I want to build a cuircut that will digitaly display air pressure (0-200+ PSI) from 4 or 5 different sources on one small screen. Here are my questions:
- Is this project feasible for someone with little knowledge of electronics?
- Accuracy is not critical within a PSI or two would be fine. Would it be simpler to use analog sending units or digital sensors?
- How would the cuircut work? Would it somehow take the signal from the sensors and convert it to pounds per square inch and then send it to something that would display that information on a LCD screen?
- What would be a rough estimate of the cost of this project?
No hope of a novice making it. Pressure sensors use a strain gauge in a bridge circuit. Cost is difficult, If you bought it ready made I doubt you have much change from $2000.
I am not sure if "it's too complicate for you" part and have no idea if pressure sensors are cheap but all you are telling here sounds like MicroController and some sensors. Take a look at following link. it's unrelated to the your subject but it's again Controler and Sensors:
Hi, Erik. If you're a newbie looking for low cost, your best bet might be to put 2 or 3 rail-to-rail op amps on a perfboard to convert your analog output signals from the sensors to a 0-200mV signal (if you'd mentioned the sensor you might have gotten a sample circuit). You could then use four or 5 ICL-7106- or ICL-7107-based LCD or LED-7-segment 0-200mV input displays which would show the output in PSI or whatever units you calibrated with the component values and tweaker pots.
WAG cost estimate: Regulated power supply: $10 Perfboard, op amps, passive components, tweaker pots: $25
4 ea ICL-7107 based LCD displays @$25 ea.: $100 Fudge factor: $15 WAG total cost: $150
Scrounge for components and the displays and you can easily halve this.
A single display will require some programming and complexity somewhere. For a newbie, your best bet might be to use a serial output analog-to-digital converter (ADC) with a Picaxe or BASIC Stamp. You could then control one of the Scott Edwards Stamp-controllable serial input LCD displays. I'd suggest these additions are probably going to double the WAG estimate above. And that also assumes you have some facility with programming.
How about this: tell a little more about the project, and what kind of sensor you are choosing. Describe in a little more detail your electronics capabilities. You then might be able to get a little more specific help.
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