Any Electronics Gurus Out There?

[npalen]

Well, between the receiver and this remote, now you've got $1000 wrapped up in it before you start. Do you have a rotating laser unit yet?

You can rent a laser grader box for a skid steer for $250 for a day.
LASER GRADER BOX Rentals Evansville IN, Where to Rent LASER GRADER BOX in Evansville Indiana, Newburgh, Chandler, Darmstadt, Boonville IN, Henderson KY

I envy you guys who can go out and rent this kind of stuff. We're 60 miles from the nearest rental that would have anything even close to this and I seriously doubt they have any laser graders.

 

[npalen]

However, if your desire is to experiment, well, then, have fun.

I'd want to experiment without destroying the sensor unit.

So, I'd try to find a photodiode or phototransistor that can detect light from the LED's on that sensor first. Once I found that, I'd make a board to mount the photodiodes onto so that I could place that board directly on the receiver unit's face, where they'd face the LEDs. Then I'd fasten it with tape to seal out any light from the sides, but not block any of the receiving sensors on the unit, so that it'll still work 360 with the laser.

The unit looks like it has 5 LED banks:

1 NEUTRAL
1 HIGH
1 MORE HIGH
1 LOW
1 MORE LOW

I'd make a circuit with 5 photo diodes to correspond with those.

Neutral is just that. Neutral.
Neutral = no hydraulic movement.

HIGH = lower hydraulics
MORE HIGH = lower hydraulics faster
LOW = raise hydraulics
MORE LOW = raise hydraulics faster

Then you'd have to work out logic in a PLC to say something like:

If I1 = 1 then O1 = 5V
If I1 = 1 and I2 = 1 then O1 = 10V

Where I = inputs and O = outputs
And assuming changing voltage = more valve movement....

Stuff like that.

However, if it's strictly an off and on valve and is not variable in speed with voltage, you're going to have to vary by time instead of speed, so you'd do something like:

If I1 = 1 then O1 = on for 1 second
If I1 = 1 and I2 = 1 then O1 = on for 2 seconds

Stuff like that.

Then you have to account for varying soil conditions, speed of tractor, etc... but it could be doable and a fun project.

I haven't done this kind of stuff for 35 years, but will enjoy following your project. Good luck. :thumbsup:

Yes, at my stage in life its all about having fun!

Might be able to leave about half of the input "screen" on the receiver open and blank out the other half (side shield in between maybe) for the photo diodes. Would be nice to retain a visible reference on the receiver.

Or maybe leave the entire screen open and use some fiber optics to fit over just one LED of the output at I1 and I2. Heck even a little black tube between the diode and the LED lens might work.

Thanks again for the input. Keeps me thinking.

 

[MossRoad]

I envy you guys who can go out and rent this kind of stuff. We're 60 miles from the nearest rental that would have anything even close to this and I seriously doubt they have any laser graders.

Bummer.

 

[MossRoad]

Yes, at my stage in life its all about having fun!

Might be able to leave about half of the input "screen" on the receiver open and blank out the other half (side shield in between maybe) for the photo diodes. Would be nice to retain a visible reference on the receiver.

Or maybe leave the entire screen open and use some fiber optics to fit over just one LED of the output at I1 and I2. Heck even a little black tube between the diode and the LED lens might work.

Thanks again for the input. Keeps me thinking.

Yes, it would be nice to be able to still see the unit for manual operation.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Amazing how little used and broken laser grading Junk is on E-Bay. Discouraging. Just as with my Rotating Level, it was a better bet to buy new from Tiger Supplies in NJ. They have a Topcon 270 degree stand alone receiver for $500.00. That is just about the cheapest thing I can find, new or used for a machine receiver. You can get a cool wireless remote, that costs substantially more than the receiver.

If I had a use for it and not four hundred other unfinished projects, I am confident that for the $500.00, a bit of other electronic stuff and some hydraulic fittings I could make this work. with my luck, though, the receiver would probably be totally potted! That actually would not surprise me, given it's meant to be stuck to an excavaor stick.

 

[wvgca]

Amazing how little used and broken laser grading Junk is on E-Bay. Discouraging. I am confident that for the $500.00, a bit of other electronic stuff and some hydraulic fittings I could make this work. with my luck, though, the receiver would probably be totally potted! That actually would not surprise me, given it's meant to be stuck to an excavaor stick.

The receiver [machine mount] is usually set to a height of five or six feet above ground when the attachment is at depth. They usually don't suffer too much, except for some vibration. I have a Spectra [non slope] laser with low end receiver, good enough for 500 yards anyways ..

 

[npalen]

Can you post a link?

I was just on the auction site before posting ... look it up ..
This works very well with a box blade or level sweep

Still waiting for an ebay link.

 

[wvgca]

Still waiting for an ebay link.

I decided not to post one .. if you want, go look ..

 

[npalen]

Can you post a link?

I decided not to post one .. if you want, go look ..

You decided not to post one because there are none.

 

[npalen]

A couple new developments just to make things more complicated and less complicated all at the same time:

I don't believe that I've mentioned that the LEDS flash and they also flash at different speeds depending on the distance from grade. They also change speeds when going thru a couple of zones and I think one of them is when going past the 2" departure from grade. I need to do some testing to see exactly where the speed changes occur. The owner's manual says nothing about all this.

Something that just occurred to me this evening is that we have pinouts on the receiver that go to the remote when attached via the cable. There are seven of them and one appears to be ground and one for the 12 volt charger and/or the 12 volt battery input. (The receiver has an onboard rechargeable battery or can also be powered by the tractor battery.) That leaves five pins for the five sets of LED's. Yes I feel very stupid for not realizing the connections for automation are right there in plain sight.

It gets interesting when one thinks about utilizing the different flashing speeds to change on/off times for the solenoid valve.

Edit: Added pic.