Proximity

Forum 2005-2010 (read only) Hardware Interfacing
1

First of all, I have to apologize if someone else asked this question on this forum before, because I'm sure they have and I can't find it and I'm gonna get told off, but anyway, here it goes:

I need a proximity sensor. I have not purchased a proximity sensor, but yet I own 2 transducers and several IR leds. I would like to interface either the transducers and/or the IR leds to my arduino, hopefully, without purchasing other components. If this is not possible, then just say so. I've searched for ultrasonic range finders and IR proximity sensors and the like, but I cannot find good information that I understand, you might, but I might not so if you know the answer to my question or you find information and can interpret it for me, that would be greatly appreciated. :slight_smile:

Thanks in Advanced
-Thomas Countz

[edit]I just need to know what pins to connect either the transducers or the IR leds to, on the arduino, and a little boost on how I might program it, but I should be able to find information about that.[/edit]

2

Most ultrasonic rangers just have a little PIC in them with a transducer.
You can do the same thing. The hard part is getting the perfect algorithm to reliably measure distance.

3

If the measurements are close enough, I'm building this for obstacle avoidance, so it dose not have to be precise.

4

I have many IR emitters and receivers, I figure I could just use those because in my research I didn't find that I needed any other component to make them function as an obstacle detector. I guess I just need to find out how to wire them up and program them. I'm just wondering if you need anything other then an emitter and a receiver to make an obstacle detector with IR.