This page describes the construction and operation of a device
for testing rocket motors. It allows the recording of the thrust
generated by the motor during a static test. The recorded data
is then analyzed using an Excel spreadsheet. This load cell
amplifier is a little different from the other designs usually
found on the internet. It has the analogue-to-digital converter
(ADC) on board, which means that the use of a separate ADC (e.g.
a Dataq unit) is not required. This load cell amp plugs directly
into a USB port and presents itself to the computer as a regular
COM port. The thrust curve of a rocket motor is a key indicator
of its performance. After all it is the generated thrust that
propels the rocket skyward. The shape of the curve also gives
insight in the inner workings of the motor, and can be used to
verify if the design criteria were met. In order to analyse the
thrust curve of a static motor test, a thrust curve capture
device is used. This device can be thought of as a digital
scale, where the