Established in 2004, Loadstar Sensors, Inc. is a leader in the design and manufacture of capacitive load cells with USB & wireless output for automotive, aerospace, medical device, industrial and consumer applications. Our Plug and Sense® load cell technology offers high sensitivities in an easy to use, mechanically rugged, low profile package.
2. Loadstar Sensors Summary Leading developer of networked digital force sensors In business for over five years Expertise in USB and wireless load cells and systems Capacitive sensing technology platform enabling new applications Addresses large, established markets with disruptive technology 1000+ early adopters with ~50 Fortune 500 customers 10 issued patents plus approximately 30 in process 15 person core team with deep sensor expertise 11,000 sq.ft. design, manufacturing and test facility Headquartered in Fremont, California
11. The Problem with Traditional Load Cells Software + Programming $3,000-$5,000 Data Acquisition $99-$3,000 Signal Conditioner $149-$300 Resistive Load Cell $350 - $ 1000+ Big Complex Analog Expensive Traditional solutions are bulky, complex and expensive You need to have diverse engineering skills to utilize one!
12. Loadstar’s Digital Solution Capacitive Load Cell $99 - $ 699 LoadVUE software $99 - $ 299 Low Profile Easy to Use Digital Low Cost Integrated Loadstar makes it easy to use load cells Anyone can use it. As easy to use as a digital camera!
13. How it Works A (Area between plates) Capacitance is the ability of a system to store charge It varies directly with area between the plates & dielectric constant It varies inversely with the distance between the plates The rate at which the current in the capacitor decays can be used to calculate capacitance An oscillator circuit is used to convert the charge discharge cycle into frequency The frequency is proportional to the capacitance which is proportional to applied load Loadstar typically measures a change in d, but has patents for measuring changes in k or A. (k) d (Gap between plates) Freq. Current
14. F L F The advantage of Capacitive Sensing Resistive Load Cell Capacitance Load Cell vs. R L C 1/d F R d C Resistivity change is of the order of 0.2% for full scale loading for strain gauge load cells Capacitance change is of the order of 50-100% for full scale loading for Loadstar’s load cells F F F Key Reasons to use Capacitive Sensing Include: - High sensitivity in small packages - Digital signal less prone to noise issues - Less expensive than comparable resistive sensors - Fully integrated solution with high level digital outputs
15. The Benefits of Digital Resistive Load Cell Capacitance Load Cell The output of the circuit we use is TTL 0-5V frequency whose frequency changes by 30-100% based on gap change They can be measured by a microcontroller without need for an ADC Resistive load cells have to resolve micro-volt changes in the midst of noise that could be several orders of magnitude higher They require careful power regulation & amplification prior to digitization by an ADC A digital system is inherently less noisy and easier to incorporate into embedded circuits
16. Sensor Networking Technology One of Loadstar’s key areas of expertise lies in networking load cell output to USB and WiFi enabled devices such as computers and mobile devices like the iPhone Loadstar can network thousands of sensors together over the Internet Browser-accessible software available to access data from anywhere
44. Inventory Management Solution Inventory Management Example Weight sensors are placed under bins Sensor concentrators read data and upload to central database Browser based software lets you log in and monitor inventory remotely Connects to your existing ERP/Warehouse Management Systems
45. Sample Rack Based Implementation Sensor Router (Master) 3 more SC-1200s (slaves)
46. Tiny Force Sensors for Medical Device Applications Medical Applications Many applications need tiny force sensors that are robust, easy to use and inexpensive.
47. Mfr Representatives on Four Continents You can purchase products from us Online or contact one of our representatives in your region for further assistance
48. Why buy from Loadstar Cutting edge technology based on patented Capacitive Sensing technology with PC friendly digital outputs Easy to use products, designed for a broad variety of end users –not just engineers Software friendly design – programmers can easily incorporate into applications without any knowledge of load cells Amazingly low prices for our digital load cell products are typically less than those of conventional load cells with millivolt analog outputs! Out-of-the-box solutions for Pedal Force Testing, Inventory Management, Fill-and-Pack stations, Force based control Our Promise We guarantee that you’ll love our products and services. If you are unhappy for any reason, let us know and we’ll be happy to refund your money in full within 30 days.
49. Contact Us Loadstar Sensors 48089 Fremont Blvd. Fremont, CA 94538 sales@loadstarsensors.com (510) 623-9600