NON-ELECTRICAL MEASUREMENT EXERCISES

Exercise 1:
Exercise 2:
Exercise 3:

Exercise 4:
Exercise 5:
Exercise 6:

Exercise 7:
Exercise 8:
Exercise 9:

You are planning to use a load cell to add interactive abilities to a

robot you’re installing for a science museum exhibit. In the type of
load cell you’re using, strain gauges are arranged in a half bridge
configuration and attached to a beam that deforms when an exhibit
visitor presses upon it. Load cells like this are often used in everyday
kitchen scales and body weight scales. Your coworker developed the
following datasheet by examining the sensor information and doing
initial tests:

Sensor Attribute Value

0.5
Load Cell Resolution
V/kg
Load Cell Reading @
0V
0 kg
Load Cell Range 0-5V

a. (1 points) What is the highest mass that you can measure with
this sensor?
b. (2 points) The sensor information is being read in by an Arduino
(10-bit ADC, 5V FSR). What value will the Arduino ADC return
when a 2 kg mass is placed on the load cell?
c. (1 point) During the course of the science museum exhibit, some
roughhousing occurs that damages one of the load cells.
Specifically, one of the strain gauges becomes detached from the
beam in the load cell structure, but it is still electrically
connected to the Wheatstone bridge circuit. Is this bridge
configuration now technically a half-bridge or quarter-bridge
circuit? Circle one below:

Half Bridge

Quarter Bridge

d. (1 points) This above-mentioned damage has some implications

on the sensor’s abilities, but it isn’t all bad. What type of noise is
the load cell now more robust to? Please explain your response
Exercise 10: