A yield monitoring system for a grain harvesting combine includes a volume monitor, a moisture monitor, a test weight monitor, a ground speed monitor, and a computer which receives signals from each monitor and continuously derives harvested grain yield rates from those signals, displays the yield rates on a visual display and records the yield rate information for later recall and transfer to other computers. A GPS receiver linked to the system enables it to map yields geographically in the harvested field. The volume monitor receives all grain exiting the clean grain elevator of the combine and passes it through a paddlewheel, the angular displacement of which is monitored over time. The moisture monitor and test weight monitor are mounted to the exterior of the clean grain elevator and receive samples of grain from the lift side of the clean grain elevator.

Yield monitoring system for grain harvesting combine

A signal processing circuit for a weighing apparatus comprises an amplifier circuit for amplifying a weight signal outputted from a weighing device, an active filter which serves to attenuate noise components in the weight signal from the amplifier circuit, and switches for selecting whether the active filter should function as a filter or a buffer according to a predetermined timing schedule.

Signal processing circuit and weighing apparatus incorporating same

A resistor-adjusting apparatus is provided for adjusting resistors of a load-cell scale which has a load cell, having a resistance bridge circuit, for generating an electrical signal corresponding to a load weight, and an A/D converting section for converting the electrical signal supplied from the load cell into a digital signal corresponding to the load weight. A thin-film resistor for adjusting temperature characteristic, which is connected to the bridge circuit, is provided on the load cell so as to be exposed. The resistor-adjusting apparatus comprises a resistor adjustor for removing part of the thin-film resistor in response to a control signal and thus adjusting a resistance thereof, and a control unit for supplying, to the resistor adjustor, a control signal corresponding to digital signals that are generated by the A/D converting section in response to a predetermined load weight at different temperatures, causing the resistor adjustor to change the resistance of the thin film resistor.

Method and apparatus for adjusting resistors in load-cell scale

In a calibration rig for a weighing machine and a method of using the calibration rig, the weighing machine having a load cell including a transducer and headwork connected to the load cell, the calibration rig having a calibration load cell including a low capacity transducer with the excitation voltage and signal connections arranged for connection to the headwork and a potentiometer. The fixed terminations of the potentiometer are connected to respective signal connections and the wiper connection of the potentiometer is connected to one excitation supply terminal via a series resistor.

Weight simulation calibration rig and method

For the purpose of detecting signal faults in a safety system of a motor vehicle, in particular in a restraint system, the analogue signals fed to an analogue-to-digital converter 1 are monitored to determine whether faults arise due to strong external electromagnetic fields. An identification which is stored in a memory 3 and assigned to reference values of the signals on the input side is used for error detection.

Circuit arrangement for detecting signal faults

A load cell type weight measuring device includes a load cell which produces an output voltage corresponding to the weight applied thereto, an amplifier circuit for amplifying the output voltage of the load cell, and an A/D converter for converting an output voltage of the amplifier circuit to digital data. This weight measuring device further includes a rated voltage generating circuit for generating an output voltage equal to the output voltage generated from the load cell which is applied with a rated weight; switches for selectively connecting the load cell, the rated voltage generating circuit and the ground terminal to the amplifier circuit; and a microcomputer which gives control signals to the switches and inhibits the output data of the A/D converter from being supplied as effective weight measurement data when it is detected that the difference between two items of output digital data of the A/D converter, which are respectively obtained when the ground terminal and the rated voltage generating circuit are selected, exceeds a predetermined range.

Yoshihisa Nishiyama

Papers

Load cell type weight measuring device and a sensitivity checking method thereof