I guess my first question would be what is the use of this in the robot? Could it be off until needed and then turned on and read then allowed to turn off again?
The scale is being used by the robot to weigh an object. The Arduino could send a signal to the scale right before the object needs to be weighed (this is all happening autonomously, BTW). However, the scale may need to be tared as well. So, just sending a power on signal may not be sufficient enough. Thanks for the suggestion, though...it seems like it would be the best bet if it wasn't for the scale needing to be tared.
Does the scale use a momentary push switch to turn it on? If so I've seen similar projects that wire the contacts of a small 5 volt reed relay across the built in switch. Then the micro-controller could power the relay coil momentarily to keep the scale alive. Just a thought.
Yes, the fish scale does use a momentary switch to power on. I like this idea. It seems like this way the scale could be turned on and left on. I'm wondering how to work in taring capability if it is necessary, though...either way, this seems like a start.
Thanks for the suggestions, guys.
-EH