Newsgroups: comp.robotics
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From: nagle@netcom.com (John Nagle)
Subject: Re: inclinometers/angle sensors
Message-ID: <nagleDBBxDF.4p5@netcom.com>
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Date: Fri, 7 Jul 1995 04:48:50 GMT
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hbcsc388@huey.csun.edu (eric schonning) writes:
>Looking for inclinometers/angle sensors, preferably self-contained (ie:
>all I need to attach is voltage source and read the output) and that don't
>need to be attached to a shaft.  Like the angle sensors you can buy at a 
>hardware store, that you just put on a surface and the needle points to
>the angle the surface is at, except I just need something that can vary
>an electrical signal.  Midori America makes a blue-pot sensor, but its
>limited to +/- 45 deg, and I need +/- 60 deg at least.  Using a pot with
>a weight hanging off of it won't do either as this is going to a customer
>and don't want it to look like a kludge.  Midori's product is ideal; if I
>could find a similiar product but with +/- 60 deg I would be elated.
>They use a magneto-resistive element in their product which works great
>and is not subject to wear.  Thanks for any info.     Eric

     Use the new Analog Devices ADXL05 accelerometers.  Cheap, ($21 in quan. 1)
small, low-power, and reasonably accurate.   Runs on +5, and you get
a DC voltage out.  You need 3 for full spherical coverage, or two
for just rotation about a horizontal axis.  Comes in a TO-100 can.
Electrolytic tilt sensors like those from Spectron are obsolete now,
and they cost more, anyway.

					John Nagle


