This demo is designed to help you understand how you can control a door using your Parallax microcontroller. This is part 1 of a 2-part series designed to show door control using various types of motors and limit switches.
In this part of the demo, we use a continuous rotation servo under the control of a BASIC Stamp 2 microcontroller to open/close a door with optical limit switches. These sensors detect when the door is in the open or closed positions.
The concepts presented here could be used to control a pet door, the door on a chicken coop, or in any similar system where a door needs to move from one position to another under automated control. Because this demo version uses a gravity sliding door, no downward force is exerted, making it safer for use around animals.
The parts below were used in the making of the specific unit shown in the images. The list provided is meant to be a suggestion of which parts may be required if you intend to replicate this demo in part or in full. The laser cut panels are custom-designed and not included in the parts list.
What's Needed (for Part 1 only):
- (1) Board of Education Full Kit USB (#28803)
- (1) Li-Ion Power Pack Full Kit (#28989)
- (1) Parallax Continuous Rotation Servo (#900-00008)
- (1) Bi-Color T1-3/4 LED (#350-00005)
- (2) Infrared T1-3/4 LED (#350-00003)
- (2) 850nm T1-3/4 Phototransistor (#350-00029)
- (1) 220 ohm 1/4 W 5% Carbon Film Resistor (#150-02210)
- (2) 1K 1/4 W 5% Carbon Film Resistor (#150-01020)
- (3) 10K 1/4 W 5% Carbon Film Resistor (#150-01030)
- (2) Tact Switch (#400-00002)