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Robot ear — Parallax Forums

Robot ear

ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
edited 2000-06-26 17:26 in General Discussion
Hello all! I'm trying to create a circuit that will tell me
specifically what DIRECTION a sound wave above a particular
volume level is coming from.

In my mind, I picture 8 mics and 8 386 style power amps with
flickering leds next to each microphone.

This present idea would use up 8 stamp I/O lines. (Polling
being out of the question - consider the physics).
If anybody has a better (read cheaper) idea that would also
allow the use of condenser-syle mics, please let me know.

NOTE:
I'm a bit of an amateur and have no idea how to proceed
with converting the amplifier outputs into digital i/o lines.
the 386 op amp is the only chip I even HAVE a schematic for.

Comments

  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2000-06-19 17:43
    How about using a pair of bidirectional (ribbon?) mikes with a quadrature
    decoding circuit... something like an orthogonal dual loop antenna radio
    direction-finder setup. This is just speculation, mind you, but I don't see
    why it wouldn't work...

    >Hello all! I'm trying to create a circuit that will tell me
    >specifically what DIRECTION a sound wave above a particular
    >volume level is coming from.
    >
    >In my mind, I picture 8 mics and 8 386 style power amps with
    >flickering leds next to each microphone.
    >
    >This present idea would use up 8 stamp I/O lines. (Polling
    >being out of the question - consider the physics).
    >If anybody has a better (read cheaper) idea that would also
    >allow the use of condenser-syle mics, please let me know.
    >
    >NOTE:
    >I'm a bit of an amateur and have no idea how to proceed
    >with converting the amplifier outputs into digital i/o lines.
    >the 386 op amp is the only chip I even HAVE a schematic for.

    Mike Hardwick, for Decade Engineering -- <http://www.decadenet.com>
    Manufacturer of the famous BOB-II Serial Video Text Display Module!
  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2000-06-20 19:37
    There was an MIT robot in the (early) olympic robot building days ie. 1987
    -ish. boy I'm dating myself here. 8^] Anyrate it directionalized sound by
    using three microphones and measuring the phase difference. This was with
    the capture/compare on a 68HC11, and I don't think the stamp is fast
    enough. Bet you could do it with a 20mHz PIC though, especially if you
    situated the mics far enough apart...just a thot.

    Duncan
  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2000-06-20 19:51
    Please remove us from your list.

    Thank you.

    Memorial United Methodist Church
    umc@i...
  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2000-06-21 00:53
    Send e-mail to unsubscribe-basicstamps@egroups.com or go to eGroups. How'd
    you get on the list in the first place?
    -William

    Original Message
    From: Memorial Methodist Church <umc@i...>
    To: <basicstamps@egroups.com>
    Sent: Tuesday, June 20, 2000 2:51 PM
    Subject: Re: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] Robot ear


    > Please remove us from your list.
    >
    > Thank you.
    >
    > Memorial United Methodist Church
    > umc@i...
    >
    >
    >
    >
  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2000-06-26 03:02
    Umm... Yeah...
    Thank you for your reply... But...

    I'd like to know more about what you
    suggested... Like... What the heck it meant.

    --- In basicstamps@egroups.com, Mike Hardwick <decade@w...> wrote:
    > How about using a pair of bidirectional (ribbon?) mikes with a
    quadrature
    > decoding circuit... something like an orthogonal dual loop antenna
    radio
    > direction-finder setup. This is just speculation, mind you, but I
    don't see
    > why it wouldn't work...
    >
    > >Hello all! I'm trying to create a circuit that will tell me
    > >specifically what DIRECTION a sound wave above a particular
    > >volume level is coming from.
    > >
    > >In my mind, I picture 8 mics and 8 386 style power amps with
    > >flickering leds next to each microphone.
    > >
    > >This present idea would use up 8 stamp I/O lines. (Polling
    > >being out of the question - consider the physics).
    > >If anybody has a better (read cheaper) idea that would also
    > >allow the use of condenser-syle mics, please let me know.
    > >
    > >NOTE:
    > >I'm a bit of an amateur and have no idea how to proceed
    > >with converting the amplifier outputs into digital i/o lines.
    > >the 386 op amp is the only chip I even HAVE a schematic for.
    >
    > Mike Hardwick, for Decade Engineering -- <http://www.decadenet.com>
    > Manufacturer of the famous BOB-II Serial Video Text Display Module!
  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2000-06-26 17:26
    Sorry for the obscure techno-speak. I'll try again...

    Radio direction finders (RDF) were built as early as the forties, maybe
    earlier, using a pair of circular loop antennas, one inside the other, with
    the planes of the loops perpendicular. The antenna assembly looks a bit
    like an inverted kitchen mixer attachment. Relative direction of an
    incoming signal may be determined unambiguously by decoding its phase in a
    circuit that I don't recall. Perhaps someone else can help out, or you may
    be able to find it in the amateur radio literature (hams do transmitter
    hunts for sport).

    What I'm suggesting is this: Set up a pair of bidirectional mikes with 90
    degrees offset in the horizontal plane, or try four conventional mikes with
    opposite-facing pairs combined out of phase, to get a pair of signals that
    mimic the old RDF antenna. Then build up a phase decoding circuit similar
    to the old RDF circuit, but re-tuned for audio frequencies. The output
    *should* be a precise direction signal, unless I've overlooked something
    fundamental here.

    >I'd like to know more about what you
    >suggested... Like... What the heck it meant.
    >
    >--- In basicstamps@egroups.com, Mike Hardwick <decade@w...> wrote:
    >> How about using a pair of bidirectional (ribbon?) mikes with a
    >quadrature
    >> decoding circuit... something like an orthogonal dual loop antenna
    >radio
    >> direction-finder setup.

    Mike Hardwick, for Decade Engineering -- <http://www.decadenet.com>
    Manufacturer of the famous BOB-II Serial Video Text Display Module!
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