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/diy/ - Do It Yourself

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461695 No.461695 [Reply] [Original]

Hey guys,

I'm looking for a sensor that would send a signal whenever a small ball rolls over it and touches.

What do you think I could use?

A pressure sensor?
It has to be quite sensitive though.

>> No.461707

How about a photogate? If the ball is metallic you could look for chance in the resonance frequency of an LC circuit when the ball goes near the inductor.

>> No.461716

Use a steel ball and 2 contacts. When the ball rolls over and touches the contacts it closes the circuit.

>> No.461723

If it's a steel ball, you can use an oscillator that uses a coil and a capacitor to set the frequency. Place the coil under where you want to sense it. When the ball rolls over the coil, it pulls the frequency.

>> No.461724

All interesting suggestions. Thanks guys.

But is there an actual sensor that is solely for this kind of purpose? Just sensing a bit of pressure? Or even some kind of ultra sound, or light sensor? I'm not sure...

I've heard the name Velostat but don't know too much about it. But something along those lines.

>> No.461733

>>461724
Velostat is a manufacturer of static dissipating material. Adafruit sells a variable resistor using it:
https://www.adafruit.com/products/1361
You may be more interested in this:
https://www.adafruit.com/products/166

>> No.461852

>>461695

level actuated microswitch

you haven't given us much to work on

>> No.461859

"steel ball rolls over it" like in a pinball game?
In a pinball machine some of the sensors under the main board are hall effect sensors or some kind of inductive coil. I think the mild shifts are handled by circuits at the switch, cleaned up to provide a proper on/off output.

>> No.461870

"Inductive proximity sensors" but what will you do with the signal from it?

Here's one from SICK
https://www.mysick.com/PDF/Create.aspx?ProductID=51466&Culture=en-US

>> No.461876

couldn't you magnetize the ball, and use an EMF sensor or something?

>> No.462184

Could you just use a mercury switch?

If you told us what you're actually trying to do this might be easier.

>> No.462226
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462226

P&F Inductive sensor NBB2-12GM60-WO

I think it would work fine

or you could use and actual limit switch if you dont mind to have contact with the ball

>> No.462235

>>461859
>>461695
>hall effect sensors
LOL no, they're just sets of contacts actuated by a wire lever that is bent so it pokes through a slot in the playfield. The ball rolls through a lane and over the wire lever, which pushes the contacts together.