15^th Feb 2013

Week Three semester 2:

prototype on breadboard 

               

The Prototyped sensors.

Over the intervening period of term report handed in and other pressures the blog has not been updated  however the progress as to the electronics and prototyping to breadboard.

The sensors have been wired in series with a 22k resistor biased with 5 volts and a signal line between them to be read by the analogue pins of the Arduino. The 5 volts is supplied via a 7805 regulator which in turn is being supplied by 12 volts to simulate the panels voltage.

Two transistors are used as switches for the motor power supplies and a PWM signal line for the position of the servo.

The software has been written and the circuit and software work well together under preliminary home testing. during this coming week i hope to produce a schematic and a PCB design to begin manufacture.

 

short video of the software and hardware working.