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motion sensing on switch

L

lozaning

2[H]4U
Joined
Mar 30, 2005
Messages
3,757
i was in wal-mart the other day and noticed that they sold motion sensors for lights. i thought it would be cool if i could hook one up so that all i had to0 do was waive my hand in front of the moniter and my compouter would turn on. does anyone know how easy or hard it is to wire this and what if any drivers or software would be required.
 
Why would you need software? Just have the switch control power to your monitor.
 
mikeblas said:
Why would you need software? Just have the switch control power to your monitor.
Click to expand...

As long as it's not one of the ones that powers back off when it stops sensing motion...
 
so then when you move your head or a friend starts pointing at the screen, it'll randomly turn off?
 
Qtip42 said:
so then when you move your head or a friend starts pointing at the screen, it'll randomly turn off?
Click to expand...

A motion sensor sends out a signal that says it seees motion, or it doesn't. Normally, it's wired to another circuit that controls switching. The switch is off until the sensor sees motion. When it does, the switch turns on and stays on until no motion has been detected for a certain period.

In what applications would a circut that toggled the switch every time it saw motion be useful? Because of uncertainy in the motion detector, how would it be conveniently controlled?
 
Proximity mines? Emergency lighting?

Normally the idea is motion = on, rather than a toggle.
 
so all i would have to do is hook up the leads from the sensor to the 2 jumbers where my regular on switch currently is. so that would mean i wave my hand and it turns on and i wave my hand again and my computer goes into hybernation/off
 
I don't think you want to rig the off function to a motion detector... :(
 
With the light you get at wal-mart, the sensitivity of the sensor and the duration the light is on are adjustable. Try to find one that has very low sensitivity, so motion on the other side of the room wont turn the machine on. Maybe face the sensor towards a close side wall or your cabinet enclosure, so a swipe of the hand on the side of the case turns the machine on. You could then have a relay open contacts to the power to the sensor when your power supply is putting out 12 volts dc. Get a 12vdc relay and you my friend, will be a steely eyed missile man.

P.S. Leave your regular power switch hooked up. Wire the motion sensor in parrallel with it, so if you have to hard reset you will still have that option.

Do a little more reasearch than I did, but here is one type of relay you could use to disable the motion sensor while the computer is on.
http://relays.tycoelectronics.com/datasheets/KUH_DS.pdf
 
i dont know very much electronics as far as wiring and realays, and thus didnt fully understand what you where saying about an open relay. any further information would be gldaly apreciated
 
I think you have a really nice idea here. But, I wouldn't get into it without a decent understanding of electricity or without knowing how to use a multimeter.

Because the motion sensor for a light will undoubtedly be expecting 120vac, and your interface with the computer will be 12vdc, dangerous things could happen if you mixed them wrong.

It can be done. Talk to an electrician friend, or do some research on the internet. There may be a more suitable motion detector out there.
 
while it would not be a straight forward mod... its entirely possible

instead of the motion sensors for driveway lights, i would look into more the motion sensors for automatic flush toilets or sinks. if hooked up properly, one of these could have the computer on as long as you were sitting at your desk, if you got up it could shut it down after, say, 10 minutes -- unless you sat back down. there would probably be a microcontroller involved, but there are plenty of people here to help out with that
 
Okay, I found this...
http://www.ozitronics.com/docs/kc7783.pdf
on this page
http://www.ozitronics.com/security.html#k76
with thisw price
http://www.ozitronics.com/kitlist.html#k76

http://www.ozitronics.com/images/kc7783.jpg

Follow the following advice very carefully, with great skepticizim.

Your power button is a normally open contact. This means that when it is not being pressed it is open, not allowing current to pass. It is also momentary, meaning when you push it it closes only as long as you are pushing it. When you let go, it opens.So when you push the power button, you send 5vdc(volts direct current) to turn the computer on.

The switch above operates at 4 to 12 vdc. From what i read, it stays closed 1/2 a second loner than it detects motion.

So you could replace your power button with this. But it will hard reset if it detects motion again.
 
Coulndn't you wire some kind of logic gate to detect power on a 12v connection so it wouldn't detect if the system had power?
 
Intresting subject. I install alarm systems and can tell you that motion sensors only switch states as long as it detects motion so if you sit in front of you monitor and rock back and forth you should be fine. But that is not plausible so what you would need is a relay that latches and a shunt switch to the motion to turn it off once it switches. I haven't looked but I think you could get some sort of I/C that would be able to do that. Don't worry about switching 120VAC the power supply will handle that. I reconmend a infared motion instead of a microwave emmiter since the latter might interfer with you computer.
 
Ski Me said:
I install alarm systems and can tell you that motion sensors only switch states as long as it detects motion so if you sit in front of you monitor and rock back and forth you should be fine.
Click to expand...

I didn't know that. If a motion sensor is detecting motion for ten seconds, say, how many times does it switch states? Once per second? Ten times per second? Or is it programmable?
 
mikeblas said:
I didn't know that. If a motion sensor is detecting motion for ten seconds, say, how many times does it switch states? Once per second? Ten times per second? Or is it programmable?
Click to expand...
Some are programmable either with a jumper setting or a trimpot up to 20 minutes and evenmore on some. I see more often than not motion switches on lights in schools. They come programmed for 10 minutes which is the max. After ten minutes and the classroom is empty lights go out. But those switches are big and require 120 or 270 VAC smaller motions are not really meant for switching and staying switched. Mostly they switch for about 1 to 2 seconds to generate and alarm condition then go back to their normal state. But some do stay switched as long as there is motion. I'm sure there are some that can be programmed for longer but I've never used them and they would prolly be expensive.
 
Ski Me said:
Some are programmable either with a jumper setting or a trimpot up to 20 minutes and evenmore on some. I see more often than not motion switches on lights in schools. They come programmed for 10 minutes which is the max. After ten minutes and the classroom is empty lights go out. But those switches are big and require 120 or 270 VAC smaller motions are not really meant for switching and staying switched. Mostly they switch for about 1 to 2 seconds to generate and alarm condition then go back to their normal state. But some do stay switched as long as there is motion. I'm sure there are some that can be programmed for longer but I've never used them and they would prolly be expensive.
Click to expand...

Oh, I guess I misunderstood you. I thought you said they only changed state while there was motion, which meant they would stay in the same state while there wasn't motion, and and transition constantly while they did detect motion.

You seem to be saying that they actually hold their state while there is motion (plus a delay), and that's exactly what I'm familiar with, too -- and what we were recommending the OP used.

It's easy to find programmable motion detectors. They aren't that expensive. (And even if it wasn't, it's trivial to wire a circut around a 555 timer, say, that will let you set your own duration.)
 
so you say get an infared motion detector and then get some type of (exuse my ignorence i know nothing of wiring things) gate thign that stops the signal when the computer is on. if i went to radio shack would an employee know how to make one of these gate things?
 
lozaning said:
so you say get an infared motion detector and then get some type of (exuse my ignorence i know nothing of wiring things) gate thign that stops the signal when the computer is on. if i went to radio shack would an employee know how to make one of these gate things?
Click to expand...
If I get some spare time I'll try to do diagram for you.
 
that would be most appreciated. if you can tell me what to do i can can do it, but i have no experiencen any type of this type of thing
 
here is a nifty circut..
momentconstant.gif

using 2 automotive relays (but you can use any relay...) that goes from a pulse to a constant output (i.e. latching). this site is great:
http://www.the12volt.com/
especialy their special aplications page
http://www.the12volt.com/relays/page5.asp

i would assume that you would use the latched output to disable the motion detector's pulsing of the power switch after the computer is on... but it may be simpler then that... how about this:
motion.JPG
 
In that diagram, what's connected between terminal 85 and 86 of the first relay? A diode? Presumably, to protect the sender from the magnetic dump.

That circuit looks like it latches; what would turn off the second relay besides a loss of power?
 
if i printed these out and took them to radio shack would they tell me what to buy
 
Depends on if you get one of the radio shack employees who really knows electronics, or one who knows how to sell cell phones and overpriced cables.
 
lunacite said:
Depends on if you get one of the radio shack employees who really knows electronics, or one who knows how to sell cell phones and overpriced cables.
Click to expand...

So that's a "no" or a "snowball's chance in hell"?
 
dont u realize that if u had a motion sensor for a power switch, any time you move or pass in front of it, the pc will turn off, or on for that matter?
 
hi

there is an easy way of making it work.
It could be very easy if you only use the sensor to poweron your PC.

1) connect your sensor to a permanent lead of 115VAC or whatever voltage is needed.
2) connect the contacts of the sensor in parallel over your Poweron-switch.
3) insert a relay that gets powered the moment you turn on your PC
4) in this relay use the normal-closed contacts, so when your PC is off the relay gets no current, so the connection to your Poweron-switch is made.
5) that's it

expl.

Your PC is off, but the sensor is permanetly powered.
Since the relay is powered only when your PC is turned on, the connection over
the normal-closed contacts is made.
When you wave infront of the sensor, it makes the connection to the Poweron-switch.
Your PC powers on and the relay breaks the normal-closed contacts by opening them.
Now you can wave what you want, the sensor still works, but the relay breaks the
connection to the POwer-switch.

It's a real easy circuit, and if you're still confused I'll draw a nice circuit-plan.

Good luck

Grtz
 
Lite user is right. I wish I could have put it a simply as that. And the radio shack relay I linked earlier will work with his description. The latching idea, though correct, will be much more confusing to someone who has no electrical experience, such as the thread starter.
 
I used a latching relay in my picture... just instead of depending on 120v for continous power i made it run off 5v stb.

in my example, you would have to turn off the computer manualy, either start->shutdown or a regualr switch. but i think that those options are better then the computer shutting itself off when it stops sensing motion.
 
this is the simplest way of connecting.
Just get a cheap and small relay at a "radio chack"(=common name for electronics store, no?)


circuit1.bmp
[/IMG]


Maybe I'll think about a circuit where it will also prompt a shutdown window,using the same sensor.

As my door won't open automaticly when is has shutdown.

mmmmmmmmmm, it becomes a more interesting idea, the more I post here. :rolleyes:

Grtz
 
radio shack...not chack... see: http://radioshack.com/
Lite_User said:
circuit1.bmp
Click to expand...
where does this circuit connect to the motherboard? if i understand the drawing correctly, you would have to push the button AND walk in front of the computer to turn it on? and any 120v sensor wont have a relay like that, rather it will directly switch the 120v, resulting in 120v AC going through your computer's motherboard.

bad idea :rolleyes:

your drawing is very confusing. i would recommend revising it with at least semi-standard symbols or pictures... remember, the momentary power switch normally connects to the motherboard, its not a self contained circuit.
 
theshadow27 said:
where does this circuit connect to the motherboard? if i understand the drawing correctly, you would have to push the button AND walk in front of the computer to turn it on? and any 120v sensor wont have a relay like that, rather it will directly switch the 120v, resulting in 120v AC going through your computer's motherboard.

bad idea :rolleyes:

your drawing is very confusing. i would recommend revising it with at least semi-standard symbols or pictures... remember, the momentary power switch normally connects to the motherboard, its not a self contained circuit.
Click to expand...

wait,wait ;)

the circuit lies paralell over the poweron-switch and thus also over the mobo-connections.
and as you can see in the drawing the sensor has a potential-free contact
(= no connection what so ever ,to the powersupply of the sensor, so just an electronic switch. Switch is made opticaly so to speak :p )


I don't no if you can buy such a sensor in a common hardware store, but in a
"Radio shack" I'm sure they will have several kinds.

circuit4.bmp



the powerswitch is just a brigde between 2 connection-points on the mobo,
and should indeed never be connected through a "hot-wire", but you can turn your
PC on and off, just by using a piece of copper wire.

Grtz
 
Personally, I think you should either have it only connect to some kind of lighting system in your computer or possibly the monitor, because that would be more for effect and having your computer turning on and off like that probably isn't a good idea. However, go for it if you guys can make it work.
 
XeRo_Dark said:
dont u realize that if u had a motion sensor for a power switch, any time you move or pass in front of it, the pc will turn off, or on for that matter?
Click to expand...

Don't you realize there's more than one way to wire a motion sensor for a switch?
 
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