For you Electrical Engineering types, an easy one.

poadeleted21

poadeleted21

Touchdown! Greaser!
Joined
Aug 18, 2011
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I need a device to send a signal when a basket is made in a basketball goal.

Making one of those indoor basketball games. I can handle the rest, just wondering what I should use to reliably tell me if a goal was made.

Was going to buy one of these http://www.icegame.com/p-8-hoop-fever.aspx

until I saw the $6,000 price tag and I have the materials/tools to build it, just lacking the knowledge of what it is they use to detect a made basket.
 
Scavenge the light beam device off of a garage door opener system?
 
I think those garage door sensors are just too fragile and sensitive for this. I have used a simple limit switch (such as this: http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12706306&locale=en_US) for a very similar application, and it worked just fine. And on the up-side, if it does happen to break, it would be quite a lot cheaper to replace than a set of sensors.
 
I remember an old game where the bottom of the net was actually a bucket with a flapper door that opened once the ball fell down into it. If you're not going for an "authentic" net action, that'd work... then just put a microswitch on the door.
 
A simple diffuse photoeye with only 3-4" of range would probably do it. Your CS guy will need to be sure to debounce the signal to prevent multiple hits per basket. PM me your address and I'll send you something. The sensor I send you can be powered by 10-30Vdc. Ask the guy wiring it all up and interfacing it to the counter if he wants the output wire to go to ground when it sees the ball (sinking/NPN) or to V+ when it sees the ball (sourcing/PNP).
 
jhausch said:
A simple diffuse photoeye with only 3-4" of range would probably do it. Your CS guy will need to be sure to debounce the signal to prevent multiple hits per basket. PM me your address and I'll send you something. The sensor I send you can be powered by 10-30Vdc. Ask the guy wiring it all up and interfacing it to the counter if he wants the output wire to go to ground when it sees the ball (sinking/NPN) or to V+ when it sees the ball (sourcing/PNP).
Click to expand...

Well, I'm the CS guy and I do OK with a bread board and logic gates, I can remember how to wire up an adder to drive an LCD display.... I've programmed a PLC, but it's been a while. I haven't mapped out the circuit just yet but I reckon V+ would work. Deboucing the signal, I'll have to figure out how to do that. PM on it's way.
 
The problem is going to be, what happens when the ball doesn't go through the net, but looks like it did? You know the shot that looks like a perfect swish, except it never went through the hoop. That's if you install something on the netting, or the bottom of the rim.
 
EdFred said:
The problem is going to be, what happens when the ball doesn't go through the net, but looks like it did? You know the shot that looks like a perfect swish, except it never went through the hoop. That's if you install something on the netting, or the bottom of the rim.
Click to expand...

This is for my wife, she'll take the points :D

The one I linked to is the one she likes playing on, I've watched it as she shoots, it's dead on accurate. I can't see what they're using to count the shots, but there's a metal plate behind the goal that looks suspicious.
 
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I have an incredibly cool solution.

Count how many times you hit the basket.

Hahaha. Tech isn't always the answer.
 
I think a paddle attached to a momentary switch would be the way I would go
 
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