posted 12-14-2003 08:47 PM              

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i'm looking into tiny tilt sensor technology for a student project. does anyone have any suggestions for people to talk to or web resources for the non-engineer?

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posted 12-15-2003 06:34 PM              

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Research mercury switches

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posted 12-15-2003 06:40 PM              

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http://www.lakemetro.com/mercury_relays/tilt_switches.htm

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posted 12-18-2003 11:51 AM              

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they dont use mercury switches...or mercury in anything...its been replaced by little boxes with a metal ball in it... www.digikey.com

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posted 12-18-2003 06:47 PM              

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quote:

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Originally posted by fsd:
they dont use mercury switches...or mercury in anything...its been replaced by little boxes with a metal ball in it... www.digikey.com

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did you not see the link above to the place selling the mercury switches?

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posted 12-19-2003 10:27 AM              

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mercury switches are old school, the digikey link and others can get you better sensors (as well as the mercury ones).
Try to look up accerometer, or tilt sensors.
these are not just on/off switches like mercury ones but are calibrated/able.
they are used in things like those g-techs.
(aftermarket units in cars that tell how fast they accelerate, or how many g's they they can hold etc)(I think they are in Fast &Furious2)
My friend used these sensors in a PDA device project for nurses.

I will post back if I can track down the details from him

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posted 12-19-2003 10:35 AM              

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ok can't reach him but look at this
http://www.analog.com/Analog_Root/sitePage/mainSectionHome/0,2130,level4%253D%25252D1%2526level1%253D212%2526level2%253D310%2526level3%253D%25252D1,00.html

even better than tilt sensor, it's a gyroscope and supa small too

"...a MEMs-based gyroscope that is the first commercially available device to integrate both an angular rate sensor and signal processing electronics onto a single piece of silicon."

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posted 12-22-2003 11:47 PM              

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use accelerometers

they can sense tilt through a change in gravitational force.

i am using them for my grad project.

often they are combined with gyroscopes.

see http://www.analog.com/

click on "mems" in the pink image

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