Emerson CON021 Series Eddy Current Sensors: CON021/913-030

Technical Dossier

Product Details And Specifications

Emerson CON021 Series Technical Notes

The Emerson CON021 series of eddy current sensors and signal conditioners occupies a critical position in global heavy industry instrumentation. Deployed extensively across petrochemical refineries, nuclear power stations, offshore platforms, and large-scale rotating machinery installations, the CON021 family forms the measurement backbone of Bently Nevada-compatible vibration monitoring systems. These sensors operate on the non-contact eddy current principle, providing continuous shaft displacement, eccentricity, and position measurements without mechanical contact — a requirement in high-speed turbomachinery environments where bearing wear, rotor dynamics, and axial thrust must be monitored in real time. The CON021 series is fully interoperable with Bently Nevada 3300, 3500, and 7200 series monitoring racks, making it one of the most widely installed proximity probe families in the global installed base of rotating equipment protection systems.

The Evolution of CON021 Architecture

The CON021 series traces its lineage to the original Bently Nevada proximity transducer systems developed in the 1970s, which established the 5 mm and 8 mm eddy current probe as the industry standard for turbomachinery shaft monitoring. Early-generation CON021 probes used discrete analog signal conditioning with fixed sensitivity outputs of 7.87 V/mm (200 mV/mil), a specification that remains the dominant standard across the installed base today. Through successive design iterations, Emerson (following its acquisition of Bently Nevada in 2002) refined the CON021 cable and connector architecture to improve EMI immunity, extended the operating temperature range for high-ambient installations, and introduced enhanced extension cable options to accommodate longer probe-to-driver distances in large turbine casings. The CON021/913-030 specifically represents the 30-foot (9.13 m) integrated cable configuration, combining the probe body, armored extension cable, and connector in a single factory-calibrated assembly. Compatibility with legacy Bently Nevada drivers (e.g., 3300 XL 8mm, 3500/42M) is maintained across all CON021 variants, ensuring that replacement of worn or damaged probes does not require recalibration of the monitoring rack. As the series has entered the mature/end-of-life phase for certain sub-variants, long-term maintenance sourcing has become the primary procurement driver for plant reliability engineers.

CON021 Full Catalog & Functionalities (SKU List)

The following SKUs represent verified, commonly deployed configurations within the Emerson CON021 eddy current sensor family. Each entry reflects a distinct cable length, probe diameter, or connector specification:

CON021/913-030: 8mm eddy current proximity probe, 9.13m (30 ft) integrated cable assembly, standard sensitivity 200 mV/mil.
CON021/913-050: 8mm proximity probe, 15.24m (50 ft) integrated cable, for extended turbine casing installations.
CON021/913-010: 8mm proximity probe, 3.05m (10 ft) short-range cable assembly, compressor bearing housings.
CON021/913-020: 8mm proximity probe, 6.10m (20 ft) cable, standard mid-range turbine shaft monitoring.
CON021/913-040: 8mm proximity probe, 12.19m (40 ft) cable, large-frame gas turbine applications.
CON021/913-060: 8mm proximity probe, 18.29m (60 ft) cable, offshore platform long-run installations.
CON021/913-080: 8mm proximity probe, 24.38m (80 ft) cable, large steam turbine generator sets.
CON021/913-100: 8mm proximity probe, 30.48m (100 ft) cable, maximum standard length configuration.
CON021/5mm-010: 5mm eddy current probe, 3.05m cable, high-speed spindle and small-bore shaft monitoring.
CON021/5mm-030: 5mm proximity probe, 9.13m cable, compact machinery vibration measurement.
CON021/5mm-050: 5mm proximity probe, 15.24m cable, extended reach for enclosed gearbox monitoring.
CON021/EXT-030: Extension cable only, 9.13m, armored, for field-replacement of damaged cable sections.
CON021/EXT-050: Extension cable only, 15.24m, armored, compatible with all CON021 probe bodies.
CON021/EXT-100: Extension cable only, 30.48m, armored, maximum extension for remote installations.
CON021/TRM-001: Termination connector kit, field-installable, for custom cable length assemblies.
CON021/CAL-KIT: Factory calibration verification kit, used to confirm 200 mV/mil sensitivity after field installation.