direction sensor (compass) AND tilt sensor

[netvigator]

We are working on a solar concentrator appliance. There is a picture of a similar dish here:

http://www.advanced-app.com.hk/MiscJunk/SolarConcentrator.jpg

The dish must be aimed at the sun accurately, and we have sun position sensors to do that.

In addition, we want to record where the dish is aimed today, in case it is cloudy tomorrow. Tomorrow, if the clouds part suddenly, the dish needs to be pointed approximately right (so it will not take long for the sun position sensors and motors to move the dish into the right position).

A magnetic compass would work to sense the East-West orientation, and I found this thread:

https://www.electro-tech-online.com/threads/direction-sensor-compass.35779/

We would also need to sense the tilt of the dish up and down. Could an electronic sensor also do that job?

Thanks,

 

[Joe G]

i never used a compass ic as of yet, but what about just setting it up so it always returns to a 'ZERO' position?

 

[ronsimpson]

I have used magnetic compasses both 2x and 3x. I think the 3 direction compass will work.
I would place censors on the hings or pivot points. Maybe a simple "pot" will work.

 

[alec_t]

As in post #3, I'd use rotation transducers on the two axes of movement.

 

[nickelflippr]

A two axis accelerometer can give you tilt. They make modules like the DE-ACCM2G, among others, that can be directly read by a micro a-d.