Capacitance Manometer Vacuum Gauges
Common Capacitance Manometer Names:
• Baratron
• Barocel
• Capacitance Diaphragm Gauge (CDG)
• Pressure Transducer, Pressure Gauge
All are EXPORT PROHIBITED, including Support Products
• A Capacitance Manometer is a pressure gauge used in the rough and high vacuum range. Capacitance Manometers are extremely accurate, typically 1% of scale. It is capable of measuring the absolute pressure or relative pressure, depending on the gauge model used. It does not respond to the total pressure. The capacitance manometer gauge head uses a tensioned metal diaphragm, one side is exposed to the gas whose pressure is to measured. The other (reference) side contains an electrode assembly placed in a sealed high vacuum reference cavity.
• The diaphragm deflects with changing absolute pressure (force per unit area) causing the capacitance change between the diaphragm and the electrode assembly. The capacitance change is sensed in an oscillator circuit and converted to a frequency change proportional to the diaphragm deflection.
• Used often as a “flow controller” due to its fast response to pressure changes. If reading over a wide range, several gauge heads are required.
Overpressuring the gauge (20% over full scale) will shift the reading. The purchase of an isolation valve is recommended to avoid this costly repair.