AC Current sensor using ATtiny861 and CT coil
Update 1/2/2010: This project is a pending failure. Don't use it (yet). I think even though the tiny861 has differential ADC, it cannot accept voltages below ground. If that is true, I would be using the AVR beyond it's rated specs. I will ask around in chats and forums.
Happy New Year. Here is something I've been working on during xmas break.. In the future I want to read status of the four washing machines in the apt building lobby. The first goal would be sensing when they are on. I thought of vibration sensors but the machines are quite new and don't vibrate much >.< . Photoresistor to status display would cover part of status display. Current usage via hacking kill-a-watt is an idea but they are expensive for 4 of them. So then I thought.. non-invasive current coil. $9.50 each
This project attempts to use an Atmel Tiny861 microcontroller to read AC current data from a Current Transformer coil. Its made with the 30A coil from Seeed Studio in mind. This coil seems outputs to output ~100mVp-p per A. The output is an AC waveform (60Hz in US). I used the Tiny861 because it had an ADC with differential pairs + variable gains . It turns out that I didn't use the gain but the differential ADC proved useful. Two I/O Pins read the difference between the 2 pins of the sensor.
Woot! Monkey
Oh hi! nice place you got here..
This monkey toy is usually sold at the end of a Woot.com "Woot Off". Its also known as the "superfly monkey". It has rubber band arms and can be flung through the air. It also makes a super loud monkey scream while doing so. (example vid.. but not mine) I was interested as to how it screamed so loudly and how it knew when to scream. So I ordered 3 of these demons. Two to give to others and one for research. I'll dissect it and more
