Week Three

For this week, we began to build the main part of the curtain. We used wood to built the frame part of the curtain first. Next step, we tested the functions of components.

 

Test components:

Ultrasonic distance module: we programmed a code to test the function of the ultrasonic distance module. In the code, we connected ultrasonic module and LED, wish when distance is less than 20 cm, the LED would keep flashing that proof ultrasonic distance module could work.


In the second part we started to test the motor, we used the DC power to supply the motor with 6 voltage. And the motor could run properly.


The third part is to test the IR part. We try to use the IR remote to control the curtain function (eg. open, close and stop). At the beginning of test IR function. We need got know the command number for each keyboard. In that time, we face the first problem. We cannot get the command number we could just got FFFFF, we know that is the wrong result, but we cannot solve in that time. So we through the reference, we found that the old ir remote library was abandon, we need a new IR library to make sure the Arduino could understood our code. In the last, we final got the command number for each keyboard.

 

The final part we connected the circuit again and tested our code part.


We uploaded the code to the Arduino board. Unfortunately, the curtain could not work as wish. We could not use the remote to control the system again and the ultrasonic distance mode had no function either. We first checked whether there was an error in the circuit connection. we found the ultrasonic sensor was connected to analog pin (A0) not digital pin. We changed it and tested again. The ultrasonic module could work, and the motor could stop when the distance is less than 5 cm. Finally, we could control the curtain in “open” mode, but we could not use the remote to control the curtain.


Problems:

We tested the curtain and the main functions of curtain. But we just completed the “open” function and could not make curtain have  “close“ and “stop” function.  Next week we wish we can find the problem and solve it so that we can complete the curtain functions.


Week Four Plans:

  • Find the problem and solve it.
  • Connect the whole circuits and test again.




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