At 08:48 +0000 2008/08/05, Björn Helgason wrote:
I am interested in finding digital load sensors that I can use in
combination with a J application.
What I have myself found so far is so expensive that it is prohibitive.
What I like to know is where I can get cheap sensors that I can hook to an
USB port on my PC and I can then use to give me input of a persons weight.
So if anyone of you guys knows where I can get this I would appreciate
hearing about it.
As a package, it may be hard to find reasonable
prices. But you may be able to build something to
suit your needs. An interesting looking data
collection module, including a load cell input,
can be found at -
http://www.leobodnar.com/products/BU0836-LC/
you could probably use an interface like this and
a relatively low cost digital bathroom scale to
build something. Maybe just a USB a/d converter
in conjunction with something like -
http://scales-n-tools.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=11&products_id=425
I saw (but cannot find this time around) a page
where someone illustrated taking a strain-guage
bathroom scale apart and building a USB
connection to make a platform that would sense
where a force was applied. Seems that bathroom
scales have 4 strain-guages in a bridge
configuration to try to make accurate
measurements possible. That is part of the issue
of course...
A good source of sensor articles and projects
including USB interfaces is the magazine "Nuts
and Volts" -
http://www.nutsvolts.com/
There is a California company that advertises
"low cost" load cells, including USB connected
ones -
http://www.loadstarsensors.com/iloaddigital.html
but I didn't sign up to see what their price actually is.
Interesting quest, I would be interested in what you find.
- joey
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