Small electronics projects

[mdonovan]

Does anyone know of a place I can get small electronic projects done? There was an article on here about an ultrasonic sensor, and then someone else designed a small circuit for it to interface to rs232 (I can't find my bookmarks about it right at the moment). I would like to get one of the interfaces made, but I am incapable of doing it (I'd like to learn more about electronics. I'm a software type now). I don't need a bunch of them, so I was hoping there was someplace that does one off electronics projects for those of us that can't do them ourselves.

Matt

 

[electron]

Are you talking about this article?

 

[mdonovan]

Are you talking about this article?

Yes, that's the sensor. Then there was another post about an interface someone made to connect to a serial port. I know I have these links bookmarked somewhere, I just can't seem to track them down now. It handled polling the unit instead of having it constantly stream reports, and you could hook multiple sensors to it. I wanted to get this interface made for me. It looks simple enough, but I'm just not that knowledgeable about electronics.

Matt

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

Gerry Duprey made these and sells them at his SITE.

Not sure if you can purchase as a completed kit. Maybe contact him directly via Email.

He is a CocoonTech member (though I can't remember his handle) and made some posts here about that project.

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

Ooohhh, update to my above post, just saw THIS notice at Gerry's site.

 

[Michael McSharry]

The RS-232 data from the sensor can be simply controlled with a RS-232 flow control discrete. The sensor is very response to providing good readings with only a small window of time when it is enabled. There is no need to always have the sensor enabled, but only enable it when you want to take a snapshot of the reading. A schematic that anyone can wire and the software for control in this manner is at the bottom of the page at http://mcssprinklers.com/xapXap.htm

 

[mdonovan]

Ooohhh, update to my above post, just saw THIS notice at Gerry's site.

Yea, this is the project, and that's the page I found too when I went to see about buying one. This is what I want to get made for me.

Matt

 

[mdonovan]

The RS-232 data from the sensor can be simply controlled with a RS-232 flow control discrete. The sensor is very response to providing good readings with only a small window of time when it is enabled. There is no need to always have the sensor enabled, but only enable it when you want to take a snapshot of the reading. A schematic that anyone can wire and the software for control in this manner is at the bottom of the page at http://mcssprinklers.com/xapXap.htm

I thought I saw somewhere that you needed an extra chip between the RS232 connector and the input on the sensor that allowed you to turn it off/on. @#%@# I wish I could find the bookmarks for these, although you guys have given me 2 of them already. I'm sure what I read was on here. I'll need to look again for it. Your drawing looks so simple I think even I could do that, but I was going to hook up more than one to it, and I wanted to combine them on one serial port.

I want to try using one of these to monitor my heat pump condenser. Where it is, my cat skulks around there, and who knows what other critters may pass by, so motion sensors probably wouldn't work. I figure the distance between the top of the unit and the sensor will be the same unless someone sticks their head under the sensor or tries to swipe the condenser. I was also going to maybe attempt to set one up to monitor the level of heating oil in my tank. The condenser is just on the other side of the basement wall from the oil tank, so that's why I wanted to get the interface and use it to connect both sensors to one RS232 port.

I do plan on xAPifying the interface board, like you did for your drawing.

Thanks for pointing that out though.

Matt

 

[GerardK]

As building the board is an issue you might consider multiple serial ports on the PC or even one of the LAN serial extenders.

 

[Michael McSharry]

If you do hook up directly to the COM port with the 4-wire circuit/cable make certain your source is at TTL levels and not RS-232 levels. Most PCs are this way, but the IP/Serial devices do vary. Lantronix is at TTL, but Quatech is RS-232. A review of the manual that comes with xapmcsSonar should also point this out.