Mediaspace scheduled maintenance: Aug 25, 2026 07:00 - 12:00 AM. During this time, videos will be temporarily unavailable. Check status updates.

Lecture

Load Cell Experiment: Design and Simulation

In course

ME-412: Experimental methods in engineering mechanics

This course gives an advanced treatment of experimental methods in the context of mechanics by way of example. Students will construct significant components of experimental apparatus, use their apparatus to collect data, interpret the resulting data, and ...

Description

This lecture introduces the design and simulation of a load cell experiment using LTspice XVII. The slides cover topics such as parameter definitions, load calculation, contact resistance, instrumentation amplifiers, and voltage sources. Students will learn to design current sources, voltage amplifiers, and instrumentation amplifiers for load cell experiments.

This video is available exclusively on Mediaspace for a restricted audience. Please log in to MediaSpace to access it if you have the necessary permissions.

Watch on Mediaspace

Instructor

John Martin Kolinski

Dr. Kolinski studied Applied Mathematics (Sc.M.) and Applied Physics (Ph.D.) at Harvard University, completing a PhD under the supervision of L. Mahadevan and Shmuel Rubinstein on the role of air in droplet impact. John did his post-doc at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel supported by the Fulbright post-doctoral fellowship. At HUJI, he worked on interfacial instabilities in soft matter in the labs of Eran Sharon and Jay Fineberg. John continues his research into interfacial mechanics at EPFL in EMSI, his newly founded laboratory for the study of Engineering Mechanics of Soft Interfaces.

Official source

Ontological neighbourhood

Physics

Electromagnetism: Electrical networks

Related concepts (32)

Amplifier

An amplifier, electronic amplifier or (informally) amp is an electronic device that can increase the magnitude of a signal (a time-varying voltage or current). It is a two-port electronic circuit that uses electric power from a power supply to increase the amplitude (magnitude of the voltage or current) of a signal applied to its input terminals, producing a proportionally greater amplitude signal at its output. The amount of amplification provided by an amplifier is measured by its gain: the ratio of output voltage, current, or power to input.

Voltage source

A voltage source is a two-terminal device which can maintain a fixed voltage. An ideal voltage source can maintain the fixed voltage independent of the load resistance or the output current. However, a real-world voltage source cannot supply unlimited current. A voltage source is the dual of a current source. Real-world sources of electrical energy, such as batteries and generators, can be modeled for analysis purposes as a combination of an ideal voltage source and additional combinations of impedance elements.

Current source

A current source is an electronic circuit that delivers or absorbs an electric current which is independent of the voltage across it. A current source is the dual of a voltage source. The term current sink is sometimes used for sources fed from a negative voltage supply. Figure 1 shows the schematic symbol for an ideal current source driving a resistive load. There are two types. An independent current source (or sink) delivers a constant current. A dependent current source delivers a current which is proportional to some other voltage or current in the circuit.

Operational amplifier

An operational amplifier (often op amp or opamp) is a DC-coupled high-gain electronic voltage amplifier with a differential input and, usually, a single-ended output. In this configuration, an op amp produces an output potential (relative to circuit ground) that is typically 100,000 times larger than the potential difference between its input terminals. The operational amplifier traces its origin and name to analog computers, where they were used to perform mathematical operations in linear, non-linear, and frequency-dependent circuits.

Instrumentation amplifier

An instrumentation amplifier (sometimes shorthanded as in-amp or InAmp) is a type of differential amplifier that has been outfitted with input buffer amplifiers, which eliminate the need for input impedance matching and thus make the amplifier particularly suitable for use in measurement and test equipment. Additional characteristics include very low DC offset, low drift, low noise, very high open-loop gain, very high common-mode rejection ratio, and very high input impedances.

Related lectures (40)

Analog Structures: Summary of Operational Amplifiers MOOC: Electronics II

Covers the summary of operational amplifiers, transconductance amplifiers, and analog structure models.

Differential Amplifier Design

Covers the design of a differential amplifier with key parameters like gain and bias current.

Transistor Bipolaire: Summary and Examples MOOC: Electronics II

Covers the large signal equivalent diagrams of bipolar transistors in normal and saturation modes.

Understanding Microcontrollers: Electricity Basics

Introduces electricity basics, electronic components, and microcontroller simulation.

Using a transfer function to control the colours MOOC: Simulating a hippocampus micro-circuit