Brainstorming - Wireless sensor TX/RX ideas

[turbid]

I'm just looking for ideas that I can then research. I can figure out the sensor itself, I'm more interested in the TX/RX side.

Small package

Programmable/tunable in pairs. There will be several sensors and receivers in the same area. Each sensor needs to tx to it's own rx unit.

I was thinking a set up kinda like a garage door opener where you program in the code with small dip switches.

Any ideas?

I'm not asking your guys to do this for me, just bounce some ideas around so I have a few to choose from. I have a habit of getting tunnel vision on one idea and missing much simpler paths.

 

[MikeMl]

I'm just looking for ideas that I can then research. I can figure out the sensor itself, I'm more interested in the TX/RX side.

Small package

Programmable/tunable in pairs. There will be several sensors and receivers in the same area. Each sensor needs to tx to it's own rx unit....

I have used some of these.

 

[DirtyLude]

I'm not really clear what you are looking for, but it looks like a basic mesh sensor network. I've been working with the RFM12B's and they are really nice for a simple RX/TX if you can program your own basic P2P network. More complicated are something like the PICTAIL MRF24J40MA which are a IEEE 802.15.4 RX/TX pair. It's more powerful, but also much more complex to interact with.

If you want a very simple, but expensive solution, you can get a few Zigbee modules like the XBEE. XBEE's are very easy to interface with and can do some basic things all on their own if needed.

Sparkfun sells the RF12B's and XBEE's.

I've done something with the RF12B's similar to what this guy is doing with them, only he's using an AVR/Arduino. I was using an MSP430, but I'll be moving to the LPC1XXX series soon here.
**broken link removed**

 

[turbid]

basically what I'm doing is target flashers. When a steel target is hit it sends a signal that trips a camera strobe. These are useful here in AZ for competitive long range shooting because the make up of our rocks makes it so that hitting a rock sometimes sounds very similar to the sound of hitting the steel target.

I have already built a wired version that works well except that it doesn't seem to matter where the cable is run, someone always manages to hit it before the end of the day.

 

[turbid]

I'm looking into everything that's been posted already, anymore ideas?

Keep in mind that all I need to transmit it on or off. Also matching sensor to receiver. I like the idea of doing that in the same way it's done with garage door openers using the dip switches.

Does anyone have any circuit diagrams for garage door opener TX and RX? I've been looking with no luck.

 

[DirtyLude]

Yes, that's pretty basic. You might want to just look at RF relays. These are basic RF systems with the simple switch encoder/decoders. You can find them on e-bay all of the time and in other places. They are basically just a remote and receiver with the receiver having one or more relay outputs.

Something like this:
**broken link removed**

 

[turbid]

That's a very good start. if nothing else it will give me something to work with. The RX unit is probably fine for what I need, but I'm gonna have to adapt the TX side to my piezo sensor. This will give me a working sample to look over.

Thank you.

 

[turbid]

OK, I got the remote control system from ebay and while it's cool, it's still more complected and not really what I need. This has one of those rolling code chips instead of just simple dip switch set up like a standard old fashioned garage remote.

I've tried searching for basic garage remote schematics and can't find anything useful.

Any more ideas where to look?