Recommended Practices for Wiring

Resistive Sensors
1 OVERVIEW
This training document is intended to assist with wiring resistive sensors to DSE modules. Outlined below are the DSE
recommended wiring practices, as well as examples of common mistakes made when installing sensors. It is
assumed that all personnel carrying out the work described have a sufficient level of technical knowledge to assess
and complete the job to a competent level.

2 INCORRECT WIRING PRACTICES

Connecting a resistive sensor to a DSE controller appears at first to be a straightforward procedure. There are,
however some common practices which may inadvertently lead to erroneous sensor readings or a complete loss of
sensor data. In particular, the wiring configuration of the ground and sensor common connections may affect readings.
This is illustrated in the diagram below:

To calculate the displayed Analogue Input Common is

values of resistive sensor connected to the same circuit as a
inputs, the DSE module battery chargers negative terminal.
applies a fixed current to When the charger is active, the
the Analogue Input circuits, return current causes a voltage
and measures voltage at increase in the circuit. As with the
each active Analogue Input Coolant Temp Sensor example, a
terminal with respect to the change in negative circuit voltage
Analogue Input Common leads to incorrect sensor data. The
terminal. In this example difference in this case is; a raised
the earth terminal of the Analogue Input Common voltage
Coolant Temp Sensor is will cause incorrect readings on all
wired to the battery active resistive sensors.
negative common circuit.
Configured as such the
sensor is susceptible to
voltage changes in the
negative circuit, and will
show erroneous readings
when such changes take High Impedance
place. in the Analogue
Input Common
cable causes a
voltage
difference with
respect to earth.
Damaged, low
quality or
excessively long
cables all lead to
this.

Author: J.Z. Page 1 of 4 056-092 ISSUE: 1

3 RECOMMENDED WIRING PRACTICES

NOTE: The diagram shows a generic earthing configuration. For further information on earthing
conventions, such as floating or positive earth, refer to the relevant DSE operators manual.

DSE recommendations for wiring resistive sensors are outlined below in bullet notation. All points are intended solely
as a guideline, and as such each installation must be evaluated individually from both an operational and safety
perspective.

o Sensor ground connections wired directly between the sensor body and engine block.
o Analogue input common used solely as ground reference, and not providing a ground connection for any other
device.
o Analogue input common circuit unsusceptible to voltage increase as a result of current flow from another device,
for example return current from a battery charger.
o Consideration for the sensor cable lengths, cross-sectional area and quality made to ensure voltage drop across
the cable remains within acceptable limits. Refer to relevant DSE Operator Manual and manufacturers
specifications for the sensor.
o Battery negative connected to earth.

A typical example of recommended wiring practices is shown below:

Analogue
Input
Common
wired directly
to earth point
with no other
connections.
Correctly
specified
cable used.

All sensor ground

connections wired
directly to engine
block.

056-092 ISSUE: 1 Page 2 of 4 Author: J.Z.

4 COMMON FAULTS
Other faults commonly associated with resistive sensors are:

o PTFE Tape Around Sensor Threads. Often used to aid sealing, the PTFE tape also acts as electrical insulation.
This is a problem on resistive sensors designed to use the surface they are screwed into (usually the engine
block) as the earth connection. The PTFE tape creates a high resistance between the sensor and earth, causing
incorrect values/loss of sensor readings.
o Incorrect Washer/Seal Used with Sensor. Similarly to the PTFE tape, the wrong type of washer or seal for the
selected sensor may cause a high resistance to the sensor common. Manufacturers guidelines must always be
followed regarding sealing requirements.
o Sensor Failure. The majority of resistive sensors utilise internal moving parts to provide variable readings. As
with all moving components, these are subject to wear and will fail in time. Environmental factors such as water
ingress may serve to additionally shorten the lifespan of such parts. A typical failing resistive sensor may display
high readings, before becoming permanently open circuit.
o Poor Termination. Incorrectly terminated sensor wires may cause high resistance, and thus incorrect readings.
Furthermore, the connections are likely to be weaker and may fail sooner than expected, especially if attached to
vibrating machinery such as an engine.

5 FAIL TO STOP AND THE OIL PRESSURE SENSOR

The Fail to Stop alarm becomes active if a stop command has been issued by the DSE module, and any of the sensor
values selected for Crank Disconnect are above specified limits when the Stopping Timer has completed. Depending
on module type and configuration the Crank Disconnect function will read from the following values:

o Oil Pressure
o Generator Frequency
o Engine Speed
o Charge Alternator Voltage
o Generator Voltage

If the engine is physically verified to have stopped, and the alarm is present, the most likely cause is a fault in the Oil
Pressure Sensor circuit. This may be due to any of the faults or incorrect wiring practices described elsewhere in this
document. The Oil Pressure value is checked on the front panel of the DSE module or using the SCADA section of the
DSE Configuration Suite PC software. Carrying out this quick and easy test may avoid a lengthy fault finding process.

Author: J.Z. Page 3 of 4 056-092 ISSUE: 1

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