Energy Saving Switch With Presence Sensor

Detailed, step by step Instructions: http://www.instructables.com/id/Energy-Saving-Switch-With-Presence-Sensor/



Do you face such situations when you leave your reading lights, table fans or soldering irons without switching them off and later realize that they were on for too many hours which subsequently jumps off your electricity bills? Well, if you have such a problem of forgetting things which probably most of you would have (including me :P), you have just found the right thing! This project will detect your presence on your work chair and then switch on and off appliances connected to it accordingly. 

The project uses an ultrasonic sensor connected to the Mediatek Linkit ONE as it's brain. By detecting the distance from the sensor to your chair, it can detect your presence as the distance will decrease when you are sitting on the chair. The relay connected to linkit one gets activated when you are sitting on your chair thus switching on the appliance while it switches it off as you leave. Thus, this project will greatly help to reduce your electricity bills as any appliance from soldering irons and hot glue guns to lights and fans can be controlled using this appliance.

The project is not very complicated and easy to make thus can be a good way to start with linkit one. There are innumerable number of modifications you can make to this project. Remember to post a feedback in the comment section below. Do post the pictures of your own project if you've made one yourself. Don't forget to follow for more great projects!

Detailed, step by step Instructions: http://www.instructables.com/id/Energy-Saving-Switch-With-Presence-Sensor/

Get An SMS Tank Overflow Alert

Detailed step by step instructions at: http://www.instructables.com/id/SMS-Tank-Overflow-Alert/

Introduction:

Water tank overflow is a major problem in most of the homes these days (not in appartments). Of course there are such alarms to prevent this problem but still, they are not that effective. This is almost the same thing but much smaller and with better features, the best one being that instead of an audio or visual signal, this one gives you an SMS alert to your phone as the tank gets full! This should be a much better option, isn't it? If not, then you can just build it as a cool weekend project just to satisfy your desire to MAKE it yourself!

This one uses the Mediatek Linkit ONE, an awesome prototyping platform with loads of features. As you just have to send a text message, this one uses the GSM feature to give you an alert no matter where you are in this world. For overflow detection, it uses that old yet effective transistor circuit with two wires moving towards the tank. Some people would have a doubt that combining electricity and water can be risky, but you needn't worry as this one has no such risks unless you throw your Linkit ONE inside water ;)

How It Works?

First, starting with the working of this project. The main process, as already explained in the introduction part is that the Linkit ONE will send you a text and will ring a buzzer + glow an LED as soon as it detects that the water tank is full.

The first part is the water sensor board that actually detects water after it has reached a certain level to prevent an overflow. You may already know that tap water is a fair conductor of electricity (neither too good, nor too bad). Now using this fact and placing two wires inside the tank at a certain level, we can easily detect the level of water as when the water will reach that level, it will act as a conductor or simply a resistor and join the other two wires completing the circuit. As water has a quite high resistance, I have used a transistor to detect even very small current that will flow through and give the output to linkit ONE accordingly.

Rest of the part is pretty straightforward. As the Linkit ONE gets a output from the transistor, it sends an SMS to your phone through it's built-in GSM feature. But you should also have a SIM card inserted to actually make it work. I have also added an LED and a buzzer to give audio as well as visual indications along with an SMS alert. 

Detailed step by step instructions at: http://www.instructables.com/id/SMS-Tank-Overflow-Alert/

Breadboard Projects: The Musical Bell (DIY)

Detailed Instructions: http://www.instructables.com/id/Ten-Breadboard-Projects-For-Beginners/?ALLSTEPS

Description: This is simple project that can be made easily in five minutes. It is a musical bell that produces a melodious sound just like doorbells. It uses the um66 ic popularly known as the melody ic which has a built in oscillator and an amplifier which can directly drive a buzzer but needs an external circuit to drive a speaker. The supply voltage if the ic is 1.5 - 4.5v so cannot be powered by a 9v battery.

Instructions: Connect everything to the breadboard according to the layout given above. Refer to the images above for the pin configurations of the transistor as well as the ic. Connect a battery holder with 2 AA or AAA batteries to the power rails of the breadboard. Do not connect a 9v battery as it would burn the ic. On switching it on, a musical sound will be heard.

Difficulty: Easy

Parts List:

• 1x UM66 ic
• 1x bc547 or 2n2222 or 2n3904 transistor
• 1x 1K resistor
• 1x 8 ohm speaker
• 2x AA or AAA batteries
• 1x Battery holder

Make An Electronic Dice Without Microcontrollers!

For detailed instructions, visit: http://www.instructables.com/id/Ten-Breadboard-Projects-For-Beginners/

Intro:

Have you heard about electronic dice before? If not, it is a simple dice but instead of shaking it you have to press a button. The device will tell you a random number between 1 and 6 through a series of LEDs. The number of LEDs that light up will indicate the number. This project uses a 4060 counter that counts the clock pulses received sets a particular number of pins high. Pressing the button creates a fast clock pulse so the pins that would be high cannot be estimated. This is the reason that makes this dice a completely random number generator. The pins that are set high light up a series of leds that indicates the number. The good thing about this project is that it does not use any microcontrollers thus making it non- programmable thus making it cheap. Most of the projects that you may have seen require arduino or other microcontrollers. Truly speaking, this is the most tedious and time consuming project.

Instructions:

Connect everything according to the layout given above. Make sure you connect everything properly as the connections are too many. Switch the circuit on and press the button. A certain number of LEDs will light up indicating the number which is completely random. Connecting the LEDs like a real dice in a certain order forming a rectangle would make the project look more good.

Parts list:

• 1x 4060 ic
• 1x 2.2M resistor
• 1x 470K resistor
• 1x 100K resistor
• 1x 560 ohm resistor
• 1x 470 ohm resistor
• 1x 220 ohm resistor
• 2x 1n capacitors
• 2x 1n4148 or 1n4001 diodes
• 6x LEDs
• 1x Momentary push button

Breadboard layout:

Schematic:

Photo Gallery:

For detailed instructions, visit: http://www.instructables.com/id/Ten-Breadboard-Projects-For-Beginners/

The Interactive Donation Box

For step by step instructions, visit: http://www.instructables.com/id/The-Interactive-Donation-Box/

Introduction:

Donation boxes can be much more interesting and attractive when you combine them with electronics and a little bit of programming. As the name explains, making donation boxes interactive can help you gain much more attention and make people happy at the same time! Indeed, and awesome way to set up a charity and help the needed ones by installing it in shopping complexes and other public places (if a bigger version of the same is made). This was just a prototype to present the basic idea which when modified and used at a bigger level, can definitely help.

The following project uses an arduino for all it's processing. The RGB LEDs installed inside the box keep on flashing and changing colors which can attract much attention. When a person donates a coin, the ultrasonic sensor installed just on the box detects that and the servo present at the top waves 2-3 times with a 'Thank You' message displayed. This feature can surely bring a smile on the person's face who just donated that coin! Using only arduino and some other basic parts, you can make this project within 3-4 hours max. without the need of hunting the parts. Although a bigger version of the same would be much better, but that doesn't mean that this small one is useless. Even this one can be put at various places.

Video:

Here is a short video of the project:

Photo Gallery:

For step by step instructions, visit: http://www.instructables.com/id/The-Interactive-Donation-Box/

The SMS Home Security System

For step by step instructions, visit: http://www.instructables.com/id/SMS-Home-Security-System/

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Introduction:

Are you worried of the valuables that you have at your home when you're out on a trip or at your office? If yes, then this project is just for you! A security system which on detecting the presence of a human at your house will text you wherever you are that there's a problem. That sounds good, isn't it? Well, this is what this project does.

The project uses the 'multi-talented' Linkit ONE as it's brain. When a PIR motion sensor connected to this board detects some kind of motion, through it's GSM feature, the board sends you a text message. The best thing about this project is that it can be completed within 1-2 hours and no soldering or drilling is required to make it. This makes this project a great way to get started with Mediatek LinkIt One.

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Parts and Tools required:

The following parts and tools are required to make this project. The total cost was around $70 or 4200 INR. The best part is that no soldering skills are required to make this project. All the parts can be found over online stores one of them being seeedstudio.

Parts:

• 1x LinkIt ONE board
• 1x Lithium battery to power your board (included in the Linkit one kit)
• 1x GSM antenna (included as well)
• 1x PIR motion sensor
• 1x Sim card (shouldn't be pin locked)
• 1x 5v adapter (optional)
• Male to female jumper wires
• A suitable enclosure for your project

Tools:

• Hot glue gun w/glue sticks
• Drill (not mandatory)

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How it Works?

The process is quite simple. When a human approaches in front of the sensor or the security box, the motion sensor gives a high output which is detected by Linkit one. Through it's GSM feature, it will text you that a human was detected at your house at that time so you can take a suitable action at that very moment. The best part is that you will get a message through this box no matter in which corner of the world you are! The only condition is that there should be a mobile network available at that place. Now don't expect that this would also work on mars :P

The sensor that is used to detect motion of a human being is called PIR motion sensor which stands for Passive infra-red. It works with the fact that every human (actually everything) in this world emits a certain amount of infra-red radiations which is detected by this sensor. It gives a high output which remains high for some time under such condition. The range of this sensor is around 6m which is pretty sensitive and can be varies though a preset present on it.

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Photo gallery:

For step by step instructions, visit: http://www.instructables.com/id/SMS-Home-Security-System/

DIY 10 Minute Solar Charger

Make your own solar charger in less than 10 minutes! This video will show you how to:

The charging time is approx. 4-5 hours for a smartphone while 8-10 hours for a tablet or other big gadgets.

Please note that your solar panel should have a minimum rating of 6v, 1A. It should not exceed 15v as well.

If you like this video, please don't forget to hit the like button, subscribe and share it with your friends. Any questions are most welcome :)

You can follow me on my instructables page: www.instructables.com/member/Saiyam/

Or you can visit my blog (SirKit Studio) as well: sirkitstudio.blogspot.in

Music: [Progressive House] Vigilancer - Can See (Source: HeroBoard)
http://www.w7.youtubeinmp3.com/downlo...


Watch this video for step by step instructions:

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