Arduino with Photocells?

Yes but I only use Photo transistors as the sensors, not diodes.

Phil Kalbfell said:

Yes but I only use Photo transistors as the sensors, not diodes.

Click to expand...

What transistors? Maybe I need to just switch out to transistors.

Light related sensors are more prone to error with alignment, ambient light etc.

You could look at using the U shaped photointerrupters under the track with Arduino, I built slongshotx's timer and it worked great on SSD track, worth looking at?

jordan89 said:

Light related sensors are more prone to error with alignment, ambient light etc.

You could look at using the U shaped photointerrupters under the track with Arduino, I built slongshotx's timer and it worked great on SSD track, worth looking at?

Click to expand...

I haven't had an issue before. I bury the sensor in the slot and it put a light bridge over it with IR emitters. I found it worked well. I always worry about the sensors that are just interrupted by the guide flag could be too short and cause missed laps.. Have you found certain flags not tripping well (it also make pit/fuel races hard I suspect)

I shaved down the tops of the U interrupters and positioned/glued them so the guide cannot miss the slot, don;t remember any missed laps.

It was built as a project to get my son involved, moved to 6 car APB soon after and digital.

Can you post wiring diagram, when you say using deadstrip wiring that sounds wrong.

Take a look at this post and see if your diodes work with this example.

Your diodes will need to generate > 2.5 volts to ensure RC records laps.

Most people tend to use phototransistor since the are faster and more responsive.

Did you load the race coordinator sketch onto the Arduino?

When the race screen loads for counting laps, RC enables the internal pull-up resistors of the Arduino Digital channels. 5v should be present. if you would take a resistor of about 100 ohms and from the digital ground and then intermittently tap the pin assigned to the lane, a lap should record. This will tell you if RC and the Arduino are communicating external of your diodes.

Mike

To post #8, what is the exact error? When you're on the aruidino setup screen are you at least getting the green "connection" light to turn on in the UI?

Usually the issue with the arduino isn't getting it to pickup your sensor changes, it's addressing false signals due to EMI and all that jazz. The arduino is a bit more sensitive than other interfaces so you have to be really careful. But that comes after it's detecting the pin state changes in the first place.