Arduino-based Digital Scale with HX711 and VFD Display

Project showcase

Components and supplies

Adafruit PowerBoost 1000 Basic - 5V USB Boost @ 1000mA from 1.8V+

NORITAKE VFD GU128x64D-K610A8

SparkFun HX711 Load Cell Amplifier

LOAD CELL 1kg (f.s.)

(four wires)

Arduino Nano R3

RobotGeek Pushbutton

(for tare function)

Lithium Ion Battery - 2000mAh

Apps and online services

Arduino IDE

About this project

Precision scale base based on HX711 and VFD display

This is a simple precision scale project that employs a cool VFD display. The display is connected to the Arduino by asynchronous serial interface 57600 allowing a satisfactory fast data refresh. The HX711 uses pins A0 and A1 of the Arduino for the communication and provides the power supply for the load cell.

Be advised that HX711 is quite sensitive to power supply fluctuations that affects the output signal; a high stability power supply will improve the overall precision of the scale.

User interface

The user interface is very simple and provide readings in Newtons, grams and ounces; I've also implemented an analog bar graph showing the load in % of full scale.

A push button is providing the zero (tare) function of the scale.

BOM

1 x NORITAKE VFD display mod. GU128x64D-K610A8

1 x Arduino NANO (328)

1 x 24-bit load cell amplifier mod. HX711

1 x 1 kg full scale load cell (four wires)

1 x push button (for tare function)

1 x Adafruit power boost 1000mAh (optional - just for battery operation)

1 x 2000mAh Li-Po battery

Code

Precision scale with HX711 and VFD displayArduino

#include <Average.h>
#include <EasyScheduler.h>
#include "HX711.h"
#include <SoftwareSerial.h>

// HX711.DOUT - pin #A1
// HX711.PD_SCK - pin #A0

HX711 scale(A1, A0);  // parameter "gain" is ommited; the default value 128 is used by the library
SoftwareSerial VFD(6,7); // RX, TX

Average<float> ave1(20);

static float f1 = 0;
static char f1f[8];
static float wt1 = 0;
static float wt1avg = 0;
static char wt1f[8];
static float lbs = 0;
static char lbsf[8];
static float raw = 0;
static char rawf[16];

 const int zeroPin = 11;     // the number of the pushbutton pin
 int zeroState = 0;         // variable for reading the pushbutton status
 
int bar;

Schedular Task1;
Schedular Task2;

void setup() {
  Task1.start();
  Task2.start();
 
  pinMode(zeroPin, INPUT);
  
  VFD.begin(57600);
  VFD.write(0x19); 
  VFD.write(0x1B);  
  VFD.write(0xF9);
  
  scale.set_scale(1674640.f);                      // this value is obtained by calibrating the scale with known weights

delay(200);

  scale.tare();            // reset the scale to 0
  scale.tare();            // reset the scale to 0
  scale.tare();            // reset the scale to 0

delay(200);

  scale.tare();            // reset the scale to 0

  VFD.write(0x11);    
  VFD.write(0x08); 
  VFD.write(byte(0x02));          
  VFD.write(0x08); 
  VFD.write(0x3D);
//  Tick 100%    
  VFD.write(0x11);    
  VFD.write(0x07); 
  VFD.write(byte(0x02));          
  VFD.write(0x0A); 
  VFD.write(byte(0x02));
//  Tick 90%   
  VFD.write(0x11);    
  VFD.write(0x07); 
  VFD.write(0x08);          
  VFD.write(0x0A); 
  VFD.write(0x08);   
//  Tick 80% 
  VFD.write(0x11);    
  VFD.write(0x07); 
  VFD.write(0x0E);          
  VFD.write(0x0A); 
  VFD.write(0x0E);
//  Tick 70% 
  VFD.write(0x11);    
  VFD.write(0x07); 
  VFD.write(0x14);          
  VFD.write(0x0A); 
  VFD.write(0x14);
//  Tick 60%
  VFD.write(0x11);    
  VFD.write(0x07); 
  VFD.write(0x1A);          
  VFD.write(0x0A); 
  VFD.write(0x1A);
//  Tick 50%
  VFD.write(0x11);    
  VFD.write(0x07); 
  VFD.write(0x20);          
  VFD.write(0x0A); 
  VFD.write(0x20);
//  Tick 40%  
  VFD.write(0x11);    
  VFD.write(0x07); 
  VFD.write(0x26);          
  VFD.write(0x0A); 
  VFD.write(0x26);
//  Tick 30%  
  VFD.write(0x11);    
  VFD.write(0x07); 
  VFD.write(0x2C);          
  VFD.write(0x0A); 
  VFD.write(0x2C);
//  Tick 20%  
  VFD.write(0x11);    
  VFD.write(0x07); 
  VFD.write(0x32);          
  VFD.write(0x0A); 
  VFD.write(0x32);
  //  Tick 10%  
  VFD.write(0x11);    
  VFD.write(0x07); 
  VFD.write(0x38);          
  VFD.write(0x0A); 
  VFD.write(0x38);
    //  Tick 0%  
  VFD.write(0x11);    
  VFD.write(0x07); 
  VFD.write(0x3E);          
  VFD.write(0x0A); 
  VFD.write(0x3E);
}


void loop() {
    Task1.check(funct1,1);
    Task2.check(funct2,10); 
}    

   void funct1(){
  wt1 = scale.get_units() * 1000.000;
  lbs = wt1avg * 0.035274;
  f1 = wt1avg * 9.80665 / 1000.0;   

   
  if (digitalRead(zeroPin) == LOW) {
  VFD.write(0x1B); 
  VFD.write(0x98); 
  VFD.write(0x01);                                            // Set VFD font size (5x7)
  VFD.write(0x10); 
  VFD.write(0x26); 
  VFD.write(0x3F);                                            // Set cursor position
  VFD.print("cell zeroing");  
    scale.tare();
    scale.tare();
    scale.tare();
    scale.tare();
    scale.tare();                                              // reset the scale to 0
  VFD.write(0x10); 
  VFD.write(0x26); 
  VFD.write(0x3F);                                            // Set cursor position
  VFD.print("             ");      
  } 


}


   void funct2(){
//  raw = scale.read();
  ave1.push(wt1);
  wt1avg = ave1.mean();

  
   bar = (wt1avg / 1000.000 * 60);

     if (bar <= 0) {     
  bar = 0;               
  }

     if (bar >= 60) {     
  bar = 60;              
  }
 
  dtostrf(wt1avg,7, 2, wt1f);
  dtostrf(lbs,7, 3, lbsf);  
  dtostrf(f1,7, 3, f1f);
//  dtostrf(raw, 10, 0, rawf);  
  
//  Serial.print("one reading:\t");
//  Serial.println(scale.get_units(), 2);
//  Serial.print("\t| average:\t");
//  Serial.println(scale.get_units(10), 1);

//  scale.power_down();             // put the ADC in sleep mode
//  delay(100);
//  scale.power_up();

// DISPLAY FORCE IN NEWTONS
  VFD.write(0x1B); 
  VFD.write(0x98); 
  VFD.write(0x03);                                            // Set VFD font size (7x15)                                            // Set VFD font size (10x14)
  VFD.write(0x10); 
  VFD.write(0x2A); 
  VFD.write(0x11);          // Set cursor position
  VFD.print("");
  VFD.print(f1f); 
  VFD.print(" ");  
  VFD.print("N");

// DISPLAY WEIGHT IN KG
  VFD.write(0x1B); 
  VFD.write(0x98); 
  VFD.write(0x03);                                            // Set VFD font size (7x15)                                            // Set VFD font size (10x14)
  VFD.write(0x10); 
  VFD.write(0x2A); 
  VFD.write(0x21);          // Set cursor position
  VFD.print("");
  VFD.print(wt1f); 
  VFD.print(" ");  
  VFD.print("g");

// DISPLAY WEIIGHT IN LBS
  VFD.write(0x1B); 
  VFD.write(0x98); 
  VFD.write(0x03);                                            // Set VFD font size (7x15)                                            // Set VFD font size (10x14)
  VFD.write(0x10); 
  VFD.write(0x2A); 
  VFD.write(0x31);          // Set cursor position
  VFD.print("");
  VFD.print(lbsf); 
  VFD.print(" ");
  VFD.print("oz");


/* 
// DISPLAY RAW ADC READING
  VFD.write(0x1C); 
  VFD.write(0x98); 
  VFD.write(0x03);                                            // Set VFD font size (7x15)                                            // Set VFD font size (10x14)
  VFD.write(0x10); 
  VFD.write(0x2A); 
  VFD.write(0x39);          // Set cursor position
  VFD.print("");
  VFD.print(rawf); 
*/


  VFD.write(0x11);    
  VFD.write(byte(0x02)); 
  VFD.write(byte(61-bar));          
  VFD.write(0x05); 
  VFD.write(0x3E);

  VFD.write(0x12);        
  VFD.write(byte(0x00)); 
  VFD.write(byte(0x00));          
  VFD.write(0x05); 
  VFD.write(61-bar);

   }