Equipment and Components

Tecquipment Sensors and Instrumentation System

Power Supply
Digital Multimeter.
Transducer and Instrumentation Trainer DIGIAC 1750
Procedure:
Part A : Half Strain Gauge Bridge
Half strain gauge bridge circuit diagram is given below in figure (10)

Figure 10

Connect the equipment as shown in figure (11)

Set the gain of the amplifier to 50.

Figure 11
Set the linear assembly to left extreme end
Move the linear assembly from left end to the right end in 0.5 mm.

Carefully adjust the dial until the zero aligns with the edge of the molding.
For displacement in mm. note down the corresponding output voltage in the table below.
Table 1
Displacement
(mm.)
0
0.4
0.8
1.2
1.6
2.0
2.4
2.8
3.2
3.6
4.0
4.4
4.8
5.2
5.6
6.0
6.4
6.8
7.2
7.6
8.0
8.4
8.8
9.2
9.6
10

Output (V)
0.308
0.335
0.366
0.389
0.405
0.428
0.450
0.476
0.502
0.529
0.555
0.578
0.602
0.614
0.629
0.653
0.682
0.710
0.740
0.767
0.796
0.831
0.860
0.894
0.927
0.959

Questions:
1. Using Microsoft Excel, plot a graph of your results; obtain the best regression straight
line and the error between this line and experimental data.

Output voltage Vs. Displacement

1.2
1
f(x) = 0.06x + 0.3
R = 0.99

0.8

Vo in volts

0.6
0.4
0.2
0
0

Displacement in mm

Range
Input range = 10-0=10mm
Output range = 0.959- 0.308 =0.651V
Linearity
0.0627 (10) + 0.3015 = 0.9285
[(0.9285-(0.959))/ (0.651)]* 100= 4.68% is the non-linearity
Resolution=0.0627e3=6.27V/m
Precision is very high.

10

12

Part B: The Full Strain Gauge Bridge.

Full strain gauge bridge circuit diagram is given below

Figure 12

Connect the equipment as shown in figure (13)

Set the gain of the amplifier to 50.

Figure 13

Set the linear assembly to left extreme end

Move the linear assembly from left end to the right end in 0.5 mm.
Carefully adjust the dial until the zero aligns with the edge of the molding.
For displacement in mm. note down the corresponding output voltage in the table below.

Table 2
Displacement
(mm.)
0
0.4
0.8
1.2
1.6
2.0
2.4
2.8
3.2
3.6
4.0
4.4
4.8
5.2
5.6
6.0
6.4
6.8
7.2
7.6
8.0
8.4
8.8
9.2
9.6
10

Output (V)
-0.091
-0.037
0.029
0.073
0.125
0.159
0.205
0.259
0.314
0.366
0.417
0.463
0.510
0.537
0.563
0.611
0.668
0.728
0.787
0.839
0.902
0.967
1.202
1.102
1.640
1.236

Questions:
2. Using Microsoft Excel, plot a graph of your results; obtain the best regression straight
line and the error between this line and experimental data.

Output voltage Vs. Displacement

1.8
1.6
1.4
1.2
1

Vo in volts

f(x) = 0.14x - 0.13

R = 0.94

0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
-0.2 0

10

12

Displacement in mm

Range
Input range = 10-0=10mm
Output range = 1.236- (-0.091) =1.327V

Linearity:
0.1388 (10) + 0.1334 = 1.5214
[(1.5214-(1.236))/ (1.327)]* 100= 21.4% is the non-linearity
Resolution=0.1334e3=13.3V/m
Precision (find it by repeating the measurement one specific point)
Precision is very high.

3. Compare the results with half bridge strain gauge configuration in terms of linearity and
sensitivity.
The half bridge strain gauge has a lower linearity than the full strain gauge bridge. Moreover, the
half bridge strain gauge has almost half the resolution of the full bridge strain gauge.

Part C: Strain Gauge as Load Cell.

Connect the circuit diagram shown in figure 14.

You will need ten similar weights, such as ten equal value coins, to increase the loading
in equal steps.

Figure 14
Connect the circuit as shown in Fig 12 and set the Amplifier #1 GAIN COARSE control
to 100.

Switch on the power supply and with no load on the strain gauge platform; adjust the
offset control of amplifier #1 so that the output voltage is zero.

Place all ten of your weights on the load platform and adjust the GAIN FINE control to
give an output voltage of 7.0 V as indicated on the moving coil meter. Note that this value
of output voltage should cover all ranges of coins within the setting of the GAIN FINE
control.

Place one weight (coin) on the load platform and note the output voltage. Record the
value in Table below.
Table 3

Number
of coins
Output
Voltage

0V 0.9 V

1.5
V

2V

2.8V

3.5V

4.2V

5V

5.7
V

6.5V

10

7V

Repeat the process, adding further weights one at a time, noting the output voltage at
each step and recording the values in the table.

Questions:
4. Using Microsoft Excel, plot a graph of your results; obtain the best regression straight
line and the error between this line and experimental data.

output voltage V.S number of coins

8
7

f(x) = 0.7x + 0.04

R = 1

6
5

output voltage V

4
3
2
1
0
0

number of coins

10

12

Discussion
Explain the basic materials used for the construction of strain gauges.
The materials that are used to construct the strain gauges are copper-nickel, nickelchromium, nickel-chromium-molybdenum, and platinum-tungsten alloys. Each strain gauge is
designed to measure the strain along a clearly defined axis so that it can be properly aligned with
the field of the strain.