Microchip (the makers of the popular PIC Microcontroller) are in the middle of a great contest called the PIC32 Design Challenge. There are many phases to this contest, currently the hardware phase is being conducted. After this phase the current 128 participants will be down to only 32. This contest is bringing out some great projects from some creative minds! This Bathroom Utilities Management System by Brent Morse is a fine example of this, it may sound impractical however at times I wish I had a system just like it in my house.
"The PIR sensor is used to detect when someone enters the room, the system will then turn on the lights, the door contacts and the pressure sensor will be used in conjuction with the PIR to determine if someone is still in the room, (possibly sitting on the toilet!) so the lights wont turn off while the person is still in the room. Each user will have an RFID tag or iButton , so each users utility usage can be datalogged on the PC. Each user will have a preset amount of time in the shower, the system will alert the user when their time is almost up. The Proximity sensor will be used to detect a user and control the faucet water flow. The humidity sensor will be used to control the exhaust fan, if someone is using the shower, or steam builds up in the room, the exhaust fan will be turned on automatically. An application on the PC side will enable the Administrator to override any functions remotely, or view"
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how does that touchpanel work?
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Hey! i was asking my self the same question as on the comment #1.
How the hell the touch panel works?!!? hidden capacitive sensors? just a simulation?
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Ho Jorge,
I just had a look at the block diagram, yes they are capacitive touch sensors.
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I dunno if turning on the fan only when steam builds up is a good idea. Its purpose is also odour control.
“An application on the PC side will enable the Administrator to override any functions remotely, or view”
View? Shower-cam?
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Hi Alan,
Where are the capacitive sensors? i don’t see any on the video. Does somebody know where to find such kind of capacitive sensors? i need to create some touchpanel interface for a home project and this one looks perfect to fit my needs.
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Ohhh… now i see, there’s a MPR084q controlling the touch interface.
My question is, does somebody know any example on how to make the sensor PCB for using with this controller? what does this guy use? simple PCB copper squares as sensors?
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And …. i’ve finally found a detailed image…
http://www.morse-code.com/id167.htm
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I’m glad you guys like my project, if you have any questions about any of this,
all info is available at http://www.Mypic32.com... If you guys really like my project,
join the Mypic32 community and vote for my design and win prizes along the way!
Thanks!!
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Do you guys know any on-line site that makes custom plexiglass (or similar material) CNCing?
I would love to have a similar touchpanel on my house! 🙂
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Jorge,
How big of a panel do you need?? If you have a DXF of the panel
layout and design, I can always do it for you for a minimal price.
I can also run the PCB for the controller if you want, but also for a minimal charge.
B. Morse
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Brent
Well, i’m only planning this for fun and learning, from time to time i do some hobby electronics, so at this moment this is not a real need, just a thing to play with.
Do you own a cnc machine?? Could you please explain how did you do the drawings on the panel?
Thank you.
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Jorge,
Yes, I do own my own CNC machine, that I built myself, you can check
it out in the projects section of my site at http://www.Morse-Code.com,
I only do this as a hobby also, so I’m always willing to give a
helping hand to others who could use it with their hobbies….
When I charge people for stuff it is usually just to cover my
own expense in the materials, and shipping, I dont do it to make money at it.
A lot of the projects that I have on my site are directed more towards the
“budget” tinkerer that doesnt have much to spend on parts, most of the components
I use are salvaged from other stuff such as broken appliances, toys, etc.
As for the Panel, I drew up the design in a CAD program that I have (TurboCad),
But I can also convert a black and white BMP drawing to a DXF file to
be imported into my CNC program, so you could layout your panel in MS Paint,
or Photoshop. Anyway, I drew up the design, I then flipped the design over
(Mirrored it) and loaded it into my CNC program and milled it on the back
of the 1/8″ plexiglass so that way the surface stays smooth from the front. I used 1/8″
Plexiglass since I overlayed that onto a piece of black 1/8″ ABS plastic so the
copper pads cant be seen from the front, so the total thickness of the panel is 1/4″..
Although I could go thicker since my circuit design + the size and thickness of the pads
makes it “too” sensitive.. I just compensated for that in software….