I am hoping somebody can help guide me through putting together a project as I have zero background in anything like this but would really like to build this device for my use. Essentially, it is a range detecting device built around an Arduino Mini board and utilizes the following auxiliary components: HC-SR04 Ultrasonic Module, nRF24L01+ 2.4GHz Wireless Transceiver (Arduino Compatible).
Here are the issues I am having from this point:
I can't find a battery that provides 5V to power the Ultrasonic Module and the 2.4GHz transceiver. I have been able to find an article which talks about a switching regulator to reduce the power to the components (ยป Arduino misconceptions 6: a 9V battery is a good power source), but have no idea if this is the right solution or not. Can somebody please advise if this is the right direction to go or if there are other options?
I have no idea how to program the thing to do what I would like it to do. I would like the device to detect the distance, then transmit through the transceiver to another device in a different location to indicate when something is within 2 - 12 feet or so of the ultrasonic module. Can anybody point me in the right direction on where I might be able to find some open source code to accomplish this?
I would really appreciate any help I can get. If anybody is in the Sacramento, CA region and would like to make some extra money helping a guy out, I would love to get this thing done! Thank you!
"1) I can't find a battery that provides 5V to power the Ultrasonic Module and the 2.4GHz transceiver."
I suspect these devices have a bit of a leeway, (not 5v exactly). There are many 6v battery combinations that should work. If you want to reduce the 6v, add a silicon diode to drop it down to 5.3v.
The HC-SR04 is a bit touchy. I found it not to responsive above about 6 foot. But up to that distance, it should be pretty reliable.
If you don't have any programming experience you need to fill that gap by studying the examples that come with the Arduino IDE and following some of the many online tutorials. Also, read as many Forum Threads as you can as it is a good way to be introduced to tricks (to follow and to avoid) that you might not otherwise encounter.
It is very important to think of your project as a collection of small pieces of code - not one huge big heap of spaghetti. Write short programs to learn each piece separately before you try joining them together.
There are many Threads on the Forum about distance sensors.
Thank you for the pointers/advice. I will definitely look into the silicon diode...that isn't something that is going to generate a lot of heat by reducing the voltage is it?
Robin2 - appreciate the link. I will be studying up!