Ore Afolayan (Leader)

Sultan Alomran (Rapporteur)

Kelvin Darden (Certifier)

Final Project Report (Reverse Parking Sensor Circuit)

TEAM 9
Abstract:
This report details our group's experience constructing and understanding
the Reverse Parking Sensor circuit and the components within it that allow it to
work. This report also delves into what additions we made to this circuit to make
the original concept both analog and digital and how this experience helped
further our own understanding of the sensor and how we would want it to behave
in a real-life scenario.

Introduction:
We chose and built a circuit that was not in our project workbooks that
would demonstrate a complex circuit's ability to be both analog and digital in
nature. The circuit we chose was a Reverse Parking Sensor that was made up of
a 555 timer, 3 resistors, a capacitor, and infrared transmitter that would send
signals to an infrared receiver. The received signal would then amplified by the
LM324 op-amp, and outputted to three comparators that would then compare the
inverting and non-inverting voltages and light the LED outputs according to the
voltages that were given.

Objectives:
Our goal for this project was to construct a sensor that would be able to
indicate the distance between a hypothetical driver's car and their potential
parking space so that the difficulty of attempting to guess the distance on their
own would be lessened. This would be accomplished through the combined
efforts of the pulse-emitting transmitter and its receiver, which would display a
digital 2 as an indicator that the driver should stop moving and a 1 which
would indicate that it was still safe for the driver to continue backing up. As a
result, our group was able to integrate analog and digital aspects of a circuit into
a singular circuit in addition to further pushing our team-dynamic by making sure
that we all understood the material that we were working with so our presentation

could be fully explained by all of us clearly and efficiently.

Lessons Learned:
Since this was our first time integrating analog and digital circuitry
together, we had to learn how to construct a way for the transmitter and the
receiver to communicate with each other so that the sensor would accomplish its
designated task. Also, as with our previous projects, we learned how to
contribute our individual learning styles to this project to both help us understand
the concepts at work and to help ourselves understand the concepts even more.
We found that as we each shared our own understanding of the information at
hand, the more comfortable we felt about explaining what we learned to the class
during our presentation; there were many times when one of us would be trying
to explain how parts of the circuit worked to each other (often times in ways that
made perfect sense to us) but found ourselves having to adjust what we were
saying to better illustrate our point. This unexpectedly proved the obvious fact
that we are all unique individuals with distinct backgrounds and methods of
thinking and we shouldn't assume that just because one of us thinks a certain
way that everyone one else can, or should, follow suit. Embracing each others'
individuality helped us learn to not only tolerant each others' differences, but to
better appreciate them as well.

Team Work Plan:

We started by researching different circuits that interested us that also
were not included in our project manual. Next, we chose the Reverse Parking
Sensor and discussed how what parts we needed to acquire (since this was a
circuit that was not in our project manual, it was very likely that it would require
parts that the typical project kits did not have). Thirdly, we divided up the labor
amongst ourselves so that all three of us would contribute equally to this project.
Finally, we presented our circuit to the class (detailing our process, any errors we
encountered, and the lessons we learned) and turned this assignment in through
Blackboard.

Active Components:
1. 555 timer: used as an astable multivibrator for driving the IR
transmitter.

2. LM324: Amplifies the signal from the IR receiver.

3. Photo diode: Takes the light from the IR LED and uses it to make
its own current.
4. 7486 XOR Gate:
5. 7404 Inverter:
6. 4511 Seven Segment Driver:

Analysis
I. Transmitter
The first half of our circuit was a transmitter. This transmitter made up the analog
component of our circuit.

Figure 1. IR Transmitter Diagram

Basic Components:
- NE555 timer
- IR transmitter
- Electrolytic Capacitor: 1uF and 16V
- Resistors: 10k, 1k, and 330 ohm

In our circuit, the transmitter used its three resistors and its NE555 timer
as a pulse generator to transmit IR pulses to the IR receiver. Also, the
frequency of the transmitter was set to 120 Hz. The 555 IC operates in
astable mode. In astable mode, the 555 timer puts out a continuous stream of
rectangular pulses having a specified frequency. Resistor R1 is connected
between VCC and the discharge pin (pin 7) and another resistor (R2) is connected
between the discharge pin (pin 7), and the trigger (pin 2) and threshold (pin 6)
pins that share a common node.

Figure 2. Frequency Equation

For this transmitter, the diagram we found did not specify what kind of
infrared transmitter we needed to use, so we had to improvise. Because of this,
we used an infrared LED that emits infrared light.

Figure 3. IR Transmitter

FIGURE 3 shows a picture of the finished transmitter.

Figure 4. Transmitter MultiSim

In addition to building the physical circuit, we also constructed a virtual

model using MultiSim. This gave us a chance to further test and
experiment with our transmitter without displacing or messing with any of its
physical parts. As you can see in FIGURE 4, the input is 12 volts and the
transmitter is utilizing its three resistors to help create a constant train of pulse
through the output.

II. Receiver
The second half of our circuit was a receiver, which would intercept and
receive the IR pulses that were being sent out by the IR transmitter.

Figure 5. IR Receiver Diagram

 Basic Components:
- LM324 IC (low power quad op-amp)
- IR Receiver
- 1n4148 Diodes(2)
- Electrolytic Capacitors- 100u (2), 10u, 47p, and 1u
- LEDs- 2 (5mm)
- 12 V DC Battery
- Connecting Wires
- 1k Resistors (2)
- 4.7k and 1.5k Resistors
In our circuit, the receiver was able to amplify the received signal through
the U2:A. Also, resistors D4 and C3 form peak detectors to detect the
peak of the amplified signal. In other words, they work together to detect the
point at which the amplified signal being received is the greatest. FIGURE 6 & 7
below (the MultiSim for our receiver) further illustrates these points. The output
voltage of the peak detector is then sent to U2:B, U2:C, and U2:D. They act as
comparators, meaning they compare the voltages going into their inverting and
non-inverting pins. When the non-inverting input (V+) is at a higher voltage than
the inverting input (V-), the high gain of the op-amp causes the output to saturate
at the highest positive voltage it can output.
When the inverting voltage is higher than the non-inverting voltage, the
output of the op-amp is low. These outputs are what determine if each respective
LED shines or not. R8-R11 are used to set reference voltages. The effects of the
reference voltages will be discussed later in the Testing section of this report.

Figure 6. IR Receiver

Figure 7. IR Receiver MultiSim

Testing
Through building this circuit, we encountered many problems. As stated
earlier, there were no instructions to specify what kind of IR transmitter and
receiver to use, so for the transmitter we used an infrared LED that we took from
the sensor of a remote control toy.

Figure 8. IR LED

In order to be certain that it was an IR LED, we took a picture of the LED

when we turned it on, as seen in FIGURE 8. As you can see, the bulb appears to
be purple. This is because digital cameras have individual color sensors
(generally red green and blue). Different colors of light will excite the
corresponding sensor type. For instance, purple light will excite blue and red
sensors equally. This information will be recorded into the image file.
All of the sensor elements (red green and blue) are slightly sensitive to
infrared light. In most cameras, the red sensor is most sensitive to infrared light,
followed by the blue and then the green sensor. So if the camera is pointed at an
infrared light, the sensor records about 60% red, 30% blue, and 10% green. This
produces a purplish image. For the receiver, we used a photo diode, which
successfully received the signals being transmitted by the IR LED.
The photo diode was not working for a period of time so we tried hooking it
up in various ways. The way that worked was connecting a resistor to one lead of
the diode and connecting it to ground and connecting the other lead to ground as
well. This allows for the diode to take the light energy emitted by the IR LED and
make its own current. On another note, a very handy tool throughout this project
was an oscilloscope. We used it to observe the waves that were going through
the circuit at different times.

Figure 9. Oscilloscope

Another major issue we ran into was the signal was not very strong
despite the op-amp being in place. This caused us to observe the gain, which is
the ability for a circuit to increase the amplitude of the input to the output by
adding energy converted from some power supply to the signal.

Figure 10. Gain Formula

To preface this next issue as well as the rest of this Testing section, it is
important to note that in preparation for implementing the digital output to our
circuit using a seven segment display, we changed the original design of the
circuit to have two different outputs instead of three. In other words, originally, no
LEDs would shine if you were out of range from your obstacle, one would shine if
you were not that close, two if you were moderately close, and three if you were
really close. In the new design, one LED shine if you were moderately close and
two if you were really close. That being said, another issue with signal strength
was that it affected the actual purpose of the circuit. Since the signals transmitted
by the IR LED are supposed to bounce off of the obstacle and come back to the
receiver, they need to be placed side by side. However, the signals outputted by
the IR LED were not strong enough to effectively bounce off of anything
appropriately to be used as a parking sensor, so we oriented the transmitter and
receiver to face each other so that the signals can be received and observed
properly.
As we tested it, we put something such as one of our fingers in between
the IR LED and the photo diode to simulate a long distance between the car and
the obstacle. We move our finger halfway out of the way so that part of the signal
from the IR LED is absorbed by the photo diode. This simulated the car
approaching the obstacle such that the one output LED would shine. When
nothing is in the way of the IR LED and the photo diode, this simulated the car
being a very short distance away from the obstacle, causing both LEDs to shine
to indicate the driver should stop immediately.
We changed the inverting and non-inverting pins in preparation for using
logic to incorporate digital circuits so it would be a little simpler. The output from
the receiver went into the non-inverting input of the op-amp and the inverting pin
goes to ground. The output of the op-amp connected to each of the non-inverting
pins of the other two comparators. R8-R11 set the reference voltages for each of
the inverting pins. Keep in mind that if the non-inverting voltage is higher than the
inverting voltage, the output will be high and vice-versa. Since originally, the
resistors set the reference voltages to each of the non-inverting pins, that would
mean the output of the op-amp would affect the inverting pins, thus making the
output of the comparators low if the reference voltages were too low.

Because we planned on using digital ICs to make our output digital, we

decided to test the analog LED output just to make sure it worked. Since we
changed what we connected to each inverting and non-inverting pins of the
comparators, we had to make sure to plug the LEDs into ground instead of power
to keep it consistent with our previous changes. However, when we did this, we
observed that only one LED would glow. Because of this, we had to check the
resistors that were connected to each comparator. Since they determine the
voltage drops between comparators, we needed to see if we had to right
resistors connected. We found out that we used an incorrect resistor and was
cause the voltage drop to be affected adversely. After we figured this out, we
added a potentiometer in place of the incorrect resistor in order to actively control
the resistance that would yield a good output for the LEDs.

Digital Output
To give the desired output we had to use three digital integrated circuits.
The three ICs 7486 (XOR Gate), 7404 (Inverter) and 4511 (7 segment) were
used together as shown in Figure 12. The seven segment would give the
numbers 1 and 2 where 2 is the closest to the obstacle. while the car is
reversing to the obstacle, the seven segment output would show 1 meaning
that you are close to the obstacle, then 2 meaning that your are too close and
need to stop.

Figure 12. Digital part

The 7486 (xor gate) and 7404 (inverter) are used to convert binary
numbers to digital seven segment display (4511). Pins 1 and 2 inputs are used
and we discard pins 3 and 4. We need part b, c (pins 12 and 11) to be high to
show 1 on the seven segment display, and we need a, b, g, e, d (pins 13, 12,
14, 9, 10) to be high to show 2 on the seven segment display.

Conclusion
In conclusion, this project taught us how to properly integrate analog and
digital circuit components into a singular and more complex circuit, thus allowing
us to further our understanding of what it means for a circuit to be digital or
analog. We also learned how to appreciate each others' skills and utilize said
skills in a way that would benefit our group and overall presentation in addition to
practicing how to explain our circuit in a clear and concise way.

References
[1] Moderators, EH (2014, June 18). Reverse Parking Sensor. Posted to
http://www.electronicshub.org/reverse-parking-sensor-circuit/

[2] "Gain." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 19 Nov. 2014. Web. 23

Nov. 2014.
[3] "Tutorial: Electronic Circuits-Op-amps/Comparator Circuit, Renesas
Engineer School." Microcontroller, Analog & Power, SOC, Smart
Solutions. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2014.