Attachment of 3 lead strain gages to NI 9235.

[WyoEng]

I've got an NI 9235, and I'm trying to attach a 3 lead strain gage to it.  The 3 lead strain gage has 2 wires for voltage excitation and 1 for the signal, as I understand it.  I tried connecting the signal wire (that has a blue stripe to differentiate it) to the VI port of the 3 ports (VI, EXC, RC) of one channel on the NI 9235, but did not get any readings from it in my program.  I know my labview program is set up correctly, and I know the strain gage works as it was verified with another device (not NI DAQ, but an analog reader), so what is wrong?  Where should the signal wire of a 3 lead strain gage be connected on the 9235?  I'd appreciate any help on this.

[Patrick_NI]

Hello WyoEng, 

The signal wire should be connected to the AI terminal of the strain gauge, as shown on the diagram on page 7 in the manual, linked here:

http://sine.ni.com/nips/cds/view/p/lang/en/nid/208790

To isolate this as a hardware problem, try using test panels to interact with the 9235.  To do this, right-click on the device in Measurement and Automation Explorer and select "Test Panels".  There you can set your settings and troubleshoot easily.

Also, what type of strain gauge are you using (quarter-bridge, half-bridge, or full-bridge)?