pxt-calliope/docs/projects/timing-gates.md
Peli de Halleux 7a86bbd6b9 Timingate (#265)
* draft lesson

* basic timing gates lesson
2016-09-28 22:35:53 -07:00

5.9 KiB

Timing gates

In ths project, we will build a timing gate, a system that can measure the speed of a car.

The timing gate is made of two sensors that can detect the moving car. When the car goes through the gate, it triggers each sensor and the micro:bit records the times. The speed is then computed by dividing the distance between the sensors by the time between each sensor trigger.

~hint

This lesson explains the principles of timing gates using household materials. To build high performance gates, you will need better sensors such as Hall Effect sensors.

~

Materials

  • Carboard
  • Aluminum fail
  • Double-side tape (carpet tape)
  • 4 crocodile clips
  • A micro:bit board and USB cable

blocks

basic.showLeds(`
        . . . . .
        . . . . .
        . . # . .
        . . . . .
        . . . . .
        `)
input.onPinPressed(TouchPin.P0, () => {})
let t = 0
input.runningTime()
t - 1
control.eventTimestamp();
basic.showNumber(0)

Building the gate

The sensor is made by tapping two strips of fail on the cardboard as close as possible.

Add two strips of double-sided tape on the cardboard. Remove the protective film.

Lay the Aluminum foil on the double-sided tape. Press firmly on the tape to get a good bonding of the foil.

Strip the out foil around and between the tape strips. Make sure both foil strips don't touch each other.

Connect a crocodile strip to each foil strip.

Connect the crocodile plugs to the GND and P0 pins on the micro:bit.

The gate is ready to use! Your circuit should look like the picture below:

Detecting the car with code

The micro:bit provides an event on pin pressed that is raised when a circuit between GND and a pin is detected. The circuit conductor could be a wire or even your body! We will attach a foil to the bottom of the car. When it passes over the gate, it connect both foil strips, close the circuit and trigger the event.

Open the code editor and start a new project and add the following blocks. Notice that we are using pin P0 here.

basic.showLeds(`
        . . . . .
        . . . . .
        . . # . .
        . . . . .
        . . . . .
        `)
input.onPinPressed(TouchPin.P0, () => {
    basic.showLeds(`
        # . . . .
        # . . . .
        # . . . .
        # . . . .
        # . . . .
        `)
})

Testing the code with our finger, we see a LED column turn on when pressing both strips.

https://youtu.be/zi_-NAmdDpY

Upgrading the car

In this lesson, we picked a random toy car and tapped foil to the bottom. As the car goes through the gate, it will connect both sides of the gate and trigger it. Make sure to add enough foil to get a good connection on the ground.

By moving the car (slowly) through the gate, you will see that it triggers the on pin pressed event.

https://youtu.be/M3DIUvDPlIA

~hint

It does not work always! Sometimes the foil does not touch long enough both strip to be detected. This is due to the poor quality of our sensor. To fix this, you would have to consider using better sensors based on IR or Hall effect.

~

Adding the second gate

Repeat the same process with tape and foil to build the first gate.

Connect the crocodile plugs to the GND and P1 pins on the micro:bit.

Detecting the second gate

Since the second gate is connected to pin P1, we add a second on pin pressed event that display 2 columns of LEDs.

basic.showLeds(`
        . . . . .
        . . . . .
        . . # . .
        . . . . .
        . . . . .
        `)
input.onPinPressed(TouchPin.P0, () => {
    basic.showLeds(`
        # . . . .
        # . . . .
        # . . . .
        # . . . .
        # . . . .
        `)
})
input.onPinPressed(TouchPin.P1, () => {
    basic.showLeds(`
        # . . . #
        # . . . #
        # . . . #
        # . . . #
        # . . . #
        `)
})

Strolling the car over both gates, you can see how the first gate triggers then the second.

https://youtu.be/N4bWQcu6yWs

Computing time

The micro:bit has a clock that measures time precisely. It measures how many seconds the micro:bit has been on. We will record the time where each gate is tripped in variables t0 and t1. We take the different between t1 and t0 to compute the duration between the gates.

let t0 = 0;
let t1 = 0;
basic.showLeds(`
        . . . . .
        . . . . .
        . . # . .
        . . . . .
        . . . . .
        `)
input.onPinPressed(TouchPin.P0, () => {
    t0 = control.eventTimestamp();
    basic.showLeds(`
        # . . . .
        # . . . .
        # . . . .
        # . . . .
        # . . . .
        `)
})
input.onPinPressed(TouchPin.P1, () => {
    t1 = control.eventTimestamp();
    basic.showLeds(`
        # . . . #
        # . . . #
        # . . . #
        # . . . #
        # . . . #
        `)
    let d = t1 - t0
    basic.showNumber(d)
})

https://youtu.be/piyym_ux1EM

Computing velocity

Measure the distance between the gates and apply Newton's laws to compute the velocity of the car.

v = d / t

We'll let you try to code this one on your own!