Total Noob wants to learn about controllers and make a garage open device at th

Marky-Mark

Hi all,
totally new to controllers, so please bear with me.· I have an ME background and electronic packaging experiance so I am not totally blank with regard to EE stuff, but I have no clue about controllers.· As such I would like to learn, and do a project at the same time.

I would like to probably work with a basic stamp as those seem to be the most versitile, but I am open to recomendations.

I want to create a device that will warn me when I forget to close my garage door.· (I am new to using my garage for parking )· I want a device in the car that will look for a wireless signal coming from the garage, and if I get more then 1/2 the working distance of the signal range without recieving a "closed door" signal the device would warn me about an open garage.· (Might have to use two signals, so that I do not have to get any input such as car is in Drive or Reverse from the car.)

Should be simple enough, but I have no clue how to start...

Thanks for your time.

Mark.
·

Chris Savage

Mark,

I can’t offer any suggestions on the radio system due to the inherent obstacles you’d have to overcome there, however I can suggest a different approach. Perhaps what you could do is implement an occupancy sensor with a timeout. This would be similar to lighting that shuts off after not detecting people after a certain amount of time. But you could also use a PING))) sensor to detect the car being in the garage (see link below) and after no occupancy start the door closing. That could be preceded by an alarm sound in case someone was working in the garage and wanted it to stay open. They could then hit an over-ride button. Just an idea…Take care.

http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?p=636791

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Chris Savage
Parallax Tech Support


Post Edited (Chris Savage (Parallax)) : 4/11/2007 9:39:20 PM GMT

Kevin Wood

I think the best place you could start would be to download some of the "Stamps in Class" manuals and take a look. You'll find plenty of sensor examples, which should give you some ideas for possible circuits.

As far as an actual kit, either the Basic Stamp Discovery Kit or the Basic Stamp Activity Kit would make a good first choice. If you're planning a long-term investment in microcontrollers, also consider starting with the StampWorks kit. It is a more advanced kit, but you could still use it to complete some of the more beginner-friendly texts, such as "What's a Microcontroller." You would just need to wire the circuits a bit differently. The benefit, however, is that you would have a lot more flexibility with the Pro Development Board over the other kits.

skylight

Another idea could be a tube across the driveway operating a pressure switch that inputs to the stamp

Chris Savage

Well most garage doors already have a beam-break detector across the door…So that could be used for input as well.

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Chris Savage
Parallax Tech Support

Marky-Mark

I could sacrifice two radio controlled cars to get the short and long range signal, but that just seems wastefull.....

Marky-Mark

Found this:

http://www.rentron.com/remote_control/R8_4BIT.htm

This could provide a constant on signal that the controller could read.· I suppose with something so simple I could use transistors to just switch a buzzer and light, but that would be too simple.·

Should be doable now?

Eric R

I would use the Parallax 433MHz trans /rec package http://www.parallax.com/detail.asp?product_id=28180·Most garage doors have a upper limit switch. If yours doesn't you can install one. If the upper limit is made you will send a RF signal. The BS2 in your car would monitor that signal and turn a light on that you place on the dash. Door open = light on, door closed = light off. Line of sight and weather permitting these are good for 500 feet. You could even hit up a junk yard and pull a nice headlight on reminder chime that would sound until you either close the door or drive out of range.

I would bet that after a few days of the chime you would be hitting the close button ASAP

LSB

Sheesh-- MY first project was a blinking LED...

sam_sam_sam

Marky-Mark

You could do·something like this at this post this was one of the frist·projects that i made

http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?p=539835

In this post I·show some·details on how did this
·

http://forums.parallax.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=40528 Ping Sensor mount on the Garage Door





http://forums.parallax.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=40527· LCD Display

This LCD Display is mounted on the wall next to door to the·Garage· the LED light is programed to come on and STAY ON

as long as the door is open any amount the LCD Display shows how much the door is open

·One thing that i am think about·doing is if the door is open for more than 30 minutes the door will close by it self





http://forums.parallax.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=40526··Power Supply

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
··Thanks for any··that you may have and all of your time finding them

·
·
·
·
Sam

Post Edited (sam_sam_sam) : 4/16/2007 1:37:01 AM GMT