I am supposed to actuate/deactuate a gas pipe. The status of the opening of the pipe valve is then transmitted to the microcontroller for processing and then display the output via RS232

I am a newbie and this is my first time doing something important with the microcontroller.

Anything i should read about to get this done?? What device should i use for determining whether there is gas in the pipe?

Thanks a lot guys

 

Is this an assignment for school or a real project?

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stevez

 

From the microcontrollers' perspective it is a voltage on a pin. An LED or an electrically operated valve, it's the same thing.

In industrial controls it's usually an on/off voltage or 4-20mA control current. For gas detection probably a flow meter (if the valve is open it's going somewhere, right?) Then you can also meter how much is moving besides just "open" - also some valve assemblies have reporting circuits already built into them.

The application will determine what you need to read. What kind of gas? How much pressure? How dangerous to electronics, control valves, humans? How much volume? How much precision is required? Etc. A metal dissolving acid under slight pressure is much different than water under extremely high pressure.

As you might guess it's a huge field: http://www.google.com/search?q=pneum...aulic+controls