Making a Sensor Board

[Specialagentjim]

Originally Posted by SilverStar

A potentiometer controls the amount of resistance of a circuit. The higher the resistance setting, the lower the analog reading of that input (or maybe otherway around). Teams use this to figure out the angle that the potentiometer is turned to. For example if a rotatable device is connected to the potentiometer, as the device rotates the resistance and the input value would change.

Quick example: Volume knob on a radio is a pot

[Joshua May]

Originally Posted by Specialagentjim

Quick example: Volume knob on a radio is a pot

Yeah, I knew what a potentiometer is, I just didn't know what applications it had for a robot. Thanks for the info though.

[SpaceOsc]

any other sensors? and i do mean ALL the sensors that i could find in my local kit of parts, we have sensor from back in 2001 till 2004 so i guess we have alot to work with. can anyone help? or a place i could get help thats not the spec sheets of first

[Astronouth7303]

I'm a programmer, so pardon me.

We used pots for finding the position of various parts. They're also used in joysticks and the like.

Encoders are used to find if something has passed it. Most of us use the banners. What we did was put reflectors on a black axle adaptor and used 2 banners to see if it was high or low. see the white paper on quadrature encoders.

Gyros can measure meassure angle of your robot (or something on it) if you use code. You need an accumulator to add the value at a regular interval.

There are the touch sensors, but I hope those are obvious. (Digital)

There are actually 2 pressure sensors. The one you MUST use is digital. The one you can use is analog. The former is turn compressor on/off. the latter is actual pressure.

the voltage sensor is important if a motor has a high stall and/or if it can break your robot. Analog. if it crosses a certain threshold (High or low), kill the motor.

The banners are also used for line following (on or off line).

Anything else I missed?

[Joshua May]

Originally Posted by Astronouth7303

Anything else I missed?

Just the newer one, Infrared. The IR sensors search for an Infrared beacon and travel towards it. I don't know how these work, however, because my team did not use them this year.