Hello everyone,
I was wondering if there is a way to make wireless sensors to comunicate with a central arduino, for example putting a MQ-2 sensor on the kitchen, once it detects gas it sends data wirelessly to an arduino on another room.
Thanks.
NRF24L01 radio transceivers would be a choice for the communication. One NRF24 unit can receive from up to 6 transmitters. And there are at least 3 libraries to help with the coding (nrf24, MIRF and radiohead). And a link to a good tutorial nrf24 tutorial
It can be done but you need something at the sensor to read it and transmit the data and something at the master arduino end to receive it. Generally, that means you need an arduino (or equivalent) connected to the sensor and something to do the transmission and reception. Cheap radios are one option, wifi shields are another.
x-bee radios can read a sensor directly, but they're expensive enough that there's not really any economic advantage to using them, nice though they are.
Thanks for your reply wildbill, i found some tutos about the radio transmission solution but i was thinking of long wires, what is the max length of wire between the breadboard and the sensors? i need to put sensors far like 10 meters from the board.
Thanks groundfungus for the tutorial, i still need two arduinos for this right ?
a slave and a master,i want to use only one arduino board at the center of the sensors and i am thinking in long wire solution if the wireless idea wont work.
I have used the nrf24 radios for a similar project. I have a weather station with a wireless wind speed and direction unit and an outside temp and humidity sensor that each communicate with the indoor receiver. Yes, you need a microcontroller at each sensor and a central receiver. For the two senders (wind and outside conditions) I have a standalone mega328 (same chip as Uno) running at 8Mhz on the internal oscillator. You should have no trouble with a range of 10 meters even through a normal interior wall or two.
well groundfungus i will try that and see, and you said i wont have a problem using a 10 meters cable to connect the sensors to the breadboard ?
No, I said that the range of the wireless link using NRF24 radios would probably be greater than 10 meters. Running 10 meters of wire between the sensor and breadboard might work if using good shielded cable, with emphasis on might.
ok i will give it a try, thanks alot.