I have an “idea” that I wish to implement for a “sensor to receiver” concept.
I have a screenshot of what I am trying to invent/produce at this link:
prescriptionpc.com/images/sensor_concept.jpg
I don’t possess any circuitry/electronics knowledge and will be experimenting with various
suggestions provided from multiple resources.
If I could get some suggestions and/or ideas on where I may be able to purchase a working tilt sensor and rf receiver, that would be a great start for me!
It may sound simple, but attempting to obtain a sensor and/or receiver from manufacturers is like pulling teeth…I’m almost better off buying a remote controlled toy, taking it apart and work with it from there…lol
We shall see - I am in the midst of speaking to some manufacturers now - just so frustrating to get something so simple!
All I have is time and very little money - go figure … a prototype for a few hundred dollars is not going to “cut it” when it finally goes into production as this needs to be “financially attractive” to the consumer - there are other applications out there that use this technology for the application purpose I have for around $30 - $50 for the retail package (whatever comes with it).
So… if you have a suggestion to have a tilt sensor placed on a board (as small as I can get it) with a battery and an RF receiver that beeps when the sensor reaches a 45 degree angle, then I’m all ears!
I’ll keep an open mind as electronics and/or circuitry are not my Forté - can you provide me a link for the sensor and controller? I don’t mind diving it the creation of my product as all I have is time and a strong desire to make this happen. Anything else would be a bonus and greatly appreciated! 
Would this tilt sensor work?
robotshop.com/seeedstudio-digital-tilt-sensor.html
I don’t know the size of it, but it could work
These suggestions are greatly helpful!..I like this one: robotshop.com/sfe-nrf2401-trace-antenna-3.html because it has a range of up to 500 feet but indicates it has a “trace antenna” - I’m not sure what this means as long as there is an antenna…
In lieu of this, am I able to implement a peizo speaker to this?
excellent…now, if you could, what would you suggest for a receiver to accept that signal from about 300-400’ away? I need the receiver to be relatively small in size (palm size or bigger if needed) with an antenna of course
Hi Bruce1969,
Welcome to the RobotShop Forum. We are confident that RobotShop has most, if nto all of the electronics and sensors you will need for the project. We offer several tilt sensors and wireless devices, as well as the microcontrollers to communicate between them. It sounds like you only need a simple tilt sensor which sends a digital signal to a microcontroller, which then sends a serial command to a long-range XBee or RF module. The signal is received by the receiver or XBee and is then processed by another microcontroller in the receiving unit.
Hope this gives you some ideas,
Hi Bruce,
RobotShop should have almost everyting you need, and a functional prototype should only cost a few hundred dollars. Hacking a toy to make it work the way you want will cost you a lot more in time.
Sincerely,
Hi Bruce1969,
Product products are very different than prototypes. Your prototype will likely cost several times more than your production product, and if you start to make a custom circuit board(s) and/or encloseure(s) the cost will rise even higher. This having been said, an MSRP of $30 to $50 is entirely possible. The first thing you need to do is to prove the concept. Instead of XBee modules, use the Onshine modules and have each sent a distinct communication. Your next step should be getting a sense of how you want the system to work. A simple microcontroller can cost about $4 (less in production), and same for the tilt sensor.
Sincerely,
Yes, that sensor will work (it’s unidirectional). It is only a few centimeters long (fairly small).
Sincerely,
Hi Bruce,
RF or XBee would be the best choices, though XBee is usually more expensive. A low cost OnShine RF pair (several different models) can communicate up to 300 feet (without obstruction). If you need it to be longer range or higher quality, the price goes up and you should consider XBee.
Hope this helps,
