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Circuit design help

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shocker66

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I have a machine at work where a part on a conveyor ( if I want ) trip several switches as it traverses from right to left or the opposite. This conveyor can at times have product going in either direction. I need to have an electronic indicator tell me in an output which direction it’s going. I am having a hard time visualizing a circuit where inputs triggered in a order or direction can give me a output showing me direction. Maybe this circuit is simple and I am just missing something. I have lots of experience with electronics. 555s, 741s, opto couplers, trimmers all that good stuff. I have designed many circuits but not like this..
Any ideas?
 
Hi.

a simple D-flip flop can easilly be configured to tell what direction fron two sencors that is active at same time, but time shifted to each other.
But you need to include documentation that describes the switches and the most likely time map for each one. If you can do that, then I can tell if a D-flip flop is enough.
 
direction indicator

Thank you for you help.

I know how to use a flip flop but not in the way your describing. Imagine I have 7 switches. The center one always trips first this the other 3 in a certain direction. 1234567.. 4 trips then either 5 or 3 and so on and so forth. 4567 or 4321 in this manner. How can I create a circuit which will indicate with an out put which group tripped. Also 123 will also be tripping at the same time but YES in the same direction.

Jeff

PS I have been in Norway. I was in the Marines and did some cold weather training there. Very beautiful country and very pretty girls.. And before I get old I want to visit again for the only reason to see the aura borealis. it was very bright when I was there years ago. It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen.....
 
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You could use a FF as a quadrature detector as Grossel stated. You would need one FF for each pair of switches you want to detect.
 
One signal option

This issues a constant High with pulse Low in one direction, constant Low with pulse High in other. Simple 2 NAND FF w/2 opto couplers fed by 1 LED, Very narrow chopper (dictates pulse width): state retained is last opto pulsed. G.H <<<)))
 
if you have 3 sensors, one right, one middle, and one left, you could have the middle one trigger a monostable (like a 555), and while it's output is active, whichever of the other one triggers next (left or right) tells you the direction.
 
shocker66, if you visit Norway, then Hurtigruten (coast steamer) is pretty cheap at winter time. Approx half of the sumer price. But be aware it can go weeks between every time AB is showing, so don't expect to see very lot of it :p

I have a suggestion. Can you build a flywheel with wholes and two optical censors? That will make it easier to determine the direction regardles og the position. Any computer mouse with a middle button/scroll wheel would have a set of flywheel and sencors.

I think that using the fourth switch and the two closest will not determine direction, only that the position is further away than switch three and five, seing from switch four.

Using the switches you have avaiable you will be able to roughly dermine the positon and therefore predict the direction.
I haven't thaught on that kind of problem, but I'm sure that using some SR flipflops would make it possible to predict the direction.
 
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ok.. we are going in the right direction. I have the sensors in now. They are pulled high and go load when triggered. I need to test there functionality with my scope before I go to the next step... Give me a few days ( I will be back )

Jeff
 
I know this is not exactly what you asked, but why can't you detect the conveyor direction at source? A conveyor that travels in two directions must have a contactor or other reversing device in its control panel, so why not just make an indicator attached to that?
 
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