Simple accelerometer and tilt sensor - Electronic Circuits Projects Diagrams Free

be80be · 1st June 2009, 01:56 AM

This would make a good accelerometer. How it works is it has three mirrors in it two on the led side of the flaps. And one on the bottom, with the LDR facing down out side of the flaps. When the car or what ever you put it on
accelerates they move back by the amount of force to make your car move. Which angles the light from the led towards the LDR. Which lowers the resistance by how much force is applied. You could also use it for sensing tilt.
I made one with ball and spring to see if the car moved but with flaps and mirrors you have better precision if you wanted to use it for tilt. It starts at 112K and gos down to 20k like turning a adjustable potentiometer very good control.

I guess people think this is big or hard to make it is only a 1/2 by 1/2 by 1 1/2 inch the mirror is made of
paper you get it at hobby shops. The flaps are hinged on a piece of copper wire with copper foil and the mirror glued to it an I coated it with solder for more weight. Here a pic of the first one I made not to good looking but it worked as good or better then what you can buy. And it cost less then a dollar to make.
Here shows how the adc values change on LCD

birdman0_o · 1st June 2009, 03:17 AM

Neat idea, don't know how durable it would be though.

Mike

Sceadwian · 1st June 2009, 03:28 AM

be8, it might be nice if we could see the actual sensor in that video, also it's going to be so mechanically sensitive it couldn't be used in any situation where there'd be high shock forces or vibration. Accelerometers are not that expensive.

be80be · 1st June 2009, 03:54 AM

You can tell shock same way sparkfun 27.00 Accelerometers dose it calibration. Acceleration is shock like the force that pushes you back in the seat when you hit the gas Or the shock of some one hitting your car in the rear end. Still Acceleration.
I was raising it with my hand. I wanted to see the voltage change more then watch it raise. I could fix it so vibration is not a factor. It should hold up good. I was thinking about using it where there is not much vibration

3v0 · 1st June 2009, 02:08 PM

I like what you are doing with DIY sensor but here size works against you.

The force due to acceleration increases with an object's mass. force = mass x acceleration

The larger a sensor is the more sturdy it has to be.

Sturdy things tend to be massive.

be80be · 1st June 2009, 03:57 PM

This is not that big

And from what I tested so far mine can do the same things it can it's just a little faster and it's decoder is built in mine a pic.
Use that one if you want to it can handle 1000 g Shock Survival not powered up and 500g with the power on. But from what
I tested mine would win hands down at tilt. That's not why I made it I like it.

be80be · 1st June 2009, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Sturdy things tend to be massive

Good point my testing rig i glue it on with hot glue. I was getting the same voltage reading got my cam out and it started changing. The glue I had holding it to the arm didn't hold up lol

dknguyen · 2nd June 2009, 07:30 PM

Sturdier things are more massive, but they also fall a lot harder. You should now work on a home-built vibrating gyro.

be80be · 3rd June 2009, 02:30 AM

This would be fun Building a Balancing Scooter I have most of the junk to make it and I think my sensor would work out find to help keep you up right.

dknguyen · 3rd June 2009, 03:27 AM

Accelerometers don't work for things like that. As soon as you accelerated forward, the platform would knock you on your back (or vice versa).

be80be · 3rd June 2009, 03:50 AM

You no I always jump the gun . I was thinking about tilt control. It has two sensors and you could find the middle. It can tell if you tilt forward or backwards. With some fast Adc I'm sure you could keep it upright.

dknguyen · 3rd June 2009, 04:13 AM

You still would need a gyro. ADC speed isn't the problem. It's that the acceleration when moving would skew the gravity reading making it think the ground is not quite where it actually is. Two sensors don't help either because acceleration skews both sensors in the same direciton.

be80be · 3rd June 2009, 04:15 AM

I don't have any good links to gyro when you google you get food I done ate Lol. I see what your saying But I think there a way to make it work like I'm thinking. If it tilts back one LDR will increase in voltage and one will decrease in voltage. That will tell which way your moving. Now if i compensate for acceleration I could keep it upright. May work but if not still some thing to do. I like the ideal of a gyro but it would have to be big to keep me upright.

dknguyen · 3rd June 2009, 04:22 AM

I don't understand.

You have links? Or do I have links?

be80be · 3rd June 2009, 04:36 AM

I didn't put don't in there Do you have any good link's

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1st June 2009, 01:56 AM	#1
be80be	Simple accelerometer and tilt sensor This would make a good accelerometer. How it works is it has three mirrors in it two on the led side of the flaps. And one on the bottom, with the LDR facing down out side of the flaps. When the car or what ever you put it on accelerates they move back by the amount of force to make your car move. Which angles the light from the led towards the LDR. Which lowers the resistance by how much force is applied. You could also use it for sensing tilt. I made one with ball and spring to see if the car moved but with flaps and mirrors you have better precision if you wanted to use it for tilt. It starts at 112K and gos down to 20k like turning a adjustable potentiometer very good control. I guess people think this is big or hard to make it is only a 1/2 by 1/2 by 1 1/2 inch the mirror is made of paper you get it at hobby shops. The flaps are hinged on a piece of copper wire with copper foil and the mirror glued to it an I coated it with solder for more weight. Here a pic of the first one I made not to good looking but it worked as good or better then what you can buy. And it cost less then a dollar to make. Here shows how the adc values change on LCD Attached Thumbnails __________________ Burt http://mybe80be.com http://stores.shop.ebay.com/mybe80be__W0QQ_armrsZ1

1st June 2009, 03:17 AM	#2
birdman0_o	Neat idea, don't know how durable it would be though. Mike

1st June 2009, 03:28 AM	#3
Sceadwian	be8, it might be nice if we could see the actual sensor in that video, also it's going to be so mechanically sensitive it couldn't be used in any situation where there'd be high shock forces or vibration. Accelerometers are not that expensive. __________________ "Because I be what I be. I would tell you what you want to know if I could, mum, but I be a cat, and no cat anywhere ever gave anyone a straight answer, har har."

1st June 2009, 03:54 AM	#4
be80be	You can tell shock same way sparkfun 27.00 Accelerometers dose it calibration. Acceleration is shock like the force that pushes you back in the seat when you hit the gas Or the shock of some one hitting your car in the rear end. Still Acceleration. I was raising it with my hand. I wanted to see the voltage change more then watch it raise. I could fix it so vibration is not a factor. It should hold up good. I was thinking about using it where there is not much vibration __________________ Burt http://mybe80be.com http://stores.shop.ebay.com/mybe80be__W0QQ_armrsZ1

1st June 2009, 02:08 PM	#5
3v0	I like what you are doing with DIY sensor but here size works against you. The force due to acceleration increases with an object's mass. force = mass x acceleration The larger a sensor is the more sturdy it has to be. Sturdy things tend to be massive. __________________ Please post questions to the forums. PM's are for personal communication. BCHS/3v0's Tutorials Junebug USB PIC programmer kit., USB Bit Whacker, The 15 Minute Printed Circuit Board! (+drill time)

1st June 2009, 03:57 PM	#6
be80be	This is not that big And from what I tested so far mine can do the same things it can it's just a little faster and it's decoder is built in mine a pic. Use that one if you want to it can handle 1000 g Shock Survival not powered up and 500g with the power on. But from what I tested mine would win hands down at tilt. That's not why I made it I like it. __________________ Burt http://mybe80be.com http://stores.shop.ebay.com/mybe80be__W0QQ_armrsZ1 Last edited by be80be; 1st June 2009 at 04:11 PM.

2nd June 2009, 07:30 PM	#8
dknguyen	Sturdier things are more massive, but they also fall a lot harder. You should now work on a home-built vibrating gyro. __________________ Tanaka Sensei (avatar) says: Please spell it "ridiculous" correctly! Not "rediculous". ^^ Last edited by dknguyen; 2nd June 2009 at 07:33 PM.

3rd June 2009, 02:30 AM	#9
be80be	This would be fun Building a Balancing Scooter I have most of the junk to make it and I think my sensor would work out find to help keep you up right. __________________ Burt http://mybe80be.com http://stores.shop.ebay.com/mybe80be__W0QQ_armrsZ1

3rd June 2009, 03:27 AM	#10
dknguyen	Accelerometers don't work for things like that. As soon as you accelerated forward, the platform would knock you on your back (or vice versa). __________________ Tanaka Sensei (avatar) says: Please spell it "ridiculous" correctly! Not "rediculous". ^^ Last edited by dknguyen; 3rd June 2009 at 03:28 AM.

3rd June 2009, 03:50 AM	#11
be80be	You no I always jump the gun . I was thinking about tilt control. It has two sensors and you could find the middle. It can tell if you tilt forward or backwards. With some fast Adc I'm sure you could keep it upright. __________________ Burt http://mybe80be.com http://stores.shop.ebay.com/mybe80be__W0QQ_armrsZ1

3rd June 2009, 04:13 AM	#12
dknguyen	You still would need a gyro. ADC speed isn't the problem. It's that the acceleration when moving would skew the gravity reading making it think the ground is not quite where it actually is. Two sensors don't help either because acceleration skews both sensors in the same direciton. __________________ Tanaka Sensei (avatar) says: Please spell it "ridiculous" correctly! Not "rediculous". ^^ Last edited by dknguyen; 3rd June 2009 at 04:14 AM.

3rd June 2009, 04:15 AM	#13
be80be	I don't have any good links to gyro when you google you get food I done ate Lol. I see what your saying But I think there a way to make it work like I'm thinking. If it tilts back one LDR will increase in voltage and one will decrease in voltage. That will tell which way your moving. Now if i compensate for acceleration I could keep it upright. May work but if not still some thing to do. I like the ideal of a gyro but it would have to be big to keep me upright. __________________ Burt http://mybe80be.com http://stores.shop.ebay.com/mybe80be__W0QQ_armrsZ1 Last edited by be80be; 3rd June 2009 at 04:35 AM.

3rd June 2009, 04:22 AM	#14
dknguyen	I don't understand. You have links? Or do I have links? __________________ Tanaka Sensei (avatar) says: Please spell it "ridiculous" correctly! Not "rediculous". ^^

3rd June 2009, 04:36 AM	#15
be80be	I didn't put don't in there Do you have any good link's __________________ Burt http://mybe80be.com http://stores.shop.ebay.com/mybe80be__W0QQ_armrsZ1