Little Problem with phototransistor

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around troubleshooting a circuit involving a phototransistor and a 74HC14N logic gate used to detect the speed of a motor. Participants explore issues related to pulse detection and voltage levels in the circuit, particularly at higher motor speeds.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation, Debate/contested, Experimental/applied

Main Points Raised

  • One participant notes a discrepancy in expected frequency output from the circuit when increasing motor speed, suggesting potential issues with pulse width or phototransistor response.
  • Another participant recommends measuring the waveform at pin 1 of the 74HC14 to diagnose the problem accurately.
  • A participant suggests increasing the value of resistor R2 to improve voltage output, indicating that 1.1V may be insufficient for proper operation of the microcontroller.
  • Another response supports increasing R2 and suggests a minimum voltage of 1.8V for reliable detection.
  • One participant warns that if R2 is too high, the RC time constant could become problematic, particularly with coaxial cables, and emphasizes the need to discharge the cable quickly.
  • A suggestion is made to consider using a different chip, the 74C04, which could function as an amplifier to improve output voltage levels.
  • Another participant proposes using an LM324 quad op-amp to achieve the necessary gain for the output signal.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express varying opinions on the best approach to resolve the voltage and pulse detection issues, with no clear consensus on a single solution. Multiple strategies are proposed, indicating ongoing debate about the optimal circuit configuration.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention specific voltage levels and resistor values, but there are unresolved assumptions regarding the circuit's overall design and the impact of component choices on performance.

anita1984
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Little Problem with phototransistor !

Hi Forum ,i am using a laser module, phototransistor SFH309-5, and 74HC14N (Circuit in the attachment) to detect the speed of the motor. On the Vout2 i measured frequency up to 2,8KHz when the speed of the motor is 28 000 RPM (because 6 reflected beam every rotation). But when i increase the motor to 32 000 RPM the frequency on Vout2 is 500Hz , and it should be 3,2KHz , what can be the problem ?
Thank you in advance ,
 

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You're missing pulses (pulses are joining together) because either the pulse width from the mirrors is too narrow or the photo transistor is too slow (possibly due to saturation) or a combination of both.

You need to look at the waveform on pin 1 (74HC14) to determine exactly which is the case.
 


Hello uart , i tried to measure the pulses on Pin 1 of the 74HC14 , i read a 3,2KHz and 1,1Volt ,when the speed of the motor is 32 000RPM , which is true i think that 74HC14 needs near 3,3V to work properely , i think to increase the valu2 of R2 is a good idea? do you recommand it to me ?
Have a nice day,
Anita
 
Last edited:


I would definitely increase the value of R2 as 1.1V probably isn't enough for your uC to detect. I would bump it up to at least 10kOhm and get a minimal voltage of 1.8V.
 


uart said:
1. Increase R2 until you do get enough voltage.

2. You might be a bit better off with Vcc=5 volts

You were already told this last week in your thread regarding the same circuit.

You'll need to post a sketch (or photo etc) of the actual waveform at pin 1 if you want a definitive dignosis of what's wrong.
 


If R2 is too high, the RC time constant with distributed capacitance in coax cables, etc. may be too high. You need to discharge the cable in less than 10 microseconds.
Bob S
 


Even at its best this circuit is only just managing to work because you need almost the full supply voltage as output just to drive the 74C14.

There is a chip that might help. It is the 74C04 which has the same pinout as the one you are using but it has inverters in it that can be used as amplifiers.

74C04 amplifier.PNG


As an amplifier, you can treat it like an opamp, so the gain is equal to the ratio of the feedback resistor to the input resistor.

You only need a gain of 2 or 3 to get a square wave output that is equal in height to the supply rails.

You would have to experiment with the resistor values, but I would start with 10 K as the feedback resistor and 3.3 K as the input resistor. Definitely use a 5 volt supply.

OR, you could just get a LM324 quad opamp and wire up one of the opamps to give a gain of 2, 3, 4 or 5 and see how you go after that. This is only amplifying 3 KHz, so it is not a difficult job.
 

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