Using an Arduino instead of NI DAQ

Projects General Guidance
1

Hello,

I am putting together a load cell configuration, and it has been brought to my attention that I could possibly use an Arduino and a breadboard instead of NI hardware for DAQ. I was wondering if the output/excitation voltage of my signal would be too high to use with an Arduino.

My sensor outputs at 1mV/lb, and at its maximum rating it will output 8V. My signal conditioner gain is 1:1 so it won't add anything to the signal. The load will stay below 10kN, which corresponds to 2.25V. I am unsure how to find how many bits the signal conditioner outputs, but I think its either 12 or 16 bits, which corresponds to a resolution of 153uV or 2.4mV, respectively. The excitation voltage for the load cell and signal conditioner is 25-27V, all of which is in DC.

I was planning on using NI DAQ USB 6001, but the sales rep there told me I would need to use an external power supply to account for the excitation voltage, so I would be willing to do that for the Arduino as well.

For reference, the load cell I plan on using is PCB Piezotronics model 208C05, and the signal conditioner is PCB Piezotronics model 482A21.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

2

I don't see what exactly is the purpose of the Arduino. Most Arduinos have a 10 bit ADC, adaptation to the reference voltage (1.1V-5V) should not be a problem. If that's a too low resolution, chose any suitable external ADC.