Cooper Instruments & Systems ELF 4200 Flexiforce Paper Thin Sensor - Manual (Page 4)

CF10 1 6/24/08 Rev. H
1.0 INTRODUCTION
This manual describes how to use FlexiForce’s Economical Load & Force (ELF) system, Multi-Handle ELF and Hi-
Speed ELF
. These systems are ideal for designers, researchers, or anyone who needs to measure forces without
disturbing the dynamics of their tests. The FlexiForce sensors can be used to measure both static and dynamic
forces (up to 1000 lbf), and are thin enough to enable non-intrusive measurement.
Each ELF system is comprised of FlexiForce’s Microsoft (MS) Windows-based software, the associated electronics,
and FlexiForce sensors. The ELF system hardware includes the sensor handle with USB adapter and the sensors.
One of the major advantages of this system is that it is simple to install, and requires very little hardware.
The ELF sensors use a resistive-based technology. The application of a force to the active sensing area of the
sensor results in a change in the resistance of the sensing element in inverse proportion to the force applied. After
a simple calibration is performed, this force can be displayed on the screen in the measurement units that you
choose, such as pounds or Newtons.
The ELF software is an 8-bit application that is compatible with Microsoft (MS) Windows 2000/XP/Vista. The
software allows you to view a graphical representation of the force on the sensor in real-time, record this
information as a "movie," and review and analyze it later. There are a number of options for displaying the real-time
force data; it can be displayed as a "strip chart," "column graph," or "digital readout." Recorded "movie frames" can
be saved as ASCII (text) files, which can be imported into a spreadsheet program, or opened in a text editor or
word processing program. Real-time data or movie frames can also be copied to the Windows clipboard and pasted
into other applications as a .bmp (bitmap) file.
2.0 QUICK START
This is a quick look at how to use your ELF system. This Quick Start procedure should be followed as a general
outline; it will give you the basics on how to view sensor force data in a Real-time Window, record this data, play
the recording back, and analyze the data. However, you must read the entire manual before designing your
application.
Note: This procedure assumes that the ELF software has been successfully installed on your system. In
addition, a familiarity with MS Windows is assumed.
1. Make sure the sensors are inserted correctly into the handles. Run the program by clicking the Start button at
the bottom left of the screen, selecting Programs, and then clicking the ELF Multi icon.
2. If you have the Multi-Handle ELF system and have connected multiple handles, you will be prompted to select
the COM ports/handles you wish to use for testing. Click to place a check in each box, and then select OK.
3. A new Real-time window will appear. The size of this window will vary, since MS Windows cascades new
windows. If the window is too small to view comfortably, enlarge it by dragging an edge of the window with the
cursor (shown below).