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Strain Gauge Output Calculator

Work out strain gauge output instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Strain Gauge Output Calculator

Bridge output is Vex x GF x strain x (active arms)/4. A quarter bridge at 450 microstrain with a gauge factor of 2.1 and 5 V excitation gives just 1.2 mV, which is why strain measurement needs a low-noise instrumentation amplifier with gain in the hundreds.

Formula

Strain bridge output

Vout = Vex x GF x strain x arms / 4

Worked example

With the default values below, Strain Gauge Output Calculator returns Bridge output of 1.18. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Strain
450 µε
Gauge factor
2.1
Bridge excitation
5 V
Bridge configurationone of Quarter bridge, Half bridge, Full bridge
Quarter bridge

Results

Bridge output
1.18 mV
Output per volt of excitation
0.23625 mV/V
Relative resistance change
0.09450% %
Amplifier gain for a 10 V output
8,466 x

Step by step

  1. 1Values used
  2. 2Strain bridge output
  3. 3Bridge output= 1.18 mV
  4. 4Output per volt of excitation= 0.23625 mV/V
  5. 5Relative resistance change= 0.09450 %
  6. 6Amplifier gain for a 10 V output= 8,466 x

Assumptions and limits

  • The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
  • In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
  • Figures are rounded for display to 5 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why use a full bridge?

Four times the output of a quarter bridge, plus inherent cancellation of temperature effects and bending or axial components depending on the arrangement.

What is microstrain?

One part per million of length change. Steel yields at roughly 1,500 microstrain, so working measurements are typically a few hundred.

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Strain Gauge Output Calculator – Calculate Bridge output