PASCO CI-6532A PRESSURE SENSOR - ABSOLUTE - Manual (Page 2)

Pressure Sensor - Absolute (0 to 700 kPa) 012-06859B
2
Range and Resolution
The range of the CI-6532A Absolute Pressure
Sensor is between 0 and 700 kiloPascals (or 0 to
6.9 atmospheres). Atmospheric pressure is
normally around 101.326 kiloPascals (kPa).
Pressure can be measured in many different units
(e.g., atmospheres, inches of mercury, millimeters
of mercury, kiloPascals, Bar, pounds per square
inch). Some equivalent values for pressure are:
1 atmosphere = 30.00 in of Hg (at 16ºC)
= 760 millimeters of Hg
= 101.326 kiloPascals (kPa)
= 1.013 Bar = 1013 milliBar
= 14.696 pounds per square inch (psi)
The top of the range of pressure expressed in these
equivalent units is as in Table 1.
The maximum short-term pressure that the sensor
can tolerate without permanent damage is about
1,000 kPa (150 psi). Please be careful to not apply
high pressure to the sensor.
The output voltage from the sensor is +1.00 Volts
when the pressure is 100 kiloPascals (kPa), and the
output voltage is linear. Therefore, the output
voltage should be +7.00 Volts at the top of the
range (700 kPa). The resolution of the sensor is 0.5
kPa (when used with a PASCO computer
interface). This resolution translates into other
pressure units as follows:
Units Resolution
inches of Hg 0.148
mm of Hg 3.750
milliBar 5.088
pounds per square inch (psi) 0.072
atmospheres 0.004
The sensor box contains a precision operational
amplifier (op amp) that can drive a heavy
capacitive load, such as a six meter extender cable
(CI-6515). There is a resistor in parallel with the
transducer to compensate the sensor for
temperature induced variations. The sensor has a
negative temperature coefficient (resistance
decreases as temperature increases) and the resistor
has a positive temperature coefficient.
Operation
Setting up the Equipment
1. Connect the Pressure Sensor unit to analog
channel A, B, or C of the Science Workshop
computer interface box using the cable with
the DIN connectors (Figure 1). Alternatively,
the unit can be plugged directly into the
analog channel jack.
700 kPa MAX DRY AIR ONL Y
PRESSURE PORT MA
TING
CONNECT
OR:
PASCO P ART NO. 640-021
PRESSURE
SENSOR 0-700 kPa (ABSOLUTE)
CI-6532A
Figure 1
Connecting the amplifier box to the interface box
kiloPascals inches of Hg mm of Hg Bar pounds/sq in atmospheres
700.00 207.25 5250.4 6.999 101.48 6.908
101.32 30.00 760.0 1.013 14.69 1.000
Table 1
Pressure range comparison