Coin segregation using motors - need help

[Gedon]

hey Guys... Need your advise on this.
from coin slot to coin segregation, so what do you think?

- I plan on using ARDUINO UNO
- Mainly i have thought of 2 Designs on how to do the separation of coins when it comes out of the coin slot. I have included images so you can see the my ideas.

- for the 1st one (three shutters in alignment with the path of the coin), when a specific coin is detected the corresponding shutter will open.
- for the 2nd one (using One Motor), when a specific coin is detected it rotates to a specific and programmed angle.

- p.s. it would be most efficient if anyone can suggest how can i make the shutters in the first design reverse rotate to set it back into position.
- What do you think is more Economical, Efficient, and above all much easier to do of the two?

- Need your suggestions/advise/comments/recommendations on this. What do you recommend on the 2 designs?
- if so, what motors can i use?

[retrolefty]

- if so, what motors can i use?

For either method I would think standard R/C hobby servo(s) would be the simplest and least expensive form of motor control for opening and closing 'trap doors' or rotating a mechanical steering path. R/C servos are easy to use in arduino sketches and don't require any addition hardware like motor driver shields and such. Servos do however require a separate 5vdc power source to operate well as powering servos from a arduino's 5V shield pin is problematic from a current capacity point of view.

Lefty

[wildbill]

A second vote for servos. I prefer design one - it seems like the second might need substantial power to move the whole assembly to point to the appropriate track for each coin and there's potential to miss if the thing is still moving. With design one, the worst that will happen is that the coin ends up in the 'not recognised' bin at the end of the track.

[ash901226]

Im with the two guys above me, servo. design one seem like a more feasible way to do it

[m14D]

Are you planning to make this like a coin sorter? It also be cool if you put in a Display to count the coins

[kf2qd]

Other than feeding the coins in, it is far more efficient to sort coins mechanically based on size. Make a rail and wall that leans slightly to one side and down hill. Feed the coins in fro the top and have a wedge that will tipp the coins out into containers based on size. the largest will be tipped out first. In the USA that would be Half Dollars,  then Dollar Coins, then Quarters, then Nickles , then pennies and last of all dimes.

[Gedon]

Thanks for the replies/comments/suggestions. I would like to do it mechanically but there is a limit to the number of coins inserted and any further coins inserted in the system will be moved to an extra case. If using the first design what will happen is if the specified number of coins has been reached for each type of coin the slots will not open, guiding the extra inserted coins down to an extra case. Our currency has 3 Types of Coins, hence the 4 pathways in the second design.

Thanks!
If you have any other comments please do post

[kf2qd]

Okay - You want to feed coins in and count a certain amount into each stack and any extras go into a separate bin.

Here's an Idea - the coin starts in - Have some form of light detectors (opto couplers?) that detect the coin and its size. For each size have a servo - servos all retracted will send all the coins into the extras bin. As the size is detected, and the count is less than your limit, activate the servo for the proper size coin and it will be tripped into the correct bin. Also use a servo at the start to feed the coins on at a time. Might check the size before the coin is released by the first servo to give the other servos time to get in position. You could use either time or a sensor in each receptacle to tell the machine when to release the next coin.