|
I'm not really sure this belongs in this thread, but I am so elated about outsmarting an animal that I'll post it anyway: I have 3 pet mice. One of them is a little shithead that likes to escape and run around and hide in inaccessible places. After spending an hour chasing him around and catching him (more than once) I decided to make something that would do it for me. I suppose I could have bought a mousetrap but this was more fun. The way this works you can probably all figure out for yourselves, but nonetheless: 1) Mouse goes in for delicious peanut butter and blocks an IR LED aimed at a phototransistor. 2) Phototransistor output switches a PNP transistor, which switches two SCRs. 3) One SCR is the input to a 555 timer circuit. This activates a piezo beeper thing every several seconds so I know that something is caught. 3a) The other SCR activates a DC motor. The motor winds up a length of floss (cheap but it works surprisingly well) to raise the door behind the mischievous mouse and trap him for good. 4) I find the mouse and revel in my victory before returning him to bleak captivity. There might have been an easier way to do this but this works OK. Here is the result of a few hours of work, in order to build a mousetrap that is indeed better: I made this stuff after the electronics. It's pretty self-explanatory.   Inside view, you can see the LED and phototransistor:  Electrical bits:  With door closed:  The offending rodent:  And so we have yet another victory of man over beast.
|
#
¿
Nov 9, 2008 13:56
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 30, 2024 22:06 |
|