Weight sensor / load cell not working

Using Arduino Sensors
#1

Hi,

I just got all my parts together that I needed for my project and put everything together like said here: Arduino and Load cell « Cerulean but the serial monitor gives me all random outputs:

analogValue: 865.52
             load: 43.27584
analogValue: 865.54
             load: 43.27717
analogValue: 865.50
             load: 43.27517
analogValue: 865.43
             load: 43.27151
analogValue: 865.32
             load: 43.26601
analogValue: 865.45
             load: 43.27255
analogValue: 865.45
             load: 43.27241

So I can't calibrate everything to even continue, what is wrong? I checked all my connections like 50 times and everything is wired up like shown in the tutorial.

Here are my parts:

Thank you in advanced,
Greetings Tasty

#2

I am not too sure what sort of answer you are expecting from this?

You have done a tutorial and it is not working. Your options are:-

  1. The tutorial is wrong
  2. Your equipment is faulty
  3. You wired it up wrong

How can we possibly say what it is without further information. My guess is for 3) but without a photo of YOUR setup who can tell?

#3

First of all thank you for your answer Grumpy_Mike.

My guess is for 3) but without a photo of YOUR setup who can tell?

How would a photo of my setup help, it's on a breadboard, so on a photo you can only see jumper cables going to and from the IC, I would really like to submit something that would help to help me, but I don't really know what.

  1. The tutorial is wrong

The tutorial seems like it's working, because a lot of people based their projects on it. (judging by some search results)

  1. Your equipment is faulty

What should I check and how? (except the jumper cables)

3) You wired it up wrong

I compared it a lot of times and rebuild it from the start, so I am pretty sure that shouldn't be the problem.

#4

How would a photo of my setup help,

It would allow use here to compare what you have built with what you should have built.

I compared it a lot of times and rebuild it from the start, so I am pretty sure that shouldn't be the problem.

You can not check your own homework because if you make an error it is likely that you will keep on making it.

What other sort of help do you expect?

#5

ok thank you mike, I am going to try to make as much pictures as I can tomorrow and to recreate it in fritzing. :slight_smile:

#6

recreate it in fritzing.

Please please please not Fritzing, a photo and a schematic yes but Fritzing please no. It is appalling.

#7

How about saying what values you expected and why, and why you think the ones you got are random.

#8

Yep I think you have hit it here

  1. it is acually working as well as it will but you are expecting it to be a lot more stable than it actually is.

+1

#9

Judging by the outputs, looks like the project is woking for you. The sketch (code) needs to be modified as the one posted is only a working sample. Thanks

#10

I can say for sure that those values are random, because those values don't care if I put weight on it or not, it just stays at around 866.

Here is a schematic of my current breadboard:

781×360 28.1 KB

#11

You have not connected the ground of your breadboard to the ground of your Arduino.

#12

I did, sorry if the schematic didn't show this - I wanted to not make it too unreadable, so I seperated the 5v and the GND from the arduino as seperate elements in multisim.

#13

Aaaah I solved it, I put a potentiometer instead of the 10 Ohm resistor and it worked, still thank you guys. :slight_smile:

#14