Shop OBEX P1 Docs P2 Docs Learn Events
you guys make this too easy! — Parallax Forums

you guys make this too easy!

hutdonhutdon Posts: 32
edited 2006-07-23 02:48 in General Discussion
I seldom post but I had to congratulate you guys on a project I completed in less than 15 minutes! My brother owns a machine shop and was telling me the other day he needed to find the actual spindle RPM of one of his mills. I remembered a blurb form Ken Gracy a few months ago on doing exactly that. Sure enough he provides the circuit and BS2 program for a mill RPM indicator. I didn't want to use a $40 BS2 when I had a couple of the SX-48 project boards handy. Also I had a handful of·Terry Hitt's·4 digit SPI displays. Erasing the 'main' block of code in the Terry's SX display example and replacing with 3 lines from Ken's program plus 2 declarations and the thing worked the first time in less than 15 minutes!! This was also using a completely different Hall Effect device but wired identically to Ken's circuit. It's going to take me longer to mount the thing in a case. Nothing has worked that easy and quick before!

Comments

  • BeanBean Posts: 8,129
    edited 2006-07-16 03:24
    Cool. Get a couple pictures and post it in the projects forum.

    Bean.

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    Cheap 4-digit LED display with driver IC·www.hc4led.com

    Low power SD Data Logger www.sddatalogger.com

    "I'm a man, but I can change, if I have to, I guess" The Red Green Show
    ·
  • Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,403
    edited 2006-07-16 04:27
    Hutdon,

    That's fantastic. Now that SX/B has come this far, I wouldn't use a BS2 for that project either. Your message is just a reminder to me that I need to get some more machining time in! Seems that lately we've had too many other projects at Parallax. I've been dreaming of building another robot for over a year now.

    Did you find that the magnet had to be mounted really close to the MX90217 sensor? Did you mount the magnet on the top of the spindle?

    Ken
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2006-07-16 12:23
    The wonderful thing about SX/B and SPIN is that you have BOTH a high level language for quick deployment and an Assembler for nitty-gritty stuff. Things get build while you are learning how to improve the firmware.

    I am rapidly coming to the conclusion that my only need for C is to read examples from other manufacturer devices that I want to import into an SX or a Propeller.

    Bean's displays are a real bargin. I just went shopping for some 2"x3" printed circuit boards in a small quantity [noparse][[/noparse]about 25] and the prices for the boards alone would be more than the whole device!

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    "If you want more fiber, eat the package.· Not enough?· Eat the manual."········
    ···················· Tropical regards,····· G. Herzog [noparse][[/noparse]·黃鶴 ]·in Taiwan
  • hutdonhutdon Posts: 32
    edited 2006-07-16 22:57
    I had some tiny (maybe 1/4 inch diameter) but really powerful magnets I got from Electronic Goldmine. With my test setup I could get the magnet approximately an inch away from the Hall device. I haven't mounted on the mill yet - I still working on the case. To try it out I put a screwdriver bit in one end of a plastic drinking straw, chucked it into my cordless drill and jammed the magnet in the other end. The drill said maximum 700 RPM and guess what the display said? With a fresh charge on the battery - 720. As soon as I get the case finished I'll try to take some pics and post them. Again I want to thank Ken and Terry for what I've told my brother is this major accomplishment that I've spent days on. I'll tell him the truth - in a few days!
  • BeanBean Posts: 8,129
    edited 2006-07-17 02:48
    LOL,
    One thing I learned the hard way...Never tell on yourself...
    Of course I guess it's really more bragging if you say you did it in a couple minutes...
    Then you might run into the problem I have at my work...Do something once, and you're expected to do it all the time...

    Pictures...Pictures...We want pictures...

    Bean.

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    Cheap 4-digit LED display with driver IC·www.hc4led.com

    Low power SD Data Logger www.sddatalogger.com

    "I'm a man, but I can change, if I have to, I guess" The Red Green Show
    ·
  • LynnLynn Posts: 33
    edited 2006-07-18 22:41
    Your project sound just like the one I am working on.
    I would like to see pictures also, and how you modified the code.

    Lynn
  • hutdonhutdon Posts: 32
    edited 2006-07-23 02:48
    I've been out of town for a few days and still haven't got the proto board and display in a case that I like but I have posted what I've got and and the sx/b code in the projects forum. Enjoy - Don
Sign In or Register to comment.