Trigger implementation idea: light beam

[Steve Gase]

I'm creating multiple threads to launch discussions on how to create various kinds of triggers.

I'm looking for some discussion to help guide me in making a decision about the "best" way for my particular needs, and I really don't know what those requirements are at this time.  So, I'm intending the discussion to be pretty open-ended, and something that might help others with similar questions.

"best" might be based on various factors:

• price and availability of the parts
• ease of assembly (to me)
• ease of use (to my visitors)
• flexibility in placement (how far can it be from my conductor and/or power source and/or wireless? and/or )

In this thread I am interested in a light beam, typically an infrared source that can be projected, and detected when the beam is broken.  I'd normally expect this to allow for a "beam" that reaches many feet -- 5ft, up to 20ft.

As is the case with all of the ideas, it must be able to interface with the conductor's trigger solution.

After discussing ideas, I'm hoping that final concepts could be written up as assembly manuals in the wiki, complete with answers to the "how" and "what", and "where" questions.

Any takers?

[Steve Gase]

I've not used garage door safety beams for something like this... would it work? does it require a powered source to close the "circuit" back at the conductor?

the interface from a stock part back to the conductor is what causes me questions.

[chrisatpsu]

try more into looking at home security system triggers and switches for a lot of what you're trying to do...   you want normally open switches, so that whe it closes, it completes the trigger. but it also needs to be momentary, as the trigger truely activates when the button is "released" so to speak.