Newbie question here. I have been reading the manuals, forums, FAQ's, and past threads since Christmas. I have decided on my first project, but I need a bit of advice. The project involves monitoring the status of a door located at the bottom of a grain cart that is used to move grain out of a field and to a dump pit. It is removed from the bottom of the wagon by the door in question. After the grain has emptied out of the wagon, it is returned to the field to be filled up again. If the operator is not doing his job, he can return to the field with the bottom door still open. The next load of grain is then emptied into a wagon with an open bottom, and a HUGE mess ensues. I am the person who gets the opportunity to clean these messes up. Hence my idea.
What I would like to do is use the 18x picaxe I have, to monitor this door and turn on either a green or a red LED and sound a buzzer. It is about 5 meters from the door in the wagon to the tractor cab where the 18x and LEDs will be located. The picaxe will be powered by a 12V batter that provides the tractor with power. Obviously that voltage will have to be cut down. However, my question involves the door. What type of sensor or switch would you guys suggest I use to monitor the status of the door. With a distance of 5 meters I can have a physical wire connect the picaxe to the sensor. Since I am a newbie, I prefer to keep this relatively basic and within my ability. The programming I believe I can handle. There are plenty of examples in the manuels utilizing buzzers and LEDs.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Will
PS: Thanks Hippy for the answer to my LDR question. It worked great.
What I would like to do is use the 18x picaxe I have, to monitor this door and turn on either a green or a red LED and sound a buzzer. It is about 5 meters from the door in the wagon to the tractor cab where the 18x and LEDs will be located. The picaxe will be powered by a 12V batter that provides the tractor with power. Obviously that voltage will have to be cut down. However, my question involves the door. What type of sensor or switch would you guys suggest I use to monitor the status of the door. With a distance of 5 meters I can have a physical wire connect the picaxe to the sensor. Since I am a newbie, I prefer to keep this relatively basic and within my ability. The programming I believe I can handle. There are plenty of examples in the manuels utilizing buzzers and LEDs.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Will
PS: Thanks Hippy for the answer to my LDR question. It worked great.