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Input Devices

What Are Input Devices?

Input devices allow a system to receive data from the environment by converting physical signals into electrical signals.

Types of Input Devices:

Sensors: Temperature (DHT11), Light (LDR), Motion (PIR, Ultrasonic), Gas (MQ Series), Pressure (FSR).

Tactile & Mechanical: Buttons, Switches, Rotary Encoders, Touch Sensors.

Sound & Vibration: Microphones, Piezo Sensors.

Magnetic & Motion: Hall Effect, Gyroscope, Accelerometer.

Biometric: Heart Rate (MAX30100), EMG (Muscle sensors).

These devices enable automation, robotics, and smart systems.

Tilt Sensor Experiment Using a Custom-Designed Board

Tilt Sensor Experiment

For this experiment, I tested a tilt sensor with my custom-designed PCB. The goal was to detect movement and trigger an LED when the sensor was disturbed or tilted. This simple yet effective experiment helped me understand sensor-based interactions and how motion can be converted into a digital output.

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Understanding the Tilt Sensor

A tilt sensor is a type of switch that detects changes in orientation. It consists of a small conductive ball or mercury inside a casing. When the sensor is tilted, the ball moves and either completes or breaks the circuit, sending a signal to the microcontroller.

How It Works:

  • Stable Position: The circuit remains open, and no signal is sent (LED remains OFF).

  • Tilted Position: The ball shifts, completing the circuit, sending a HIGH signal to the microcontroller (LED turns ON).

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Hardware & Connections

Components Used:

  • Custom-designed PCB (with a microcontroller)

  • Tilt Sensor (ball-switch type)

  • LED (for output indication)

  • Resistors (for pull-down configuration)

  • Jumper Wires (for connections)

Wiring the Circuit:

  • The tilt sensor was connected to a digital input pin of my board.

  • One end of the sensor was connected to VCC and the other to the input pin with a pull-down resistor (to prevent floating signals).

  • An LED was connected to an output pin with a resistor in series.

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Programming the Microcontroller

I wrote a simple Arduino sketch to read the tilt sensor’s state and control the LED accordingly.

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Testing & Observations

  • When the sensor was stable, the LED remained OFF.

  • When the sensor was tilted, the LED turned ON, confirming the sensor was detecting movement correctly.

  • The response time was almost instant, making it a reliable input device for motion-based triggers.

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