Skip to content
  • MySensors
  • OpenHardware.io
  • Categories
  • Recent
  • Tags
  • Popular
Skins
  • Light
  • Brite
  • Cerulean
  • Cosmo
  • Flatly
  • Journal
  • Litera
  • Lumen
  • Lux
  • Materia
  • Minty
  • Morph
  • Pulse
  • Sandstone
  • Simplex
  • Sketchy
  • Spacelab
  • United
  • Yeti
  • Zephyr
  • Dark
  • Cyborg
  • Darkly
  • Quartz
  • Slate
  • Solar
  • Superhero
  • Vapor

  • Default (No Skin)
  • No Skin
Collapse
Brand Logo
  1. Home
  2. My Project
  3. Orientation sensor (and actuator)

Orientation sensor (and actuator)

Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved My Project
19 Posts 5 Posters 8.4k Views 8 Watching
  • Oldest to Newest
  • Newest to Oldest
  • Most Votes
Reply
  • Reply as topic
Log in to reply
This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
  • AWIA Offline
    AWIA Offline
    AWI
    Hero Member
    wrote on last edited by AWI
    #1

    With the latest additions in sensor type e.g. the position/ GPS sensor there was still something missing. Orientation sensors are popular in e.g. flight control and mobile phones. For a proof of concept I ordered a MPU 9250 which consists of a Gyroscope/ Accelerometer/ Magnetometer (compass) and BMP280 - barometer/ temperature.

    This is an advanced device which makes it possible to determine the exact orientation/ movement and altitude.. Mounted to @GertSanders "Battery based atmega328p sensor" this makes a perfect "Orientation sensor" with a simple I2C interface.

    0_1458657298726_upload-24c3d464-6128-4e81-b3da-b26fd04f285e

    For the purpose of demonstration there is an actuator which is basically a pan/tilt servo construction pre-built with 2 servo's and a little plastic.
    0_1458657078723_upload-3dd64be6-f5e0-4899-9c5d-05587980f2f2

    Next (hard to find) thing was an Arduino library to read the sensor an create acceptable position readings. In flight terms these are named:

    Yaw - for the orientation in the vertical plane
    Pitch - orientation in the horizontal plane
    Roll - the position of the object (e.g. aircraft) around its own axis. (not used in the example)

    As there (currently) is no "Orientation type" for MySensors I have created my own type as a subset from the V_TEXT type.
    V_ORIENTATION = Yaw ; Pitch ; Roll

    A (working) library was found in the "Modern devices - motion plug" example.

    The video should give you an idea of the current setup and workings. All through the MySensors network. I will upload the details on Openhardware.io if I can get the hang of it.

    MySensors - Orientation sensor Demo

    1 Reply Last reply
    5
    • hekH Offline
      hekH Offline
      hek
      Admin
      wrote on last edited by
      #2

      Nice to someone play around with a 10DOF device. And I like the video! :)

      1 Reply Last reply
      0
      • Fat FlyF Offline
        Fat FlyF Offline
        Fat Fly
        wrote on last edited by
        #3

        Can to drive with mpu9250 solar panels ? Solar tracker by sun position coordinates ?

        AWIA 1 Reply Last reply
        0
        • tbowmoT Offline
          tbowmoT Offline
          tbowmo
          Admin
          wrote on last edited by
          #4

          That looks awesome. Think I have to try something like that as well :)

          1 Reply Last reply
          0
          • Fat FlyF Offline
            Fat FlyF Offline
            Fat Fly
            wrote on last edited by
            #5

            MPU 6250 works too. But how to drive linear actuators and how to set and from where get coordinates? Oh. Too many questions.

            1 Reply Last reply
            0
            • Fat FlyF Fat Fly

              Can to drive with mpu9250 solar panels ? Solar tracker by sun position coordinates ?

              AWIA Offline
              AWIA Offline
              AWI
              Hero Member
              wrote on last edited by
              #6

              @Fat-Fly a sun panel tracker based on this circuit is in place on my roof. My major issue is mechanical. How to seal the (stepper) motors from the environment.

              K 1 Reply Last reply
              0
              • AWIA AWI

                @Fat-Fly a sun panel tracker based on this circuit is in place on my roof. My major issue is mechanical. How to seal the (stepper) motors from the environment.

                K Offline
                K Offline
                koen01
                wrote on last edited by koen01
                #7

                @AWI said:

                @Fat-Fly a sun panel tracker based on this circuit is in place on my roof. My major issue is mechanical. How to seal the (stepper) motors from the environment.

                I once saw someone on YouTube that mounted them in pvc pipe with a cap.
                He used electric drill motors for the actuators though.

                https://youtu.be/HnwTqx-INes

                1 Reply Last reply
                0
                • Fat FlyF Offline
                  Fat FlyF Offline
                  Fat Fly
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #8

                  How to this sensor knows where is the sun?

                  K 1 Reply Last reply
                  0
                  • Fat FlyF Fat Fly

                    How to this sensor knows where is the sun?

                    K Offline
                    K Offline
                    koen01
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #9

                    @Fat-Fly said:

                    How to this sensor knows where is the sun?

                    I guess 4 ldrs with a cross between ?

                    1 Reply Last reply
                    0
                    • Fat FlyF Offline
                      Fat FlyF Offline
                      Fat Fly
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #10

                      Okay. But why for this mpu9250? These ldr's not working correctly if cloudy. Turn with sun coordinates is possible but i do not find cheap system. Raspberry PI and with arduino + mpu9250 or 6250 + linear actuators.

                      AWIA 1 Reply Last reply
                      0
                      • Fat FlyF Fat Fly

                        Okay. But why for this mpu9250? These ldr's not working correctly if cloudy. Turn with sun coordinates is possible but i do not find cheap system. Raspberry PI and with arduino + mpu9250 or 6250 + linear actuators.

                        AWIA Offline
                        AWIA Offline
                        AWI
                        Hero Member
                        wrote on last edited by AWI
                        #11

                        @Fat-Fly the position of the sun is very predictable :wink:. I use a simplified algorithm to calculate where it will come from. So no DOF sensor needed here only the actuator.

                        1 Reply Last reply
                        1
                        • Fat FlyF Offline
                          Fat FlyF Offline
                          Fat Fly
                          wrote on last edited by Fat Fly
                          #12

                          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEmGntpX-Dk

                          1 Reply Last reply
                          0
                          • Fat FlyF Offline
                            Fat FlyF Offline
                            Fat Fly
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #13

                            How to drive this ?

                            1 Reply Last reply
                            0
                            • K Offline
                              K Offline
                              koen01
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #14

                              @AWI
                              Is it possible to sleep the node and wake it up by external interrupt ?
                              I have a use case for this but it has to be battery powered.

                              AWIA 1 Reply Last reply
                              0
                              • K koen01

                                @AWI
                                Is it possible to sleep the node and wake it up by external interrupt ?
                                I have a use case for this but it has to be battery powered.

                                AWIA Offline
                                AWIA Offline
                                AWI
                                Hero Member
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #15

                                @koen01 I assume you are refering to the orientation sensor.. You can sleep the node and have it wake up by external or internal (timer) interrupt. Power consumption when powered down is minimal. Look at API for "Sleeping". I am using a setup with solar power for a wind/weather station (on-going development ..)

                                K 1 Reply Last reply
                                0
                                • AWIA AWI

                                  @koen01 I assume you are refering to the orientation sensor.. You can sleep the node and have it wake up by external or internal (timer) interrupt. Power consumption when powered down is minimal. Look at API for "Sleeping". I am using a setup with solar power for a wind/weather station (on-going development ..)

                                  K Offline
                                  K Offline
                                  koen01
                                  wrote on last edited by koen01
                                  #16

                                  @AWI
                                  Thank you for answer.
                                  See this link for an project based in this.
                                  Its basically a scène controller in the shape of a cube.
                                  I got the idea from the original poster in the thread over at home-assistant.

                                  https://community.home-assistant.io/t/rubiks-mood-cube-magic-cube/9965/8

                                  I will post a BOM, sketch and pics if someone wants me to.

                                  K 1 Reply Last reply
                                  1
                                  • K koen01

                                    @AWI
                                    Thank you for answer.
                                    See this link for an project based in this.
                                    Its basically a scène controller in the shape of a cube.
                                    I got the idea from the original poster in the thread over at home-assistant.

                                    https://community.home-assistant.io/t/rubiks-mood-cube-magic-cube/9965/8

                                    I will post a BOM, sketch and pics if someone wants me to.

                                    K Offline
                                    K Offline
                                    koen01
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #17

                                    @AWI
                                    This is how it looks like at the moment.
                                    Still taped together as everything is beta stage. ;)

                                    https://youtu.be/_hbFNwnpov0

                                    K 1 Reply Last reply
                                    3
                                    • K koen01

                                      @AWI
                                      This is how it looks like at the moment.
                                      Still taped together as everything is beta stage. ;)

                                      https://youtu.be/_hbFNwnpov0

                                      K Offline
                                      K Offline
                                      koen01
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #18

                                      Some more info on the cube can be found at the homeassistant forums
                                      https://community.home-assistant.io/t/rubiks-mood-cube-magic-cube/9965/11?u=koen01

                                      1 Reply Last reply
                                      0
                                      • hekH Offline
                                        hekH Offline
                                        hek
                                        Admin
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #19

                                        @koen01, really like this cool cube project.

                                        Couldn't you add it as a new project on openhardware.io? This enables me to show it on the mysensors.org build pages as well.

                                        1 Reply Last reply
                                        0
                                        Reply
                                        • Reply as topic
                                        Log in to reply
                                        • Oldest to Newest
                                        • Newest to Oldest
                                        • Most Votes


                                        21

                                        Online

                                        11.7k

                                        Users

                                        11.2k

                                        Topics

                                        113.1k

                                        Posts


                                        Copyright 2025 TBD   |   Forum Guidelines   |   Privacy Policy   |   Terms of Service
                                        • Login

                                        • Don't have an account? Register

                                        • Login or register to search.
                                        • First post
                                          Last post
                                        0
                                        • MySensors
                                        • OpenHardware.io
                                        • Categories
                                        • Recent
                                        • Tags
                                        • Popular