|
First
Prize
Backpack
Water Level Monitor
The
Backpack Water Level Monitor was designed to gauge the
water level in hydration packs, which are typically
used by hikers. The monitor regularly measures the water
level in the reservoir, and displays it when a button
is pressed. It also keeps track of how quickly the level
drops, and displays an estimate of the number of hours
remaining at the present consumption rate. If the level
drops below a set threshold, then a beeper warns the
user that the supply is running low. The hardware is
built around a modified version of the Motorola demo
board, which contains the MC33794 e-field sensor, an
MC68HC908QY4 MCU, and a MAX232 serial interface. All
the board needed was a couple of trace cuts and some
added power supply components. A separate display unit
that mounts at the end of the drinking hose contains
a pair of seven-segment displays and 74HC164 shift registers;
it connects to the main unit through a three-wire cable.
Four CR2430 coin cells in series power the system.
|
Richard
Wotiz
California
dick601@mystics.org
Abstract
(PDF)
Entry (ZIP)
|
