complete project

[Tinkerer]

Hello joop.
I have collected some information and schematics about the tinkerer PI.
This PI is a diskriminating PI with a lot of additional possibilities.
The main version with the basic functions is the tinkerer_SB in motion(MO) or non-motion(NM).

The coil is a induction balanced coil.
If i have understand it right, than these are the specs:
TX clockwise 240uH, AWG12 or AWG 14 for 4A peak coil current, 40 cm round coil
BU in series with TX coil, anticlockwise, about 12uH with the same wire, wound the same diameter how RX-Coil (but i don´t know this diameter)
RX wound centertaped on the BU-coil, AWG22, 300uH, wound the two halfes in the same direction.

Maybe tinkerer can look over it and add a few more details, or correct some specs.

mschmahl,

thank you for posting the information.

I need to look us where I posted the info for the 40cm coil. In your description, the amount of turns are missing.

With the Induction Balanced IBcoils, the number of turns is more important than the exact uH value. In fact you do not need to worry about an inductance meter.

What is important is the turns ratio between the TX coil and the Bucking coil. With half of the TX diameter, the Bucking coil diameter needs 4 times less turns.

We need full turns everywhere, so we must pick a turns numbers that fit the ratio. For example, TX=16 turns and BU=4 turns. Nevermind the exact uH, as this will be different on the type of wire, insulation and tightness of winding.

You could also use TX=20 turns and BU=5 turns, but you should stay somewhere near 300uH for the resonant frequency in combination with the Flyback capacitor.

If, for any reason your resonant frequency is way off, you may have to adjust the pulse timing by a us or so. I will show you how.

Using the miscel calculator, you look for air coils. to calculate the coils.

You can use a different diameter ratio between TX and BU coils. In this case you calculate the surface area of the 2 coils with the geometry calculator and use the ratio proportional to the relative surface areas.

Remember always to use full turns.

You can also make coils in square, rectangular or any shape using the geometry calculation, but you need to leave more leeway for fine adjustment. We will talk about the fine adjustments later.

For the cable from coils to board, you can use a cable that is more flexible and a little thinner, on the short distance the power losses are not so large. We will talk about the shielding later, but you should think of it from the beginning, when looking for a coil housing. If you already have a housing, you may have to design the coil to fit the housing.

Just ask, I will be glad to help.

The TINKERERS are really meant for community development, free in every way for everybody to copy and improve.

Any suggestion for improvement is most welcome.

All the best

Tinbkerer

[Tinkerer]

Thanks mschmahl/Tinkerer... I would prefer a sticky post on top of this (sub)forum which shows the latest designs. Then close the thread so nobody can respond.

I am interested in building this design with a small coil, e.g 27 cm. or 11 inch. But I don't mind starting with 40 cm.

I got a 25cm coil in the works, so we can use this one as the coil building example.
25cm is the inner diameter of the TX coil winding, the winding thickness can be 1 to 2 cm, so the coil will end up with 28 or 29 cm diameter.

The RX coil is 10cm inner diameter.

We will go step by step in the coil building, with pictures, but most of all I will be explaining the calculations and parameters, so that anybody can then build their coils any size they feel like.

[joop]

Thanks mschmahl/Tinkerer... I would prefer a sticky post on top of this (sub)forum which shows the latest designs. Then close the thread so nobody can respond.

I am interested in building this design with a small coil, e.g 27 cm. or 11 inch. But I don't mind starting with 40 cm.

[mschmahl]

Hello Tinkerer,
this is a good idea with two different threads. I think we should start with the 40 cm round coil.

Greetings
mschmahl

[Tinkerer]

Hi Guys,

I am a bit lost with this project... What is the general idea? I see so many different schematics. Is there a complete collection somewhere, including coil description? If it is a discriminating PI I am surely interested in starting a build.

Thanks.

Right, this thread is a mess. Let's start a new thread just for the TINKERERS_SB_MO detector and another one for the TINKERERS_SB_NM detector.
Here we will continue talking about general aspects of the basic TINKERERS SIMPLE BASIC detector design.

The PSU and PIC is the same for both designs.

The coils are the same too.

The difference is that one is a MOTION DESIGN and the other one does not need any motion for functioning.

What size coil do you want? or need?

All the best

Tinkerer

[mschmahl]

Hello joop.
I have collected some information and schematics about the tinkerer PI.
This PI is a diskriminating PI with a lot of additional possibilities.
The main version with the basic functions is the tinkerer_SB in motion(MO) or non-motion(NM).

The coil is a induction balanced coil.
If i have understand it right, than these are the specs:
TX clockwise 240uH, AWG12 or AWG 14 for 4A peak coil current, 40 cm round coil
BU in series with TX coil, anticlockwise, about 12uH with the same wire, wound the same diameter how RX-Coil (but i don´t know this diameter)
RX wound centertaped on the BU-coil, AWG22, 300uH, wound the two halfes in the same direction.

Maybe tinkerer can look over it and add a few more details, or correct some specs.

[joop]

Hi Guys,

I am a bit lost with this project... What is the general idea? I see so many different schematics. Is there a complete collection somewhere, including coil description? If it is a discriminating PI I am surely interested in starting a build.

Thanks.

[mschmahl]

Thank´s for the link. I will try to make a pcb with Designspark.

[Tinkerer]

Thank´s a lot tinkerer. Now it´s clear. I´m now searching for dealer for the part´s here in germany. The good thing is I've already found the most part´s. If they are not available as trough hole part´s than i will use SMD. Soldering both is no problem. I think i will first built the tinkerer_SB on Testboards [ATTACH]23100[/ATTACH]. Later a good PCB is a must.

The TINKERERS will work OK on the test board. It is quite robust.

Have a look at DESIGNSPARK http://www.designspark.com/page/desi...-pcb-home-page

It is really free. I use it for my schematics and PCB's.

[mschmahl]

Thank´s a lot tinkerer. Now it´s clear. I´m now searching for dealer for the part´s here in germany. The good thing is I've already found the most part´s. If they are not available as trough hole part´s than i will use SMD. Soldering both is no problem. I think i will first built the tinkerer_SB on Testboards . Later a good PCB is a must.

[6666]

Hi Sido
thanks .

[Tinkerer]

Hello Tinkerer,
i need some help. I have some question to the schematic below.
1. The wiring on pin 4 and pin 11 from U1a and U1b are different. They are the same chip. Which wiring is correct?
2. C14 to C17 is from an other chip and not used, is this right?
3. What is the value for C5 and C32?

Thank´s a lot.
Michael

Thank you for finding mistakes. I will correct the schema and post again.

U1a and U1b, Correct, it is the same chip and only one should have the power supply and bypass. I do not see any difference though, either one is correct.

C14 to C17, not used. I seem to have posted a wrong version of the circuit, before cleanup. sorry.

C32, a simple PSU bypass, 10nF to 100nF

C5 =100nF this is a level shifter.

About your LDO's, they should work. We want to have a minimum noise on the PSU for the analog. Maybe low noise LDO's are worth the higher cost.
I have LT1763, LP2951, LT1964, on my shopping list Digi-Key, but a lot depends how easy the parts are to get where you are and if you want to use through hole or SMD as some are not available either way.
TI have some good low noise LDO's

Wire for the coil. Probably the best would be tin plated fine strand AWG#12 or #14 for the TX and BU, The gauge makes a significant difference in power consumption.

AWG #22 or so, fine strand is fine for the RX.

Tinkerer

[mschmahl]

Hello Tinkerer,
i need some help. I have some question to the schematic below.
1. The wiring on pin 4 and pin 11 from U1a and U1b are different. They are the same chip. Which wiring is correct?
2. C14 to C17 is from an other chip and not used, is this right?
3. What is the value for C5 and C32?

Thank´s a lot.
Michael

[sido]

Some part´s of the Tinkerers SB are for free as samples from Microchip or Linear Technology. So you can gather part´s there if you don´t find them in shop´s.

Cheers for that, will follow it up.

Sid

[mschmahl]

Some part´s of the Tinkerers SB are for free as samples from Microchip or Linear Technology. So you can gather part´s there if you don´t find them in shop´s.