pic: Game hint

[Bill Moore]

Originally Posted by Mark McLeod

Tried out ours tonight, but it doesn't appear to be working as expected.
It seems to learn about four different remotes (found one it didn't acknowledge at all and another it objected to via the error LED), but after going through the learning sequence it won't respond to any of them in any way.

BTW
One of the traces from the unmarked white connector appears to go to the learn button.

Mark,

With the speculation about RoboLaser Tag, could the response be to shut down for a period after receiving a signal? Is your sensor still unresponsive?

Have any other teams found results they are willing to share?

[Mark McLeod]

Originally Posted by Bill Moore

With the speculation about RoboLaser Tag, could the response be to shut down for a period after receiving a signal? Is your sensor still unresponsive?

We've tried both before and after cycling the power on the IR board, but get no response whatsoever after the learning sequence ends normally. We tested with more than a dozen different remote manufacturers, including universal remotes.

I'm pretty sure our board is defective, but don't have a way to definitively test or prove it one way or another. We need a board from another local team, to prove the remotes work. The board's learning sequence indicates it likes some remotes, doesn't like others, and was unresponsive only to one old remote (not surprising).

[ZachKahn]

IR = International Relations? Think about it.

I definitely think the wire is the hint and the sensor is a normal component. The wires are too small to be soldered. The connector wires are a rainbow. Let's follow that rainbow to the pot of gold!!!

*note* A rainbow is in an arc... could this mean a trajectory of a flying object or a round game piece.

[Kaushal.K]

Originally Posted by ZachKahn

IR = International Relations? Think about it.

I definitely think the wire is the hint and the sensor is a normal component. The wires are too small to be soldered. The connector wires are a rainbow. Let's follow that rainbow to the pot of gold!!!

*note* A rainbow is in an arc... could this mean a trajectory of a flying object or a round game piece.

Well we could be firing something across the "pond".. (pond being the Atlantic Ocean.. one alliance being the "American" side.. the other alliance being the "European" side...) with the possibility of a water (or IR) "obstacle" in the middle/in certain areas... would provide a serious set of risks though (using the water) but oh well..

[artdutra04]

Originally Posted by ZachKahn

IR = International Relations? Think about it.

I definitely think the wire is the hint and the sensor is a normal component. The wires are too small to be soldered. The connector wires are a rainbow. Let's follow that rainbow to the pot of gold!!!

*note* A rainbow is in an arc... could this mean a trajectory of a flying object or a round game piece.

Or they just used rainbow ribbon cable to make it easier for people when it comes time to crimp pins onto the wire to connect it to the robot controller/whatever output it may go to. On small 20- or 22-gauge wire like that, it's a lot easier to use color coding than to attempt to label individual wires.

[T3_1565]

but FIRST is sneaky like that to make you think "hey this wire is a symbol, and then go wait no it isn't" and then BAM it is!

[keen101]

Just thought I'd let everyone know that after having the board for 1 day... It broke today.



But It's ok, seems that the 5v voltage regulator died. I replaced it, and now it works fine again.

So, if anyone's boards die... check the 5v regulator.

[sishu7]

Has anyone in the Pacific Northwest received this "gift?" No one from the teams I have spoken to has, and our team certainly has not.

[Anamn3sis]

My team got it this morning, I'll post hi-res photos for everyone tomorrow when I get a chance to look at it again, and thanks for all the info in this thread

[AndyB]

We got our chip today and were playing with it. We found it had around a 50' range for us. But with a lens, the range can be extended to well across the length of the playing field. If they will be using the the board as-is, then I don't foresee a target past midfield if a driver/human player were to be using a remote to somehow effect the game.

[Aren_Hill]

AndyB, was that 50ft range with or without the lense. And how did you have that lense setup/what type of lense

[AndyB]

Originally Posted by Aren_Hill

AndyB, was that 50ft range with or without the lense. And how did you have that lense setup/what type of lense

Didn't use a lense... Didn't try a lense. Just saying...

[Daniel_LaFleur]

Originally Posted by AndyB

We got our chip today and were playing with it. We found it had around a 50' range for us. But with a lens, the range can be extended to well across the length of the playing field. If they will be using the the board as-is, then I don't foresee a target past midfield if a driver/human player were to be using a remote to somehow effect the game.

The problem with using a lens is that it has a focal length. The further away from that length you are (both closer or farther) the more defocused you get. Any single lens that gives you IR visability across the field will be out of focus up close (and may not be detectable). A zoom lens coupled with an PID circuit could allow you to focus at any length.

[Alan Anderson]

Originally Posted by Daniel_LaFleur

The problem with using a lens is that it has a focal length. The further away from that length you are (both closer or farther) the more defocused you get. Any single lens that gives you IR visability across the field will be out of focus up close (and may not be detectable). A zoom lens coupled with an PID circuit could allow you to focus at any length.

This isn't a camera. Being "in focus" is irrelevant. What an extra lens can provide here is a combination of directivity and light-collecting power. For this application, non-imaging optics are fine. It's the size of the lens that matters most, and the focal length is (to a point) unimportant.

[Daniel_LaFleur]

Originally Posted by Alan Anderson

This isn't a camera. Being "in focus" is irrelevant. What an extra lens can provide here is a combination of directivity and light-collecting power. For this application, non-imaging optics are fine. It's the size of the lens that matters most, and the focal length is (to a point) unimportant.

Being perfectly 'in focus' is not important, you are correct. But being out of focus will lessen the energy recieved by the sensor, and as such will make it less sensitive (requireing more light to trigger). In addition, adding a lens will shorten it's field of vision.