![Logo](data:image/svg+xml,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="870" height="794"><rect fill-opacity="0"/></svg>)
[Thomas Snow] found himself in a bit of a pickle. His kitchen lights didn’t adequately light his counter-tops. So instead of inventing a light bending device that could warp space-time enough to get the light where it needs to go, he decided to take the easy road and installed a motion controlled LED strip under the cabinets.
Now, these aren’t just any ‘ol motion control lights. Not only is [Thomas] able to turn the lights on and off with a wave of his hand, he can control the brightness as well. He’s doing the magic with an ultrasonic range sensor and PIR sensor. An ATTiny85 ties everything together to form the completed system.
The PIR sensor was incorporated because [Thomas] didn’t want to bug his pets with the 40kHz chirp from the ultrasonic sensor. So it only comes on when the PIR sensor sees your hand. Be sure to check out [Thomas’s] project for full source and schematics.
If he put things away instead of cluttering the bench top then he probably wouldn’t need the lights.
We have a small kitchen, so that’s where they get put away! :)
Why is your plug socket so surprised! :-O
Because it is in a perpetual state of shock!
:-D
Hehe, I love it.
The bad ol’ days when a single bulb cast a shadow everywhere you go in the room.
Aren’t LED’s great!
That is true. I had purchased 20 meters of neopixel strips with an eye on using them for some sort of project, but I decided to use the cheaper, plain white strips for this project. While looking around Aliexpress for them, the vendors often put in pictures of their use in architecture and some amazing uses these strips are put to are beautiful and functional.
Where’s the source code?
I am still tweaking it. Once I’m satisfied that it’s working (and with the PIR sensor hooked up), I’ll post it.
be nice to have a look anyway!
“I wrote some software for the ATTiny85 to manage all this. That will be forthcoming soon.” he says
On the subject of high frequency; I used a ultrasonic rangefinder near 2 cats, they did not seem to notice at all. Although I don’t know the exact frequency used on the rangefinder.
The ultrasonic rangefinder uses a 40kHz chirp (a string of 8 of them, actually). Humans can hear up to around 20kHz. Dogs can hear up to around 60 kHz, cats to around 79kHz. Birds, oddly, have around the same range as humans.
Dunno where you get that from / My dogs dont get much from about 30kHz on that I have noticed .
Wikipedia, of course! It may be that your dog is older and we all lose sensitivity as we age. :)
Now I also have some concerns about this. I’m using these sensors on some pet automation projects, and they seem to be ok with it. Also, the power these sensors drain is small, so I believe the sound isn’t so loud.
I don’t think it is harmful too them. I am just projecting my feelings on them. If I heard a constant chirp going, it’d drive me nuts. Sort of like when the battery gets low in the smoke detector. As for loudness, it’s hard to say, but I know that the sensor uses a Maxim 232 chip which supplies a 20v charge across the transmitter.
I tried an ultrasonic pest repeller to keep cats from walking all over my truck. Although I could barely hear it myself when I turned the frequency down all the way(and so could the neighbors), the cats were unfazed no matter what I set the frequency to. I ended up having to find some way to purchase a super-soaker water cannon in the winter…
My sister had some of those in her house because of where she lived, lots of rats would come into the house during winter. It worked great to keep them out, but didn’t bother her pets. The interesting thing was she never had another spider in the house after that, either. They operate between 23kHz to 62kHz, depending on the brand (some do a sweep function).
Spiders operate on 23kHz to 62kHz depending on the brand?
Yes, Black Widows operate at 27.5kHz, where Brown Recluses operate at 39.8kHz. Don’t even get me started on Tarantulas!
Ants seem to be pretty disturbed by abot 1 Hz signal . 1 Foot stomp per second that is.
@Ty, I don’t think it’s the frequency so much as it is the amplitude!