Blinking Dog Collar Ideas
NWCCTV
Posts: 3,629
Winter is coming and with the days getting shorter I would like to try and make a flashing collar for my dog. I have a couple strands of these and this key fob. Right now I am just looking for general ideas on how I might accomplish this. I am thinking a mini prop to start with. It will need to be water proof so I am not sure if the Key Fob approach will work or not but it is probably where I will start.
Comments
That would probably fit better in a tight space, and probably can go a farther distance than the key fob.
That might seem like a lot for a blinking light dog collar with remote control. But you could always add GPS to the dog collar and reception and control would be any wifi device.
The Key Fob will work as well. I have one. But it simply will toggle several states, not transfer GPS data or anything fancy. Much depends on your desired direction -- learn more about Propeller control via a blinking light project, or learn more about wireless communication via XBee or Wifi.
Small LI ion batteries might be attractive... use several in series and a boost regulator to get your 12VDC, and another regulator to get 3.3VDC or 5VDC.
It does seem like a lot for a blinking dog collar.
The little nRF24L01+ modules use about 17mA of current at 3.3V (0.056 Watts) and measure 30mm x 15mm x 5mm (without pins). The small modules weight 2.2g with pins or 1.5g without pins. They usually cost less than $2.
I've tested these transceivers around my home and they worked from any two points in the house as long as there wasn't a large appliance between the transceivers.
You wouldn't have all the conveniences of WiFi but you could receive GPS and other data with the device.
SparkFun used to sell a fob using one of these chips. It's too bad they don't sell them anymore. I've been tempted to make my own but I would want use one of the module rather than soldering the parts and the module is just a little too big for the enclosure SparkFun used.
There are long range versions of these transceivers. I have a pair of these but I haven't tested them yet.
I made some small PCBs for the "B" version of the NeoPixels. These boards were designed to link together with three wires. I'm not sure how they would work as a dog collar but I attached the gerber files to this post and you could submit them (as the zip file) to OSH Park and have some made for $0.90 for a batch of three. You'd also need the LEDs which are available on ebay (only the "B" version would work).
I hope you're really careful with the batteries and power circuits so they don't hurt the dog. I've often wondered about securing power supplies with thin strips of Polymorph so if the supply got too hot, the Polymorph would soften and the power supply would fall off.
You might want to search eBay and Google for "dog locator light" and see if one of the existing devices could be adapted for your purposes. The cheaper ones don't seem to have radio control, but maybe the power systems and other parts could be useful.
Marty
These LED strips are multi-colored and can be programed to do fancy things... more panache. So you dog's self-esteem won't suffer. People won't think he is a bicycle in fur.
Yes, GPS and wifi link is excessive. The OP obviously is considering a project with what he has already purchased. So I am most concerned about the 12VDC requirements of the LEDs and the waterproofing.
should be achievable
Go for longer wavelength option if you have a choice for better range (315MHz or 433MHz, check whats legal).
The transmitter antenna can be a 1/4 wave along the leash! Probably have to loop the RX antenna round the collar
which isn't ideal, but you don't want it getting damaged / chewed!
You can get RFM02 and RFM01's which are just TX and just RX I think, but you'll probably find it
easier to get identical transceivers instead. For maximum range configure to narrowband FM with slow baud
rate, 1.2kbaud or so.
There's a wealth of experience with RFM12's at Jeelabs.org (or is it .net or .com?)
The 433MHz modules would likely have better range if identical power were used. I think it's some sort of law of physic which give an inverse relationship between range and frequency.
Besides using different frequencies the two modules are different in other ways. The 433MHz units are not transceivers. One unit transmits the other receives. I've read the input line needs to be capacitively coupled with the uC but I haven't used the 433MHz devices.
The nRF24L01+ has all sorts of fancy features like automatic retry and automatic acknowledgment. I have a couple of Spin/PASM drivers for the nRF24L01+ modules but they're both a bit buggy. The drivers work, but not nearly as well as I'd like them to.
Ron Czapala made a driver for the BS2.
One downside to the nRF24L01+ modules is they require six I/O pins to interface with the uC (I think this could be reduced to five I/O pins if the unit were polled instead of relying on the interrupt pin.
Making a better driver for the nRF24L01+ is still on my todo list. I have information about these modules at the bottom of post #1 of my index.
Of course if you want to get exotic you need a bunch of WS2812 red, green, blue, LEDs in a chain, a Propeller for control and a big battery.
If that's the case, then the sky is the limit... Dual dim-able Halogen headlights, Turn signals, Running lights, Ground effect lights...:thumb::thumb:
How long is a dog walk? I suppose that will determine your battery pack.
Lots of maniacs out there just looking for an unlit dog walker not using proper turn signals.
No sir, you just can't be too careful now days..
I'm currently using one of those key fob remotes on a project I'm developing.
Key Fob remote Prop Mini and LED strips.
I'm running the Key Fob remote on 3.3v from Prop mini regulator.
I think that at 3.3v, the range is not the specified 50ft, but the receiver and remote work at about 30ft in my basement.
I made project as small as I could with my limited skills.
Discounting a battery pack, It could work well as a flashing dog collar.
Problem I need to work on, is proper small size battery pack that is not noticed when my project is running.
I'm mulling over all of the suggestions I've received concerning small battery pack design.
The remote receiver, Prop mini and several transistors are mounted in one unit.
Battery pack is connected via approx. 24" 4 conductor cable.
For me at least, the concern with a project like this has to do with battery pack size and shape.
With the Prop Mini running my simple program, I'm consuming about 25ma current while the unit is waiting
for a signal to start flashing the LED's . When It's actually flashing, I'm consuming approx. 150ma.
It would be not good if your doggy would have neck strain holding up large battery pack.
Just my 2 cents worth.
Garyg
It seems one and only one cell would be enough, and these are fast recharge. Feed the 3.7 to 4.1 directly to the Propeller Mini's 3.3 v after a few diodes to drop the voltage.from 3.7 to 3.3.
Add a boost regulator to bump the 3.7 to 12VDC for the lights. These are small and cheap and sold on Ebay with adjustible output and 90% efficiency.
I don't think you will get anything lighter or smaller than Li-ion. If one cell is not enough, use two in parallel. Can the Fob receiver use 3.3 or 3.7volts and work well??
2000 recharges allegedly and safer than any other lithium rechargeable (are you listening Boeing?!).
[ LiPo's with diodes will not really protect the Prop from higher voltages (4.2V fully charged)
during sleep/SLOW/reset mode and forward voltage drops with low current - take care. ]