Designed & Made in the USA Since 1983
Two new gage-mounted transmitters for Mitutoyo micrometers, both shipping October 1.
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For twenty years, putting a MicroRidge transmitter on a gage has meant two parts: a transmitter and a gage-specific connector. That architecture works, it is field-proven across 3,500+ devices, and we are not retiring it. But it has always carried a cost that shows up in the same three places. Two line items on every purchase order. Two items in the crib for every spare. And a short cable that is, mechanically, the most likely thing on the assembly to fail.
The Shape Transmitter removes all three. It is a single component that mounts directly to the gage’s SPC output port. No cable. No separate connector to select or stock. One part number.
We are launching with two models, both available now and both shipping October 1:
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Both are $365.
The obvious way to build a gage-mounted transmitter is to focus on the transmitter, encase it, and attach it. With Shape, we started somewhere else: what does the operator’s hand do, and what is in the way?
The answer is an L-shaped housing that wraps the micrometer frame rather than sitting on top of it or below it. That geometry is doing four things at once.
It improves the grip on the gage itself. A micrometer frame is curved, and in a wet or oily environment it is slick. The profile of the transmitter and its radiused corners give the hand something to hold. Operators who have run our prototypes consistently say the gage is easier to hold with the transmitter mounted than without it.
It stays out of the measuring area. The transmitter does not extend into the anvil and spindle region, does not shadow the part, and does not obstruct the thimble, ratchet, spindle lock, or the gage’s own display and buttons. Nothing about how you set up or take a measurement changes. It is comfortable to use in one hand, easy with two, and can still be used with micrometer mounts.
It shades the status LEDs. Shop floor lighting, particularly the high-lux overhead lighting in inspection areas and machining cells, washes out surface-mounted indicator LEDs. Operators end up cupping a hand over the gage to see whether a reading went through. We put the two bi-color light pipes in the inside corner of the L, where the housing casts a natural shadow across them. Same LEDs, same brightness, readable under lighting that would wash out an exposed LED.
It’s tough. The case is textured Nylon 12, a tough engineering polymer with good chemical and impact resistance, and the surface finish provides traction rather than slipping.
The Shape Transmitter has two orange read buttons on different faces of the housing. This is a deliberate decision that solves two separate problems.
Orientation. A micrometer is not always held the same way. It may be in the operator’s hand, clamped in a stand, or fixtured so one face of the transmitter is obstructed. One button dictates one ergonomic. Two buttons on different faces let the operator trigger a reading from whatever position the setup actually allows, without repositioning the gage and without disturbing the measurement.
Redundancy. Buttons are the highest-cycle mechanical element on any gage transmitter. They are the part that wears out. If one becomes unresponsive, the second keeps the gage in service, which is the difference between getting through the shift and an unplanned stoppage.
The case seams and all three silicone buttons are sealed against dust and liquid ingress. The mounting interface to the gage is a flat surface for the micrometer’s SPC gasket. The design intent is to preserve the environmental protection of the coolant proof micrometers these mount to.
We have not yet completed formal IP testing on the module, so we are describing the construction rather than claiming a rating. When testing is done, we will publish the results.
The Shape Transmitter runs the same internals as the Mini Mobile Module EVO, which means the same battery performance: 800,000+ readings on a single standard CR2032, in both standard and continuous read mode, or 3 to 5 years of service. No proprietary cell, no power switch, no standby drain.
Both Shape Transmitters ship with TriggerSync, part of the MobileCollect EVO API. It lets your SPC software request a reading on demand instead of waiting for a button press, and run a remote TIR cycle that returns count, minimum, maximum, and range as a single result.
The MC-S-MIC02 goes further. Because the MDE QuantuMike communicates over Mitutoyo’s Digimatic S1 interface, it also supports GageSync, which opens a two-way channel to the gage itself.
That matters more than it sounds like it does. In a conventional wireless deployment, the measurement record carries a channel number, and a channel identifies a transmitter, not a gage. Everything after that is an assumption about which gage was on that transmitter at that moment, and the assumption survives until someone swaps a gage between fixtures or puts a spare into service without updating a spreadsheet. GageSync queries the gage for the actual serial number and calibration dates and appends them to the reading, so your software can refuse a reading from an out-of-calibration gage at the moment of collection, rather than during a records review three months later.
If you run calibration recall under ISO 9001, IATF 16949, or AS9100, that is a meaningful difference.
Both capabilities are implemented in your SPC software through the API, and both require an EVO Base Receiver on firmware 6.30 or higher. There is no license fee.
It comes down to the cable your gage uses today. If it takes the Mitutoyo 05CZA662, you need the MC-S-MIC01. If it takes the 06AGL111, you need the MC-S-MIC02. Both are $365, and the MC-S-MIC02 adds GageSync because the QuantuMike runs Mitutoyo’s S1 interface.
The QuantuMike is the one place this gets confusing, because Mitutoyo kept the name through a connector change. A QuantuMike purchased before 2024 uses the 05CZA662 and takes the MC-S-MIC01. An MDE QuantuMike from 2024 onward uses the 06AGL111 and takes the MC-S-MIC02. We covered that transition and what it changed for existing users in our guide to Mitutoyo’s SPC cable and connector changes. If you are not sure which connector your gage uses, our connector type reference shows how to tell them apart, or send your gage code to sales@microridge.com and we will confirm it.
The Mini Mobile Module EVO with a gage connector remains available and fully supported, and it is still the right answer for most of the gages on a typical floor. The M3E covers 3,500+ devices across 30+ connector options, and no gage-specific transmitter is going to match that breadth.
What the Shape Transmitter does is take the highest-volume gage on most shop floors, the Mitutoyo micrometer, and make it simpler.
We are at IMTS, September 14 to 19, booth 134612 at McCormick Place. Both Shape Transmitters will be on gages at the booth, and you can put one in your hand and press the buttons, which is the fastest way to understand the ergonomics.
Both models are available to order now and ship October 1.
Shape Transmitter MC-S-MIC01, Mitutoyo Micrometers
Shape Transmitter MC-S-MIC02, Mitutoyo MDE QuantuMike
Questions about fitment, or about integrating TriggerSync and GageSync into your SPC software? Reach us at sales@microridge.com or 541-593-1656.