IEEE 1451.4 Plug and Play Sensors and Retrofit Kits

Plug and play technology has been given a major boost in the sensors industry with the adoption and launch by numerous manufacturers of sensors and signal conditioning using the IEEE1451.4 standard (draft has been released but final standard not due until 2003). Sensotec for its part has recently launched IEEE1451.4 compliant plug and play for its sensors and signal conditioning systems.

However Plug and Play is not new to Sensotec and has been available (albeit to the Sensotec standard) since its launch in 1993. (Sensotec's version of IEEE1451.4 is called Signature Calibration or 'Sig Cal') Sensotec was a seminal influence to the IEEE committee and 'Sig Cal' is electrically identical to IEEE1451.4.

In order to adopt plug and play in your sensor scheme the following options exist.

• Purchase the Sensotec 'Sig Cal' option (option number 53e) and use this as your plug and play standard
• Purchase the IEEE1451.4 option and carry out any simple software modifications that results from any changes in the standard when IEEE1451.4 is finally released
• Purchase the 'Sig Cal' option and at a later date send in your system for a simple software modification to make it compliant to the 1451.4 stan??

Load Cell Applications