Need help with IRPD!!!

Archiver

Tom,

Don't feel bad... the same thing keeps happening to me to! Although, I
did build my IRPD using a schematic I had... but none the less you are
right, it tells me that it keeps finding things when nothing is there, and
doesn't pick up half of the stuff that I put in front of it!!!!

About 2 months ago, I finally gave up on it. I decided it was some thing
that wrong with my board (even though I had tried making it several
different ways, and rebuilt it more than half a dozen times). I went and
bought the sharp GPDO2's (these are tiny IR's with small ranging
capability) All I had to do was plug it directly to my stamp, and to power
(+ or- a resistor here and there) Then it should have worked but IT DID THE
EXACT SAME THING!!!!! I do not know what to do any more, and I am about to
give up on it... I know that it is not the code because I used the one that
they used (the companies) I know that it is not the IR's either because all
4 that I have do the exact same thing!!!

Sorry that I am not any help to you Tom, but I figured that I would let you
know that you are not alone! AND IF there is any body out there that knows
what the hek we are doing wrong please let us know!!! Thanks in advance for
any one who can help. -Alex Burke

>From: tjwalton@u...
>Reply-To: basicstamps@egroups.com
>To: basicstamps@egroups.com
>Subject: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] Re: Need help with IRPD
>Date: Mon, 04 Dec 2000 23:27:36 -0000
>
>i have not tried a pull up resistor(i don't know which or where,
>though there is a place for an optional one right by the receiver on
>the board. it is supposed to work with the Basic Stamp, there was
>code, but no reference to actually using the resistor).
>
>it is a Lynxmotion IRPD, purchased from MondoTronics.
>
>
>
>--- In basicstamps@egroups.com, tjwalton@u... wrote:
> > I have an IRPD hooked up to a basic stamp and it is acting very
>odd.
> > it regularly sees things that are not there, and doesn't see some
> > things that are. i have tried everything i can think of from
> > pointing it straight up to moving the leds. i have even put
> > electrical tape over the receiver and it still thinks it is
> > receiving. i have turned the sensitivity down as low as it goes,
>but
> > it is still erratic. any ideas?
> >
> > thanks!! tom
>
>
>
>

________________________________________________________________________________\
_____
Get more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : http://explorer.msn.com

Archiver

Are you using separate power supplies? If you hook up a multimeter to the
output does it do the same thing?
-William

---

Original Message

---

From: Alex Burke <ajb_robotics@h...>
To: <basicstamps@egroups.com>
Sent: Monday, December 04, 2000 9:21 PM
Subject: Re: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] Re: Need help with IRPD!!!


> Tom,
>
> Don't feel bad... the same thing keeps happening to me to! Although,
I
> did build my IRPD using a schematic I had... but none the less you are
> right, it tells me that it keeps finding things when nothing is there, and
> doesn't pick up half of the stuff that I put in front of it!!!!
>
> About 2 months ago, I finally gave up on it. I decided it was some thing
> that wrong with my board (even though I had tried making it several
> different ways, and rebuilt it more than half a dozen times). I went and
> bought the sharp GPDO2's (these are tiny IR's with small ranging
> capability) All I had to do was plug it directly to my stamp, and to power
> (+ or- a resistor here and there) Then it should have worked but IT DID
THE
> EXACT SAME THING!!!!! I do not know what to do any more, and I am about to
> give up on it... I know that it is not the code because I used the one
that
> they used (the companies) I know that it is not the IR's either because
all
> 4 that I have do the exact same thing!!!
>
> Sorry that I am not any help to you Tom, but I figured that I would let
you
> know that you are not alone! AND IF there is any body out there that knows
> what the hek we are doing wrong please let us know!!! Thanks in advance
for
> any one who can help. -Alex Burke
>
> >From: tjwalton@u...
> >Reply-To: basicstamps@egroups.com
> >To: basicstamps@egroups.com
> >Subject: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] Re: Need help with IRPD
> >Date: Mon, 04 Dec 2000 23:27:36 -0000
> >
> >i have not tried a pull up resistor(i don't know which or where,
> >though there is a place for an optional one right by the receiver on
> >the board. it is supposed to work with the Basic Stamp, there was
> >code, but no reference to actually using the resistor).
> >
> >it is a Lynxmotion IRPD, purchased from MondoTronics.
> >
> >
> >
> >--- In basicstamps@egroups.com, tjwalton@u... wrote:
> > > I have an IRPD hooked up to a basic stamp and it is acting very
> >odd.
> > > it regularly sees things that are not there, and doesn't see some
> > > things that are. i have tried everything i can think of from
> > > pointing it straight up to moving the leds. i have even put
> > > electrical tape over the receiver and it still thinks it is
> > > receiving. i have turned the sensitivity down as low as it goes,
> >but
> > > it is still erratic. any ideas?
> > >
> > > thanks!! tom
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
____________________________________________________________________________
_________
> Get more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download :
http://explorer.msn.com
>
>
>
>
>

Archiver

At 08:21 PM Monday 12/4/2000 -0600, you wrote:
>Tom,
>
> Don't feel bad... the same thing keeps happening to me to! Although, I
>did build my IRPD using a schematic I had... but none the less you are
>right, it tells me that it keeps finding things when nothing is there, and
>doesn't pick up half of the stuff that I put in front of it!!!!
>
>About 2 months ago, I finally gave up on it. I decided it was some thing
>that wrong with my board (even though I had tried making it several
>different ways, and rebuilt it more than half a dozen times). I went and
>bought the sharp GPDO2's (these are tiny IR's with small ranging
>capability)
<snipped>

>Sorry that I am not any help to you Tom, but I figured that I would let you
>know that you are not alone! AND IF there is any body out there that knows
>what the hek we are doing wrong please let us know!!! Thanks in advance for
>any one who can help. -Alex Burke

Hi Alex et al -

As much as I'm hesitant to say this, there may be a lesson learned here. If
one purchase parts on their own, as opposed to purchasing them from a
distributor, or other vendor, one then is responsible for ones own
troubleshooting. If one is prepared to do that - fine ! Many folks here
have the proper equipment to do so, and even lend their expertise towards
assisting others.

Personally, on my own platform, I wouldn't begin to troubleshoot this
particular problem without an oscilloscope, a light meter, Kodak 90% White
paper (photographic paper), a DVM or decent meter, a suitable metric ruler,
an IR light detector, and a suitable source of back lighting to test for
ambient light problems. Without that, I'd be spinning my wheels, as many
folks here often seem to be doing with light oriented hardware
troubleshooting difficulties. Simply put - rarely are they Stamp problems
per se, although as many have pointed out, this forum is a wealth of
information, and some of us are crazy enough to respond to all sorts of
troubleshooting messages : )

My sole point here is - if you need support, particularly hardware support,
the better route is often to align yourself and your purchases with one or
more vendors who offer support, and there are plenty of them on this list.

If you have the equipment mentioned above, I'd be happy to compose and
transmit a list of troubleshooting steps. I will await your response, or
that of others with similar position indicating device problems. These are
generally separate from more generalized IRPD problems, and specifically
unique with the Sharp GPD2D02 sensors.

Regards,

Bruce Bates