Posted to News on 7th Nov 2018, 14:41
Draw wire position sensors used in flight simulators
Happy Landings Flight Simulations GmbH builds and runs sophisticated flight training simulators for leisure and pilot training. With six highly detailed simulator models covering a range of aircraft types, including helicopters, jets and commercial airliners, the simulators include motion-controlled replicas of real cockpits and surround-screen HD graphics for terrestrial features and international airports. To improve the performance and reliability of the roll and pitch axes for its Cessna C172 Skyhawk simulator, Happy Landings has recently replaced gear mechanics and rotary potentiometers with SP1 and SM1 draw wire position sensors from Variohm EuroSensor.
As directly coupled measurement devices, the draw-wire (or cable extension transducer) sensors reduce the potential for lost motion in the control system and improve the control sensitivity - and ultimately enhance the flying simulation experience. The SP1 series draw wire sensor is robust and compact for up to 1.27m of travel, while the miniature SM1 has the ability for even more compact installation for travel lengths to 0.63m. For this application both sensors are configured for voltage divider output from integral potentiometers with a measurement resolution that is essentially infinite and repeatability in the region of 0.5 per cent of full scale. A sturdy nylon-coated stainless steel cable connects the moving load to the potentiometric sensor through a spring -loaded winch mechanism. Typical working life is more than 2.5 million cycles. Featuring durable polycarbonate housings with multiple mounting points, they are easily installed and do not require perfect alignment.
Draw wire sensors may also be specified with IP67 protective housings for use in harsh outdoor environments where long travel, high accuracy linear position measurement is required. A wide range is available from Variohm EuroSensor with optional mechanical fixings, selectable voltage and current outputs as well as CANopen, SSI and other fieldbus interfaces if required. Draw wire sensors are well proven for positioning and linear measurement tasks in demanding applications such as high-performance car throttle controls, elevating bridge and crane controls, heavy industrial equipment, agricultural and construction machinery.
Follow the link for more information about draw wire position sensors from Variohm-EuroSensor.
