Solid State & Electromechanical Relays

In a given situation the digital output device you use i.e. motors, solenoids or light bulbs etc may require more voltage and amperage that a microcontroller’s output pins can provide. Relays and transistors are common devices that you can use to control such devices. Relays are switching devices that are activated (thrown) by an electronic signal from a microcontroller. In principal, a relay can be used to control a device that is simply switched on or off.

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Make Controller 2.0 & Interface Board

MakingThings sell a line of hardware tools (Make Controller) that provide an easy way to create unique interactive devices, machines, and environments by controlling a wide range of sensors and actuators – akin to the Arduino. In this overview, we will look at the Make Controller 2.0 & Interface Board Kit.

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Devantech SRF05

When you would like to detect an object(s) or person(s) at a distance greater than what the IR Range Finders support, the Ultrasonic Range Finders work well. In this overview we will look at the Devantech SRF05 Ultrasonic Range Finder. The ultrasonic range finder, SRF05, works just like any other sonar device. The range finder sends out an ultrasonic ping, and in turn times how long it takes for the ping to bounce back. The longer it takes for the ping to bounce back, the greater the distance to the target object.

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Sharp GP2D02 & GP2D12

A reliable way to measure short distances would be with the Sharp Infrared Range Finders. These Infrared sensors are inexpensive, relatively accurate and quite easy to use. In this overview, we will look at the Sharp GP2D12 & GP2D02 sensors.

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