EVM430-FR6047: TIDA-01486 amplifier

Hi Emmanouil,

Could you capture the ADC waveform in actual wate pipe?

I think the diameter is too large, thus the waveform is to small, maybe we need add some external amplifier, but we can check the ADC waveform firstly.

Thanks!

Best Regards

Johnson

Hello Johnson He,
thank you for the reply.

The ADC Waveform is unacceptable.

I was wishing to somehow see the difference between flowing water and not but I can't manage it.
This is why I asked an opinion about TIDA-01486.
Is this commercial or custom made because I can't find it somewhere to order it.
Any other suggestion?

Best Regards
Manos

Hi Manos,

Have you try increase the PGA Gain in FR6047?

TIDA-01486 is design for industy meter, this is big-diameter meter, whis will use mutil-channel.

And I think you should can get the waveform in water meter, you need change this parameter based on the ultrasonic fly distances:

Thanks!

Best Regards

Johnson

Hello,
I have tried a lot of configurations and different parameters.
I when I reached a somehow acceptable ADC Capture and thought that was working,
I noticed that it was fake, because I had the same ADC Capture with or without ultrasonic sensors placed.

Thanks in advance

Hi Manos,

Could you upload the waveform and the configuration capture?

Thanks!

Best Regards

Johnson

I will do it, but I have to go onsite.

It is installed outside on field.

But it is not easy to go and get data.

Can we discuss the option of amplifier?

Hi Manos,

TIDA-01486 will boost 12V voltage to transducer, this can improve the transmission distance of ultrasound.
But for water meter, I see your pipe(diameter 90mm), 3.3V should be ok, you can also try to use the 5V on the EVM board to drive the transducer.

What is the distance between the two transducers and how are they placed?

Thus you can try to use TIDA-01486, but I recommend you can try 5V in EVM430-FR6047.

Thanks!

Best Regards

Johnson

This is the setup of the sensors

Hi, how can I change to 5V in EVM430-FR6047;

Hi Manos,

Sorry, I misremembered here, 5V is the function of the EVM430-FR6043 board.
The EVM430-FR6047 can only use 3.3V to excite the transducer.

Thanks!

Best Regards

Johnson

No problem,
any suggestion?

In the initial post, you mention the pipe wall thickness. Combined with your picture, I'm suspicious. Are the transducer faces in contact with the fluid or are they only mounted externally to the pipe? If mounted externally to the pipe, you won't be able to measure signal levels with the EVM430-FR6047. You will need to either get the 6043 eval module and modify the AFE for 1 MHz or make your own circuit board to implement an amplifier circuit. Even then, 1 MHz may not penetrate plastic pipe very well if at all.

Hello,
they are clamp on. Just attached externally to the pipe wall and no contact to the fluid.
In my testbed it was working and I had some results.

The TIDA-01486 is an amplifier designed for this purpose. I don't want to create something now, there is no time.

Is it commercial? Can I order it somewhere?

Thanks in advance

TIDA-01486 is only a reference design, it is not a product available for sale. The quickest solution to get an amplifier would be to get an EVM430-FR6043 and modify the hardware for 1 MHz water measurements. By default, it is setup for gas measurements.

There are quite a few posts in this forum about people asking about clamp-on help. Here is a post where one of the original USS Engineers posted about a clamp-on. More information about what he talks about can be found in SLAA949, where TI constructs a clamp-on for PVC pipe with an EVM430-FR6047 and a 19mm PVC pipe. Even at that size, the PGA gain is set to 20 dB.