I'm trying to integrate bicycle speed measurement into a home made controller.
The struggle is to make it without any wire between the "tic" sensor and the controller.
Speed counter found in the shops are wireless. I would like to kow how this wireless system works to be able to implement similar solution into my controller.
I'm used to microchip products. They have rfPIC but it seems much to complicated for just a "tic" from the wheel.
It would be nice to have some spec about these wireless bicycle speed counter.
Perhaps you could use a playing card or balloon attached to the bicycle frame and detect the sound to count wheel revolutions. That was fairly common practice in my childhood to make it sound like a motor.
Today, I discovered it has even been patented -- in 1987. Can you believe that? No wonder patent attorneys charge so much. No amount of money would prompt me to submit a patent that stupid. John
I was actually being half serious, not about the balloon per se, but the option of using sound as your "wireless" link. You felt RF was too complicated; although, I suspect RF is no more complicated and is more reliable than other wireless options.
The wireless range i need is about 2meters no more. just like the speed counter found in the shops.
John, I'm glad to hear RF is not too complex. My problem is to find some chip for this very basic "tic" application. What would you suggest to start with?
Or any idea on how the "commercial" speed counter works?
How could I hack the "tic" receiver so then I can buy one and use the "tic" transmitter with my own receiver?
I guess that could be a good solution!
I have used the packaged Linx tx/rx combinations for short range (50 ft) control. There are many devices out there. Bill at Blueroomelectronics has had some posts on this forum that incorporated smaller and newer units. The signal is easily coded, so interference can be kept to a minimum.
Here are a couple of leads from Digikey; although, that may not be the best source. John
What's wrong with a magnet on the wheel, and a sensor on the forks wired to the controller (like most bike computers) - why would you want something wireless, which just requires an extra set of batteries.