Pressure sensors?

ktdid07

Hey, all.

I'm a student who is trying to build a pressure sensor that would open and close a circuit to multiple LED lights. Essentially, when the pressure is removed, I want the lights to go on, and when the pressure is present, I want the lights to stay off.

I was thinking about using the Piezo film vibra tab sensor...does anybody have any tips about that? Also, any programming advice? I'm sort of a newbie to all of this programming stuff, so I would appreciate any help anybody has to offer.

Thanks a bunch,

Katie

Bruce Bates

Katie -

There is nothing particularly difficult about what you're trying to do, but I'd use the right sensor for the right job. There are literally thousands of pressure sensors from which to choose.

First, what kind of fluid are we talking about whose pressure we're measuring, or are you speaking about atmospheric pressure (barometric pressure)?

Second, what range of pressures are we speaking about?

Third, are there any environmental or ambient considerations?

Motorola (now Freescale Semi) makes a fair number of pressure sensors, which can be viewed at the link below:
http://www.freescale.com/webapp/sps/site/overview.jsp?nodeId=0112699036

If you're only looking for one or two pressure sensors, you can request samples. If you're looking to purchase, I think you can order from the web site as well, or alternatively, I think Jameco carries some of them as well.

Regards,

Bruce Bates

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ktdid07

Bruce,

Thanks so much for your really informative post. I'm looking to measure physical pressure, as in pounds. I want to create something sort of like a refrigerator door, where the pressure from the door closes the circuit and turns off the lights.

The range of pressure is very small, not more than a pound or two, since the object that will be applying the pressure is a metal lid on a large pot.

I need something fairly sturdy, since the pot will be moving around, and will have something inside of it that will need to be taken out without disturbing the sensor.

Do the Motorola sensors hook up to a BOE?

Thanks!

Katie

sylvie369

It sounds to me like what you want is not a pressure sensor at all, but instead·a contact switch.

There are two on this page that might be more what you need:

http://www.sciplus.com/category.cfm/subsection/14/start/23/maxrows/11

the momentary switch and the microswitch.


Post Edited (sylvie369) : 1/24/2008 4:42:26 PM GMT

Bruce Bates

Katie -

As Sylvie suggested, you are looking either for a force sensor (the Flexi sensor you were originally looking at), or a merely a microswitch to sense the top being put on the pot.

A pressure sensor would not be appropriate as there is no fluid involved.

Regards,

Bruce Bates

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
There is no pleasure in having nothing to do;
the fun is in having lots to do, and not doing it!