"Existential Angst" fired this volley in
:

Awl --

I'm looking for a load cell/meter/transducer that I can splice into a
chain, and get some maximum readouts.

Inyone have experience with this, links, sources, etc?

Google yields a bit of fruit, searching on load cell, load cell
meters, strain gauges, load/force transducers, etc., but a little
heads up would proly do me wonders. Of course ahm not lookin to break
my piggy bank....

The capacity should be about 1,000 lbs or so, which is proly more the
load cell than the meter. The meter should have a reasonable sampling
rate, for a decent idea of any maximums.

Be still my heart, but if data were downloadable over, say, a 15 sec
period, I'd be in heaven....


If you don't mind putting together a "package" yourself, there's a pretty
inexpensive way to do it.

1) You'll need a load cell amplifier. Unless you're particularly adept
at reading the output of a Wheatstone bridge and translating that into
force, you need a load cell amp. It will "read" the bridge imbalance in
the load cell, and output a sizable DC voltage proportional to load.

I designed one, the design for which I will give you for free. I'll even
sell you a blank PC board and parts list/instructions for it for $22.
But you can buy load cell amps already assembled, as well.

2) You'll need the cell, of course; in a correct load range to handle
your load.

3) Unless you're very lucky to find a tension cell you can afford, you'll
have to build a mechanical mount that allows the load to deflect the cell
in the appropriate direction. The most common inexpensive cells are
cantilever style, which means one end of the cell mounts on a fixed
surface, and the load deflects the opposite end. Simple. I have a
compression test frame design I'll give you for free, too, but you'll
have to translate the design into one that reads tension.

4) You'll need a recording method. The simplest is to use a commercial
A/D converter that can be read and recorded by a computer (via RS232 or
USB). A very inexpensive one available today will read about 200 samples
per second, and record the readings as a list or a chart.

For the Data Acquisition Units (the A/D) see DATAQ.com. Their 148U
devices are cheap and reliable.

For surplus load cells that will probably meet your needs for cheap, see
AEROCON.com

LLoyd