Hi everybody. I have to make my last project for class in two weeks and I'm trying to make a simple robot. It's a little car that has some proximity sensor. I'm using a TSOP 1736 sensor and a TSAL6200 IR emitter. For the first one I have made the circuit that comes with the datasheet. And for the emitter I used a 555 in astable mode with a 2N2222 transistor
The problem is that when I put an obstacle it has to be really close to be detected. Any suggestions? Probably the resistors for the trnasistors are not the correct ones, but I just can't figure out a good combination. The idea is that the obstacle is detected at 20cm more or less.
How far the sensor is working? Try to bend the IR emitter and the receiver in an angle that their axis are crossing in about 20cm.
If this not works then try to inccrease the current to the IR emitter. Pulsing with a 555 and a duty cycle of 50% you can push the double amount of the rated value into the IR LED.
Increasing the current fed to the IR emitter is a good suggestion. The TSAL6200 datasheet rates the continuous forward current at 100mA, which is double the average IR LED rating, and five times the average 5mm LED rating!
If you post the values/part codes for the other circuit components we can check that their values are appropriate.
