Digital and Interfacing Systems

Ceng 306.

Wheatstone Bridge
Supplement

Prepared by Joe Enekes Sept 1999 (Rev by Mike Crompton 29 May 2002)

UNI ! " #$ W#$% S &N$ B'ID($

(Written by: J Enekes edited by Mike Crompton) !e"t re#eren$e: pa%es &&0'&&( in )ntrod*$tory +C,-C E.e$troni$s (!/ Edition by Cook pa%es 201'222 in )ntrod*$tory +C,-C E.e$troni$s 3!/ Edition by Cook Introduction. !4e W4eatstone brid%e (invented by S / C4ristie in 11&& b*t i%nored *nti. it 5as #*rt4er deve.oped by C4ar.es W4eatstone in 1130) served #or a .on% time as t4e most a$$*rate 5ay o# meas*rin% resistan$e )n today6s in#ormation a%e t4e W4eatstone brid%e 4as %ained additiona. si%ni#i$an$e as part o# data a$7*isition s*bsystems #or s*pp.yin% in#ormation s*$4 as temperat*re8 press*re8 #or$e8 and #.o5 va.*es to $omp*ter inter#a$e $ir$*itry in a variety o# app.i$ations !o appre$iate t4e need #or meas*rin% t4ese 7*antities 9*st t4ink o# t4e $ar yo* are drivin% !4e type o# in#ormation any driver takes #or %ranted8 s*$4 as speed8 en%ine rpm8 amo*nt o# #*e. remainin% in t4e tank8 oi. press*re8 en%ine temperat*re8 battery vo.ta%e .eve.8 tire press*re8 et$ a.. 4ave to be sensed and s*pp.ied to t4e $ar6s $omp*ter #or disp.ay or $ontro. p*rposes !4e W4eatstone brid%e #orms an indispensab.e part o# t4e $ir$*itry per#ormin% t4ese #*n$tions Wit4o*t #*rt4er ado8 .et *s .ook at t4e simp.e W4eatstone brid%e $ir$*it s4o5n in :i% 1 1 !o make t4e ana.ysis simp.e8 5e ass*me t4at t4e vo.tmeter resistan$e in :i% 1 1 4as an idea. interna. resistan$e o# in#inity8 t4*s it does not dra5 any $*rrent and $an be re%arded as an open $ir$*it ;o5 yo* $an t4ink o# t4e brid%e as t5o series $ir$*its: one $onsistin% o# resistors R1 and R& and t4e ot4er $onsistin% o# R2 and R( !4e t5o series $ir$*its are $onne$ted in para..e. 5it4 ea$4 ot4er -s 5e s4a.. see .ater8 dependin% on t4e ratio o# resistor R1 to R& 5it4 respe$t to t4e ratio o# resistor R2 to R( t4e vo.tmeter readin% may be positive8 ne%ative8 or <ero :or no58 .et *s

$onsider t4e spe$ia. $ase 54en t4e vo.tmeter readin% is <ero !4is $ondition is $a..ed t4e ba.an$ed brid%e $ondition :i% 1 1 =asi$ W4eatstone brid%e !.! %nalysis of the )alanced )ridge. =y *sin% t4e vo.ta%e divider #orm*.a8 t4e vo.ta%e a$ross resistor R& $an be e"pressed as: >R& ? (>!,R!) @ R& or >R& ? >! @ (R& , R1AR&)

Simi.ar.y8 t4e vo.ta%e a$ross resistor R( $an be determined as: >R( ? (>!,R!) @ R( or >R( ? >! @ (R( , R2AR()

-t ba.an$e8 by de#inition8 t4e vo.tmeter readin% m*st be 0 !4is is on.y possib.e i# vo.ta%es >R& and >R( are e7*a. !4*s by e7*atin% t4e e"pression #or >R& and >R( above 5e %et: >! @ (R& , R1AR&) ? >! @ (R( , R2AR() -#ter e.iminatin% E and $ross'm*.tip.yin% terms over t4e e7*a. si%n 5e %et: R&(R2AR() ? R((R1AR&) R& @ R2 A R & @ R( ? R ( @ R1 A R ( @ R& S*btra$tin% R& @ R( #rom bot4 sides %ives: '& * '2 + '( * '1 E7*ation (1'1)

E7*ation (1'1) te..s *s t4at at )alance the products of the resistance ,alues of the diagonally opposite arms of the Wheatstone )ridge are e-ual E7*ation (1'1) a.so te..s *s t4at i# one o# t4e #o*r resistors is *nkno5n8 its va.*e $an be $a.$*.ated in terms o# t4e ot4er t4ree /o5ever8 be#ore embarkin% on 4o5 t4e W4eatstone brid%e is *sed #or meas*rin% *nkno5n resistan$e va.*es8 5e .ook at t4e *nba.an$ed brid%e !.. %nalysis of the un)alanced )ridge. !4e W4eatstone is said to be *nba.an$ed 54en t4e vo.tmeter readin% in :i% 1 1 is not <ero W4et4er t4e vo.tmeter readin% is positive or ne%ative depends on t4e re.ative ma%nit*des o# t4e vo.ta%es at t4e t5o vo.ta%e divider points in t4e $ir$*it 54ere t4e meter termina.s are $onne$ted !4e #o..o5in% e"amp.e i..*strates t4e $a.$*.ations invo.ved in an *nba.an$ed brid%e E"amp.e 1 2 1

Biven t4e resistan$e va.*es o# t4e *nba.an$ed W4eatstone brid%e s4o5n in :i% 1 28 $a.$*.ate

(a) t4e vo.tmeter readin%8 (b) $*rrents #.o5in% in bot4 series bran$4es8 ($) t4e po5er dissipated in ea$4 resistor

:i% 1 2 Cnba.an$ed W4eatstone brid%e #or E"amp.e 1 2 1 So.*tion: (a)

>R& ? &0> @ D10k , (10k A 10k)E ? 13> >R( ? &0> @ D20k , (10k A 20k)E ? 20>

!4*s t4e vo.tmeter readin% is 20> ' 13> ? /0 (b) !4e $*rrent #.o5in% t4ro*%4 resistor R& is )R& ? >R&,R& ? 13>,10k ? !./ m% =e$a*se R& is in series 5it4 R1 and no $*rrent #.o5s t4ro*%4 t4e vo.tmeter8 t4e $*rrent t4ro*%4 R1 is a.so !./ m% !4e $*rrent #.o5in% t4ro*%4 resistor R( is )R( ? >R(,R( ? 20>,20F ? 1 0 m=e$a*se R( is in series 5it4 R2 and no $*rrent #.o5s t4ro*%4 t4e vo.tmeter8 t4e $*rrent t4ro*%4 R2 is a.so !.0 m% ($) !4e po5er dissipated in ea$4 resistor $an be $a.$*.ated by *sin% t4e po5er #orm*.a: P ? )2R !4*s: PR1 ? (1 3"10'&)2 @ (10"10&) ? 22 3"10'& W ? .../ mW PR& ? (1 3"10'&)2 @ (10"10&) ? 22 3"10'& W ? .../ mW

PR2 ? (1 0"10'&)2 @ (10"10&) ? 10 0"10'& W ? !0.0 mW PR( ? (1 0"10'&)2 @ (20"10&) ? 20 0"10'& W ? .0.0 mW !.3 Determining un1no2n resistance. )n order to make it easier to *nderstand 4o5 a W4eatstone brid%e $an be *sed #or meas*rin% resistan$e8 $onsider t4e #o..o5in% e"amp.e: E"amp.e 1 & 1 Get *s ass*me t4at in t4e brid%e $ir$*it o# :i% 1 2 R( is *nkno5n and R2 is a resistor de$ade bo" resistor de$ade bo" is a variab.e resistor e7*ipped 5it4 $a.ibrated dia.s s*$4 t4at #or ea$4 resistan$e settin% t4e va.*e o# its resistan$e $an be read o## t4e dia.s !4e $onne$tion dia%ram o# t4e revised W4eatstone brid%e is s4o5n in :i% 1 & -t t4is point 5e *se o*r kno5.ed%e t4at at ba.an$e t4e prod*$ts o# t4e opposite arm resistan$es o# t4e W4eatstone brid%e are e7*a. !4*s by s*bstit*tin% into e7*ation (1'1) 5e obtain t4e #o..o5in% res*.t: (R&) @ (R2) ? (R() @ (R1) (10 " 10&) @ R=HI ? R" @ (10 " 10&) 54i$48 a#ter droppin% t4e 10k va.*es8 be$omes R=HI ? R" :i% 1 & =rid%e $ir$*it #or E"amp.e 1 & 1

i e !4e *nkno5n resistan$e va.*e is t4e same as t4e va.*e o# t4e de$ade bo" at ba.an$e /o5 do 5e kno5 t4at t4e brid%e is at ba.an$eJ We ba.an$e t4e brid%e by ad9*stin% t4e de$ade bo" variab.e resistan$e dia.s *nti. t4e vo.tmeter reads 0 vo.t -t t4at point t4e brid%e is ba.an$ed8 and a.. t4e dia. readin%s o# t4e de$ade bo" 5i.. be e7*a. to t4e *nkno5n resistan$e !o a..o5 #or a 5ide ran%e o# resistan$e va.*e meas*rements8 one arm o# t4e W4eatstone brid%e is *s*a..y arran%ed s*$4 t4at it serves as t4e ratio arm 54i.e t4e ot4er $onsists o# t4e ad9*stab.e de$ade bo" and t4e *nkno5n resistor !o see t4e #*n$tion o# t4e ratio arm8 5e rearran%e e7*ation (1'1) as #o..o5s: R& @ R2 ? R ( @ R1 to R( ? R2 @ (R&,R1)

54ere R&,R1 is a $onstant m*.tip.ier and R2 is t4e de$ade bo" )# R( is t4e *nkno5n resistor8 its va.*e in terms o# t4e m*.tip.ier and de$ade bo" resistor $an be re' 5ritten as:

'3 + multiplier 3 'B&4 !ypi$a. m*.tip.ier va.*es are 18 108 1008 et$