Electronic Projects

This project enables the discharge curves and Capacity of various batteries to be measured.

A battery under test is discharged through a load, which can be selected depending on the type of battery being analysed. The voltage of the battery and current delivered through the load are monitored by a computer until the battery voltage falls to the minimum discharge level. The software will then display the capacity of the battery.

The unit is controlled via the Parallel port of a PC using Visual Basic.

Here are a selection of Electronic Projects that I have worked on over the last few years.

Software Download & Test Results

This project is a test box that will reduce the time and labour required to calibrate a Graseby MS16 or MS26 Syringe driver.

Download Project document

The test box, in conjunction with some homemade software, enables the Rate Tests to be conducted with minimal user intervention, and removes the frustration of manually timing a number of motor pulses. The box has a selectable 9V and 7V output. The 9V output can be adjusted by means of a trimming tool through a hole in the top of the box. This is to enable periodic adjustment of the 9V output. The 7V supply is adjustable via a potentiometer mounted on the test box, from less than 5V to 8V. This enables the 7V thrust test and the Low Battery test to be conducted without the use of an additional power supply.

The test box uses an AtoD converter to monitor the supply current to the Syringe driver. The Syringe driver is powered by the test box via a dummy battery, connected to the Syringe driver output of the test box. Using this test box and software saves a considerable amount of time, as the user can get on with something else without

the fear of missing a motor pulse.

A 20 Watt solar panel charges a battery during the day, which provides enough power to run a 12 Volt fan during the day and a couple of lights after dark

A decorative lamp constructed using Perspex and a number of high intensity LED’s. The guitar strings are made of flexible Neon tubing.

To produce a computer controlled robot using high level programming, which can move around a room or rooms in a house and respond to certain inputs. This will include obstacle avoidance and hopefully recognition of living things via heat detection. The computer will process the inputs of the various sensors as well as driving the motors via various input and output circuitry. I have worked on this for two years, so have decided to do something else for a while. To see its current status, have a look at the Project Document.

Download Project document

This is my latest project. The idea is to use a large number of Coca-Cola type cans which can be heated using light from the sun on a cold day. The cold air will be heated as it travels through the network of cans.

More details to follow

Data Sheets
Click on the link to the right to view a collection of Data Sheets that I have found useful

Documents
Click on the link to the right to view a collection of various documents I have collected over the years. They are mainly relevant to the project below.