Straightpoint Offers Bluetooth Technology for Load Cells

 

SP’s revolutionary HHP app is available on iOS and Android platforms Enlarge Image

February 5, 2018 - Straightpoint has unveiled a new Bluetooth app that connects its load cells to smart devices. 

Named after Straightpoint’s (SP) handheld-plus display unit, the app is now available for download and easy connection to the manufacturer’s recently launched range of load cells that use the same technology. 

The innovative pairing is set to revolutionize the way data is captured and supplied in below-the-hook and other force-measurement applications. 

The free HHP app, available for iOS and Android platforms, uses Bluetooth (wireless technology for exchanging data over short distances) to collect information from a single load cell up to 164 ft. away. The app can package the collected data and send it onto a recipient as an Excel spreadsheet. 

The app adds convenience and cost efficiency to most applications where a single SP force-measuring device is used in close proximity to a reader or data-logging system. 

Until now, wireless readings were only possible on the handheld system, while the company’s multiple wireless load cell controller (SW-MWLC) software was required to convert data into another format. 

Those existing products remain integral to the SP offering. The Handheld Plus has a range of up to 2,300 ft. and the SW-MWLC package displays and logs data from up to 100 SP wireless load cells simultaneously. That cutting-edge technology is suited to more demanding, specialist applications for which the new app is not designed. 

David Ayling, director at SP, said: “We’ve been experimenting with Bluetooth technology for some time—it’s been used with our Clamp-On Line Tensionmeter (COLT)—but that research was part of a journey towards the landmark launch of the new load cells and accompanying app. Distributors and partners have lauded its ability to send reports from the same device that captures the data and noted the inherent convenience of having the app on a smart device that is on their person.” 

The HHP app is user friendly but can be downloaded in simulation mode so users can practice before utilizing it in a real-life application. It is compatible with any SP product that fits the usage criteria, which can be selected via a straightforward menu. Units of measurement and calibration settings are among other variables that can be specified with equal simplicity. 

Ayling said: “The launch of the Bluetooth range chimes with a gravitational pull towards IoT [Internet of Things] and could be game-changing in that we’re not aware of any other solutions on the market that harness the benefits of this technology through a mobile app. Once again we’ve demonstrated our pioneering intent and we’re keen to monitor uptake through download numbers in the coming weeks.”