Feasibility of using Arduino for timer project and would anyone build it for me?

[mirlyn]

Some time ago I bought some components with a view to trying to build a timer/warning device so that a boat driver can monitor session times on the water. To be honest I neither have the time or, as quickly became apparent, the expertise, to do i t So I am posting on this forum in the hope that somebody may be interested in either taking on the project, or is able to put me in touch with someone who might. I would be happy pay a reasonable amount for somebody's time and expertise, and of course the components. Alternatively I am could trade some wakeboarding or waterski lessons for it . If just the components could be put together to make a functioning circuit, I can get the whole thing put into a suitable box. If it can be built successfully, I will actually need two. I have been told that it should not be difficult but it is certainly beyond my capabilities. I am in the UK.

The device needs to have a countdown timer, with a display for the driver to see. It needs to trigger an audio and visual warning when getting close to a fifteen minute time limit and, when the time is up, to reset itself. It also needs to switch a fairly bright light which which will reflect these actions and can be seen from behind the boat . It was suggested that this could be based on an ARDUINO board. It would draw its power from the boat's 12v system.

The sequence would be as follows:

Timer is started by driver
The digital timer display starts to countdown from 15 mins in seconds
The boat driver will see from the display that the timer is running. A light bright enough to be visible to a person 20m behind the boat is illuminated so he/she also knows the timer is running.
At 12 minutes, the driver gets a visual warning, maybe the display flashes, perhaps once per second. The person behind the boat also gets same warning on their light. i.e. flashing once per second.
At 13 minutes 30 secs, the display flashes more rapidly and a buzzer also sounds for 10 secs. indicating to the driver that the time is almost up. The person behind the boat also gets the same warning on his light (i.e. rapid flashing) (may want to incorporate an audible warning too, loud enough for them to hear).
At zero, the timer automatically resets itself to 15 minutes and restarts. At this point the driver has the option to allow it to continue running without interruption for the next 15 minute period and so on, or he can stop the timer manually, when it will simply reset to 15 minutes and become idle until started again.
N.B. A facility which allows the timings to be customized would be very useful (presumably this could be done by changing the Arduino code?)

So thats it. Simples! (apparently)

If you think you can help me with this and I will be delighted to hear from you, or if someone could do a circuit diagram and list of components, that would be good too.
Many thanks
Mike
mirlyn

 

[Fish4Fun]

Mike,

Welcome to the forum!

Yes, the project is "fairly trivial" from several points-of-view. Sadly, that stated, it does not mean it would not become a time/money sucking vortex. I have, right now, everything required to meet your criteria sitting on my desk next to my laptop, and yet, even if I stayed up all night "finishing" your project, in the morning you would have a new set of criteria. No disrespect to you, the criteria were "implied", but not stated. Almost immediately you would want the device "waterproof". You would very quickly want to have the device mounted in an enclosure with a mounting bracket and some type of "user friendly connections" The list would go on and on, and again, this is meant as NO disrespect, it is what we all ASSUME when we picture a "product"; that is, a highly refined, carefully engineered product for a "reasonable price".

Again, Electronically what you want to achieve I could easily have for you in the morning, but it would NOT be what you wanted, it would simply meet the criteria you have outlined. For ~$500 someone capable **might** meet your stated requirements and deliver two, but you would be VERY UNHAPPY with what they delivered, and they would be REALLY UPSET they took the job. For ~$50k someone would deliver you 1000 of EXACTLY what you want. What you get for the $45,500 is engineering. Engineering is tedious attention to EVERY detail, and in order for it to be profitable, it has to be spread over a large number of units//customers.

I do A LOT of DIY Electronics projects....as a hobby.....for myself. If I were to realistically time manage a marine device as you described for MYSELF, I would expect it to cost me ~$500 in parts and several hundred hours in time. And I would consider it a "deal" if I got it done on that budget. Why so much? An Arduino is < $20, a RTC (not strictly requisite) is < $2, the "displays"/ "buttons"/et al all total way less than $50, why would I spend $500 in parts? Well, I wouldn't on purpose, but that is still what it would end up costing.

My Suggestion would be to use either a Laptop, "tablet" or a "cell phone" and an "App". Then it is just software/firmware & an interface. To design and build a marine grade device just involves too much effort to make a "one-off" even remotely feasible from a fiscal point-of-view.

You might also consider various electronic timers already developed for the consumer and industrial markets. You will likely need to go the "industrial" route for your marine application, and those run ~10x to 50x more than consumer goods with the same functionality, but they are designed for more rugged environments. I would think you could purchase what you are wanting to build for < $50 in the Chinese Ebay consumer domain, and I would expect you could purchase a similar new industrial unit from the UK or US for $100-$500. Or, if used is ok, try searching for "timer" on ebay, look for things like this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/OMRON-PANEL...124?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4d15594a94


Cheers,

Fish