“This Instructable describes how to make a tension scale using readily available off the shelf parts.
Materials needed:
1. Arduino - this design uses a standard Arduino Uno, other Arduino versions or clones should work also
2. HX711 on breakout board - This microchip is specially made for amplifying the signals from load cells and reporting them to another mircocontroller. The load cells plug into this board, and this board tells the Arduino what the load cells measure.
3. Tension load cell (40 kg) with brackets. There are 2 options to get one of these. You can purchase one already made (easy), or you can take apart a cheap digital luggage scale and remove the load cell (harder but you might already have one lying around). You can buy one already made with an HX711 here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07F922RZC
If you do purchase the kit please leave a review! It is really helpful for future buyers.
4. Mounting hardware. Depending on your application this could be rope, screws, zip ties, anything to attached the brackets to the force you want to measure.
5. Wires in various colors for connecting all the parts
6. Power supply for Arduino”