Clever Circuit Makes Exercise Slightly Less Boring
Originally published on tomshardware.com by Dan Maloney on 6 November 2024
Joel has devised a creative solution to make his repetitive stair-climbing routine less monotonous. After growing tired of manually counting each of his 108 stair laps, he built a lap counter that does the job automatically. To avoid losing track mid-exercise, Joel incorporated a beam-break optical sensor system with sensors placed at the top and bottom of the stairs, each designed to detect when he completes a lap.
The system is cleverly designed to minimize power usage. Each sensor setup has a high-output red LED and a phototransistor on one side of the stairwell, with a retroreflector on the opposite wall. When Joel breaks the beam, the circuit switches off the LED in the triggered sensor and switches on the other one, reducing unnecessary battery drain. To prevent false triggers from stray movements, Joel adapted a bounceless switch circuit inspired by Forrest Mims’ “Engineer’s Notebook.”
Finally, the sensor trips are counted and displayed on a three-digit seven-segment LED, providing an accurate lap count for Joel’s exercise routine. Though he doesn’t share the exact details of the counter circuit, it’s likely based on Mims’ BCD counter designs. The project adds a tech twist to Joel’s fitness routine, making his workout a bit more engaging.
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