Application Note 078

Strain Gauge Measurement – A Tutorial

What is Strain?
Strain is the amount of deformation of a body due to an applied force. More specifically, strain (ε) is defined as the
fractional change in length, as shown in Figure 1 below.

Force Force
D

ε = ∆L
-------
L
Figure 1. Definition of Strain

Strain can be positive (tensile) or negative (compressive). Although dimensionless, strain is sometimes expressed in
units such as in./in. or mm/mm. In practice, the magnitude of measured strain is very small. Therefore, strain is often
expressed as microstrain (µε), which is ε × 10 –6.

When a bar is strained with a uniaxial force, as in Figure 1, a phenomenon known as Poisson Strain causes the girth of
the bar, D, to contract in the transverse, or perpendicular, direction. The magnitude of this transverse contraction is a
material property indicated by its Poisson's Ratio. The Poisson's Ratio ν of a material is defined as the negative ratio
of the strain in the transverse direction (perpendicular to the force) to the strain in the axial direction (parallel to the
force), or ν = – εT/ε. Poisson's Ratio for steel, for example, ranges from 0.25 to 0.3.

The Strain Gauge

While there are several methods of measuring strain, the most common is with a strain gauge, a device whose electrical
resistance varies in proportion to the amount of strain in the device. For example, the piezoresistive strain gauge is a
semiconductor device whose resistance varies nonlinearly with strain. The most widely used gauge, however, is the
bonded metallic strain gauge.

The metallic strain gauge consists of a very fine wire or, more commonly, metallic foil arranged in a grid pattern. The
grid pattern maximizes the amount of metallic wire or foil subject to strain in the parallel direction (Figure 2).
The cross sectional area of the grid is minimized to reduce the effect of shear strain and Poisson Strain. The grid is
bonded to a thin backing, called the carrier, which is attached directly to the test specimen. Therefore, the strain expe-
rienced by the test specimen is transferred directly to the strain gauge, which responds with a linear change in electrical
resistance. Strain gauges are available commercially with nominal resistance values from 30 to 3000 Ω, with 120, 350,
and 1000 Ω being the most common values.

—————————————————

Product and company names are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies.

341023C-01 © Copyright 1998 National Instruments Corporation. All rights reserved. August 1998
 alignment marks

solder tabs

active grid
length
carrier

Figure 2. Bonded Metallic Strain Gauge

It is very important that the strain gauge be properly mounted onto the test specimen so that the strain is accurately
transferred from the test specimen, though the adhesive and strain gauge backing, to the foil itself. Manufacturers of
strain gauges are the best source of information on proper mounting of strain gauges.

A fundamental parameter of the strain gauge is its sensitivity to strain, expressed quantitatively as the gauge
factor (GF). Gauge factor is defined as the ratio of fractional change in electrical resistance to the fractional change in
length (strain):

GF = ∆R
⁄ R- = ∆R ⁄ R-
--------------- ---------------
∆L ⁄ L ε

The Gauge Factor for metallic strain gauges is typically around 2.

Ideally, we would like the resistance of the strain gauge to change only in response to applied strain. However, strain
gauge material, as well as the specimen material to which the gauge is applied, will also respond to changes in tem-
perature. Strain gauge manufacturers attempt to minimize sensitivity to temperature by processing the gauge material
to compensate for the thermal expansion of the specimen material for which the gauge is intended. While compensated
gauges reduce the thermal sensitivity, they do not totally remove it. For example, consider a gauge compensated for
aluminum that has a temperature coefficient of 23 ppm/°C. With a nominal resistance of 1000 Ω, GF = 2, the equivalent
strain error is still 11.5 µε/°C. Therefore, additional temperature compensation is important.

Strain Gauge Measurement

In practice, the strain measurements rarely involve quantities larger than a few millistrain (ε × 10 –3). Therefore, to
measure the strain requires accurate measurement of very small changes in resistance. For example, suppose a test
specimen undergoes a substantial strain of 500 µε. A strain gauge with a gauge factor GF = 2 will exhibit a change in
electrical resistance of only 2•(500 × 10 –6) = 0.1%. For a 120 Ω gauge, this is a change of only 0.12 Ω.

To measure such small changes in resistance, and compensate for the temperature sensitivity discussed in the previous
section, strain gauges are almost always used in a bridge configuration with a voltage or current excitation source. The
general Wheatstone bridge, illustrated below, consists of four resistive arms with an excitation voltage, VEX, that is
applied across the bridge.

2
 R1 R4

+
VEX VO
– – +

R2 R3

Figure 3. Wheatstone Bridge

The output voltage of the bridge, VO, will be equal to:

R3 R2
V O = ------------------ - • V EX
- – ------------------
R3 + R4 R1 + R2

From this equation, it is apparent that when R1/R2 = RG1/RG2, the voltage output VO will be zero. Under these condi-
tions, the bridge is said to be balanced. Any change in resistance in any arm of the bridge will result in a nonzero output
voltage.

Therefore, if we replace R4 in Figure 3 with an active strain gauge, any changes in the strain gauge resistance will
unbalance the bridge and produce a nonzero output voltage. If the nominal resistance of the strain gauge is designated
as RG, then the strain-induced change in resistance, ∆R, can be expressed as ∆R = RG•GF•ε. Assuming that R1 = R2
and R3 = RG, the bridge equation above can be rewritten to express VO /VEX as a function of strain (see Figure 4). Note
the presence of the 1/(1+GF•ε/2) term that indicates the nonlinearity of the quarter-bridge output with respect to strain.

R1 RG + R

+
VEX VO
– – +

R2 R3

 
VO GF • ε
- = – ----------------  --------------------------
1
---------
V EX 4  ε
 1 + GF • ---
2
Figure 4. Quarter-Bridge Circuit

By using two strain gauges in the bridge, the effect of temperature can be avoided. For example, Figure 5 illustrates a
strain gauge configuration where one gauge is active (RG + ∆R), and a second gauge is placed transverse to the applied
strain. Therefore, the strain has little effect on the second gauge, called the dummy gauge. However, any changes in
temperature will affect both gauges in the same way. Because the temperature changes are identical in the two gauges,
the ratio of their resistance does not change, the voltage VO does not change, and the effects of the temperature change
are minimized.

3
 Dummy Gauge Active Gauge
(R G, inactive) (R G + R)

Figure 5. Use of Dummy Gauge to Eliminate Temperature Effects

Alternatively, you can double the sensitivity of the bridge to strain by making both gauges active, although in different
directions. For example, Figure 6 illustrates a bending beam application with one bridge mounted in tension (RG + ∆R)
and the other mounted in compression (RG – ∆R). This half-bridge configuration, whose circuit diagram is also illus-
trated in Figure 6, yields an output voltage that is linear and approximately doubles the output of the quarter-bridge
circuit.

Gauge in
tension F R1 RG + R
(RG + R) (compression)
+
VEX VO
– – +
Gauge in
compression R2 RG – R
(RG – R) (tension)

VO GF • ε
---------
- = – ----------------
V EX 2
Figure 6. Half-Bridge Circuit

Finally, you can further increase the sensitivity of the circuit by making all four of the arms of the bridge active strain
gauges, and mounting two gauges in tension and two gauges in compression. The full-bridge circuit is shown in
Figure 7 below.

RG – R RG + R

+
VEX VO
– – +
RG + R RG – R

VO
- = – GF • ε
---------
V EX
Figure 7. Full-Bridge Circuit

The equations given here for the Wheatstone bridge circuits assume an initially balanced bridge that generates zero
output when no strain is applied. In practice however, resistance tolerances and strain induced by gauge application
will generate some initial offset voltage. This initial offset voltage is typically handled in two ways. First, you can use
a special offset-nulling, or balancing, circuit to adjust the resistance in the bridge to rebalance the bridge to zero output.
Alternatively, you can measure the initial unstrained output of the circuit and compensate in software. At the end of
this application note, you will find equations for quarter, half, and full bridge circuits that express strain that take initial
output voltages into account. These equations also include the effect of resistance in the lead wires connected to the
gauges.

4
Lead Wire Resistance
The figures and equations in the previous section ignore the resistance in the lead wires of the strain gauge. While
ignoring the lead resistances may be beneficial to understanding the basics of strain gauge measurements, doing so in
practice can be very dangerous. For example, consider the two-wire connection of a strain gauge shown in Figure 8a.
Suppose each lead wire connected to the strain gauge is 15 m long with lead resistance RL equal to 1 Ω. Therefore, the
lead resistance adds 2 Ω of resistance to that arm of the bridge. Besides adding an offset error, the lead resistance also
desensitizes the output of the bridge. From the strain equations at the end of this application note, you can see that the
amount of desensitization is quantified by the term (1 + RL/RG). You can compensate for this error by measuring the
lead resistance RL and using the measured value in the strain equations. However, a more difficult problem arises from
changes in the lead resistance due to temperature changes. Given typical temperature coefficients for copper wire, a
slight change in temperature can generate a measurement error of several µε.

Therefore, the preferred connection scheme for quarter-bridge strain gauges is the three-wire connection, shown in
Figure 8b. In this configuration, RL1 and RL3 appear in adjacent arms of the bridge. Therefore, any changes in resistance
due to temperature cancel each other. The lead resistance in the third lead, RL2, is connected to the measurement input.
Therefore, this lead carries very little current and the effect of its lead resistance is negligible.

R1 RL
RG + R
+
VEX VO
– – + RL
R2 R3

a) Two-Wire Connection

R L1

R1 RG + R
R L2
+
VEX VO
– – + R L3
R2 R3

b) Three-Wire Connection

Figure 8. Two-Wire and Three-Wire Connections of Quarter-Bridge Circuit

Signal Conditioning for Strain Gauges

Strain gauge measurement involves sensing extremely small changes in resistance. Therefore, proper selection and use
of the bridge, signal conditioning, wiring, and data acquisition components are required for reliable measurements.

Bridge Completion – Unless you are using a full-bridge strain gauge sensor with four active gauges, you will need to
complete the bridge with reference resistors. Therefore, strain gauge signal conditioners typically provide half-bridge
completion networks consisting of two high-precision reference resistors. Figure 9 diagrams the wiring of a half-bridge
strain gauge circuit to a conditioner with completion resistors R1 and R2. The nominal resistance of the completion
resistors is less important than how well the two resistors are matched. Ideally, the resistors are well matched and pro-
vide a stable reference voltage of VEX/2 to the negative input lead of the measurement channel. For example, the
half-bridge completion resistors provided on the SCXI-1122 signal conditioning module are 2.5 kΩ resistors a ratio
tolerance of 0.02%. The high resistance of the completion resistors helps minimize the current draw from the excitation
voltage.

5
 EXC+

R1 IN+
RG
VEX + +
– – IN–
R2 RG
EXC–

Strain
Gauges
Signal Conditioner

Figure 9. Connection of Half-Bridge Strain Gauge Circuit

Bridge Excitation – Strain gauge signal conditioners typically provide a constant voltage source to power the bridge.
While there is no standard voltage level that is recognized industry wide, excitation voltage levels of around 3 V and
10 V are common. While a higher excitation voltage generates a proportionately higher output voltage, the higher volt-
age can also cause larger errors due to self-heating. Again, it is very important that the excitation voltage be very
accurate and stable. Alternatively, one can use a less accurate or stable voltage, and accurately measure, or sense, the
excitation voltage so the correct strain can be calculated.

Excitation Sensing – If the strain gauge circuit is located a distance away from the signal conditioner and excitation
source, a possible source of error is voltage drops caused by resistance in the wires connecting the excitation voltage
to the bridge. Therefore, some signal conditioners include a feature called remote sensing to compensate for this error.
There are two common methods of remote sensing. With feedback remote sensing, you connect extra sense wires to
the point where the excitation voltage wires connect to the bridge circuit. The extra sense wires serve to regulate the
excitation supply to compensate for lead losses and deliver the needed voltage at the bridge. This scheme is used with
the SCXI-1122.

An alternative remote sensing scheme uses a separate measurement channel to measure directly the excitation voltage
delivered across the bridge. Because the measurement channel leads carry very little current, the lead resistance has
negligible effect on the measurement. The measured excitation voltage is then used in the voltage-to-strain conversion
to compensate for lead losses.

Signal Amplification – The output of strain gauges and bridges is relatively small. In practice, most strain gauge bridges
and strain-based transducers will output less than 10 mV/V (10 mV of output per volt of excitation voltage). With a
10 V excitation voltage, the output signal will be 100 mV. Therefore, strain gauge signal conditioners usually include
amplifiers to boost the signal level to increase measurement resolution and improve signal-to-noise ratios. SCXI signal
conditioning modules, for example, include configurable gain amplifiers with gains up to 2000.

Bridge Balancing, Offset Nulling – When a bridge is installed, it is very unlikely that the bridge will output exactly
zero volts when no strain is applied. Rather, slight variations in resistance among the bridge arms and lead resistance
will generate some nonzero initial offset voltage. There are a few different ways that a system can handle this initial
offset voltage.
1. Software Compensation – The first method compensates for the initial voltage in software. With this method, you
take an initial measurement before strain input is applied. This initial voltage is then used in the strain equations
listed at the end of this application note. This method is simple, fast, and requires no manual adjustments. The
disadvantage of the software compensation method is that the offset of the bridge is not removed. If the offset is
large enough, it limits the amplifier gain you can apply to the output voltage, thus limiting the dynamic range of
the measurement.
2. Offset-Nulling Circuit – The second balancing method uses an adjustable resistance, or potentiometer, to physi-
cally adjust the output of the bridge to zero. For example, Figure 10 illustrates the offset nulling circuit of the
SCXI-1321 terminal block. By varying the position of the potentiometer (RPOT), you can control the level of the
bridge output and set the initial output to zero volts. The value of RNULL sets the range that the circuit can balance.
On the SCXI-1321, this resistor is socketed for easy adjustment of the balancing range.

6
3. Buffered Offset Nulling – The third method, like the software method, does not affect the bridge directly. With
buffered nulling, a nulling circuit adds an adjustable DC voltage to the output of the instrumentation amplifier. For
example, the SC-2043-SG strain gauge accessory uses this method. The SC-2043-SG includes a user-adjustable
potentiometer that can add ±50 mV to the output of an instrumentation amplifier that has a fixed gain of 10. There-
fore, the nulling range, referred to input, is ±5 mV.

R1 R4

+
VEX R POT VO
– R NULL – +
R2 R3

Figure 10. Offset-Nulling Circuit of SCXI-1321 Terminal Block

Shunt Calibration – The normal procedure to verify the output of a strain gauge measurement system relative to some
predetermined mechanical input or strain is called shunt calibration. Shunt calibration involves simulating the input of
strain by changing the resistance of an arm in the bridge by some known amount. This is accomplished by shunting,
or connecting, a large resistor of known value across one arm of the bridge, creating a known ∆R. The output of the
bridge can then be measured and compared to the expected voltage value. The results can then be used to correct span
errors in the entire measurement path, or to simply verify general operation to gain confidence in the setup.

SCXI and Strain Gauge Measurement

Signal Conditioning eXtensions for Instrumentation (SCXI) is a signal conditioning and data acquisition system for
PC-based instrumentation applications. An SCXI system consists of a shielded chassis that houses a combination of
signal conditioning input and output modules, which perform a variety of signal conditioning functions. You can
connect many different types of transducers, including strain gauges, directly to SCXI modules. The SCXI system can
operate as a front-end signal conditioning system for PC plug-in or PCMCIA data acquisition boards. Alternatively,
you can use an SCXI data acquisition module that digitizes the analog signals and connects directly to the parallel port
of the PC.

Two SCXI modules, the SCXI-1121 and SCXI-1122, are designed for use with strain gauge transducers. Table 1 sum-
marizes some the of the module features that relate to strain gauge measurements.

SCXI-1121 – The SCXI-1121 is a 4-channel isolation amplifier module with transducer excitation. The SCXI-1121
includes an independent gain amplifier and lowpass noise filter on each channel with complete channel-to-channel
electrical isolation. Each channel also includes a completely isolated excitation source and a half-bridge completion
circuit. The SCXI-1321 terminal block, used with the SCXI-1121 module, adds manual offset-nulling and program-
mable shunt calibration for each channel.

SCXI-1122 – The SCXI-1122 is a 16-channel signal conditioning module. The SCXI-1122 combines a 16-channel
input multiplexer with a single programmable gain isolation amplifier for economical, isolated measurements.
The SCXI-1122 also includes a half-bridge completion circuit, shunt calibration, and a single voltage excitation source
of 3.333 V.

7
 Table 1. SCXI-1121 and SCXI-1122 Features for Strain Gauges

SCXI-1121 SCXI-1122
Number of channels 4 16
Electrical isolation channel-to-channel input-to-output
Multiplexer scan rate1 to 333 kS/s 100 S/s
Amplifier gain 1 to 2000 0.01 to 2000
Excitation voltage 3.333 V or 10.0 V 3.333 V
source (one per channel) (one per module)
Excitation current 28 mA at 3.333 V 225 mA
drive 14 mA at 10.0 V (per module)
(per channel)
Half-bridge completion Yes Yes
Offset nulling Yes2 No
Shunt calibration Yes2 Yes
Remote excitation sensing No Yes
1 Multiplexer (mux) scan rate depends on DAQ board or module. Specified rate of 333 kS/s is
attaiable with AT-MIO-16E-2 or AT-MIO-16E-1.
2 With SCXI-1321 terminal block.

Note that Table 1 lists the current drive of the excitation voltage sources. The current drawn by the strain gauge bridge
circuit will depend on the gauge resistance, bridge configuration (quarter, half, or full), and the voltage level. Table 2
summarizes the current requirements of common strain gauge bridge configurations. For example, a half-bridge circuit
with 120 Ω strain gauges will draw 14 mA from a 3.333 V source, or 43 mA from a 10.0 V source. Therefore, you
must configure the SCXI-1121 for 3.333 V excitation, because each channel can provide 28 mA at 3.333 V, but only
14 mA at 10.0 V. The SCXI-1122 can provide 225 mA at 3.333 V, which is enough to drive sixteen 120 Ω half-bridge
circuits.

Table 2. Current Requirements for Typical Strain Gauge Circuits

Excitation Voltage
Bridge Configuration 3.333 V 10 V
120 Ω full-bridge 28 mA 83 mA1

120 Ω quarter or half-bridge2 14 mA 43 mA1

350 Ω full-bridge 10 mA 29 mA1

350 Ω quarter or half-bridge2 5 mA 15 mA

1000 Ω full-bridge 3.3 mA 10 mA
1000 Ω quarter or half-bridge2 2 mA 6 mA
1 These configurations exceed the current drive capabilities of the SCXI-1121
2 Assuming half-bridge completion resistors of R = 4.5 kΩ

8
SCXI Strain Gauge Application
We will use a real-world application to illustrate the use of SCXI to acquire strain gauge measurements. An
experimental aircraft model is instrumented with 16 half-bridge, 350 Ω strain gauge transducers (GF = 2). The model
will be placed in a wind tunnel where its performance under simulated wind forces will be measured. From past tests,
we can expect strain values to reach no higher than 600 µε. A PC will monitor and record the 16 strain parameters.

From the half-bridge equation in Figure 6, the magnitude of the half-bridge output at full strain input will be
(GF•ε)/2 = 0.3 mV/V. Therefore, the full-scale bridge output will be 1 mV if the excitation voltage is 3.333 V or 3 mV
if the excitation voltage is 10 V.

If per-channel filtering and/or high-speed acquisition are required, then four SCXI-1121 modules should be used. Each
channel of the SCXI-1121 would be configured for half-bridge completion, a voltage excitation of 10 V, and a gain
of 1000. At this gain, the input range of each channel will be ±5 mV, which can accommodate the ±3 mV output of the
bridge. The 16 strain gauge bridges are wired to screw terminals of four SCXI-1321 terminal blocks. This configura-
tion in illustrated in Figure 11.

Alternatively, you could use one SCXI-1122 module to acquire all 16 strain gauge inputs. The maximum scan rate of
the SCXI-1122 module is 100 S/s, which for this application will yield a per channel sampling rate of about 6 S/s. If
this rate is sufficient, and the per channel filtering and isolation are not required, then the SCXI-1122 may be used. The
voltage excitation of the SCXI-1122 is 3.333 V, meaning the strain gauge bridges will output 1 mV. At a gain of 2000,
the SCXI-1122 input range is ±5 mV.

Whether the SCXI-1121 or SCXI-1122 is used, the conditioned input signals are multiplexed back to a single plug-in
DAQ board or PCMCIA DAQCard. Alternatively, an SCXI digitizer module, such as the SCXI-1200, can digitize the
signals locally, communicating to the PC digitally via the PC parallel port or serial communications.

PC Plug-In
DAQ Board

PCMCIA
DAQCard

Direct connection to
PC parallel port

SCXI Chassis

4 SCXI-1121
Modules

4 SCXI-1321
16 Strain Gauges
Terminal Blocks
(Half-Bridge)

Figure 11. Example SCXI System Configuration for Strain Gauges

9
SC-2043-SG – Low-Cost Signal Conditioner
For applications that don't require the flexibility, expandability, or rugged packaging of an SCXI system, the
SC-2043-SG provides eight channels of low-cost strain gauge signal conditioning. The SC-2043-SG is a circuit board
with screw terminals for direct sensor wire connections. A cable connects the output signals from the SC-2043-SG
directly to a plug-in DAQ board, PCMCIA DAQCard, or DAQPad-1200 parallel port device, as illustrated in Figure 12.
Features of the SC-2043-SG are listed in Table 3.

Table 3. SC-2043-SG Features for Strain Gauges

SC-2043-SG
Number of channels 8
Amplifier gain 10 (in addition to DAQ board gain)
Excitation voltage source 2.5 V, or user can supply voltage
Excitation current drive 167 mA
Excitation sensing Yes, local sensing
Half-bridge completion Yes (with sockets for quarter-bridge completion
resistors)
Offset nulling Yes
Shunt calibration No

PC Plug-In
DAQ Board

PCMCIA
DAQCard

NATI
INST ONAL
RUM
ENTS

0 DAQP
ad-120
0

DAQPad-1200
(to PC parallel port)
SC-2043-SG
Up to 8
Strain Gauges

Figure 12. Strain Gauge Measurement with SC-2043-SG Signal Conditioner

10
Strain Gauge Equations
This section includes the complete strain gauge equations for several types of bridge configurations. These equations
are included as callable functions (with source code) with the NI-DAQ driver software. The function names are
Strain_Convert and Strain_Buf_Convert. With LabVIEW, these equations are included in the Convert Strain
Gauge Reading.vi in the DAQ Utilities menu.

To simplify the equations and account for unbalanced bridges in the nonstrained state, let us introduce the ratio Vr :
V O ( strained ) – V O ( unstrained )
V r = ---------------------------------------------------------------
-
V EX

where VO(strained) is the measured output when strained, and VO(unstrained) is the initial, unstrained output voltage. VEX is
the excitation voltage.

Also, the designation (+ε) and (–ε) indicates active strain gauges mounted in tension and compression, respectively.
The designation (–νε) indicates that the strain gauge is mounted in the transversal direction, so that its resistance
change is primarily due to the Poisson's Strain, whose magnitude is given as –νε.

Other nomenclature used in the equations include:

RG = nominal resistance value of strain gauge
GF = gauge factor of strain gauge
RL = lead resistance

RL RL

R1 R1
RG( ) RG( )
RL – RL
+ – + VEX + +
VEX VO VO
– –
RL R G (dummy)
R2 R3 R2
RL

Quarter-Bridge I Quarter-Bridge II

– 4V r R – 4V r R
strain ( ε ) = ------------------------------- •  1 + ------L- strain ( ε ) = ------------------------------- •  1 + ------L-
GF ( 1 + 2V r )  R G GF ( 1 + 2V r )  R G

RL RL

R1 R1
R G (+ ) R G (+ )
+ – + RL RL
VEX VO + – +
VEX VO
– –

R2 R G (– ) R2 R G (– )
RL RL

Half-Bridge I Half-Bridge II

– 4V r R
- •  1 + ------L-
– 2V R
strain ( ε ) = -------------------------------------------------------------- strain ( ε ) = ------------r •  1 + ------L-
GF [ ( 1 + ν ) – 2V r ( ν – 1 ) ]  R G GF  R G

11
VEX + – + VEX + – +
VO VO
– –

Full-Bridge I Full-Bridge II

–V – 2V r
strain ( ε ) = ---------r strain ( ε ) = ------------------------
-
GF GF ( ν + 1 )

+ – +
VEX VO
–

Full-Bridge III

– 2V r
strain ( ε ) = -----------------------------------------------------------
GF [ ( ν + 1 ) – V r ( ν – 1 ) ]