Help with elevator project

[someguy33]

Hi, I'm very new to this stuff. I'm in a first year university design class, and we have to design a controller for a 3 floor elevator. We have been given a bread board and a bunch of IC's to make it, but being in a first year class neither me nor my team know what to do with some of this stuff.

The elevator has 3 floors each with a sensor and there is a top and bottom sensor to prevent the elevator from going above or beyond. The IC's we have are as follows

4049 Inverter x1
4011 NAND x1
4023 3 input NAND x1
4025 3 input NOR x1
4070 exclusive OR x1
4077 Exclusive OR x1
4027 J-K flip-flop x2

I've got info on the IC's and I've got a bit of an idea what to do, but I don't understand how to use the flip-flop. I believe we need that to make it so you just push the button once and it will keep it in memory (so you don't have to hold it down). I'm basically lost and need any and all the help I can get.

Sorry for such a new person type question.

 

[stevez]

You might look at the controller you have to construct as a box with stuff in it - that provides outputs to run the elevator based on inputs. Outputs might control the motor, brake, direction, indicator lights, etc. Inputs might be the pushbuttons, the end switches, door position, etc. Ultimately the goal is to have the "stuff" in the box provide outputs that provide the desired action for the given inputs (and also based on the prior inputs/actions). Truth table comes to mind but that may be an old or inappropriate term.

It would seem you have to create or make up an imaginary elevator so that the "stuff" in you box can be limited to the items you have listed.

 

[someguy33]

all together the inputs for this thing are 3 push buttons 5 sensors in total, all for the floors. and basically the output is 2 motors one for up one for down. There is actually a model elevator that this has to be connected to and actually operate, we do have some truth tables for the chips, but I really don't understand the info we were given on the flip-flop chip, I think that's a the biggest problem i have right now

 

[ericgibbs]

all together the inputs for this thing are 3 push buttons 5 sensors in total, all for the floors. and basically the output is 2 motors one for up one for down. There is actually a model elevator that this has to be connected to and actually operate, we do have some truth tables for the chips, but I really don't understand the info we were given on the flip-flop chip, I think that's a the biggest problem i have right now

hi,
When you say you don't understand, which detail is a problem?

 

[someguy33]

I'm gonna have a good read of that later and I'll let you know, but right now I basically don't understand what inputs are for what.

 

[Super_voip]

This is a problem put forward to nearly every year and I have seen all sorts of controllers used including PALs so there should be plenty of solutions out on the web. The problem isn't so much about electronics rather it is about logic.

 

[someguy33]

ya I know it's basically about logic, cause it's not even an electrical course nor would have to have taken any electrical any thing to get into this class. I guess my biggest problem is that I don't understand the flip-flop chip, everything else I more or less get, just not that one. I don't understand what inputs would do what, I read that data sheet and learned very little from it.

I've tried to find stuff online but have had basically no luck finding anything that helped me, so when I found a forum I thought I'd look for help here.

 

[ericgibbs]

hi someguy,

Look at the jpg.. if you dont understand it now, then you have a problem.

I have drawn it, showing the possible states of the outputs.

Lets know how it goes.