CPEM ' 8 8 DIGEST HIGH-PRECISION AUTOMATED RESISTANCE MEASUREMENT

USING A MODIFIED WHEATSTONE BRIDGE

H. S a s a k i , H. N i s h i n a k a and K. S h i d a
Electrotechnical Laboratory
1-1-4 Umezono, Tsukuba-shi, I b a r a k i 305, J a p a n

Abstract b e t t e r t h a n 0.1 nA which i s s u f f i c i e n t t o r e s o l v e a

r e s i s t a n c e r a t i o up t o 0.001 ppm l e v e l . The o u t p u t s of
We r e p o r t a m o d i f i e d Wheatstone b r i d g e which h a s t h e d e t e c t o r s are a m p l i f i e d by a 4-channel low n o i s e
four d e t e c t o r s t o sense t h e imbalance i n t h e c i r c u i t . p r e - a m p l i f i e r and s e n t back t o t h e computer. The
The bridge auto-balances using a microcomputer- computer t h e n c a l c u l a t e s t h e optimum a d j u s t m e n t f o r
c o n t r o l l e d f e e d b a c k system, and a p r e c i s i o n of b e t t e r t h e r e s i s t o r s and s e n d s t h e n e x t f e e d b a c k s i g n a l t o
t h a n 0.01 ppm i s e s t i m a t e d . the reed-relay-driver c i r c u i t .
I n o r d e r t o c a n c e l t h e t h e r m a l EMF i n t h e b r i d g e
Introduction c i r c u i t and t h e o f f s e t of t h e detectors, each
measurement i s t a k e n f o r b o t h d i r e c t i o n of t h e b r i d g e
A Wheatstone r e s i s t a n c e b r i d g e i s one of t h e most c u r r e n t . A l l d e t e c t o r s , r e l a y s , and c r i t i c a l c a b l e s
popular methods of high-precision resistance are s e p a r a t e l y g u a r d e d by t h e internal ground
measurement. However, as t h e Wheatstone b r i d g e i s p o t e n t i a l t o i n s u r e t h e i s o l a t i o n between t h e c r i t i c a l
composed of two-terminal r e s i s t o r s , l e a d r e s i s t a n c e components. The d i g i t a l p a r t of t h e system i s
c a n c a u s e a s i g n i f i c a n t e r r o r i n t h e measurement of c o m p l e t e l y s e p a r a t e d from t h e b r i d g e c i r c u i t by
low-value resistors. As a result, other more optical fibers.
c o m p l i c a t e d a l t e r n a t i v e s , s u c h as t h e Thomson/Kelvin
double bridge, c u r r e n t comparator b r i d g e [ l ] , or Result
m o d i f i e d Wheatstone b r i d g e s [ 2 , 3 ] have been employed as
p r a c t i c a l precision resistance bridges. To e v a l u a t e t h e r e s o l u t i o n and t h e s t a b i l i t y of
I n t h i s r e p o r t , w e d e s c r i b e a new m o d i f i e d t h e four-detector b r i d g e , t h e r a t i o of f o u r 1-ohm
Wheatstone bridge ("four-detector bridge") which r e s i s t a n c e s w a s monitored c o n t i n u o u s l y f o r a b o u t two
carries o u t t h e b a l a n c i n g o p e r a t i o n by a d i g i t a l l y weeks. A s t h e r e s i s t a n c e r a t i o w a s n o t compensated by
c o n t r o l l e d feedback system. t h e p r e s s u r e c o e f f i c i e n t of t h e r e s i s t o r s , t h e r e was a
strong c o r r e l a t i o n between t h e v a r i a t i o n of t h e
Bridge C i r c u i t atmospheric p r e s s u r e and t h e v a r i a t i o n of the
r e s i s t a n c e r a t i o a t 0.001 ppm l e v e l . O t h e r w i s e , t h e
A prototype four-detector bride has been measured d a t a were f a i r l y s t a b l e , and a d e t e c t i o n
c o n s t r u c t e d [ 41 t o e v a l u a t e t h e s e n s i t i v i t y of t h e s e n s i t i v i t y of b e t t e r t h a n 0.01 ppm w a s e s t i m a t e d .
bridge c i r c u i t . The b r i d g e , as shown i n F i g . 1 , We are now p r e p a r i n g t o i n t e r c o m p a r e t h e f o u r 1-
c o n s i s t s of f o u r main 1-ohm r e s i s t o r s and s i x l e a d ohm s t a n d a r d r e s i s t o r s w i t h a p r e c i s i o n o€ b e t t e r t h a n
compensating resistors. The main r e s i s t o r s are 0.01 ppm, and are a l s o p l a n n i n g t o measure t h e
s e p a r a t e l y p l a c e d i n s i d e doubly s h i e l d e d aluminum t e m p e r a t u r e and p r e s s u r e c o e f f i c i e n t s of t h e s t a n d a r d
boxes and immersed i n a t e m p e r a t u r e c o n t r o l l e d o i l r e s i s t o r w i t h a s e n s i t i v i t y of around 0.001 ppm. The
b a t h . The programmable s h u n t r e s i s t o r s c o n s i s t of f i v e r e s u l t s w i l l be p r e s e n t e d a t t h e c o n f e r e n c e .
g r o u p s of h i g h - i s o l a t i o n reed r e l a y s with 12-bit
b i n a r y r e s i s t a n c e s which are c a p a b l e of a d j u s t i n g t h e References
main r e s i s t o r up t o +/- 200 ppm w i t h 0.1 ppm
resolution. The programmable c u r r e n t s o u r c e u s e s [l] K.R.Baker and R.F.Dziuba, IEEE T r a n s . Instrum.
similar 1 2 - b i t r e e d r e l a y s . The c u r r e n t i s s u p p l i e d by Meas. IM-32, 154 (1983).
two FM-3 t y p e d r y c e l l s which can s u p p l y 100 mA t o t h e [2] B . F . F i e l d , IEEE T r a n s . I n s t r u m . Meas. m,
b r i d g e c i r c u i t c o n t i n u o u s l y f o r a b o u t two weeks. 320 (1985).
The f o u r d e t e c t o r s are p h o t o c e l l g a l v a n o m e t e r s , [3] B.P.Kibble and D.J.Legg, IEEE T r a n s . I n s t r u m .
w i t h t h e f e e d b a c k between t h e i n p u t and t h e o u t p u t Meas. =, 282 (1985).
d i s c o n n e c t e d i n o r d e r t o g e t h i g h i s o l a t i o n between [ 4 ] H.Sasaki, H.Nishinaka and K.Shida, Jpn.J.App1.
t h e f o u r d e t e c t o r s . They have a c u r r e n t r e s o l u t i o n of Phys. 3,1947 (1987).

Programable
Shunt Resistor

Fig. 1
Main c i r c u i t r y of t h e p r o t o t y p e
four-detector bridge.

Programable
Current Source
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lOOinA

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