N2302

The N2302 is a six-channel strain gauge instrument, made by IEMI in Bucharest and designed at the ICE research institute in Bucharest [1]. It was exported to East Germany in 1971–1974 [1].

ICE’s laboratory for electronic instruments for measuring non-electrical quantities designed approved prototypes for many branches of the economy: strain gauge equipment (some configurations were exported to East Germany in 1971–1974 and 1977–1989), vibration meters, dimensional gauges, ultrasonic non-destructive testers, geophysical well-logging equipment and railway equipment [1]. Its designs were made in series at IEMI (27 types) and at the Precision Mechanics Enterprise (5 types), or in ICE’s microproduction workshop (45 types) for small series and one-off models [1].

IEMI’s production table lists 1,305 units made in 1974–1981 [2].

The memoirs of an IEMI engineer, who gives the codes as N-2102 and N-2104, say that in 1972–1974 he made the zero series of the six-channel strain gauge and of the switching and balancing device for their approval; both were meant for export to East Germany [3].

According to annex III.2.12 it had the characteristics of the single-channel N2301 but measured six points at once, with resistive transducers of 60–1000 Ω in half-bridges or 120–1000 Ω in full bridges and a fixed bridge supply of 4 V rms; it measured 630 × 260 × 300 mm. One photo caption in the annex calls it, by mistake, the „N 2301 six-channel strain gauge” [4].