Problem with 2 Sharp GP2D12 IR sensors

Using Arduino Sensors
1

I'm trying to read data from two IR sensors but the results are wrong, some times returning 0 and mostly values don't make any sense.
The code i'm using is the following:

int IRpin = A0;
int IRpin1 = A1;

void setup() {
Serial.begin(9600);
}

void loop() {
float distance = analogRead(IRpin);
float distance1 = analogRead(IRpin1);

Serial.println("Sensor A0: ");
Serial.println(distance);
Serial.println("Sensor A1: ");
Serial.println(distance1);
delay(1000);
}

Any ideas?

2

How are the sensors wired?

3

You first should get it working with one sensor.
Note the raw reading is not yet the distance in inches/cm...

check - https://wiki.engr.illinois.edu/display/ae498mpa/The+Sharp+GP2D12+Infrared+Range+Finder

4

I tried with one, using necessary calculations to convert the results. The returned variables aren't stable but quite accurate. Then I connected the second sensor at A1 pin, GND, and 5V (as the other). Then it looks like something is really wrong :~ .
Thanks

5

Does both sensors work when used separately?

Might add a delay between the readings,
Sometimes doing 2 analogRead()'s and only use the last one helps to settle the signal.

The returned variables aren't stable but quite accurate.

You can do 16 readings per sensor and average them

your code refactored with averaging and the use of arrays for some vars

int pin[2] = { A0, A1 };  // array with two pinnumbers
int distance[2];   // array to hold the distances

void setup() 
{
  Serial.begin(115200);    // we go for max speed ;)
  Serial.println("Setup...");
  // ...                      
}

void loop()
{
  // make 2 measurements 
  for (int p = 0; p < 2; p++)   // do it twice for index 0 and index 1
  {
    distance[p] = 0;
    for (int i=0; i< 16; i++) distance[p] += analogRead( pin[p] );   // make 16 readings
    distance[p] /= 16;  // average them
    // optional delay(100) here..
  }
 
  // print them
  Serial.println( "Sensor A0: " );
  Serial.println( distance[0] ); 
  Serial.println( "Sensor A1: " );
  Serial.println( distance[1] );

  // and wait 
  delay(1000);                                     
}
6

Thank you for your advise.
Dont know if something is wrong with my compiler but it returns something like: æÔ?©Zè-á_xÊÙx́JøæêòÚ_{ÕÙyÌÙxÍË ìÉøøÙxÀËm tØà°àØ
Have any idea?

7

make sure you serial monitor shows the same bit rate as you initialize your serial to in your code.

8

Oh didn't notice that.
Looks like it works thank you very much

9

Looks like it works thank you very much

do the readings make sense ?

10

When nothing is over the sensor, arduino returns many random variables from 0 to 300 or so (it happens with many codes ? found on internet which uses the IR sensor with robotics). However when results are converted in cm, apart from the fact these aren't steady, it returns the correct distance when detects an object.

11

The return values are not random just raw measurements, that need to be processed to be meaningful for us humans.

As said you can minimize noise by averaging readings, can also be done with a running average:

#define PIN A0
long distance;

void setup() 
{
  Serial.begin(115200);   
  Serial.println("Setup...");
  // ...                      
}

void loop()
{
  distance = (90*distance + 10 * analogRead(PIN))/ 100;   //  every new reading can change the disctance by 10% 
 
  Serial.println( distance ); 
  delay(1000);                                     
}