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wanting to make a prototype — Parallax Forums

wanting to make a prototype

ChaslieChaslie Posts: 7
edited 2005-02-11 02:55 in General Discussion

Hi,

I have a limited knowledge of electronics and need·assistance on a project that I am trying to do.

I am wanting to make a prototype of what I think should be a fairly simple device that will play a short audio clip (less than 1 sec) when activated by motion.· In this case, I am referring to·when the device itself·is·moved and not·to a motion sensor that detects another object's motion.

More specifically, I·want·the device to trigger a short·audio clip (like a door slam or a gun firing, for example)·when it reaches a certain magnitude of acceleration, inertia, or perhaps velocity.· I also want·it to·be able·to·reset and trigger·the audio clip again in under one second so that it can replay the audio clip·repeatedly if it experiences·a vibration or oscillation of sufficient magnitude.

In order to accomplish this, what all do I need?··Would an accelerometer or some other kind of inertia switch work? ·Also, is there anyone out there who·engineers schematic designs·for prototypes?··I would appreciate any help.· Thanks,

Chuck









Post Edited By Moderator (Joshua Donelson (Parallax)) : 10/23/2009 4:30:37 AM GMT

Comments

  • Paul BakerPaul Baker Posts: 6,351
    edited 2005-02-10 19:58
    Easy enough, Im assuming youll be using a stamp as your controller, interface it with an accelerometer like this one: http://www.parallax.com/detail.asp?product_id=28017 and when movement is detected you send a signal to play a prerecorded sound on a chipcorder chip which is a chip that can record/playback sounds.

    In the future you should put a subject line to your posts, and try not to cross-post, this is the appropriate forum for your question. If you realize you posted to the wrong forum, all it takes is an email to the admin to switch it for you, the address is in the first sticky·post (blue background) of the support forum.

    Post Edited (Paul Baker) : 2/10/2005 8:10:31 PM GMT
  • ChaslieChaslie Posts: 7
    edited 2005-02-10 21:20
    Thanks for the info.· Sorry about posting it twice.

    Chuck

    ·
  • Paul BakerPaul Baker Posts: 6,351
    edited 2005-02-10 21:25
    no biggie, more of a gentle reminder than an admonishment, I'll probably PM people about this stuff in the future, I don't want anyone to feel like they lost-face in a public manner.
  • ChaslieChaslie Posts: 7
    edited 2005-02-10 21:39
    The catch is I only want this device to trigger the audio clip when it reaches a certain magnitude of acceleration or velocity which at this point I am not sure what that level should be without some experimenting. Will this accelerometer do that? I noticed it only reads to 2g.
  • Paul BakerPaul Baker Posts: 6,351
    edited 2005-02-10 22:00
    I think it will handle what you need, we underestimate the gravitational effect as humans. 2 g-unit (G) = 43.8737026 mile/hour second, meaning for every second under 2 g acceleration you are increasing your speed 44 mph, this is equivalent to doing 0-60 in just over a second, faster than even the fastest of street legal racecars. It couldn't measure the g force on a fastball thrown by a major league pitcher, but there are easier ways of doing that. Velocity can be measured by performing the integral of the signal (more appropriately the summation of the acceleration value, a discrete method of performing integrals)

    Post Edited (Paul Baker) : 2/10/2005 10:03:54 PM GMT
  • steve_bsteve_b Posts: 1,563
    edited 2005-02-10 22:02
    Chaslie, I've been responding on the other cross-post....so I'll move to here!· Hopefully I don't confuse myself!



    The Memsic is a nice sensor...but Analog Devices sells them too.· The ADXL202 is a 2g one and the ADXL210 is a 10g one.· I believe they have a 50g one too!

    I've played with the 210 and it has a pulse width that's representative of the g you're at.· so, with no motion and sitting level, it's pulse width is 50% of what you set it to (can't remember the minimum option--might be 2uS).· Anyhow, the higher the g the higher the duty cycle and vice versa.



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    ·

    Steve
    http://members.rogers.com/steve.brady
    "Inside each and every one of us is our one, true authentic swing. Something we was born with. Something that's ours and ours alone. Something that can't be learned... something that's got to be remembered."
  • Paul BakerPaul Baker Posts: 6,351
    edited 2005-02-10 22:15
    BTW 7 G is generally considered the maximum acceleration endurable by an average·human body, 3 G is the maximum permissible force in a rollercoaster and the maximum G the space shuttle endures. The f-16 can handle upto 7G stress structurally, and a pilot will start to black out around 4.5 G without any special anti-G suit (this figure varies considerably, some astronauts can handle rotational acceleration upto 15 G before blackout).

    Post Edited (Paul Baker) : 2/10/2005 10:18:19 PM GMT
  • ChaslieChaslie Posts: 7
    edited 2005-02-10 22:41
    Thanks for the info on the different ranges of G forces. Do you happen to know what the G force is of a kick or punch?

    Also, (this is to Steve) when you mentioned using an opto were you refering to a motion sensor?
  • steve_bsteve_b Posts: 1,563
    edited 2005-02-10 23:22
    Paul, there was a doctor/scientist back in the day that did a lot of research in to Gforces on the human body.
    He himself sat in the rocket sled and sped off at whatever speed.· Well, I guess when he hit the water (you usually see it spray up like a log ride) he hit 15G's.
    He survived, but detached both retina's.· At least that's all the damage I remember.
    In Canada, our air guys wear G-suits to stop the blood from pooling in the torso.· The US has just come in to using them in the last bunch of years.
    They would just 'grunt' to keep from blacking out.

    Chaslie: What I'm refering to as an opto is simply a light source (IR or visible) and a light detector.
    They do sell them in a package where they face each other and are separated by a cm or 2.· The device just needs something to split the beem.· Usually a small blade of somesort to break the light beam and it changes state.·

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    ·

    Steve
    http://members.rogers.com/steve.brady
    "Inside each and every one of us is our one, true authentic swing. Something we was born with. Something that's ours and ours alone. Something that can't be learned... something that's got to be remembered."
  • Paul BakerPaul Baker Posts: 6,351
    edited 2005-02-10 23:40
    You could certainly exceed 2 g if you punch and especially kick a ball (much like a pitcher can), but if your only goal is to detect its occurance then the sensor can still work, you may not be able to compute the actual velocity but you would know the object is in motion. You could have a portion of code which would assume if the g force is greater than 2 g the object will exceed the threshold velocity.

    You may also want to capture situations where an object exceeds a velocity without reaching a 2 g acceleration, like if you were on a swing and threw the object forward at the low point of the swing arc, the acceleration due to the swing may not be over 2 g the throw may not be over 2 g but the resultant velocity is greater than your threshold.

    One thing to consider is the sensor above is a 2D sensor, it will not detect acceleration in the direction vertical to the sensor. If you cannot gaurentee the object will accelerate in one of the two axis, you'll need a 3D accelerometer. To get the total acceleration of the two axis would be a = sqrt(ax^2 + ay^2), for 3 axis a = sqrt(ax^2 + ay^2 +ax^2).

    Steve: ick, my gma had her retinas detach but not through such spectacular means. Its estimated that Princess Di experienced 100-150 G causing the aorta to detach from her heart.

    Post Edited (Paul Baker) : 2/10/2005 11:47:46 PM GMT
  • steve_bsteve_b Posts: 1,563
    edited 2005-02-10 23:57
    For the 3D approach you could use 2 accel's too.· Not sure which means is cheaper though.

    Paul
    Re: detaching aorta.
    Same thing happened to Eval Kneival when he tried to jump the fountains at Caesars.·

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    ·

    Steve
    http://members.rogers.com/steve.brady
    "Inside each and every one of us is our one, true authentic swing. Something we was born with. Something that's ours and ours alone. Something that can't be learned... something that's got to be remembered."
  • SPENCESPENCE Posts: 204
    edited 2005-02-11 00:03
    steve_b

    REFRENCE YOUR COMMENT ABOUT THE "SLOTTED OPTICAL SWITCH" ABOVE. THERE IS ANOTHER WHICH HAS VERY GOOD UTILIZATION BUT NOT KNOWN AS WELL SINCE MAG TAPE IS NOT THE TOP DOG IN STORAGE ANY MORE. IT IS THE REFLECTIVE OPTICAL SWITCH.
    http://www.fairchildsemi.com/ds/QR/QRB1113.pdf

    THIS IS JUST ONE TYPE AVAILABLE. IT CONDUCTS WHEN THE BEAM IS REFLECTED BACK WITH THE BEAM PATH IN THE SHAPE OF A "V".

    SPENCE
    K4KEP
  • steve_bsteve_b Posts: 1,563
    edited 2005-02-11 00:11
    Thanks Spence....couldn't think of it's name...but I guess that works!

    Here's a supplier up here in Canuck-land http://www.hvwtech.com/pages/products_view.asp?ProductID=377

    He's got some nice goodies on there.

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    ·

    Steve
    http://members.rogers.com/steve.brady
    "Inside each and every one of us is our one, true authentic swing. Something we was born with. Something that's ours and ours alone. Something that can't be learned... something that's got to be remembered."
  • SPENCESPENCE Posts: 204
    edited 2005-02-11 00:33
    Steve_b

    use a piece of silver paper like off of a pack of cigarettes and glue on the dot to be detected. We used to use clear tape to hold a piece of foil on tape when we could not get the foil with adhesive already on it. Rubber cement a dot of foil to your mark is another way.

    73
    spence
    k4kep
  • ChaslieChaslie Posts: 7
    edited 2005-02-11 02:55
    Thanks all for all the info you have provided. It will at least get me started in the right direction. I appreciate all the feedback.
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