, fluid conditioning rigs, and industrial monitoring setups, wet media scanners offer the scalability, accuracy, and durability needed for advanced R&D and production testing environments.

Pressure Sensor Technology

At the heart of wet media scanners is a piezoresistive pressure sensor configured in a Wheatstone bridge. This configuration allows small changes in diaphragm deflection—caused by pressure—to be converted into proportional resistance changes across four strain gauges. These resistance variations produce a low-voltage signal that represents the applied pressure.

Because the raw bridge output is in the millivolt range, it must be amplified and digitized to become usable in modern test systems. Wet media scanners include precision analog front ends, high-resolution analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), and embedded processors that apply calibration data, temperature correction, and linearization in real time. The final output is a fully compensated, engineering-unit pressure reading ready for Ethernet transmission.

In wet-capable designs, additional isolation is required to protect the sensing elements. These scanners use techniques such as oil-filled isolation chambers, stainless steel wetted surfaces, and media-compatible seals to safely handle liquid or corrosive media. Despite the added complexity, the signal integrity and response speed are maintained—ensuring high-performance measurement even in demanding fluid systems.

This tightly integrated sensing and processing approach makes wet pressure scanners well suited to environments where electrical noise, fluid exposure, or thermal fluctuation would degrade traditional sensor performance. They deliver laboratory-grade accuracy with the robustness required for real-world applications.

Temperature Effects and Compensation

Temperature is one of the most significant factors affecting pressure sensor performance, especially in wet or outdoor environments where conditions can change rapidly. Variations in ambient or media temperature can influence diaphragm behavior, sensor resistance, and even the mechanical stress on the housing—leading to drift or non-linearity in readings.

To ensure stability and repeatability, wet media scanners integrate temperature monitoring directly at or near each sensor. These temperature readings feed into digital compensation algorithms, which apply real-time corrections based on factory calibration data. By compensating for thermal effects on offset, span, and sensitivity, the scanner maintains accurate pressure readings across a wide temperature range.

In addition to compensating internal sensors, multi-signal scanners also accept direct temperature measurements using thermocouples, RTDs, or thermistors. These external inputs allow users to monitor fluid or structural temperatures alongside pressure and voltage data—all within the same synchronized stream. Onboard linearization routines convert raw sensor data into accurate temperature values, typically output in Celsius or Fahrenheit.

This integrated approach to thermal compensation not only improves measurement reliability, but also enables engineers to perform correlation analysis between pressure and temperature trends, supporting diagnostics, efficiency studies, and safety validation.

Multi-Channel Scanning Architecture

Wet media scanners are designed for high-density measurement across many sensor types. Typical systems support 16, 32, or even 64 input channels per unit—each independently configurable for pressure, temperature, or voltage. These inputs are managed by embedded microprocessors and high-speed analog front ends, ensuring real-time acquisition and consistent output formatting.

Scanning is performed using electronic multiplexers or parallel converters, depending on the platform design. All signals are time-aligned, meaning pressure, temperature, and voltage data are acquired and transmitted with consistent timing—critical for analyzing cause-effect relationships in dynamic systems.

Advanced platforms like the FlightDaq-TL and 2432T demonstrate how modular scanning architecture can support hybrid measurement setups without compromising resolution or speed. Configuration is handled via embedded web servers or network-based APIs, allowing engineers to define excitation levels, input types, and sampling rates remotely.

Multiple units can be networked together using Ethernet protocols like TCP/IP, UDP, or IEEE 1588 PTP for time synchronization. This enables scaling to hundreds of channels across distributed test stands without sacrificing synchronization or data integrity. The entire system acts as a unified acquisition platform, delivering synchronized, engineering-unit data from all connected sensors.

Whether deployed in mobile test rigs, production lines, or research environments, this flexible architecture ensures scalability, signal integrity, and ease of integration—all key to efficient, high-quality testing workflows.

 

Wet Pressure, Voltage & Temperature Scanners

Wet Pressure, Voltage & Temperature Scanners are multi-signal data acquisition systems built for environments that demand more than just clean, dry pressure measurement. These systems allow simultaneous acquisition of pressure (including liquid media), temperature (via thermocouples or RTDs), and low-voltage analog signals—all synchronized, digitized, and transmitted through a single platform. They are used in test cells, mobile test rigs, propulsion systems, and fluid conditioning systems where real-world conditions involve exposure to liquids, thermal gradients, and electrical feedback.

Why Wet and Multi-Signal Measurement Is Important

Most pressure scanners on the market are limited to dry, inert gases and are not suitable for fuel, oil, water, or moisture-laden gases. Introducing these types of media to standard scanners can damage internal electronics, corrode sensor materials, or cause significant drift in readings. Wet-capable pressure scanners are engineered with media-isolated sensor designs—using oil-filled isolation cavities, stainless steel wetted parts, and robust sealing techniques to enable accurate and safe operation in liquid environments.

But pressure is just one part of the equation. In many real-world test applications, engineers also need to measure temperature and voltage to understand thermal behavior, control signals, or energy flow within the system under test. These scanners combine all three inputs in a single, time-synchronized architecture to reduce complexity, improve data correlation, and increase test efficiency.

Key Technologies and Features

These multi-signal scanners integrate several critical technologies that differentiate them from basic pressure scanners:

• Piezoresistive Pressure Sensors configured in Wheatstone bridge circuits, isolated from wet media via oil-filled or sealed chambers.
• Analog Front-End Amplification and High-Resolution ADCs digitize low-level signals (millivolts or microvolts) with precision.
• Temperature Compensation using built-in thermal sensors and real-time correction algorithms to maintain accuracy across wide thermal swings.
• Multi-Signal Input Support, including:
• Thermocouples (e.g., Type K, J, T) with cold-junction compensation
• RTDs (e.g., PT100, PT1000) using constant current excitation
• Voltage Inputs for transducer outputs or control feedback (e.g., ±10V, ±5V)
• Built-in Excitation Sources for powering connected sensors—configurable for voltage, current, or ratiometric needs.
• Ethernet Streaming with support for protocols like TCP/IP, UDP, and IEEE 1588 PTP for time synchronization across distributed systems.

Modular and Scalable Architecture

Depending on the application, these systems can be deployed as single mixed-signal modules or as a group of interconnected units sharing a time base. For example:

• The FlightDAQ-TL integrates pressure, temperature, and voltage inputs into one ruggedized enclosure with configurable excitation and high-speed acquisition. It’s used in mobile, harsh environments and provides real-time data streaming over Ethernet.
• The 2432T focuses on temperature and voltage input acquisition, ideal for use alongside wet pressure modules in systems where multi-point thermal data is critical.

Each channel in the system can be independently configured—engineers can assign some channels to pressure, others to voltage, and others to temperature—based on the setup. Embedded web interfaces or software APIs allow for easy configuration and monitoring.

Use Cases and Applications

These scanners are particularly useful in environments where liquids and mixed-signal conditions are present. Common use cases include:

• Engine and Powertrain Test Cells: Monitoring oil and fuel pressure, coolant temperatures, and ECU voltages in one synchronized dataset.
• Aerospace and Flight Testing: Capturing real-time data from pressurized fluid lines, skin temperature sensors, and structural health sensors.
• EV Battery Thermal Testing: Measuring coolant pressure, battery pack surface temperatures, and voltage signals from thermal management electronics.
• Wind Tunnel and Rotorcraft Instrumentation: Acquiring distributed pressure and temperature data across rotor blades, airframes, or embedded instrumentation.
• Industrial Process Monitoring: Tracking fluid pressures and temperatures in distributed processing systems or pipe networks.

Advantages Over Conventional DAQ Systems

• One Box, Many Signals: Reduces the need for multiple DAQ devices or signal conditioners.
• True Time-Synchronization: Enables correlation between thermal, pressure, and electrical events with microsecond-level accuracy.
• Reduced Wiring and Setup Time: Minimizes sensor cabling by centralizing acquisition in one module.
• Improved Reliability: Fewer interconnects and rugged sealing reduce points of failure.
• Engineering-Unit Output: Pressure in psi/kPa, temperature in °C, voltage in volts—all pre-calibrated and ready to log or analyze.

Wet Pressure, Voltage & Temperature Scanners provide a technically advanced, highly flexible, and robust solution for multi-variable testing in real-world environments. By combining media-isolated pressure inputs with configurable voltage and temperature channels, these systems eliminate the need for multiple instruments, improve test quality, and simplify system integration. Whether used in high-performance engines, electric vehicle platforms, or fluid conditioning skids, these scanners deliver synchronized, engineering-grade data when and where it’s needed most.

For example, the FlightDAQ-TL and 2432T families from Absolute Gauge exemplify this capability—offering rugged, scalable, Ethernet-connected modules for multi-channel, multi-signal acquisition in the lab or the field.

 
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