dannix said:
A small explanation on the project. Im building several circuits to improve the quality of life for my girlfriends 2 rabits in the shed.
[snipped for brevity]
Im not sure where to start as I need to make sure both rabits are inside before closing the door! I was thinking 2 infared sensors, named A and B, if A then B are activated it is a rabit going out, if B then A its a rabit comming in. There are 2 rabits btw.
That idea occurred to me too, but it might be difficult to ensure that 2 rabbits going out or in at the right speeds and the right distance apart couldn't make the system think, say, that one rabbit was going in or out.
I want to close the door if one of 2 conditions are met, it is beyond a preset time say 8pm or it is cold (coult interface the above thermostat circuit some how to test if it is cold)
I'm thinking this will be way to advanced for me but who knows, you guys might have a very simple idea to lead me in the right direction.
Thanks in advance!
My first thought was a microcontroller (say, an 8051 variant, a PIC, or an AVR) with a thermal sensor and what we'll call a Rabbit Detector, which tells you where the rabbits are, but that might be overkill. Everyday diodes can be used as thermal sensors, but I don't know off the top of my head if they do this well in the temperature range you're looking at.
As for the Rabbit Detector: I can't really think of anything reliable short of RFID tagging them somehow, but that might screw up the solar power energy budget. And if the gf doesn't want you putting electronics around the house, she may balk at electronics on her rabbits.
Ultra-simple idea: can you train the rabbits to go through a cat flap if you stick one at one end of the tunnel? If so, that leaves you with only the thermostat problem and the door problem is solved with no power drain. If the rabbits are cool with going through a cat flap, then they'll go inside if it's too cold outside.
What kind of rabbits are these? Many kinds of rabbits handle harsh winter conditions very well.
Just some thoughts + good luck!
Torben