Detector Building C

[l0lit]

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.

If you can derive a voltage from the capacitor's charge measurement (is C=Q/V applicable? I don't know much about these) and plot that data along with a graph then you should be fine. In the code, make sure to convert to voltage and then convert to temperature to make sure you can actually use the relationship.

[YeagerTheCat]

Hey I will give the cap thing points for thinking outside the box. Kudos... interesting.

[LIPX3]

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

Which proves the idiocy of some of the rules of this event.

[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

Which proves the idiocy of some of the rules of this event.

Agreed. The rules and sheer number of FAQs are just... dumb. I know they need new events instead of reusing the old ones, but if you fast-track an event, at least fully form it and think it through before making it an event. Also this event went through the wrong comittee which doesn't help. It should be physics, not tech.
Like, I could see a version of circuit lab that was detector building based, but this shouldn't realllllllllly be it's own event, at least not without giving use soem options for what we can actually do.

[olib]

So are surface mount components completely out then? The FAQ's seem to say only DIP IC's are allowed, but if you directly attach a surface mounted component to a breadboard, isn't that acceptable? A surface mounted IC is a "fundamental component" isn't it? Couldn't I just solder some pins on, and call it a DIP? DIP high resolution ADC's are not really available, and those that are are much more expensive than their surface mounted counterparts. I'm trying to submit a clarifying question to the FAQ's but it keeps giving me an error.

[ericlepanda]

So are surface mount components completely out then? The FAQ's seem to say only DIP IC's are allowed, but if you directly attach a surface mounted component to a breadboard, isn't that acceptable? A surface mounted IC is a "fundamental component" isn't it? Couldn't I just solder some pins on, and call it a DIP? DIP high resolution ADC's are not really available, and those that are are much more expensive than their surface mounted counterparts. I'm trying to submit a clarifying question to the FAQ's but it keeps giving me an error.

Hm that's interesting, I was trying to submit the same question but I was also getting an error. The FAQs are super unclear on this issue, as they state that fundamental components are legal but also that "all components must be DIP." I think with the last FAQ they meant to say that all ICs must be DIP, and that SOIC components are illegal, but with the current wording it seems that SOIC components are in a legal grey area. As of right now, the last FAQ could be interpreted as banning all components that aren't DIP, which would be an issue as then we wouldn't be able to use resistors and stuff, so they probably meant to just ban any non-DIP ICs.

also like why are they banning surface mount components? like i get why breadboards are required for judging and transparency and stuff but if I can get a SOIC to work with a breadboard why penalize that? And there's literally no mention of SOIC or DIP components ( or breadboards or ADCs) in the rules, all the rules regarding those seem to have been made up on the fly and slapped into the FAQs -- the amount of conflicting stuff in there is insane.

[ericlepanda]

yo also what are y'all doing for the temperature/voltage graph mathematical model thing in the logs? we've been using steinhart-hart and we just like graphed a ton of points and took three of them to solve for the coefficients. The problem is that after calibration, basically all the work we did with the graph is kinda like not valid anymore -- I'm worried that we'll get docked points for that. Also what the heck is the purpose of the graph? after everyone calibrates to the ES's thermometer their graph should be basically useless right? also why the heck would they ban using the microcontroller to calculate the calibration constants? I had this cute method coded where it would take in the temperature and store the resistance value and automatically use three of those to calibrate the thing but they seem to have banned that lol. literally what the heck

[LIPX3]

yo also what are y'all doing for the temperature/voltage graph mathematical model thing in the logs? we've been using steinhart-hart and we just like graphed a ton of points and took three of them to solve for the coefficients. The problem is that after calibration, basically all the work we did with the graph is kinda like not valid anymore -- I'm worried that we'll get docked points for that. Also what the heck is the purpose of the graph? after everyone calibrates to the ES's thermometer their graph should be basically useless right? also why the heck would they ban using the microcontroller to calculate the calibration constants? I had this cute method coded where it would take in the temperature and store the resistance value and automatically use three of those to calibrate the thing but they seem to have banned that lol. literally what the heck

Due to another idiotic FAQ, you aren't allowed to calibrate with the ES provided water. Why on earth they have the water then, I do not know.

[l0lit]

Due to another idiotic FAQ, you aren't allowed to calibrate with the ES provided water. Why on earth they have the water then, I do not know.

Where does it say that? I can't find it.

[pepperonipi]

yo also what are y'all doing for the temperature/voltage graph mathematical model thing in the logs? we've been using steinhart-hart and we just like graphed a ton of points and took three of them to solve for the coefficients. The problem is that after calibration, basically all the work we did with the graph is kinda like not valid anymore -- I'm worried that we'll get docked points for that. Also what the heck is the purpose of the graph? after everyone calibrates to the ES's thermometer their graph should be basically useless right? also why the heck would they ban using the microcontroller to calculate the calibration constants? I had this cute method coded where it would take in the temperature and store the resistance value and automatically use three of those to calibrate the thing but they seem to have banned that lol. literally what the heck

Due to another idiotic FAQ, you aren't allowed to calibrate with the ES provided water. Why on earth they have the water then, I do not know.

It’s there for when you get thirsty now

In all seriousness, yeah this is extremely dumb. I could see what they were trying to do with a graph (provide a general overview of how the equation you made correlated with given points you found), but it’s still basically useless. Especially when I’d assume most teams are likely literally going to calibrate their devices according to a new thermometer and change the equation anyways.