Inferred drag strip timing system?
Hello folks,
I am not a basic stamp user yet, but I want to build a little project which I might use this for.
I want to build a timing device for a drag strip! The trackk is 500ft long and I thought I might be able to use two sets of garage door opener sensors for inputs to start and stop the timer. I am wondering if anyone has used garage door opener sensors as inputs on the Basic Stamp? Or is there another low cost inferred sensor of choice? Also what kind of digital display would I need to record seconds down to hundreths of a second?
Any suggestions would be great!
Thanks
Hammer
I am not a basic stamp user yet, but I want to build a little project which I might use this for.
I want to build a timing device for a drag strip! The trackk is 500ft long and I thought I might be able to use two sets of garage door opener sensors for inputs to start and stop the timer. I am wondering if anyone has used garage door opener sensors as inputs on the Basic Stamp? Or is there another low cost inferred sensor of choice? Also what kind of digital display would I need to record seconds down to hundreths of a second?
Any suggestions would be great!
Thanks
Hammer
Comments
Should be no problem to do. I made a similar setup to measure the velocity of a Gauss cannon. Here is a link to it: http://madlabs.info/stamp_velocity_timer.shtml
I have actually since built a better one but have not yet made a page for it. I am sure you can use garage door sensors as you suggest. I used IR leds and phototransistors. If you really want hundreths of a second, you will want to get the fastest Stamp you can, or consider the SX series of chips. As to a display, I would reccomend a serial LCD, which will make it simple to display any data you want.
HTH,
Jonathan
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www.madlabs.info - Home of the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Robot
Like I said I'm new at this stuff.
Thanks
Hammer
I have never used garage door opener sensors. Hopefully someone will chime in here. Do you have the sensors already? If so and you can give us any information, that would help. Search around on the web, I'm sure someone has used these with a Stamp before.
As far as the display, look on the Parallax website. They sell them there, with complete instructions and code samples.
On my example, ignore the switches. You want to use the photodiodes. The switches are for the user to change settings. You can go to radio crack and get all the parts you need to implement the circuit I used. One thing you should know is the range of such a system is limited. How wide is your track? Also, bright light or flourescent lights can interfere with such a simple system. There are other ways to skin the cat if need be.
HTH,
Jonathan
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www.madlabs.info - Home of the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Robot
I have absolutly no idea of the sensors I currently have. There are no markings on them whatsoever. The only thing I found was on the circuit boards which is printed "31200A-R2
PC-A-P92-94V-0, and 31190A-R2 PC-A-P92-94V-0 (whatever all that means, I don't know) I will try punching those numbers into the web and see what comes up though.
I see the displays at the site.
The track is going to be 10 feet wide x 500 feet long and be used outside in varying degrees of light.
Thanks again.
Hammer
I have doubts that the sensors you have or the ones shown at my site will work for you, at least reliably. The IR led setup I use will not work for sure.
I think you need to find another sensor type to use. One might be a pressure switch connected to a length of hose across the track. When the vehicle crosses it, it pressurizes the hose, activating the switch.
What kind of vehicles are we talking here? How heavy?
Jonathan
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www.madlabs.info - Home of the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Robot
I like that laser idea! Is that just an ordinary laser pointer, or is it something which needs to be wired into the system?
Thank you
Hammer
The laser pointer sounds like a great idea. It doesn't need to be wired into the circuit in any way. One thing is I would try to get a half way decent one, not the cheapest you can find. I built a laser communicator for my students to play with and discovered that some cheap ones do not like being left on for extended periods of time. One of them burned out and another will work again after a cool down period. I finally wound up buying a nice green laser for the project, but mostly because its cool. I would try a decent quaity red one for this project.
Let us· know how you progress!
Jonathan
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www.madlabs.info - Home of the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Robot