I was hoping to use some of your products to set up a real time weight collection using the force sensitive resistor square to collect real time weights of research mice. The mice are housed in cages that are 37 cm x 21 cm with 530 cm2 floor area and a metal food and water grate in the middle. The cages are in an incubator that ranges from 70 degrees F to 90 degrees F depending on the time of day. I am hoping to place the sensor in the cage. I was wondering what other materials I would need to set this up. Do all electronics need to be relatively close to each other or can they be connected with longer cables. Can the electronics stand this temperature range? Is there any way we can set it up with some sort of Bluetooth connection for data retrieval? I’m trying to think of a way to avoide or encase wires to make sure they don’t chew on them. Finally, is there a way to store the data and upload it to a computer as a file at the end?
Do you want the entire floor of the cage to act as the scale platform?
No We provide a small structure for the mice that they like to stand on that I was thinking I could put the force sensor resistor on.
You're probably going to want to keep things relatively close, probably within a meter. Longer could work but longer cables are more likely to pickup stray electrical noise and that can interfere with the data you're trying to collect.Do all electronics need to be relatively close to each other or can they be connected with longer cables.
Yes, 70-90F won't be an issue.Can the electronics stand this temperature range?
That would be possible too, but will add to the complexity of your project.Is there any way we can set it up with some sort of Bluetooth connection for data retrieval?
You could use something like a [[OpenLog](https://www.sparkfun.com/products/13712) to store the data to a SD card that could later be inserted into a computer to download the data from.](https://www.sparkfun.com/products/13712)is there a way to store the data and upload it to a computer as a file at the end?
The mouse weighing stand would simply be set into the floor of the cage, either flush or slightly raised. In this situation, the wires wouldn’t be exposed to the mouse. The wire length isn’t an issue. There would need to be a small gap around the edges which needs to be kept clear during weighing. This may be a challenge if there’s bedding and food around that may jam between the weighing stand and the rest of the floor causing what’s called a bind.
I think you may run into a problem getting a stable weight. You’re the mouse expert but, from what I know of the critters, they’re pretty active and seldom sitting still. Some commercial scale indicators have a function where an average weight is determined over time, usually a few seconds. However, this is a compromise and you could expect accuracy to suffer.