using telephone jack to connect load cell

[SirJohnAMacDonald]

I have a I am wiring up, and would like to use a telephone jack and plug connector for connection to the controller box.

It is 4-conductor and actually uses the same colours (except yellow instead of white), and the physical connector is asymmetric so it cannot be connected incorrectly.

Is a household telephone wire of large enough gauge to carry these signals?

 

[itsmoked]

Yes... But!

Load cells usually need their wiring sheilded. That isn't going to happen with phone-anything.

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[BobM3]

Also, I wouldn't trust a phone jack connection to maintain contact if the cable moves.

 

[roydm]

I assume you have an installation where you need to disconnect frequently.
If you use a phone jack I would be sure to use remote sensing of the strain gauge voltage in order to take care of any voltage drop in the connector and cables i.e. sense the voltage directly across the cell and feed that back to your amplifier thus correcting for voltage drop due to the excitation current.
Perhaps use ethernet connectors and cable rather than telephone that way you have 4 pair, you could parallel two for excitation. or use 1 for shielding.

Roy