Sense Next steps
Posted by Taylor Bernard on June 24, 2014
- get outside assistance for combining all 4 strain gauge sensors in the same device.
- check on more compact (smd) instrumentation amp and determine if custom pcb will save any size
- use existing top of digital scale. design and print/machine a bottom baseplate and electronics housing
- address battery life
- check on more compact (smd) instrumentation amp and determine if custom pcb will save any size
- use existing top of digital scale. design and print/machine a bottom baseplate and electronics housing
- address battery life
Comments
Justin Bernard on July 3, 2014:
Taylor Bernard on August 5, 2014:
- working hardware using all 4 sensors, will have to sacrifice 1 LED light off the ElecImp board to quickly get this version running though.
Concerns, smaller footprint amplifier IC for strain gauges is more finicky than the original huge one. Will see if there's another version we can use, or maybe a SMT version of the original chip will be small enough. Minor issue though.
- Find someone online to do a compact layout of ElecImp + battery hookup + amp circuit on a small board
should be free to 25$ help fee, and once found take less than a day to get drawn up
- Get OSHPark board or similar company to print up a custom PCB, will have to see lead times on these, but as far as i can tell maybe +- 1 week turnaround. Cost should be like >10$ for one board, super cheap.
- find someone to solder SMT components on board.
probably sub 25$. Not that many to do, but trying to maximize space is worth it on this revision.
- make extended scale enclosure in Solidworks and get it 3d printed local. Will have to check size restraints of printing, but I think it is do-able in 1 piece.
Build time on that would be 6 hr of Solidworks/measuring + 1 day turnaround on printing and sub 40$