Sorry about the novice question.
At the moment I am using an op-amp (http://www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/lm224-n.pdf) to boost my analog load gauge sensor output.
The op-amp takes two inputs and gives one output.
If I wanted to remove the op-amp from my circuit, my sensor still has two outputs (-, +) but the next component (an ADC) in my circuit only has one input.
Is it possible to remove the op-amp and somehow connect my two wire sensor straight to my one wire ADC?
(involving zero new components if it can be helped)
Edit:
I was using two different load gauge, both with four wires, like this:
1) http://www.cnloadcell.com/uploads/20167365/r201612261601227200949.pdf
2 ) https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61EL9dNvYlL.SL1200.jpg
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01CBGHCD8
(sorry no datasheet)
And this is the ADC:
https://www.mouser.co.uk/ds/2/405/ads1015-438945.pdf
Yes this ADC does have differential input (2 pins) but this would mean I could only attach two sensors per board but I'd like to have four per board.
The load gauge sensor and the ADC are both powered and grounded by a Raspberry Pi.
Best Answer
No, you cannot merely tie a differential pair of outputs like this together.
However, you may be able to connect one of the outputs to the ADC input, and either leave the other output unconnected, or connect it to a ground or other voltage reference. Which is appropriate would depend on unspecified details of the sensor - typically, an active sensor would let you leave an output unconnected, while a passive one would need it connected. A current mode output could be more complicated still.
Note that using only one side of a differential signal will halve the amplitude, and also greatly increase noise susceptibility - a major point of differential signalling is that added noise common to both sides is cancelled out when their difference is evaluated, but when only looking at one, you see the sum of the signal and the noise.
You are unlikely to get satisfactory results from a load gauge type sensor using only half of the output, unless there are already electronics between the actual sensing element and the wires you are contemplating.