Detector Building C

[waterlubber]

Detector Building rules have become English grammar: a bunch of rules, then exceptions to the rules, then exceptions to the exceptions.

Yep.
You know it’s bad when an event has more FAQs than Mission ever did.

I wonder if they'll run out of appeal forms at NY States again.

With how close scores are likely to be, I can already see the disaster brewing.
Hopefully we get a rewrite or update to the rules rather than just FAQs and clarifications.

[Tekguy]

Does anyone know if a potentiometer (variable resistor) could be used for on-the-fly calibration at the event?

[sciencegirl03]

Does anyone know if a potentiometer (variable resistor) could be used for on-the-fly calibration at the event?

Hmm..
I think you could use a potentiometer to adjust the brightness/contrast of your LCD if you are using one.
From what I have heard, the event supervisor may not show you the reading on the thermometer at the 4 stations, so you may not know what to calibrate/adjust. They do not allow calibrating your probe once you start testing.

But still worth a clarification if you want to be sure.

[lindsmaurer]

Does anyone know if a potentiometer (variable resistor) could be used for on-the-fly calibration at the event?

Hmm..
I think you could use a potentiometer to adjust the brightness/contrast of your LCD if you are using one.
From what I have heard, the event supervisor may not show you the reading on the thermometer at the 4 stations, so you may not know what to calibrate/adjust. They do not allow calibrating your probe once you start testing.

But still worth a clarification if you want to be sure.

I mean, people should be using their own calibraton thermometer, but we won't be able to calibrate once we start testing. I'm guessing the "on the fly" calibration comment refers to states and nats level though, where we have to calibrate during the actual event.

[Tekguy]

Does anyone know if a potentiometer (variable resistor) could be used for on-the-fly calibration at the event?

Hmm..
I think you could use a potentiometer to adjust the brightness/contrast of your LCD if you are using one.
From what I have heard, the event supervisor may not show you the reading on the thermometer at the 4 stations, so you may not know what to calibrate/adjust. They do not allow calibrating your probe once you start testing.

But still worth a clarification if you want to be sure.

I mean, people should be using their own calibraton thermometer, but we won't be able to calibrate once we start testing. I'm guessing the "on the fly" calibration comment refers to states and nats level though, where we have to calibrate during the actual event.

By on-the-fly calibration I was referring to making small adjustments to the thermistor against the calibration thermometer (during the setup and calibration time) without modifying the code in any way (for example if the thermistor is reading a little warm or a little cold).

[LIPX3]

Hmm..
I think you could use a potentiometer to adjust the brightness/contrast of your LCD if you are using one.
From what I have heard, the event supervisor may not show you the reading on the thermometer at the 4 stations, so you may not know what to calibrate/adjust. They do not allow calibrating your probe once you start testing.

But still worth a clarification if you want to be sure.

I mean, people should be using their own calibraton thermometer, but we won't be able to calibrate once we start testing. I'm guessing the "on the fly" calibration comment refers to states and nats level though, where we have to calibrate during the actual event.

By on-the-fly calibration I was referring to making small adjustments to the thermistor against the calibration thermometer (during the setup and calibration time) without modifying the code in any way (for example if the thermistor is reading a little warm or a little cold).

How would you do such calibration without modifying the code? The only way I can think of is with the use of a potentiometer, but I think you could also run into accuracy issues there as well.

[lindsmaurer]

I mean, people should be using their own calibraton thermometer, but we won't be able to calibrate once we start testing. I'm guessing the "on the fly" calibration comment refers to states and nats level though, where we have to calibrate during the actual event.

By on-the-fly calibration I was referring to making small adjustments to the thermistor against the calibration thermometer (during the setup and calibration time) without modifying the code in any way (for example if the thermistor is reading a little warm or a little cold).

How would you do such calibration without modifying the code? The only way I can think of is with the use of a potentiometer, but I think you could also run into accuracy issues there as well.

I question was about using a potentiometer originally. I think it might help but not much, and would probably mess up your calibrations more than help them.

[LIPX3]

By on-the-fly calibration I was referring to making small adjustments to the thermistor against the calibration thermometer (during the setup and calibration time) without modifying the code in any way (for example if the thermistor is reading a little warm or a little cold).

How would you do such calibration without modifying the code? The only way I can think of is with the use of a potentiometer, but I think you could also run into accuracy issues there as well.

I question was about using a potentiometer originally. I think it might help but not much, and would probably mess up your calibrations more than help them.

It doesn't matter much. At any serious competition, all competitive teams will have a near perfect device and who does well will come down to luck.

[aidencohen]

I've been thinking about using a non traditional device which doesn't take in voltage as an input to measure temperature to get around the ADC resolution stuff, and it's worked so far. The sensor is a capacitor which is pretty much a basic electronic component, do you think that this is legal? Because the rules specify a voltage to temperature relationship.

[lindsmaurer]

I've been thinking about using a non traditional device which doesn't take in voltage as an input to measure temperature to get around the ADC resolution stuff, and it's worked so far. The sensor is a capacitor which is pretty much a basic electronic component, do you think that this is legal? Because the rules specify a voltage to temperature relationship.

I think the device itself is legal, but your logs will lose points for not having a voltage to temperature relationship