DAQ1500 User Guide
Getting Started
Welcome to the DAQ1500 user guide! In order to get started, make sure you have the following hardware on hand:
- DAQ1500 - Wheatstone Bridge Phidget
- VINT Hub
- Phidget cable
- USB cable and computer
- something to use with the DAQ1500 (e.g. load cell, strain gauge, etc.)
Next, you will need to connect the pieces:
- Connect the DAQ1500 to the VINT Hub using the Phidget cable.
- Connect a load cell or strain gauge to the DAQ1500. See your product's data sheet for connection details.
- Connect the VINT Hub to your computer with a USB cable.
Now that you have everything together, let's start using the DAQ1500!
Using the DAQ1500
Phidget Control Panel
In order to demonstrate the functionality of the DAQ1500, the Phidget Control Panel running on a Windows machine will be used.
The Phidget Control Panel is available for use on both macOS and Windows machines.
Windows
To open the Phidget Control Panel on Windows, find the 
icon in the taskbar. If it is not there, open up the start menu and search for Phidget Control Panel
macOS
To open the Phidget Control Panel on macOS, open Finder and navigate to the Phidget Control Panel in the Applications list. Double click on the icon to bring up the Phidget Control Panel.
For more information, take a look at the getting started guide for your operating system:
Linux users can follow the getting started with Linux guide and continue reading here for more information about the DAQ1500.
First Look
After plugging the DAQ1500 into your computer and opening the Phidget Control Panel, you will see something like this:
The Phidget Control Panel will list all connected Phidgets and associated objects, as well as the following information:
- Serial number: allows you to differentiate between similar Phidgets.
- Channel: allows you to differentiate between similar objects on a Phidget.
- Version number: corresponds to the firmware version your Phidget is running. If your Phidget is listed in red, your firmware is out of date. Update the firmware by double-clicking the entry.
The Phidget Control Panel can also be used to test your device. Double-clicking on an object will open an example.
Bridge Input
Double-click on the Voltage Ratio object, labelled Bridge Input, in order to run the example:
General information about the selected object will be displayed at the top of the window. You can also experiment with the following functionality:
- Modify the change trigger and/or data interval value by dragging the sliders. For more information on these settings, see the data interval/change trigger page.
- Toggle the Enable checkbox in order enable/disable the DAQ1500.
- Select a gain from the Bridge Gain drop-down menu. For more information about choosing the best gain, see the technical section.
Technical Details
Gain-sensitive Specifications
| Gain | Resolution (nV/V) | Noise Floor (nV/V) | Output Range (mV/V) |
| 1x | 59.60 | 5000 | ±500 |
| 2x | 29.80 | 2600 | ±250 |
| 64x | 0.931 | 133 | ±78.125 |
| 128x | 0.466 | 87 | ±39.063 |
Current Consumption
The amount of current consumed by the DAQ1500 varies based on the data interval you select:
Use the following equation to approximate the relationship between current consumption and data interval (up to a maximum data interval of 60000ms):
This figure is the no-load current, so to estimate total current consumption, you'll need to measure the current consumption at a known data interval so you can determine the offset, which should be no higher than 50mA.
What to do Next
- Programming Languages - Find your preferred programming language here and learn how to write your own code with Phidgets!
- Phidget Programming Basics - Once you have set up Phidgets to work with your programming environment, we recommend you read our page on to learn the fundamentals of programming with Phidgets.
