Is it possible to condition a load cell signal with a 1520 SCXI and then use it as the primary analog feedback for a 735X motion control board?

Question

My system
PXI 1052 chassis
PXI 8196 RT controller
Flexmotion 7356 motion controller
Flexmotion 7354 motion controller
6259 M series DAQ
1520 SCXI
1520 SCXI
1314 SCXI frount mounting terminal block
DSM strain gage load cells
Exlar SR Brushless PM motors
Kollmorgen servo star CD series 5 drives
My objective:
I want to measure the force on the load cells with the 1520 SCXI (i.e. excite the load cell then amplify and condition its output) then I want to use this analog (force) signal as the primary feedback for my motion control system (7356 and 7354 motion controller connected to my drives and motors).
The problem:
The motion controller boards (7356 and 7354) can be configured for force feedback control via analog feedback from a load cell.  However the boards implicitly expect the load cell signal to be amplified and conditioned with and external signal conditioner rather then using an NI SCXI module.  Currently I’m am reading the SCXI signals via the 6259 M seriers DAQ and consequentially have no way to route the signal into the 735X boards for force feedback control.  I can use softmotion to control the motors but then I loose the fast PID update rates possible with the 735X boards.
The question:
Is it possible to condition a load cell signal with a 1520 SCXI and then use it as the primary analog feedback for a 735X motion control board? 
Thanks
Patrick Aubin
Ph.D Candidate
University of Washington &
VA MedicalCenter of Excellence for
Limb Loss Prevention and Prosthetic Engineering  

Answer 1

Hi GG,
Thank you for your feedback.
>create your own external circuitry to amplify the signal.>
True a few op-amps could amplify and filter the signal externally but the performance of such an amateur built system will never match the accuracy and functionality of the 1520 SCXI.  That’s why we spent the $2500 for the professional version.
>One thing that you could do is to use a UMI with your motion controller and then wire your signal from your SCXI to the UMI.>
As I understand it the UMI is basically a break out connectivity interface for third party drives.  After conditioning and amplifying the analog force signal with the SCXI module the analog signal isn’t available to wire into a UMI.  To my knowledge the conditioned signal of the SCXI resides only in the PXI backplane (i.e. there is no physical access to the conditioned analog signal).  Can you explain how the UMI could be help here.
Again thanks for your input GG.
Patrick