The Celesco PT8510 can be operated from a 14.5 to 50 VDC unregulated power supply or a 12 VDC battery. It provides a regulated 0 to 10 VDC or 0 to 5 VDC feedback signal over its full range of up to 60". This rugged transducer uses a precision plastic-hybrid potentiometer as its sensing element, providing not only excellent linearity and resolution but also "absolute" position information even if power is lost.

Unlike ordinary potentiometric transducers, users can quickly and easily tailor standard units to specific full-scale ranges. They simply adjust the zero and span settings through access holes in the PT8510's housing, enabling them to match sensitivities of multiple transducers.

These attributes make the PT8510 ideal for on-vehicle suspension testing and other applications requiring industrial-grade measurement sensors operated by unregulated power. Since the PT8510 utilizes a flexible cable rather than a rigid, thick rod, it is also less likely to interfere with other operations. Its small size to measurement ratio offers similar benefits. When retracted, the PT8000 series is only 6 inches yet can measure up to 60 inches.

Priced at around $500, the PT8510 is also an excellent value. It is a fraction of the cost of other absolute sensors. Its installation also saves costs. Unlike rigid rod or wand-type transducers which require perfectly parallel, precision installation and must be readjusted when continual movements cause loosening over time, the PT8510 does not require movement in a perfectly parallel line. This saves on machining costs associated with wand-type sensors.

The PT8510 is a member of Celesco's innovative PT8000 series of NEMA 4-rated cable-extension transducers. The transducers have a sealed cylindrical housing to protect electrical components and an uncomplicated internal configuration for simplified and reliable measurement. Its design also allows the sensor to be mounted away from the harmful elements, providing additional safeguards.

Measuring the movement and displacement of objects is easy with a Celesco cable-extension transducer. Attach the body of the transducer to a fixed surface and its stainless steel cable to the moving object. As the cable extends, an electrical signal proportional to the cable's linear extension or its velocity is provided for display, recording, feedback or input to a controller. An internal spring motor maintains constant tension on the cable for retraction. Output can be in volts, milliamperes or encoder pulses to fit specific application requirements.

The PT8510 is just one example of Celesco's innovative products. Many Celesco transducers operate in temperature ranges from -40 degrees F to 200 degrees F. Their resolution is essentially infinite. They are available in measurement ranges from 0" to 2" to 0" to 1750" and they are used in a variety of other applications--from hydraulic ram monitoring in metal stamping plants, valve monitoring in hydroelectric plants, speed monitoring of extrusion presses, to motion synchronization of hydraulic lifts.

Celesco, headquartered in Canoga Park, California, designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of transducers and related precision instruments. The company is the world's largest supplier of cable-extension position transducers which are used to detect and measure linear position and velocity. Its other families of transducers are used for measuring rotational position and differential pressure. Celesco also manufactures thermocouple reference junctions. OEMs and end users choose Celesco transducers because of their high accuracy, resolution, and repeatability. The company, founded in 1968, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tedea, Ltd.