Hello Geeks,
I am currently working on my 2014 KTM 390 engine and i wanted to make a gear indicator and tachometer using neopixel LEDS
as per my research i found out that there are 2 types of CKP(crank position sensors) widely used
DC generating sensor which sips power from battery and has 3 wires , which under an oscilloscope generated a square wave
this type is what my engine has which is an inducter style AC generating sensor with 2 wires
i dont have an oscilloscope to visualise how these waves are (still waiting on an arduino shield that i bought which might allow me to use arduino to use as an oscilloscope like this ) but i did test the sensor using my multimeter and i found out that it generates max 5-6 AC volts example video of the type of sensor in use
my question therefore is how can i use arduino to detect this signal ?? i am not good at electronics to figure it out
but after reading through other similar(but very old and inactive) post
could i use an optocoupler to get the pulses from AC to DC ?? what model should i use?
any other type of circuit that could help me to get that data into arduino ?
You need to use a diode to eliminate the negative half of the AC signal. Then use two resistors to make a voltage divider so the DC going to your Arduino pin is not going to damage the Arduino. Then you can program to Arduino to recognize the voltage pulse ad do whatever you want to do.
You cannot apply a negative voltage to Arduino input! That type of sensor can generate higher voltages than input pin (and opto) can tolerate, be careful.
Depending on how the signal is sensed by the circuitry it is attached to, it could be distorted. You would design your circuit so as not to change the input signal.
