HX711 bits to Arduino bits comparison

Hi,

The HX711 is a 24bit ADC, while the Arduino mega is 10bit in the analog input. I was wondering if it were possible to make use of the extra bits somehow, or are they lost to the Arduino? I imagine that this is a pretty common problem, but sparkfun, the maker, seem to pitch this to arduino so it seems that having the extra bits is kind of a waste. Is there some piece of hardware that could handle the extra bits and of store them such that the Arduino can access them? Or is the higher number of bits for other microcontrollers?

Thanks

ADC = Analog to Digital Converter. The HX711 converts the analog signal to a digital one; the Arduino gets the full advantage of all 24 bits of data.

Chagrin:
The HX711 converts the analog signal to a digital one; the Arduino gets the full advantage of all 24 bits of data.

what is the practical resolution. 18 bits?

What is the practical resolution? Figuring that out is complicated...

DaveEvans:
What is the practical resolution? Figuring that out is complicated...

Even with 16 bits that would be (for example) .003g on a 200g load cell. But finding a load cell with that level of accuracy would cost a lot of money; a typical load cell is only accurate to tenths of a percentage of their full range (a sort of "10 bit" precision).

That's probably true, but the OP didn't say he had a load cell in mind.

And I should have pointed out that if the OP has some non-load cell application in mind, then only portions of the doc in my link will be applicable to the question of effective resolution of ADCs in general: dynamic range, gain and offset drift, noise effects...

I was just providing a supplemental comment to yours, Dave. You showed how noise/drift/etc. affected ADCs and I wanted to point out that the accuracy of the sensor, using the example of a load cell, is important as well.

Yep - understood; didn't mean to sound critical. When I wrote my first response, I thought that he was interested in load cell application, but then later realized he didn't say...

HX711 transmits its 24 bit data to Arduino over 2 wire interface so you get full 24 bit resolution or 16,777,216 steps from 0 volts to reference voltage.