Thanks for the feedback. The strange thing is there has been a lot of interest in this project lately from several fronts. I will post if the one thing doesn’t fall through. [noparse];)[/noparse]
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ Chris Savage Parallax Tech Support
hii , can i ask about you porject?
i want to do some thing looks like you , but with a car and Checkpoint on the road , who can it be done? its my final project in the college
Stylish-Engineer said...
hii , can i ask about you porject?
i want to do some thing looks like you , but with a car and Checkpoint on the road , who can it be done? its my final project in the college
A better place to post this question would be in the sandbox in it's own thread. It's off topic here.
i must ask but what does the little sticker on the board with the led say or can we get a close up pic of it please
pwillard said...
Thanks... it works great... but due to mounting difficulty, I opted to just use 12V·incandecents·while testing it out.· Seeing how well·it works while testing I've opted to just leave my test lamp fixture as the permanent solution.
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Parallax posesses power beyond belief.
I love this! Thanks for posting this project, it gives me a jumping off point for my own modification. Perhaps I will actually get this project finished... maybe...
We have a single car garage (but 2 cars, of course), and it varies as to who parks in the garage. My truck is the longer vehicle, and it is a tight fit to get it in all the way so that the garage will close afterwards. Cannot tell you how many times I have had to re-park my vehicle because I was an inch too far out...
My wife's SUV is shorter, but wider, and must park further back to be able to open her door (the usual garage & stuff issues). She always forgets that part, so she has re-parking issues as well.
I have had a Ping for some time now, with the intention of setting up this exact system, only with 2 sets of indicators. His and Hers, so to speak. I was also looking at using the SX microcontrollers, due to cost issues.
Your initial project should be easily modified for that purpose! Just another set of LED's and some code tweaks.
Thanks again!
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Go easy on me, I'm a novice!
I know all about PLC's and industrial controls, but I tend to break circuit boards whenever I try to "fix" stuff...
Post Edited (kitestormer) : 7/29/2009 3:21:17 AM GMT
How do you mark where to drill holes in the cases on things like this? I usually try to use console mount switches,leds, jacks etc because I'm free to place them anywhere. But they are much more expensive than PCB mounted parts. I managed to build something with PCB mount switches and LEDs once, but boy I had a heck of a time trying to figure out exactly where to drill the holes.
In the case of something like this it helps to have a mill. The reason is that the PCB is mounted to the back of the enclosure and not the front, so aligning the holes would other wise be very difficult. With a Mill you can simply bring the bit down to the exact location on the unpopulated PCB, the back it off, add the case and drill down through. Then you remove the cover, re-align, rinse and repeat. If you don't have a mill you can simplify things by mounting the PCB to the front of the case where things will stick through. Then you can use a perf board as a template to mark where everything mount (including mounting holes) and lay that inside the front of the case and use a dremel with a small bit to start the holes. Use a full-size bit to bring them to the correct size. I hope this helps. Take care.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ Chris Savage Parallax Engineering
There you go! That's what I was looking for. Both ideas (drill first then populate later; perf board the front) will help me on the things I'm working on right now. Good stuff. Thank you.
oss6000 said...
Very cool.... but is it ok to keep the basic stamp and the LEDs turned on al the time......
of course the LEDs can be automatically shut off after a certain period of time.....but what about the Basic Stamp?
I know there is a SLEEP instruction....but is it necessary?
It doesn't really matter if you're connected to the grid. If you're on battery power, then a couple of LEDs and a BS2 can drain the battery pretty quickly (depending on how much current the LEDs take).
@Don, I’m glad that helps…I have several perf-boards with permanent marker dots all over them from using them strictly as drilling templates. They work great for it and provide fairly good consistency. I say fairly because if you’re not careful when you widen the hole the bit will tend to drift toward one side and cause the hole not to line up perfectly. Yes, I have done this many times…so when it happens don’t feel bad. Just perfect your procedure or use slightly larger drill bits to work your way up to the larger hole size to minimize this.
@oss6000, the BASIC Stamp Modules are used in projects that have been running non-stop for many years. Last time the question came up I recall a forum member post that they had one running in something for 10 years. Remember, the BASIC Stamp Module is just like the microcontroller in your TV or Microwave Oven. These devices stay powered up all the time even when they’re not in use. The microcontroller is still running to detect when you press a button or when you use the IR remote. If you want to conserve power you could turn off the LEDs after a certain time, but they use so little power to start that it doesn’t really matter much in the overall scheme. The PING))) Module is being fired very quickly and continuously and it will use more power than the LEDs on the front. But if you power it down you will never detect the car entering the garage. I suppose if you’re clever you could shut it down and use the sensors on the door to detect a car and fire up the PING))) and display. That’s the neat thing about these projects…they’re often limited only by your imagination. Take care.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ Chris Savage Parallax Engineering
Does anyone know of a good place to buy the 10mm LED's mentioned in this project? RadioShack only carries the red variety. I have found some online vendors that sell them for $0.30 to $1.30 each, but they all charge a very high handling charge (upwards of $20 generally).
I checked Fry's electronics, but they don't have them either.
Hello, places like Digi-Key and Jameco carry them. I do't have a part number handy, but they generally have these in stock. Let us know how you make out. Take care.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ Chris Savage Parallax Engineering
I called both Jameco and Digikey. Jameco only carries a green and a red.
Digikey has all three colors, but they are the clear lense type. Where did you get the colored lenses?
Also,
I'm new to this and thought that the 10mm LED's would make for better visibility. Is it possible that a 5mm set would do the job just fine? (in the Garage Parking Assistant)
Here are the Digi-Key parts numbers for 10mm Red, Yellow and Green LEDs. Please note that due to different forward voltages you may have to tweak the resistor value for each LED, however these are the same brand/series, so should all look uniform other than that. I hope this helps. Take care.
Red 10mm LED: SSL-LX100133SRD-ND
Yellow 10mm LED: SSL-LX100133YD-ND
Green 10mm LED: SSL-LX100133SGD-ND
And for those who really want to get stylish, here’s a (I believe matching) Blue 10mm LED which has an even higher forward voltage: 67-1753-ND
Should be the same manufacturer.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ Chris Savage Parallax Engineering
I understand the excitement of doing this type of projects and the satisfaction when everything is working like it suppose too but sometimes globalization kill those projects. If you do this with BS1 you looking at around $70.00 now check this product: http://www.amazon.com/Sears-Craftsman-Lift-Master-Parking-Assistant/dp/B00283U4WG
You can buy 2 of this and a couple of six packs (for to cool down during the installation day) and still have some money left. And when I ask my wife witch one she prefers she said “the one in the ceiling, that way I don't have those wires hanging in the wall”
But alexisrq, you would be more likely to hack the lasers out of the Sears-Craftsman-Lift-Master-Parking-assistant for another project you had in mind and render it nonoperational eventually leaving the wife upset. You would be better off building the Garage Parking Assistant where you would be constantly tweaking the masterpiece you put together yourself. <-- Read it's a valid excuse to fiddle with something out in the garage, we all know how that is, and the best part is ... we're your support group ... we understand
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ Beau Schwabe
IC Layout Engineer
Parallax, Inc.
Post Edited (Beau Schwabe (Parallax)) : 7/13/2010 4:40:05 AM GMT
Another thought: My guess is there is plenty of program space left so you could also use it to run an RFID access controller for the garage door so I can replace the keypad entry with a hidden RFID reader. My keychain remote for my car alarm has room for a small glass tag, so it should work out really well.
From there, you could probably come up with other ideas to add stuff into the program to customize it. Maybe have it also turn on a light when it detects motion or a door opening? Ring a bell if the garage door is left open for more than 10 minutes?
Final thought... If cost is a concern, port this over to SPIN or use PropBASIC and use the cheaper prop.
Comments
Great project, like the pictures and congrats on the new Home...
Did not see the Caps. listed on the BOM to completely build on a bread board.
hmlittle59
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I HAVE LEARN SO MUCH...BUT STILL KNOW SO LITTLE!!!
hmlittle59
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Chris Savage
Parallax Tech Support
i want to do some thing looks like you , but with a car and Checkpoint on the road , who can it be done? its my final project in the college
A better place to post this question would be in the sandbox in it's own thread. It's off topic here.
Parallax posesses power beyond belief.
Believe in it.
Visit me at
http://jrelectromech.services.officelive.com/default.aspx
·
We have a single car garage (but 2 cars, of course), and it varies as to who parks in the garage. My truck is the longer vehicle, and it is a tight fit to get it in all the way so that the garage will close afterwards. Cannot tell you how many times I have had to re-park my vehicle because I was an inch too far out...
My wife's SUV is shorter, but wider, and must park further back to be able to open her door (the usual garage & stuff issues). She always forgets that part, so she has re-parking issues as well.
I have had a Ping for some time now, with the intention of setting up this exact system, only with 2 sets of indicators. His and Hers, so to speak. I was also looking at using the SX microcontrollers, due to cost issues.
Your initial project should be easily modified for that purpose! Just another set of LED's and some code tweaks.
Thanks again!
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Go easy on me, I'm a novice!
I know all about PLC's and industrial controls, but I tend to break circuit boards whenever I try to "fix" stuff...
Post Edited (kitestormer) : 7/29/2009 3:21:17 AM GMT
How do you mark where to drill holes in the cases on things like this? I usually try to use console mount switches,leds, jacks etc because I'm free to place them anywhere. But they are much more expensive than PCB mounted parts. I managed to build something with PCB mount switches and LEDs once, but boy I had a heck of a time trying to figure out exactly where to drill the holes.
Any suggestions for me?
In the case of something like this it helps to have a mill. The reason is that the PCB is mounted to the back of the enclosure and not the front, so aligning the holes would other wise be very difficult. With a Mill you can simply bring the bit down to the exact location on the unpopulated PCB, the back it off, add the case and drill down through. Then you remove the cover, re-align, rinse and repeat. If you don't have a mill you can simplify things by mounting the PCB to the front of the case where things will stick through. Then you can use a perf board as a template to mark where everything mount (including mounting holes) and lay that inside the front of the case and use a dremel with a small bit to start the holes. Use a full-size bit to bring them to the correct size. I hope this helps. Take care.
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Chris Savage
Parallax Engineering
of course the LEDs can be automatically shut off after a certain period of time.....but what about the Basic Stamp?
I know there is a SLEEP instruction....but is it necessary?
thnx in advance....and again very neat project
It doesn't really matter if you're connected to the grid. If you're on battery power, then a couple of LEDs and a BS2 can drain the battery pretty quickly (depending on how much current the LEDs take).
@oss6000, the BASIC Stamp Modules are used in projects that have been running non-stop for many years. Last time the question came up I recall a forum member post that they had one running in something for 10 years. Remember, the BASIC Stamp Module is just like the microcontroller in your TV or Microwave Oven. These devices stay powered up all the time even when they’re not in use. The microcontroller is still running to detect when you press a button or when you use the IR remote. If you want to conserve power you could turn off the LEDs after a certain time, but they use so little power to start that it doesn’t really matter much in the overall scheme. The PING))) Module is being fired very quickly and continuously and it will use more power than the LEDs on the front. But if you power it down you will never detect the car entering the garage. I suppose if you’re clever you could shut it down and use the sensors on the door to detect a car and fire up the PING))) and display. That’s the neat thing about these projects…they’re often limited only by your imagination. Take care.
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Chris Savage
Parallax Engineering
I checked Fry's electronics, but they don't have them either.
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Chris Savage
Parallax Engineering
I called both Jameco and Digikey. Jameco only carries a green and a red.
Digikey has all three colors, but they are the clear lense type. Where did you get the colored lenses?
Also,
I'm new to this and thought that the 10mm LED's would make for better visibility. Is it possible that a 5mm set would do the job just fine? (in the Garage Parking Assistant)
Here are the Digi-Key parts numbers for 10mm Red, Yellow and Green LEDs. Please note that due to different forward voltages you may have to tweak the resistor value for each LED, however these are the same brand/series, so should all look uniform other than that. I hope this helps. Take care.
Red 10mm LED: SSL-LX100133SRD-ND
Yellow 10mm LED: SSL-LX100133YD-ND
Green 10mm LED: SSL-LX100133SGD-ND
And for those who really want to get stylish, here’s a (I believe matching) Blue 10mm LED which has an even higher forward voltage: 67-1753-ND
Should be the same manufacturer.
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Chris Savage
Parallax Engineering
I think Digikey does not stock those part numbers, that is why they didn't tell me about them when I called. I will look for them elsewhere.
Greg
Post Edited (gtmeloney) : 8/24/2009 8:39:43 PM GMT
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Chris Savage
Parallax Engineering
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Chris Savage
Parallax Engineering
http://www.amazon.com/Sears-Craftsman-Lift-Master-Parking-Assistant/dp/B00283U4WG
You can buy 2 of this and a couple of six packs (for to cool down during the installation day) and still have some money left. And when I ask my wife witch one she prefers she said “the one in the ceiling, that way I don't have those wires hanging in the wall”
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Beau Schwabe
IC Layout Engineer
Parallax, Inc.
Post Edited (Beau Schwabe (Parallax)) : 7/13/2010 4:40:05 AM GMT
From there, you could probably come up with other ideas to add stuff into the program to customize it. Maybe have it also turn on a light when it detects motion or a door opening? Ring a bell if the garage door is left open for more than 10 minutes?
Final thought... If cost is a concern, port this over to SPIN or use PropBASIC and use the cheaper prop.
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Andrew Williams
WBA Consulting
PowerTwig Dual Output Power Supply Module
My Prop projects: Reverse Geo-Cache Box, Custom Metronome, Micro Plunge Logger