My first arduino project: measuring changes in weight

[Andrew Havens]

Hello!

I happened to stumble upon RAD on accident, and I'm so glad I did! I love ruby and am starting my first arduino project. I will most definitely utilize the RAD gem/framework to make the arduino learning curve even easier.

So my first project is going to be measuring the coffee levels of a coffee pot and updating our intranet with the info. The coffee pot will sit on the scale and at regular intervals the data will be submitted. The maximum weight of a full coffee pot will probably be around 5 lbs (2.2 kg).

I have no experience working with electronics, sensors, micro-controllers, etc. But this is my understanding so far: I will need the following parts:

• Arduino Uno ($29.95)
• Arduino Ethernet Shield ($45.95)
• Load Cell

Have you ever attempted a project that includes measuring small amounts of weight? Where can I find a small, cheap load cell for this type of application?

Once I have accumulated all the parts, I will need to read the changes in weight. This part is a little fuzzy to me. Can someone provide a code sample of how I might do this using RAD?

Any tips, suggestions you could provide to help me with this project would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Andrew