Question: How to make a counter/timer using PC mouse input

Guest
I would like to count the number of wheel revolutions of my indoor bike
during training indoors, and don't know anything about electronics.
I've taken apart an old, $2.99 mouse from an older PC and was able to
"read" when the mouse buttons were clicked using javascript. I'd like
to use that concept to make a bicycle wheel counter and write a
javascript to keep track of speed. Any suggestions on how I'd do it?
 
irving@outgun.com wrote:
I would like to count the number of wheel revolutions of my indoor bike
during training indoors, and don't know anything about electronics.
I've taken apart an old, $2.99 mouse from an older PC and was able to
"read" when the mouse buttons were clicked using javascript. I'd like
to use that concept to make a bicycle wheel counter and write a
javascript to keep track of speed. Any suggestions on how I'd do it?
Click to expand...
If the bike wheel has spokes, mount a
lever-action microswitch on the fork so
that it depresses when a spoke goes
by. Wire the switch in parallel with
your mouse button.

HTH
 
"Randy Day" <ruthal@sasktel.nex> wrote in message
news:1122oo72qghioa6@corp.supernews.com...
irving@outgun.com wrote:
I would like to count the number of wheel revolutions of my indoor bike
during training indoors, and don't know anything about electronics.
I've taken apart an old, $2.99 mouse from an older PC and was able to
"read" when the mouse buttons were clicked using javascript. I'd like
to use that concept to make a bicycle wheel counter and write a
javascript to keep track of speed. Any suggestions on how I'd do it?

If the bike wheel has spokes, mount a
lever-action microswitch on the fork so
that it depresses when a spoke goes
by. Wire the switch in parallel with
your mouse button.

HTH
Click to expand...
I was going to suggest the same but use a reed switch and magnet
 
On 26 Feb 2005 21:08:32 -0800, irving@outgun.com wrote:

I would like to count the number of wheel revolutions of my indoor bike
during training indoors, and don't know anything about electronics.
I've taken apart an old, $2.99 mouse from an older PC and was able to
"read" when the mouse buttons were clicked using javascript. I'd like
to use that concept to make a bicycle wheel counter and write a
javascript to keep track of speed. Any suggestions on how I'd do it?
Click to expand...
---
I'd paint a small section (maybe 1") of the rim flat black and then
use a reflective opto like:

http://www.fairchildsemi.com/ds/QR%2FQRB1133.pdf

to sense when it went by.

--
John Fields
 
On Sun, 27 Feb 2005 18:36:54 -0600, John Fields wrote:

On 26 Feb 2005 21:08:32 -0800, irving@outgun.com wrote:

I would like to count the number of wheel revolutions of my indoor bike
during training indoors, and don't know anything about electronics.
I've taken apart an old, $2.99 mouse from an older PC and was able to
"read" when the mouse buttons were clicked using javascript. I'd like
to use that concept to make a bicycle wheel counter and write a
javascript to keep track of speed. Any suggestions on how I'd do it?

---
I'd paint a small section (maybe 1") of the rim flat black and then
use a reflective opto like:

http://www.fairchildsemi.com/ds/QR%2FQRB1133.pdf

to sense when it went by.
Click to expand...
So, there's no dirt where you ride? ;-)

Rich
 
irving@outgun.com wrote:

I would like to count the number of wheel revolutions of my indoor bike
during training indoors, and don't know anything about electronics.
I've taken apart an old, $2.99 mouse from an older PC and was able to
"read" when the mouse buttons were clicked using javascript. I'd like
to use that concept to make a bicycle wheel counter and write a
javascript to keep track of speed. Any suggestions on how I'd do it?


Best of luck on what sounds like a fun project, but if all you want to
Click to expand...
do is know how fast the wheel is spinning, there are numerous bicycle
speedometers that work by mounting a small magnet to the wheel and read
the signal of the magnet going buy a sensor of some kind. You can enter
the rolling circumference of your wheel into them and they will track
speed, distance and a number of other things. They range in price form
$20 to a few hundred. They call them Cyclocomputers. I'm sure your
local bike shop will have them, or you can order them on line. My to
favorite bicycle mail order companies are listed below

http://www.performancebike.com
http://www.nashbar.com

--
Chris W

Gift Giving Made Easy
Get the gifts you want &
give the gifts they want
http://thewishzone.com
 
On Sun, 27 Feb 2005 00:03:39 -0600 in sci.electronics.basics, Randy Day
<ruthal@sasktel.nex> wrote msg <1122oo72qghioa6@corp.supernews.com>:

irving@outgun.com wrote:
I would like to count the number of wheel revolutions of my indoor bike
during training indoors, and don't know anything about electronics.
I've taken apart an old, $2.99 mouse from an older PC and was able to
"read" when the mouse buttons were clicked using javascript. I'd like
to use that concept to make a bicycle wheel counter and write a
javascript to keep track of speed. Any suggestions on how I'd do it?

If the bike wheel has spokes, mount a
lever-action microswitch on the fork so
that it depresses when a spoke goes
by. Wire the switch in parallel with
your mouse button.
Click to expand...
That's going to be a tremendous amount of wear on the switch, there will
be dozens of mechanical actions for each revolution. This type of
operation would be implemented much more reliably with a magnet on the
rim and a stationary hall-effect sensor. There are already many such
devices available on the marketplace (bikenashbar.com for one), and the
inputs from the device could be wired in parallel to the mouse input, as
well as the original equipment. That would give a double-check that the
numbers are accurate.

--
Al Brennan
http://www.xmission.com/~tiger885/motorbike/NART/nart.html
 
On 26 Feb 2005 21:08:32 -0800, irving@outgun.com wrote:

I would like to count the number of wheel revolutions of my indoor bike
during training indoors, and don't know anything about electronics.
I've taken apart an old, $2.99 mouse from an older PC and was able to
"read" when the mouse buttons were clicked using javascript. I'd like
to use that concept to make a bicycle wheel counter and write a
javascript to keep track of speed. Any suggestions on how I'd do it?
Click to expand...
Hmmm, instead of clicks, how about the position info?
The cheapie mouse probably uses an optical encoder
that looks at a slotted or lined wheel via an LED and
phototransistor. You'd need to count the pulses per
second. I suspect you could rig the LED and phototransistor
to look at your spokes. I have no experience with
Javascript, so I don't know what access you have to the
mouse position info. The routine you'd need might
require reading the mouse position at a known rate,
then repositioning to the center of the screen so the
coordinates don't run off-scale. Getting a "known rate"
from Windows may be a problem, depending on how
accurate you want this, so you might want some external
circuitry to help out here.

Best regards,


Bob Masta
dqatechATdaqartaDOTcom

D A Q A R T A
Data AcQuisition And Real-Time Analysis
www.daqarta.com
 
On Mon, 28 Feb 2005 03:28:07 GMT, Rich Grise <richgrise@example.net>
wrote:

On Sun, 27 Feb 2005 18:36:54 -0600, John Fields wrote:

On 26 Feb 2005 21:08:32 -0800, irving@outgun.com wrote:

I would like to count the number of wheel revolutions of my indoor bike
during training indoors, and don't know anything about electronics.
I've taken apart an old, $2.99 mouse from an older PC and was able to
"read" when the mouse buttons were clicked using javascript. I'd like
to use that concept to make a bicycle wheel counter and write a
javascript to keep track of speed. Any suggestions on how I'd do it?

---
I'd paint a small section (maybe 1") of the rim flat black and then
use a reflective opto like:

http://www.fairchildsemi.com/ds/QR%2FQRB1133.pdf

to sense when it went by.

So, there's no dirt where you ride? ;-)
Click to expand...
---
Either you missed "I would like to count the number of wheel
revolutions of my indoor bike during training indoors" or you need to
clean up your hovel.

--
John Fields
 
On Mon, 28 Feb 2005 09:57:33 -0600, John Fields wrote:

On Mon, 28 Feb 2005 03:28:07 GMT, Rich Grise <richgrise@example.net
wrote:

On Sun, 27 Feb 2005 18:36:54 -0600, John Fields wrote:

On 26 Feb 2005 21:08:32 -0800, irving@outgun.com wrote:

I would like to count the number of wheel revolutions of my indoor bike
during training indoors, and don't know anything about electronics.
I've taken apart an old, $2.99 mouse from an older PC and was able to
"read" when the mouse buttons were clicked using javascript. I'd like
to use that concept to make a bicycle wheel counter and write a
javascript to keep track of speed. Any suggestions on how I'd do it?

---
I'd paint a small section (maybe 1") of the rim flat black and then
use a reflective opto like:

http://www.fairchildsemi.com/ds/QR%2FQRB1133.pdf

to sense when it went by.

So, there's no dirt where you ride? ;-)

---
Either you missed "I would like to count the number of wheel
revolutions of my indoor bike during training indoors" or you need to
clean up your hovel.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I missed the "indoor" part. 40 lashes with a wet noodle? ;-)

Sorry.
Rich
 
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