Instrumentation expert Mantracourt has unveiled the next evolution of digital strain measurement – its next-generation DSM (Digital Strain Module), offering superior communication, flexible deployment and easy integration for OEMs. The module turns traditional analogue strain-based sensors — like load cells and torque sensors — into digital output devices, allowing manufacturers to build a single, configurable communication system to support modern distributed sensing architectures.
Modern industry is relying on digitisation to improve communication, increase productivity and reduce operational costs for OEMs. The problem is, as machines become more digital, distributed and software-defined, legacy Controller Area Network (CAN-based) products are no longer scaling well.
Robert Badcock, chief executive officer at Mantracourt, said: “CAN-based communication is a protocol used in vehicle systems, industrial automation and agricultural machinery to allow for communication without the need for a central host computer. As a concept it’s smart, but legacy systems cannot keep up with the demands of modern industry because they are slow, vulnerable to electrical interference and complex to integrate.
“Commercially, it’s a problem, and OEMs could end up spending a lot of time and money trying to navigate the issue of configurability and complexity within their machines. Ultimately, they need a flexible, firmware-defined communication system that reduces hardware variation across a project.”
Mantracourt’s next-generation embedded strain gauge digitiser, DSM, is designed to deliver a direct digital output over a CAN interface and eliminate the need for analogue signal conditioning, simplifying wiring and improving noise immunity. For applications requiring real-time, high-integrity data exchange — like vehicle systems and industrial automation — the single hardware platform is configurable via software, simplifying integration into existing control systems and reducing product variation.
Flexibility has been at the core of the design of Mantracourt’s product, ensuring it can support custom message mapping and payload formatting. Unlike fixed protocol devices, DSM is compatible with most standard CANbus network and future firmware updates will extend support to J1939, CANopen, and RS485, protecting system designs against evolving communication requirements. It also supports voltages up to 32 VDC, selectable measurement rates up to 1000 Hz and advanced calibration modes.
The DSM is the basis of Mantracourt’s next generation of digital sensing solutions, created by a forward-thinking team with over 40 years’ experience in sensor manufacturing and systems integration. The team of 38, based in Exeter, has designed DSM for modern industrial and vehicle systems and it is available in embedded and external formats.
To learn more about DSM, or about Mantracourt’s full product range, follow the link to its website: https://www.mantracourt.com/
