SIGNAL CONDITIONER CUSTOMER SUPPORT HUB

Explore tips, tricks, and important information from the experts at CTC to ensure the proper functionality of your CTC SC Series Signal Conditioner.

Installation and Wiring Considerations 

Many signal conditioner issues are the result of incorrect wiring or configuration, rather than a hardware failure. 

If you are experiencing issues with a signal conditioner installation, please first refer to the CTC troubleshooting guide and product manual for the specific error or symptom:

Common issues include:

• Incorrect power wiring, including dual powering by a power supply as well as the PLC or DCS
  
  
• Incorrect sensor input wiring
  
  
• Improper grounding or shielding
  
  
• Output wiring mismatches  

CTC SCD and SCE Enclosures

CTC offers SCD Series and SCE Series enclosures, where signal conditioners are factory‑installed and pre‑wired correctly.

• In these enclosures, the customer is only responsible for installing the sensor input wiring.
  
  
• These enclosures are the recommended solution for customers seeking a simplified installation and reduced wiring risk.

Customer-Supplied Enclosures

When a signal conditioner is installed into a customer‑supplied enclosure:

• CTC cannot provide remote support for enclosure wiring.
  
  
• Customers must follow the signal conditioner manual to ensure correct wiring practices.

Most signal conditioner problems arise during customized field installations. To troubleshoot, remove the signal conditioner from the setup and power it independently to check its operation. Connect the sensor directly to the terminal blocks. If issues persist in this isolated setup, follow the troubleshooting guide.

Configuration and Application Support

CTC signal conditioners support multiple configurations to accommodate different sensor sensitivities, units, and outputs.

• If you are experiencing issues with a specific configuration, CTC recommends using our Vibration Calculator to verify that the selected input parameters are appropriate for your application.
  
  
  • If you are not seeing any vibration on the signal conditioner output, your signal conditioner is likely not defective. In many cases, the signal conditioner is operating correctly, but the configured Full Scale Range (FSR) is too large for the actual vibration levels being measured. When vibration amplitudes occupy only a small portion of the selected output range, changes in vibration may be difficult to observe in the output signal.

• • For example, a machine operating at only 0.17 IPS will use less than 10% of a 0-2 IPS output range. In this scenario, the output signal may appear relatively flat even though valid vibration is present. Adjusting the Full Scale Range to a value that more closely matches expected machine vibration levels can significantly improve output resolution and visibility. 

• If issues persist, return the signal conditioner to the ISO (default) configuration:
  
  
  • If the signal conditioner performs correctly in the ISO configuration, this indicates that the custom configuration is not appropriate for the application.
    
    
  • ISO Configurations include:
    
    
    • SC310-G3-2IR341-1
      
      
    • SC320-G3-2IR341-4GP751-1

Factory Reset Capability

CTC signal conditioners include the ability to perform a factory reset using the signal conditioner software.

A factory reset:

• Fully wipes the signal conditioner operating system
  
  
• Reinstalls the signal conditioner operating system
  
  
• Restores the signal conditioner device to a known-good state

Warranty, RMA, and Replacement Policy

Due to the nature of the device, signal conditioners are rarely defective in the field. Most issues are attributed to:

• Wiring errors
  
  
• Configuration errors
  
  
• Issues caused by incorrect installation
  
  
• Software state issues resolvable by factory reset

CTC does not pre‑replace signal conditioners for field issues.

Customers are welcome to return signal conditioners to CTC via RMA for evaluation. Returned units will be tested to confirm proper operation.