Multifunction DAQ
Choosing a DAQ to work with load cell, driver, and power supply I already have
Your load cell features 4 wires: two for analog signal out, in a range of a few mV and two for excitation. The excitation is 10 VDC.
Keep in mind that you need a steady DC supply for the sensor. Connecting a low quality power supply unit, that fluctuates, will mean that your output will fluctuate as well, even without load changes. Also, if you use one unit for power supply and a second for reading the output, you might run into ground loops or other fancy EMC issues. One also has to make sure that the impedance of the analog signal out is compatible to the input impedance of the measuring system.
I suggest you use a NI-9237 cRIO module, to connect to the load cell. This bridge amplifier module provides both excitation and analog signal reading. We use them for our torque sensors and satisfied with them.
If you do not have a cRIO chassis, you can purcashe a universal bridge amplifier, which will deliver the load value as a voltage between say +-10V, that can be conveniently read by a standard analog input channel. They are about as big as an oscilliscope in size and can be connected between the load measuring device and your data acquisition. The benefit is that there are many, many settings and options for measuring, which the NI-9237 does not have.
