Ideas wanted to demonstrate the Parallax RF modules with SX/B.

Comments

• Mike Cook Posts: 829

  2007-02-22 00:56 edited 2007-02-22 00:56

  Here's three for ya!
  
  1. Transmit temperature from an outdoor temperature sensor to an indoor display. Sensor = LM34 or DS1820
  
  2. Since GPS comes up all the time, use the Parallax GPS receiver outdoors and transmit that to an indoor receiver.
  
  3. If you want to do·bi-directional: then RFID reader to a receiver and then the receiver transmits a code to the remote RFID to activate something.
  
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  Mike
• John R. Posts: 1,376

  2007-02-22 02:35 edited 2007-02-22 02:35

  Looking at the desire to do "2k chunks of data", how about this:
  
  Have a remote sensor/logger, maybe temp or temp/humidity, what ever. Potentially multiple units.
  
  Then have another unit do a "patrol" and go around to within range of each remote unit. It (the patrolling unit) would transmit a "wake up and send me" command to the remote, and the remote would regurgitate (I love using that word) it’s stored data to the patrolling unit, and clear its own memory. The patrolling until would/could be connected to a PC to store/display the data.
  
  Kind of like the remote collection systems used to read water and gas meters, etc.
  
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• Ken Gracey Posts: 7,412

  2007-02-22 04:55 edited 2007-02-22 04:55

  Bean,
  
  A couple more ideas, some of which have already been mentioned:
  

  • RFID Reader - excellent suggestion from Mike!
  • Any environmental parameters like John pointed out
  • Control/feedback of a system - something closed loop
  • Writing to a remote LCD

  
  Thanks very much for the support, Bean and others.
  
  Ken Gracey
• Bill Henning Posts: 6,445

  2007-02-22 07:48 edited 2007-02-22 07:48

  Low-res machine vision? Ie webcam/ccd -> rf ... rf-> pc? (on a boe-bot?)

  (on aBean (Hitt Consulting) said...
  I have Parallax RF transmitter http://www.parallax.com/detail.asp?product_id=27980·and receiver http://www.parallax.com/detail.asp?product_id=27981
  
  I promised Ken I would make a demonstration program showing how to use them with SX/B.
  I'm using manchester encoding with an effective baud rate of 4800 (480 characters per second).
  
  Any ideas guys ? I'd like it to be something that users could duplicate without a lot of extra hardware.
  
  I have been pretty successful in tranfering large 2K chunks of data, and I'm trying to think of a demonstration that shows-off this capability. But I'll consider any ideas.
  
  Bean.
  
  

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• RobotWorkshop Posts: 2,307

  2007-02-22 15:41 edited 2007-02-22 15:41

  Why not couple it up with one of the Hitachi H48C Tri-Axis Accelerometer Modules and make a remote for the Hydra or the propeller DEMO board. You could probably use an SX on each end to help with the translation... Can anyone say Wii...
  
  http://www.parallax.com/detail.asp?product_id=28026
• Sparks-R-Fun Posts: 388

  2007-02-22 20:19 edited 2007-02-22 20:19

  Bean,
  
  Since you asked for ideas, here are a few I would enjoy seeing developed.
  
  1.) I have an outside wireless thermometer that sends data to an indoor display. I do not know if the technology and frequencies are compatible with the RF units you are using but I would love to be able to intercept and log those temperature signals.
  
  2.) A wireless barcode reader seems like a fairly easy and quite useful project.
  
  3.) A wireless keyboard and/or mouse interface might also be a fun, useful project.
  
  4.) A wireless serial port with flow control would be VERY useful! You could even have it ‘speak’ to both ends at a faster data rate than it can sustain, such as 9600 baud for burst transmissions, if you include buffering and flow control.
  
  - Sparks
• RobotWorkshop Posts: 2,307

  2007-02-22 20:29 edited 2007-02-22 20:29

  If you want a cheap barcode reader look for some of the old cue cat barcode scanners on ebay. There was a simple mod to make them standard bar-code readers. You can get ones already modified for under $5. You'll probably want the PS/2 version. It can go inline with a keyboard....
  
  Robert
• Sparks-R-Fun Posts: 388

  2007-02-22 22:20 edited 2007-02-22 22:20

  Robert,
  
  Thanks for the barcode tip. I actually have two CueCats. I want to use them to scan my groceries when I purchase them from the store and again when I throw an item out. The idea is that the computer will keep track of what I have on hand and what I needed to purchase on my next trip. Unfortunately, I do not have a computer in the kitchen where I would like the barcode reader. I think a wireless SX barcode reader would be ideal for this situation!
  
  - Sparks
• James Newton Posts: 329

  2007-02-22 22:31 edited 2007-02-22 22:31

  http://www.sxlist.com/ideas
  
  and especially:
  
  http://www.sxlist.com/techref/idea/remotestat.htm
  
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• Clock Loop Posts: 2,069

  2007-02-23 01:25 edited 2007-02-23 01:25

  A simple project I did was to re-do the electronics in a cheap remote control car. I replaced all the electronics with my own bridge circuit, and used the original batterys.
  
  I had two more expensive RF modules, but im sure it can be done eaisly with yours.
  
  And you can customize it with headlights and such.
  
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• Capt. Quirk Posts: 872

  2007-02-23 07:16 edited 2007-02-23 07:16

  Why don't you and Jonny Mac put one on a go-kart and·give normal data aquisition a different twist. Concentrate on chassis set-up with the Parallax GPS module and Hitachi accelerometer vs. time (in real time), instead of engine data
  
• JonnyMac Posts: 9,283

  2007-02-23 13:47 edited 2007-02-23 13:47

  I would have liked that about 10 years ago when I was racing karts in Dallas....
• John Kauffman Posts: 653

  2007-02-23 15:19 edited 2007-02-23 15:19

  Anyone else tired of watching ads on TV?
  
  In Ontario (watching hockey, of course) the time for ads was always 2.5 minutes. So I’d hit the remote’s mute, go to the kitchen and try to get my Blue & a sandwich with an occasional look at the watch to avoid missing the next face off.
  ·
  Here is the project:

  • An SX by the TV with an IR sensor and RF TX.
  • A set-up routine to “learn” the code for mute.
  • A second SX has a RF RX and one of those nifty Hitt 4 digit displays.
  • I put the TX by the TV and the RX by the ‘fridge.
  • When I hit the mute at the beginning of the ad there is a transmission to the kitchen to start the countdown.
  • While popping a cold one I can see just how much time is left to face off.

  ·It doesn’t demonstrate 2k bit transmissions but who wouldn’t want one? Only needs two extra components (IR sensor & Display) and uses two SX boards.
• John Kauffman Posts: 653

  2007-02-23 15:40 edited 2007-02-23 15:40

  Here is an add-on to any of the other sensor ideas. ·These all seem to have a sensor module (TX) and a data read-out module (RX).
  ·
  Requires additional hardware of
  a couple switches
  Hitt 4 digit display (or just a 7 seg)
  ·
  Level 1 –
  Make the read-out module have some switches or pot that sends back to the sensor module a sample rate.
  ·
  Level 2 –
  As above, but data from reader to sensor determines which of multiple sensors to enable.
  ·
  Level 3 -
  Make the data acquisition frequent, but you don’t know how frequent. Data sample occurs based on trigger by an outside parameter.
  As data is acquired, store it in sensor RAM, do some processing (average several samples?) and then erase.
  Now include in the RF stream the amount of RAM currently used. So at my data read-out module I know if my sensor module is keeping up. If not, I can use the idea in Level 1 (above) to change sample rate.
  ·
• Capt. Quirk Posts: 872

  2007-02-23 18:20 edited 2007-02-23 18:20

  Hack an Optical Mouse to measure speed or acceleration?, and install it on a sx BOE-BOT. or Sumo bot. Transmit the information and·watch·it real time as another SX transmits it through a usb or serial connection to Hyper terminal. Store the information and use it for setting servo speeds and fine-tuning its code.·
  
  Post Edited (Capt. Quirk) : 2/23/2007 6:36:26 PM GMT
• Capt. Quirk Posts: 872

  2007-02-23 21:10 edited 2007-02-23 21:10

  Make a remote wind speed & direction sensor with a Hitachi HM55B Compass Module
  and a brushless computer fan
• Capt. Quirk Posts: 872

  2007-02-23 21:48 edited 2007-02-23 21:48

  It seems like lots of people on all the forum catagories want to interface an encoder. Use an SX to interface it, send that information to directly to the reciever and with a MAX 232 conected to a seial port and you will have a very inxpensive data aquisition setup.
  
  
  With a BOE-BOT you could use the holes in the bots wheels as the encoder.
  
  Post Edited (Capt. Quirk) : 2/23/2007 9:54:14 PM GMT
• John Abshier Posts: 1,116

  2007-02-24 01:11 edited 2007-02-24 01:11

  Joystick, gamepad, etc to SX then RF to Stamp/SX/Propeller
• Bean Posts: 8,129

  2007-02-24 12:57 edited 2007-02-24 12:57

  Wow! Thanks for all the suggestions.
  I think I'm going to do a transmitter using the Memsic 2125 that will transmit to a BOE-Bot to move it around with movements of your hand.
  
  Bean.
  
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  Low power SD Data Logger www.sddatalogger.com
  SX-Video Display Modules www.sxvm.com
  ·
• Brian Carpenter Posts: 728

  2007-02-24 14:48 edited 2007-02-24 14:48

  hey that sounds pretty neat. tilt your hand froward and yuor Boe moves forward. Good idea. did you come up with that all by yourself?
  
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