IR Sensor Range Problems

[KBMSora]

We built the IR beacon and sensor, but when the sensors were hooked up to an oscilloscope the sensor only outputs when the beacon is less than a foot away. Is anyone else having this problem? If so, has anyone found a solution to this problem. Thanks.

[Dave Flowerday]

Originally Posted by KBMSora

We built the IR beacon and sensor, but when the sensors were hooked up to an oscilloscope the sensor only outputs when the beacon is less than a foot away. Is anyone else having this problem? If so, has anyone found a solution to this problem. Thanks.

Since you have a scope, check the signal that's getting to your IR LED on the beacon to make sure the beacon is assembled correctly.

The detector should be able to see the beacon at distances at least 20 or 30 feet away.

Also: the detector will only turn on for either 1ms or 2ms (depending on which beacon it's seeing) every 10ms. Did you zoom in enough on your scope to see that?

[Kevin Watson]

Originally Posted by KBMSora

We built the IR beacon and sensor, but when the sensors were hooked up to an oscilloscope the sensor only outputs when the beacon is less than a foot away. Is anyone else having this problem? If so, has anyone found a solution to this problem. Thanks.

Make sure the signal on pin 1 of Q1 of the beacon circuit looks kinda like one of the two waveforms shown in this illustration. Make sure that you swapped pin 2 and 3 of Q1 when you built the beacon. This schematic is how it should be wired. As Dave pointed out, you should be able to detect the beacon from at least twenty feet away. Let us know what you find out.

-Kevin

[KBMSora]

I'm told that the problem has been fixed. Thanks everyone for your help.