How to connect a extra load cell on MTS Mini Bionix 858 Test Star ???

[Nilesh]

Hello and Thanks in Advance for Reading and/or Answering this thread,

I am trying to use a MTS Renew load cell on MTS Minibionix 858 TestStar system.

Questions:

1) Does the load cell connector connect to Analog or Digital I/O channel ?

2) Which one J1, J2, ..J5 ?( If you happen to know)

3) With "NI USB-6008" can I use a MTS Renew m/c's load cell to make force measurements. Do you know of any website link where I can find in detail about how to use (...how to connect hardware...) specifically for USB-6008 to make force measurements from a load cell. I would go ahead and buy it only if its going work, just want to be sure.

Appreciate you time and attention.

Have a good one,

nilesh.

[Travis_W]

Hi Nilesh,

I'm assuming your MTS device has an analog output.  Load Cell measurements normally require bridge completion, as they involve measuring very small changes in resistance.  I was looking online, but I wasn't able to find if the MTS device you've mentioned has its own bridge completion, or if external bridge completion is required.  Do you have a user manual for this device?  If not, can you find an oscilliscope and measure the output signal of this device and let us know how this signal responds to a load? 

The USB-6008 can measure voltage at a ±1 to ±20 volt range with 12 bits of resolution, so if bridge completion is provided on the MTS device, this device could work.  Otherwise, you'll need to use one of the devices listed in the first link of this post.

Finally, since I can't find any information on this MTS device, it is possible that it has its own bridge completion and ADC, and the output of this device is digitial.  Does it have a serial port on it?

Thanks, Nilesh.  Any more information you can provide on this MTS device will help.  If you can find a user manual online, please link it on this forum.

Have a great day!
Travis W