For your reference, Tacuna Systems has compiled the following list of acronyms and abbreviations related to the force measurement and load cell industries. This guide to force measurement acronyms and abbreviations is divided into two sections: Industry Acronyms, and Abbreviations for Units. Also see our Force Measurement Glossary for further definitions, and Measurement System Compliance Certificates and Approvals Explained for standards compliance marking acronyms.
Load Cell Industry Acronyms
| Acronym / Abbreviation | Definition / Full Name |
|---|---|
| A2LA | American Association for Laboratory Accreditation |
| AC | Alternating Current |
| ADC | Analog-to-Digital Converter |
| ANSI | American National Standards Institute |
| ATEX | Appareils destinés à être utilisés en Atmosphères EXplosives (European Explosive Atmosphere Directive) |
| AWG | American Wire Gauge |
| CAN | Controller Area Network (CANbus) |
| CE | Conformité Européenne (European Conformity Marking) |
| CMRR | Common Mode Rejection Ratio |
| DAC | Digital-to-Analog Converter |
| DAQ | Data Acquisition System |
| DC | Direct Current |
| DIP | Dual In-line Package (Switch or IC package) |
| DSP | Digital Signal Processor |
| E+ / E- | Positive / Negative Excitation Terminal |
| EMC | Electromagnetic Compatibility |
| EMI | Electromagnetic Interference |
| ESD | Electrostatic Discharge / Electrostatic Sensitive Device |
| Exc+ / Exc- | Positive / Negative Excitation Terminal |
| FEA | Finite Element Analysis |
| FM | Factory Mutual (Hazardous Location Approval) |
| FSO | Full Scale Output |
| IAQG | International Aerospace Quality Group |
| ICP | Integrated Circuit Piezoelectric |
| IEC | International Electrotechnical Commission |
| IECEx | International Electrotechnical Commission Explosive Equipment Certification |
| IEEE | Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers |
| IEPE | Integrated Electronics Piezo-Electric |
| IIoT | Industrial Internet of Things |
| IoT | Internet of Things |
| IP | Ingress Protection (International Protection Rating) |
| ISA | International Society of Automation |
| ISO | International Organization for Standardization |
| LCD | Liquid Crystal Display |
| LED | Light Emitting Diode |
| LVDT | Linear Variable Differential Transformer |
| MDL | Minimum Dead Load |
| MEMS | Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems |
| NEMA | National Electrical Manufacturers Association |
| NEPSI | National Supervision and Inspection Center for Explosion Protection and Safety of Instrumentation |
| NIST | National Institute of Standards and Technology |
| NPL | National Physical Laboratory |
| NTEP | National Type Evaluation Program |
| OEM | Original Equipment Manufacturer |
| OIML | International Organization of Legal Metrology |
| OLED | Organic Light Emitting Diode |
| PCB | Printed Circuit Board |
| PLC | Programmable Logic Controller |
| PZT | Lead Zirconate Titanate (Piezoelectric Ceramic) |
| RMS | Root Mean Square |
| RO | Rated Output |
| RoHS | Restriction of Hazardous Substances |
| RS-232 / RS232 | Recommended Standard 232 (Serial Communication Protocol) |
| S+ / S- | Positive / Negative Signal Output Terminal |
| SCADA | Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition |
| Sen+ / Sen- | Positive / Negative Sense Terminal (6-wire excitation feedback) |
| Shld / GND | Cable Shield / Ground Connection |
| SI | Système International (International System of Units / Metric System) |
| Sig+ / Sig- | Positive / Negative Signal Output Terminal |
| SNR | Signal-to-Noise Ratio |
| STC | Self-Temperature-Compensating (Strain Gauge Pattern) |
| TEDS | Transducer Electronic Data Sheet |
| VAC / VDC | Volts Alternating Current / Volts Direct Current |
Abbreviations for Units
| Abbreviation | Unit | Dimension / Unit System |
|---|---|---|
| A | ampere | Electrical Current (SI) |
| °C | degree Celsius | Temperature (SI) |
| °F | degree Fahrenheit | Temperature (English) |
| ft | foot | Length (English) |
| ft-lb | foot-pound | Energy / Work (English) |
| g | gram | Mass (SI) |
| Hz | hertz | Frequency (Cycles/sec) |
| in | inch | Length (English) |
| in-lb / lb-in | inch-pound / pound-inch | Torque / Energy (English) |
| K | Kelvin | Thermodynamic Temperature (SI) |
| kg | kilogram | Mass (SI) |
| kgf | kilogram-force | Force (Gravitational Metric: 1 kgf = 9.80665 N) |
| kN | kilonewton | Force (SI: 1,000 N) |
| kPa / MPa | kilopascal / megapascal | Pressure / Stress (SI) |
| kΩ / MΩ | kilohm / megohm | Electrical Resistance (\(10^3\,\Omega\) / \(10^6\,\Omega\)) |
| lb / lbf | pound / pound-force | Weight / Force (English) |
| lb-ft | pound-foot | Torque (English) |
| m | meter | Length (SI) |
| mA | milliampere | Electrical Current (\(10^{-3}\text{ A}\)) |
| MN | meganewton | Force (SI: \(1,000,000\text{ N}\)) |
| mm | millimeter | Length (SI: \(10^{-3}\text{ m}\)) |
| mV | millivolt | Electrical Voltage (\(10^{-3}\text{ V}\)) |
| mV/V | millivolt per volt | Unitless measure of load cell sensitivity |
| N | newton | Force (SI) |
| Nm / N-m | newton-meter | Torque (SI) |
| pC / pC/N | picocoulomb / picocoulombs per newton | Electric Charge / Piezoelectric Sensitivity |
| psi | pounds per square inch | Pressure / Stress (English) |
| t / tn or T | tonne (metric ton) / US short ton | Mass / Weight (\(1\text{ t} = 1,000\text{ kg}\); \(1\text{ tn} = 2,000\text{ lbs}\)) |
| V / VDC / VAC | volt / volts DC / volts AC | Electrical Potential Difference |
| W | watt | Electrical / Mechanical Power |
| Ω | ohm | Electrical Resistance |
