HOME  |  NEWS  |  BLOGS  |  MESSAGES  |  FEATURES  |  VIDEOS  |  WEBINARS  |  RESOURCE CENTER  |  INDUSTRIES
REGISTER   |   LOGIN   |   HELP
Blogs
Blog

Case #89: Nathan Loden: Glidden Special Forces Volunteer

NO RATINGS

Looking to paint the town red (or his buddies at any rate), Nathan Loden devised this simple device to detect if the paintballs are traveling at a safe speed (& 300 ft/sec). Consisting of sensor circuitry and a microcontroller with a three digit, seven segment display driver, it detects the presence or absence of a ball by measuring the amount of IR energy striking the sensor, causing a voltage swing detectable by the micro. A timer is set to overload if the number of instruction cycles exceeds a limit equal to 300 ft/sec, indicating safe shooting.

Get Nathan Loden's complete instructions on how to build your own paintball safety system.
Paintball Safety System Parts List
Amt Part Description Allied Part #
1 Voltage regulator, 5V 568-3101
2 IR LEDs 980-0002
1 IR Phototransistor 980-0165
1 Capacitor, 0.1 µF disk 881-0192
1 Capacitor, 0.33 µF disk 881-0195
1 Green LED 263-1170
1 Red LED 679-9981
1 9V Battery 774-0940
2 1 Mohms Resistors, 1/4W 296-0012
2 90.9 ohm Resistors, 1/2W 296-0083
2 422 ohm Resistors, 1/4W 296-0032
1 5V Regulator 263-0136
Additional parts required: PIC 12F675 microcontroller.
View Comments: Newest First | Oldest First | Threaded View
Partner Zone
More Blogs
We follow up our original slideshow with contributions from our messy readers.
Safety networks have become more complex, and have actually become simpler and easier to deploy for plant operators. This slideshow highlights developments in plant safety with an emphasis on integrated safety networks.
As the MEMS industry spans a myriad of industries and markets, the future of MEMS in consumer electronics will enable a myriad of functionality, applications, and personalization.
The next great engineering advancement in batteries is in the lab and it is tantalizingly close to solution.
The Nest is a sleek-looking digital thermostat which can actually "learn" its owners' schedule and then continue to regulate temperature to suit the user's preferences and patterns.
Quick Poll
Design News Webinar Series
12/28/20119:00am PT / 12:00pm ET
12/27/20119:00 AM PT / 12:00 PM ET
12/16/20119:00 AM ET
11/18/2011
The Continuing Education Center offers engineers an entirely new way to get the education they need to formulate next-generation solutions.
Feb 13 - 17, Sensors


DN Radio
Sponsored by
NEXT UPCOMING BROADCAST
Embedded Angles for Medical Products
February 21, 2pm EST Tuesday
Thanks to embedded electronics, medical devices are getting smaller and smarter than ever. Pacemakers and implantable defibrillators are now able to call physicians. MRIs, CT scanners, and ultrasound machines are gaining mobility. And the venerable Band-Aid may soon be able to detect illnesses ranging from fevers to heart arrhythmias. On February 21, join Design News senior editor Charles Murray for a wide-ranging discussion, "Embedded Angles for Medical Products," which will explore the latest developments in medical electronics. The discussion will examine advances in medical device technology and offer an inside look at the embedded electronics behind it.
February 23, 2pm EST Thursday
3D CAD & Visualization
Twitter Feed
Design News Twitter Feed
Like Us on Facebook

Sponsored Content

Technology Marketplace

Datasheets.com Parts Search

185 million searchable parts
(please enter a part number or hit search to begin)
Engineering Careers
Jobs sponsored by
Copyright © 2012 UBM Electronics, A UBM company, All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service