Good Evening, i need assistance with a hobbyist project of mine:

I need to make a device that is relatively small and detects a magnetic field/ polarity: and once detected it then makes a vibration, and if at all further possible 1 vibration would signify 1 pole and 2 vibrations would signify the other pole.thus meaning that holding the device over a magnet would signify its position and which way up it is. Where do i start going about making this device? i.e. components to use circuits etc. Should i use PIC to programme a chip to do this for me? The only thing i have found throughout my research is a hall sensor for the magnetic field detection. Many Thanks in advance

 

Where do i start going about making this device? i.e. components to use

It's called a Hall Effect sensor.

Should i use PIC

Sure. Let the microprocessor guys do this one. You can get a lot more features with a PIC while an analog circuit keeps getting bigger and bigger as you add more and more features.

 

Many thanks sir; so what would i need for the sensor to vibrate upon certain polarities, imagine i need to see which way up a magnet is in an opaque object so i cant see it and the device i want to make senses which object it is in (out of multiple objects) and which way up it is

 

Do you have any programming experience?

 

Only Web programming i did a bit of PIC in school when i was like 14 haha, but that is now 5 years ago, is this going to be as complicated as youre making it sound haha

 

Only Web programming i did a bit of PIC in school when i was like 14 haha, but that is now 5 years ago, is this going to be as complicated as youre making it sound haha

Nope, should be quite simple not much more complicated than blinking a LED. If you want I'll do the circuit schematics tomorrow since this is fairly interesting and not very time consuming.

 

That would be absolutely incredible sir, many thanks

 

Why not just use another polarized magnet?
It will either be pulled towards or pushed away..

 

I'll give a context for this haha: I'm a magician and the device in question is to sense in which spectators hand a magnetic coin is in and whether it is heads or tails side up, so it has to be small, discrete and give a vibration so it is silent and should be able to hide strapped to my wrist, thus not another magnet as it wouldn't give me the sense i need to detect the coin. Many thanks

 

You will need to get the SENSOR part of your device within 1 inch or maybe 2 at most, of the magnet (2-5 mm)

Hide it in the end of your sleeve near your wrist?

 

Yeah certainly that was the plan

 

Oh that's fiendishly clever...

That's why I hate magic shows- I get so frustrated trying to figure things out!

 

Haha, it is an existing product in the market but this is for personal use, yes it is fiendishly clever but fiendishly priced too haha

 

Done, if you need help programming it just ask.

 

Thats absolutely Incredible, and yes i would most certainly need assistance with the programming, i cant figure out how to start a private conversation on here to make things easier. Once again many many thanks.

 

Do you know roughly the cost for the equipment in this circuit and where to begin buying these? Hahaha

 

What? Its not magic?... Son of a b...
Whats next.. Please don't tell me Santa isn't real..

I do a "similar" trick.. But I look away and have them hold the hand with the coin in it against their forehead for about 20 seconds and tell them to "think" really hard about it..
Then I have them turn around and face me and then hold both hands out in front of them and I can guess which hand the coin is in EVERY time...
Anyone want to guess how that trick is possible?

 

Total cost of the circuit should be under 5$. USBasp programmer costs 2$ on eBay. You would need to tell me from which country are you? If from UK you can buy components from Farnell. You could try eBay but shipping takes forever.
You would need to get vibration motor so not a standard dc motor.

 

What? Its not magic?... Son of a b...
Whats next.. Please don't tell me Santa isn't real..

I do a "similar" trick.. But I look away and have them hold the hand with the coin in it against their forehead for about 20 seconds and tell them to "think" really hard about it..
Then I have them turn around and face me and then hold both hands out in front of them and I can guess which hand the coin is in EVERY time...
Anyone want to guess how that trick is possible?

Someone has been watching the Illusionist to much and also check out The Prestige too..

 

Someone has been watching the Illusionist to much and also check out The Prestige too..

Both good movies..