Hi everyone, I have an idea for a circuit but I don't know how it would work / if it can work...
I have a piezo-composite actuator, which is basically a paddle (a bit like a 6" ruler) which will bend if you apply a voltage across its two end terminals. As with other actuators, it can be used in reverse, i.e. you can move the paddle and get a voltage signal out. If you flick the paddle (like twanging a ruler on a desk) it will produce a sinusoidal wave.
Would it be possible, using some sort of positive-feedback mechanism, to build a circuit which, as soon as the actuator is flicked, positively re-enforces its own signal and exponentially resonates itself? In other words, is there a way to take the signal produced by the actuator, amplify it and feed it back into the same terminals so that it continues resonating forever?
I'm mainly confused by the fact there are only two terminals on the actuator, so how can you use them as an input and an output at the same time?
Hope that all makes sense. Any help appreciated!
-Rob