iGaging EZ-View DRO and DigiMag 21-Bit Scales
The iGaging DigiMag RemoteDRO scales appeared on the market in the early 2010s and quickly became popular with hobbyists looking for an inexpensive digital readout. The key feature was a separate display unit that could be mounted remotely and used as a makeshift DRO. The same basic electronics were also sold under the AccuRemote DRO brand (with a stainless-steel frame and encoder housing) and under the Shars brand (in both stainless-steel and aluminum versions). A few years ago, iGaging updated the display unit and rebranded the line from DigiMag to EZ-View DRO, then EZ-View DRO Plus.
The differences between brands are mostly cosmetic: frame material, encoder housing, and plastic color. AccuRemote and Shars use blue plastic, while iGaging started with black and later switched to black/gray. Internally, the electronics and data format are the same across all of them. Current production scales use USB Micro-B connectors. Older units from the used market may have USB Mini-B connectors instead, but the pin functions are identical, so a Mini-to-Micro adapter is all that's needed.
How to Identify EZ-View 21-Bit Scales
The same 21-bit electronics have been sold under several brand names. Common labels you might see in catalogs, on eBay, or on the used market include:
- iGaging EZ-View DRO
- iGaging EZ-View DRO Plus
- iGaging DigiMag Remote DRO
- AccuRemote DRO
- Shars Digital Aluminum Machine Scale
- Shars Digital Stainless Steel Machine Scale
The easiest way to identify these scales is by the display unit. EZ-View scales have a distinct housing with prominent iGaging branding. Older DigiMag displays are more subtle, with just an iGaging logo sticker. AccuRemote and Shars displays use the same molds but with different colors and branding.
These Are Not the Same as Shahe "Remote DRO" Scales
Shahe now sells "Remote DRO" scales that look similar but are completely different internally. Shahe scales use the BIN6 data format and are incompatible with the 21-bit protocol. The display units are the easiest way to tell them apart, as shown above. If you have Shahe scales, see the Shahe scales page instead.
Technical Specifications
| Power supply voltage | 3 V |
|---|---|
| Scale frame connection | Ground |
| Resolution | ~10 µm / 0.00039" |
| Material | Aluminum or stainless steel |
| Accuracy1 |
Aluminum: 0.006"/6" Stainless steel: 0.0015"/12" |
| Refresh rate | Up to 50 Hz |
| Available lengths | 6", 12", 24", and 36" |
1 Accuracy as reported by the scale manufacturers is largely a meaningless parameter, especially when the scales are used in conjunction with TouchDRO. Please refer to the DRO Scale Selection Guide for more information about the technical specs that actually matter.
Using EZ-View Scales with TouchDRO
EZ-View and other 21-bit scales connect to current-generation TouchDRO adapters (TDA-410, TDA-420, and DIY kits) through the iGaging scale converter. You need one converter per axis. The converter provides a clean regulated power supply to each scale, generates the clock signal, and performs signal conditioning with glitch rejection before passing the position data to the adapter.
Once the converter is connected, set the input mode for the relevant axis to "iGaging 21-bit" in the adapter details dialog, and set the resolution to 2560 counts per inch. Follow the calibration procedure to dial in accuracy for your specific scales.
The converter accepts scales with USB Micro-B connectors. If your scales have the older Mini-B connector, you will need a Mini-to-Micro adapter between the scale cable and the converter.
What to Expect from EZ-View Scales
Among the three capacitive scale families commonly used with TouchDRO — EZ-View, iGaging AbsoluteDRO Plus, and Shahe BIN6 — EZ-View scales are the most problematic. They use the same aluminum frame and plastic reading head as the Shahe scales, with a similar PCB encoder strip, but cost more. Their one advantage is a fast refresh rate of up to 50 Hz.
The root of most problems is how these scales handle their data clock. EZ-View is the only capacitive scale family where the clock signal comes from the receiver rather than the scale itself. Combined with poor input handling on the scale's processor, this makes them far more susceptible to glitches than Shahe or AbsoluteDRO Plus scales. The most common symptom is a random position creep of around 0.200" caused by a single bit flipping mid-stream. A less serious but persistent annoyance is a flickering last digit when the reading head is parked between encoder marks. A small percentage of scales can also have an issue of the position slowly creeping up, a few encoder steps per second. These issues seem to be specific to particular scale specimens.
These scales are also sensitive to shop noise, ground loops, and power-supply spikes, which in bad cases can cause resets or even permanent damage. The EZ-View troubleshooting page covers these failure modes in detail.
If you already own a set of EZ-View scales, they can work well with TouchDRO. The iGaging scale converter mitigates the worst of the electrical issues with a dedicated regulator, signal conditioning, and glitch rejection, and the latest firmware adds additional filtering on the adapter side. That said, we still get messages from customers where the scales misbehave despite the converter, usually due to a particularly glitch-prone specimen or a noisy shop environment.
If you are buying scales for a new build, you will get better results with iGaging AbsoluteDRO Plus (true absolute encoder, stainless steel frame, much better noise immunity) or Shahe BIN6 scales (similar construction but cheaper, with fewer glitching issues thanks to a self-clocked protocol).
Pinout and Protocol Reference
EZ-View scales use a proprietary 21-bit synchronous protocol. Position is encoded in two's complement with 2560 counts per inch (roughly 10 µm resolution). Unlike most other capacitive scales, the clock signal is provided by the receiver, not the scale, similar to SPI. The scale runs on 3.3 V, supplied through the USB 5V pin.
| USB Pin | Function |
|---|---|
| 5V | 3.3 V supply input |
| D– | Clock (from receiver) |
| D+ | Data (from scale) |
| ID | Not connected |
| GND | Ground |
Both Mini-USB and Micro-USB versions use the same pin mapping. If you are re-terminating a cable, do not rely on conductor colors — different batches use different color schemes. Instead, check continuity against the test points on the encoder PCB (labeled VDD, DATA, SSY, and frame ground).
Summary
For most new TouchDRO installations, EZ-View and other 21-bit scales are not the best choice. A set of modern glass DRO scales typically costs not much more, offers higher resolution and repeatability, and avoids the noise and glitching issues that come with this scale family. If you want to stay with capacitive scales, iGaging AbsoluteDRO Plus or Shahe BIN6 are both better options.
If you are planning a new build, start with the Recommended DRO Scales page.
If you already own a set of these scales, they are supported on current-generation adapters using the iGaging scale converter. Many setups work fine, particularly as a quill scale or an extra axis where only one or two converters are involved. Unfortunately, this comes down to individual scale specimens. We see significant differences between individual scales, even within the same production batch — some scales work reliably and show stable readouts, and others jump all over the place.