Gary Peek
Guest
Fri Aug 27, 2010 2:25 am
A customer has asked us to specify a tilt sensor to determine
if a vending machine has been tilted. Something to mount to the
bottom of the enclosure probably, with screws or double-sided
tape, and a simple contact closure when the machine is tilted
beyond a certain amount would suffice. Any recommendations?
---
news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: news_at_netfront.net ---
Frank Buss
Guest
Fri Aug 27, 2010 5:19 am
Gary Peek wrote:
Quote:
A customer has asked us to specify a tilt sensor to determine
if a vending machine has been tilted. Something to mount to the
bottom of the enclosure probably, with screws or double-sided
tape, and a simple contact closure when the machine is tilted
beyond a certain amount would suffice. Any recommendations?
You could use an accelerometer, combined with a microcontroller and a
relais. Nowadays accelerometers are really inexpensive:
http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail&name=828-1016-1-ND
http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail&name=MMA8450QT-ND
Problem could be to hand solder 3mm x 3mm (for the Freescale sensor) or
even 2mm x 2mm (for the Bosch sensor), but there are other sensors in
bigger chip packages. Part costs would be less than 10 dollar for the whole
circuit.
The traditional approach would be mercury or tilt switch like this one:
http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail&name=360-2188-ND
But you can't detect small angle tilts with it and I don't think that it
detects shocks, if someone kicks the vending machine.
--
Frank Buss,
http://www.frank-buss.de
piano and more:
http://www.youtube.com/user/frankbuss
Bill Sloman
Guest
Fri Aug 27, 2010 7:05 am
On Aug 27, 11:25 am, Gary Peek <mylastn...@mycompanyname.com> wrote:
Quote:
A customer has asked us to specify a tilt sensor to determine
if a vending machine has been tilted. Something to mount to the
bottom of the enclosure probably, with screws or double-sided
tape, and a simple contact closure when the machine is tilted
beyond a certain amount would suffice. Any recommendations?
---
news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: n...@netfront.net ---
You might look at Analog Devices range of accelerometers. As Einstein
pointed out, you can't distinguish between gravity and acceleration,
and an suitable accelerometer can fiunction as a tilt meter.
Historically, the job used to be done with a blob of mercury in a
sealed tube; if the blob moved far enough a pair of contacts would
connect through the mercury. Someone may have reworked this with
optical fork to detect when the mercury blob moves far enough.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilt_sensor
points out that Nitendo uses tilt sensors in its Game Boy hand-held
games systems, so somebody must be making them cheap and in volume.
--
Bill Sloman, Nijmegen
lektric.dan@gmail.com
Guest
Fri Aug 27, 2010 11:52 am
I did a google search for tilt switches and came up with a long list.
Mouser sells mechanical tilt switches that use a steel ball that
completes (or breaks) a circuit when tilted. No accellerometers. No
microprocessors/microcontrollers. No pics/Basic Stamps. Just a
switch.
On Aug 26, 8:25 pm, Gary Peek <mylastn...@mycompanyname.com> wrote:
Quote:
A customer has asked us to specify a tilt sensor to determine
if a vending machine has been tilted. Something to mount to the
bottom of the enclosure probably, with screws or double-sided
tape, and a simple contact closure when the machine is tilted
beyond a certain amount would suffice. Any recommendations?
---
news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: n...@netfront.net ---
John Fields
Guest
Fri Aug 27, 2010 12:36 pm
On Thu, 26 Aug 2010 20:25:10 -0500, Gary Peek
<mylastname_at_mycompanyname.com> wrote:
Quote:
A customer has asked us to specify a tilt sensor to determine
if a vending machine has been tilted. Something to mount to the
bottom of the enclosure probably, with screws or double-sided
tape, and a simple contact closure when the machine is tilted
beyond a certain amount would suffice. Any recommendations?
---
Google "ball tilt switch".
---
JF
Jim Thompson
Guest
Fri Aug 27, 2010 4:03 pm
On Fri, 27 Aug 2010 06:19:18 +0200, Frank Buss <fb_at_frank-buss.de>
wrote:
Quote:
Think pinball machine. Tilt switch was a bus-bar "pendulum" hanging
into the center of a wire circle.
...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson, CTO | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona 85048 Skype: Contacts Only | |
| Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat |
| E-mail Icon at
http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |
Spice is like a sports car...
Performance only as good as the person behind the wheel.
mike
Guest
Sat Aug 28, 2010 4:45 am
Gary Peek wrote:
Quote:
A customer has asked us to specify a tilt sensor to determine
if a vending machine has been tilted. Something to mount to the
bottom of the enclosure probably, with screws or double-sided
tape, and a simple contact closure when the machine is tilted
beyond a certain amount would suffice. Any recommendations?
---
news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: news_at_netfront.net ---
There's gotta be an interesting back story to this?????
Why would one want to know and what could one do about it?
Automatically re-level the machine?
Set off an explosion to neutralize a vandal?
Microswitch and rod poked thru the bottom sitting on the ground?
Grant
Guest
Sat Aug 28, 2010 5:33 am
On Fri, 27 Aug 2010 08:03:46 -0700, Jim Thompson <To-Email-Use-The-Envelope-Icon_at_On-My-Web-Site.com> wrote:
Quote:
On Fri, 27 Aug 2010 06:19:18 +0200, Frank Buss <fb_at_frank-buss.de
wrote:
Gary Peek wrote:
A customer has asked us to specify a tilt sensor to determine
if a vending machine has been tilted. Something to mount to the
bottom of the enclosure probably, with screws or double-sided
tape, and a simple contact closure when the machine is tilted
beyond a certain amount would suffice. Any recommendations?
You could use an accelerometer, combined with a microcontroller and a
relais. Nowadays accelerometers are really inexpensive:
http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail&name=828-1016-1-ND
http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail&name=MMA8450QT-ND
Problem could be to hand solder 3mm x 3mm (for the Freescale sensor) or
even 2mm x 2mm (for the Bosch sensor), but there are other sensors in
bigger chip packages. Part costs would be less than 10 dollar for the whole
circuit.
The traditional approach would be mercury or tilt switch like this one:
http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail&name=360-2188-ND
But you can't detect small angle tilts with it and I don't think that it
detects shocks, if someone kicks the vending machine.
Think pinball machine. Tilt switch was a bus-bar "pendulum" hanging
into the center of a wire circle.
Yeah but these days they make that little 3D accelerometer that goes
into all sorts of toys and laptops, and cameras get 2D ones.
I used to service pinball machines, two foot high by 20' long ladder
diagrams, ugh. Fun playing one with the glass top open.
Grant.
Glenn Gundlach
Guest
Sat Aug 28, 2010 7:14 am
On Aug 27, 8:45 pm, mike <spam...@go.com> wrote:
Quote:
Gary Peek wrote:
A customer has asked us to specify a tilt sensor to determine
if a vending machine has been tilted. Something to mount to the
bottom of the enclosure probably, with screws or double-sided
tape, and a simple contact closure when the machine is tilted
beyond a certain amount would suffice. Any recommendations?
---
news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: n...@netfront.net ---
There's gotta be an interesting back story to this?????
Why would one want to know and what could one do about it?
Automatically re-level the machine?
Set off an explosion to neutralize a vandal?
Microswitch and rod poked thru the bottom sitting on the ground?
Yeah and what about when you pay the money and the screw thingy does
its thing and your bag of chips are dangling on the edge? You telling
you DON'T shake it a little?
G²
Jamie
Guest
Sat Aug 28, 2010 3:54 pm
Glenn Gundlach wrote:
Quote:
On Aug 27, 8:45 pm, mike <spam...@go.com> wrote:
Gary Peek wrote:
A customer has asked us to specify a tilt sensor to determine
if a vending machine has been tilted. Something to mount to the
bottom of the enclosure probably, with screws or double-sided
tape, and a simple contact closure when the machine is tilted
beyond a certain amount would suffice. Any recommendations?
---
news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: n...@netfront.net ---
There's gotta be an interesting back story to this?????
Why would one want to know and what could one do about it?
Automatically re-level the machine?
Set off an explosion to neutralize a vandal?
Microswitch and rod poked thru the bottom sitting on the ground?
Yeah and what about when you pay the money and the screw thingy does
its thing and your bag of chips are dangling on the edge? You telling
you DON'T shake it a little?
G²
Well some one has to pay for the last guy that tilted the machine to
get two or more for the price of one!
Jan Panteltje
Guest
Mon Aug 30, 2010 2:24 pm
On Aug 27, 3:25 am, Gary Peek <mylastn...@mycompanyname.com> wrote:
Quote:
A customer has asked us to specify atiltsensorto determine
if a vending machine has been tilted. Something to mount to the
bottom of the enclosure probably, with screws or double-sided
tape, and a simple contact closure when the machine is tilted
beyond a certain amount would suffice. Any recommendations?
---
news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: n...@netfront.net ---
In some circumstances a simple tilt sensor can be made by having a
small LDR
(Light dependent resistor, or CdS cell), pointed downwards in a tube
on the floor.
Normally it would be in the dark, so to speak.
But when the equipment is tilted some light gets to it.
These thing have a huge decrease in resistance even with low light
levels.
Think this is also used a booby trap in placed explosives, against
tampering.
You lift it, -boom-.
Of course it requires there to be 'some' light in the place.
But solid state, no oxidized contacts, easy to interface.
Herman
Guest
Wed Sep 01, 2010 1:25 pm
"Gary Peek" <mylastname_at_mycompanyname.com> wrote in message
news:i5745m$iau$1_at_adenine.netfront.net...
Quote:
A customer has asked us to specify a tilt sensor to determine
if a vending machine has been tilted. Something to mount to the
bottom of the enclosure probably, with screws or double-sided
tape, and a simple contact closure when the machine is tilted
beyond a certain amount would suffice. Any recommendations?
---
news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: news_at_netfront.net ---
I have 50 of the ball type mechanical tilt switches. You are welcome to
them. Email rike2 @ bellsouth dot net.
JosephKK
Guest
Thu Sep 02, 2010 7:15 am
On Fri, 27 Aug 2010 21:14:23 -0700 (PDT), Glenn Gundlach
<stratus46_at_yahoo.com> wrote:
Quote:
On Aug 27, 8:45 pm, mike <spam...@go.com> wrote:
Gary Peek wrote:
A customer has asked us to specify a tilt sensor to determine
if a vending machine has been tilted. Something to mount to the
bottom of the enclosure probably, with screws or double-sided
tape, and a simple contact closure when the machine is tilted
beyond a certain amount would suffice. Any recommendations?
---
news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: n...@netfront.net ---
There's gotta be an interesting back story to this?????
Why would one want to know and what could one do about it?
Automatically re-level the machine?
Set off an explosion to neutralize a vandal?
Microswitch and rod poked thru the bottom sitting on the ground?
Yeah and what about when you pay the money and the screw thingy does
its thing and your bag of chips are dangling on the edge? You telling
you DON'T shake it a little?
G²
Back when i played pinball, i'd gunch it quite a bit.
