Water level indicator with visual and sound alert

[rmeyn]

Thanks for the offer Gary. I believe I have it handled at this point. I was able to get a good schematic graphic with Express Schematic last night. And I need to learn how to post pictures.
Richard

[rmeyn]

Well, here goes my attempt at posting my schematic. I have already tested it by inserting the full url into my browser. You can try: knottyaldermouldings.com/richard's circuits/water level monitor and alarm.bmp. It's a bit slow since it is in bitmap form. I will later edit to a jpg file. If you open the schematic with full screen on your browser, you can read all details. Here is tag that should open this schematic automatically. knottyaldermouldings.com/richard's circuits/water level monitor and alarm.bmp][/img]
If it does not, I will make corrections later. I look forward to any comments. If you have questions about how or why it works, ask. The reason the circuit uses dc instead of ac is for simplicity. We don't expect much hydrolysis to take place because the circuit will not be left on. Richard

[lamazoid]

It's not working for me. Why don't you use a known service istead of reinventing the bicycle? And for your information: using spaces and special characters in URLs is BAD. Also you should correctly choose output format: GIF will be better for circuits and drawings, while JPEG is better for photos and other high-color images. For large size text+images+whatever combinations the best choice is DJVU.

[Gary Lecomte]

HERE, I Found it, but because of the (') in the richard's, It won't work as a hyper link.

knottyaldermouldings.com/richard's%20circuits/water%20level%20monitor%20and%20alarm.bmp

You need to Copy and Paste it into the Address Bar.

I Added it to My Site as a PNG File. Now it should show here:



Gary

rmeyn said:

Well, here goes my attempt at posting my schematic. I have already tested it by inserting the full url into my browser. You can try: knottyaldermouldings.com/richard's circuits/water level monitor and alarm.bmp. It's a bit slow since it is in bitmap form. I will later edit to a jpg file. If you open the schematic with full screen on your browser, you can read all details. Here is tag that should open this schematic automatically. knottyaldermouldings.com/richard's circuits/water level monitor and alarm.bmp]

[/img]
If it does not, I will make corrections later. I look forward to any comments. If you have questions about how or why it works, ask. The reason the circuit uses dc instead of ac is for simplicity. We don't expect much hydrolysis to take place because the circuit will not be left on. Richard
[/quote]

[rmeyn]

Thanks Gary. I will in the future change schematics to gif file, remove non readable characters, and shorten the URL. It just takes time to learn this formats protocol. I tested that url in my explorer browser and it worked fine.
Richard

[Gary Lecomte]

rmeyn, I Think That Design of yours is Much More Complicated than it needs to be.

Also your drawing is Far too Large.

About your Previous Comment about using a JPG:
Don't, JPG Files tend to go Fuzzy!
And you can't save a 1 Bit File in JPG.

Yes a GIF File is OK. And it will save a 1 bit file.
So will a PNG or TIF file.
1 bit is Best, it is TRUE Back and white, with No Gray Scale.

[lamazoid]

And how actually it measures water level? I don't get it.

[rmeyn]

Perhaps it is more complicated than it needs to be. But it works reliably and does not false trigger. The quad nand is necessary for stability. If some one has a way to simplify it without sacrificing reliablily, I'm all eyes and ears. The piezo buzzer could be run directly from the 555 timer and would save a transistor, but it is not a recommended practice. If you paste the schematic to your browser and use full screen it fits perfectly. I'll reduce the scale if someone wants it.
Any way, thanks for allowing me to use the forum. Richard

[Gary Lecomte]

How About This?



About the Only Difference between your design and my design is the Pizo Sounds Continuously, Until the 1/4 LED goes off.

But Just as Relilable.

[lamazoid]

And how is this supposed to work?! what are 1/2 3/4 etc? If those are just contact sensors, why to use all this complicated circuitry? I believe this can be done with some magnetic contacts, plastic tube and floating magnet.... Some time ago i made similar thing for the cabin, but this was simple FET+battery+buzzer indicating when it's near to full.

[Gary Lecomte]

rmeyn wanted a Device that would show Various Levels of the water.

This circuit does that.

So could your system, if thats what you want.

There are a Thousand different ways to do almost anything.

[rmeyn]

The 1/4 , 1/2, 3/4, full pins represent wire probes in the cistern or well. I found ordinary copper wire works well. They have be kept separate and not touching each other. 1/4 means 1/4 the distance from the bottom . 1/2 1/2 the distance from the bottom etc. My circuit was designed to light leds representing the water level. When the 1/4 level is present, the bright red led shows. It means the water level is at least 1/4 but not 1/2 full. When the 3/4 led is lite, the 1/4 and 1/2 leds will be lite as well. I wanted a sound alert to occur when the water level fell below 1/4. That way, I could be pretty sure I would not burn up the water pump. Richard

[lamazoid]

Yes, it means i understood correct. You have used electronic switch instead of mechanic and that's it. Gary says right, the are many ways... But as for me, i prefer the SIMPLEST one.

[Gary Lecomte]

rmeyn said:

The 1/4 , 1/2, 3/4, full pins represent wire probes in the cistern or well. I found ordinary copper wire works well. They have be kept separate and not touching each other. 1/4 means 1/4 the distance from the bottom . 1/2 1/2 the distance from the bottom etc. My circuit was designed to light leds representing the water level. When the 1/4 level is present, the bright red led shows. It means the water level is at least 1/4 but not 1/2 full. When the 3/4 led is lite, the 1/4 and 1/2 leds will be lite as well. I wanted a sound alert to occur when the water level fell below 1/4. That way, I could be pretty sure I would not burn up the water pump. Richard

So Richard, What did you think of my Simpler Circuit?

[rmeyn]

Gary, I only had a brief time to look at it. It is simpler, but then it doesn't do as much. Your timer is configured as a multivibrator to buzz continuously while triggered. Mine is configured as a 1 shot to give an alert for a given time period. You have connected the piezo directly to the output of the timer, which I am told is not good practice. It is safer to have the timer turn on a transistor switch and allow the transistor to provide a current path from Vcc. It may be only academic, but I wanted the alarm portion of the circuit separate from the water level indicator. As you said, there are a zillion ways of doing a circuit...just depends upon what you want to accomplish. I am just trying to advance my knowledge of sensor type circuits. I have in mind future circuits to control solar cell grids and the like. Richard