PIR am312

sundberg84

@NeverDie http://www.ebay.com/itm/262527326905?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

I had two and tested them, maybe I fried them... but i dont think so.

NeverDie

Check to see how much current it's drawing when you have it powered up. If it's fried, it will be drawing more than expected.

Also, try connecting a voltmeter between the middle pin and ground with it powered on. When it detects motion, you'll notice a change in voltage.

NeverDie

@sundberg84

The lens in your photo doesn't appear to match the lens in the ebay listed where you got it from. The lens in the ebay listing is the kind I have, which I'm not happy with. I hope you get yours working, as it would be nice to know if your lens works better than mine.

sundberg84

@NeverDie thanks for your tips!
Will try it out and let you know about the lens.

NeverDie

I just now threw together a primitive barebones breakout board for the AM612:

It wastes a lot of space because of the large SR501 lens cover that it's meant to go with. Also, it's really just "Plan B", as I'm hoping Version 1 of NCA78's PIR shield will work.

Nonetheless, if anyone wants the PCB files for my primitive breakout board, I can post them.

sundberg84

@NeverDie - well both modules draw 12uA and changes to 111uA on motion... reading on VCC. That would suggest they are working... strange I cant get an interupt then... I also see the battery voltage in motion and 0v when not on signal out... so thanks for the tips... the module is working. I just need to figure out why it doesnt trigger the interrupt.

I will work some more on this later... only thing that can trigger a interrupt is me touching the metal pinheader. Tried adding a capcitor but no luck.

NeverDie

@sundberg84 said in PIR am312:

@NeverDie - well both modules draw 12uA and changes to 111uA on motion... reading on VCC. That would suggest they are working... strange I cant get an interupt then... I also see the battery voltage in motion and 0v when not on signal out... so thanks for the tips... the module is working. I just need to figure out why it doesnt trigger the interrupt.

I will work some more on this later... only thing that can trigger a interrupt is me touching the metal pinheader. Tried adding a capcitor but no luck.

Maybe your circuit needs a pull-up or pull-down resistor on the interrupt pin to make it work? That's what it sounds like.

sundberg84

@NeverDie - A good idea again... just took for granted that was handeled in the sensor since im used to that with the other pirs... silly me. I will give it a shot later.

gohan

I got my am312 and I confirm the blind spots and a range of about 3 meters. I'll have to try to use a bigger lens from the 501 and see what happens.
PS I also compared side by side with a radar sensor and have to say I am impressed with the sensibility and the "all-around" visibility

maghac

@sundberg84 Did you get it working? I have exactly the same problem.

I added a 10K pullup resistor but still no luck.

sundberg84

@maghac - no and I didnt have time to try the pulldown either. My next step would be a transistor. I see a current reaching 114uA when triggered so the module works but maybe 114uA isnt enough to trigger the interupt? Someone that knows?

NeverDie

@sundberg84 said in PIR am312:

@maghac - no and I didnt have time to try the pulldown either. My next step would be a transistor. I see a current reaching 114uA when triggered so the module works but maybe 114uA isnt enough to trigger the interupt? Someone that knows?

I never actually hooked mine up to an atmega328p. I just had it in a test jig, where an nfet turned on/off an LED based on the voltage of the middle pin. That worked fine.

Nca78

So I soldered an am612 to NModule PIR shield, put an SR501 lens but unfortunately I experience a similar behavior with some blind zones where I can move with the PIR bothering to trigger. I'll do more tests (especially when playing with sensitivity, it's supposed to be at max value now) but it is disappointing at the moment :(

gohan

If you move across its field of view it triggers without many problems but when moving towards the sensor in those "blind spots" you can get almost in front of it without being detected. Agreed it is very annoying

NeverDie

I never actually played around with SR501's. Do they have the same type of "blind spot" issue? I know that for professional grade motion detectors, it's not uncommon to have two PIR's inside them. I had always thought it was for avoiding false alarms, but maybe it's more of a coverage issue.

gohan

The SR501 I tested at home has actually better range and coverage. I am now testing the radar sensors and they seems interesting as they "see" through walls too :D

PS of course radar sensors are good only for powered sensors

Nca78

@gohan said in PIR am312:

The SR501 I tested at home has actually better range and coverage. I am now testing the radar sensors and they seems interesting as they "see" through walls too :D

PS of course radar sensors are good only for powered sensors

Yes radar sensors seem great, I have received one (5.8GHz version with 2 PCB boards) and ordered RCWL-0516. I will test them for detection through my false ceiling, but I'm not sure they will be stable when powered using HLKs ?

gohan

there is only one way to find out. :D

Nca78

@gohan said in PIR am312:

there is only one way to find out. :D

Yes and I will but I have so much MySensors stuff to finish first, I will have to stay frustrated about that for some time :D

NeverDie

I received the generic lens (on the right), which looks different than the SR501 lens (on the left):

I don't know if it's better or worse, as I haven't yet received my am612's. The good news, though, is that it's a very good fit for my primitive breakout board (shown in the photo on the right). I haven't yet received NCA78's breakout board, but I believe we're using the same spacing on our lens attachment holes.

PIR am312

14

11.7k

11.2k

113.0k