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Swinging boom, two sensors? — Parallax Forums

Swinging boom, two sensors?

ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
edited 2002-04-24 02:00 in General Discussion
Hello Reginald,

This is an interesting idea. I don't quite see how it would be configured,
however.

I would really like to give the system a sense of direction, that is, a sense of
the direction of rotation.

If the two magnets (and the corresponding switches) are in line along the boom,
wouldn't they both trigger
simultanously?

How should I place the sensors?


Reginald Neale wrote:

> >How about a small magnet affixed to the boom and a
> >couple of reed switches or hall effect sensors to
> >detect the magnet? The reed switches or hall effect
> >sensors will be detected as digital/discrete inputs.
>
> Good idea, and would probably work better with two reed
> switches and two magnets, offset radially along the boom.
> This way you get a separate output for each direction.
>
> Reg Neale
>
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Comments

  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2002-04-24 02:00
    >Hello Reginald,
    >
    >This is an interesting idea. I don't quite see how it would be
    >configured, however.
    >
    >I would really like to give the system a sense of direction, that
    >is, a sense of the direction of rotation.
    >
    >If the two magnets (and the corresponding switches) are in line
    >along the boom, wouldn't they both trigger
    >simultanously?
    >
    >How should I place the sensors?

    OK, I am ashamed to admit I am ASCII-art impaired. Let's see, both
    magnets are mounted on the boom but one of the magnets is closer to
    the mast than the other. One of the reed switches lines up radially
    with magnet A and actuates when the boom swings in the CW direction,
    the other lines up (at a different radial distance) with magnet B and
    actuates when the boom swings in the CCW direction. When the boom is
    straight fore/aft, neither switch is actuated. You could really do it
    with one magnet and two reed switches, one on either side, but two
    magnets would make the adjustments more independent.

    Hope this is clearer.

    Reg
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