Arduino Signal / VU Meter

[bernte_one]

Hello,

i have interest in a new desgin for my baracuda pi.
For silent search i would connect something like a VU Meter to the Audio Output.

I would do this with a 1602lcd or the Nokia display and a arduino nano if possible.
have searched the Internet but found no full guides ho to do a simple meter with a display and arduino.
Most Projects have bad documentation, or you have to buy a shield.

So i Need help for this Project because i am a coding noob.

idea was to read analog in of arduino set the measured voltage in relation of the measur range of arduino (i think 5V was 100%) then send the datas to the lcd , incase of 1602 there a 16 blocks which each 5 rows
so you can read the Signal in high Resolution of 80 lines
or for the Nokia Display as numerous Display.

any idea how to realize this?


thanks much for reading

[bernte_one]

hello again

i got some help on German arduino Forum
they write me a code, and also gave me the info that it exists a library for arduino lcdbargraph on arduino cc

so it should be possible to build a simple mono bargraph for replacement of Audio the next weeks
i only have to design a little pcb for i/o port protection (max 5v) and direct Clip on for arduino nano to 1602 lcd

[Daren]

bernte_one,

1602 usually has a controller that only allows 8 custom chars, that will give you graph 40x8 pixels (8 chars each 5x8 if I remember correctly; this is how I used it in VDI for TGSL). Its trivial to do the graph once you find the code. You can't just use 1602 like graphical LCD. Or you can have nice "char" or "block" based graph of decent size that will look good.

I tried popular Nokia phone LCD I2C for arduino; its cheap; low res, (is it like 48x96?), not too big, light; but it works OK. If you don't need a lot of info on the screen at this same time should be fine. There are graphics libs that work with it.

On another note:
It would be interesting to add ferro disc to PI. Some kind of indicator of the coil discharge curve shape. Use fact that ferro, non-ferro have different discharge curves. I haven't done any experiments to see or measure this phenomenon yet. I just hope it will have magnitude sufficient to be detected. It may be doable if you feed ADC signal from after the clamping diodes.
I would like to screen out bottle caps and parts of lobster traps; I'm just tired of digging trash.

Daren

[bernte_one]

hello Daren

i have also a noki adisplay here, was planned for the arduino vdi project you worked on here

what you write for the 1602 seems to be correct but i would be also enough resolutin for me, much better than a 10led bargraph

the basic thought was only a good but simple replacement for audio for older boys here which have problems with higher frequency tones
to the people i speak and they wish something like that i would say that one of ten detector guys has problems with his ears
i know that problem because i had to shoot sometimes without ear protection and fired two grenades very close to me behind a wall
and that was enough to have problems with hearing some frequency for the rest of my life

so why not do a simple cheap think that can make live easier- was my thought

so i have a link to the library and an alternative code, whats the best format to post the code here a txt file as attachement?
http://playground.arduino.cc/Code/LcdBarGraph
http://playground.arduino.cc/uploads...cdBarGraph.gif
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noXt...ature=youtu.be


the thing with the pi indicator is another, some peoples had the idea to connect a µcontroller based spectrum analyzer to audio out to see differences in audio behave (some more left or in the midle or right)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9zBUHmmVU4

http://electronics-diy.com/schematic...ser-for-PC.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V9H2vqphJB...BAnalyzers.jpg

[Daren]

Hello bernte_one,
yeah, the 1602 will be really nice for the kind of graph you have in mind.
I don't know much about the barracuda PI, does it change audio freq with different metals? ( Is that why you want digital indication of feq?)
I did build surf pi, it works great, but there is no discrimination of any kind(And that is why I was thinking to add the microcontroller to analyze the coil discharge curve shape)....
I did watch your youtube barracuda video. It looks like a really nice and super sensitive detector...

Daren

[bernte_one]

hello Daren

the bara has fix frequency tone the only whats different is the tone volume (i mean not the loudness of the tone) und the length

so a short sharp signal when sweeping speaks more to a coin sized target and a longer tone for bigger objects axe blade horse shoe etc.

but cant say iron or not

just a trick i found out is that you could separated betwenn bottlecaps and some coins also some iron pieces
but that a setting of short delay and higher threshold but you lose some depth

i had in mind to make a fast test Switch (crap check button)
so i can switch to the setting by one knob insted of Setting delay and threshold each time

[bernte_one]

head some minutes free time to do my hobby this weekend

[sinclairuser]

hi bernte, as i have said many times on here i am profoundly deaf in one ear(totally), so i usually only have one cup on my head phones, i have played around with an analogue meter on my barracuda, connecting it instead of the led, the way the led is wired on the barracuda is good for a meter.
i have a digital umeter i'm going to fit to the mini pulse, so i would be interested in your project.

[Prospekteur]

It can be so easy. I will never cut the hole for the Lcd with a saw;-) It was a real adventure to cut it accurate with the saw;-) It makes me 3 years older. I will do it this way next time!

Good solution!