Thread: Inclinometer

Hey Xterrian!

I dont have a clue, but I was just shouting a hello, from XOC to here, the internet is a small place!

"It's a small world, but I wouldn't want to have to paint it."
Steven Wright

Sensor 0725 would be the best one for this use because it is linear. then all you have to do is monitor the output voltage and multiply it by a constant to display the slope. So i guess you could go sensor -> ADC -> serial port interface -> computer.

Easiest would be to rig a weight to a potentiometer, and measure the resistance. That way you'd know which direction it was tilting too. It looks like these sensors only measure angle not direction.

That way you get one linear line starting at zero going from around 90deg left/foreward to max resistance at 90deg right/rearward. The middle or zero actually being a middle resistance instead of zero. Otherwise I'd only see you having to rig up a mercury tilt switch so you'd know your direction too.

If this is confusing let me know and I'll draw a graph to demonstrate.

Unless of course you only care about the angle, as your internal balance would tell you the direction, then disregard the above. But having a Jeep myself, I think it would rock to have a picture of my vehicle actually tilt on a screen in the direction that I was actually tilting.

Cool idea Xterrian!

Or another idea, I just had, you could go down to your local hobby store and pick up a couple of peizzo gyroscopes. They are generally used for model helicopters. I think they have three dimensional gyros that are smaller than a square inch! And they are pcb mountable, would be less delicate, and way more accurate.

But I have no clue how to interface them. I've been wanting to experiment with a gyro location system (like gps), but just haven't had the time.