A new standard Micropulse transducer

BTL Micropulse linear displacement transducers from Balluff in the rod design, installed in hydraulic cylinders, have for decades proven their reliability in demanding applications. The magnetostrictive operating principle means they can be installed in hermetically sealed enclosures. The position information is transmitted via magnetic fields through the housing wall to the interior of the sensor. The latest BTL7 generation of Micropulse transducers offers even better technical properties and additional functions.

Balluff offers the Micropulse transducers in various form factors. In the so-called profile housing with floating or captive magnet they are ideal for installation on machine frames, with the waveguide protected inside an aluminum extruded housing. The rod-style transducer is designed for installation in hydraulic cylinders. Here the waveguide is enclosed in a high pressure rated (up to 600 bar) stainless steel tube, so that the rod section can be inserted directly into the pressure area of the cylinder.

The new MICROPULSE Generation 7 is available in a Standard and High End version. The Standard version is 100% downward compatible with the previous BTL generations in installation and function. Users can switch to the new Standard with no design changes. If service should ever be necessary in existing applications, the older generation model can be simply replaced by the BTL7 to even add improved performance.

New features include LED’s for indicating the operating status and providing visual diagnostic capability with no additional equipment. Among the technical improvements are new stroke lengths up to 7.6 meters: now one system can be used for all stroke lengths. In addition to the connector version there is a cable type offering IP68 protection and greater sealing to open up new applications. A non-linearity of just 0.01% (up to 5.5 m of stroke) means more accurate closed loop control, and the 2-wire Remote Setup feature adds flexibility in operation.

The High End version, MICROPULSE PLUS, adds a configurable dual output providing position and velocity information. The latter permits even very slow movements down to 0.0003 m/s to be monitored. A second current output allows two separate processor units to be connected. Parameter setting, programming and startup of the system can be done using a USB interface on a laptop or PC.