CPC6000 Automated Pressure Calibrator

Application:

NASA will measure Atmospheric Pressure on Mars

As part of the NASA Phoenix project to send another Mars Lander in 2007, MDA in Brampton, Ontario, Canada, through the support of the Canadian Space Agency, will be supplying various measuring sensors and systems.

One of those sensors is to measure the atmospheric pressure on Mars. To do this, MDA, in collaboration with the Finnish Meteorological Institute, has developed their own pressure sensor with a range of 5 to 12 hPa Absolute and with a resolution of 0.1 Pa.
In order to calibrate this very low pressure sensor, MDA is using the new Mensor CPC6000 Automatic Pressure Controller.

Mensor’s CPC 6000 Automated Pressure Calibrator (formerly the APC 600) has two independent precision pressure regulating channels which can operate simultaneously. Each channel can have up to two transducers; each transducer has an accuracy of 0.01% Intelliscale-50 with a calibration interval of 365 days on specific ranges. The resulting ranges allow MDA to perform all the necessary tests either automatically or manually with a total uncertainty of 0.01% of each range. Of particular interest is that the 5 psia transducer is designed to withstand the overpressure of normal atmospheric pressure (14.7 psia).

The combination of high level accuracy and a control stability of 0.003% of each range provides MDA with the capability to efficiently and quickly calibrate their sensors.
Mensor's distributor in Canada, Technel Engineering, provided local support to MDA both before and after the sale.