Integrate tracking position of physical object with AMX

marting

We need to track the position of a physical object (specifically, the adjustable base of a Sleep Number bed) and use that to affect code within AMX. Basically, when it reaches certain heights, we need AMX to send the TV lift to different presets.

Any ideas?

We were looking at draw-wire sensors like these but were not sure how we could integrate these with AMX:

http://www.micro-epsilon.com/displacement-position-sensors/draw-wire-sensor/MK_Serie/

Thanks!

ericmedley

I would think some kind of optical sensor(s) mounted inside the bed would make sense. I have no idea what the inside of the bed looks like but essentially some kind of light beam inside the bed where the mattress moving down or up cuts off/allows to pass a light beam across the space between the mattress would provide accurate feedback of the bed's position. I suppose you have no way of getting feedback from the bed controller itself.

marting

Yeah, the bed supports zero integration options sadly. I started going down the draw-wire sensor route and it sounds promising from the "sensing" aspect. But I did some testing with the I/O on AMX and it seems like it is affected by resistance rather than voltage. Most of the draw-wire sensors have voltage outputs. Is there a way to use the I/O ports as voltage-based inputs? Or something else I can tied into that would do this? Am I missing something?

Thanks

JasonS

I have used a comparator circuit successfully in the past to sense a voltage and activate an AMX I/O. There was a potentiometer to set the trigger voltage. This was for a single voltage, but the circuit could be modified for multiple voltage sensing. At this point I think it is probably easier to do with an Arduino. Let me know if you are interested in the comparator circuit, I will have to search for the schematic.

JasonS

I found the schematic. I used it for interfacing a Xantech CSM1 current sensor to an I/O. I think I got all the parts at Radio Shack for under $10.

For this circuit the CSM1 was powered by AMX 12VDC, for other devices and/or other voltages the circuit may need to be modified.

vining

If I recall Lutron shades use a round plastic disc with with black bars separated by clear spaces. When you want to know a shades position you first declare a zero datum and then from that point on you use an optical reader to count black bars and spaces as the shade and disc rotates. Simple counting to set min and max positions and presets. Now sure how you would go about adapting a similar mechanism to a bed for track but it should be possible.

ericmedley

this may be a job for Simone Giertz. Perhaps you can give her a call.

TUTech

vining wrote: »

If I recall Lutron shades use a round plastic disc with with black bars separated by clear spaces. When you want to know a shades position you first declare a zero datum and then from that point on you use an optical reader to count black bars and spaces as the shade and disc rotates. Simple counting to set min and max positions and presets. Now sure how you would go about adapting a similar mechanism to a bed for track but it should be possible.

Like how the wheel works on your mouse.

OR

A potentiometer on the bed and a Voltage Input Card, NXC-VAI4?

pdabrowski

TUTech wrote: »

A potentiometer on the bed and a Voltage Input Card, NXC-VAI4?

Or a pot and Ardunio sending the value to the master - you get a 1024 step resolution this way using a 10K pot

https://www.arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/AnalogReadSerial