ETEC 4501 - Digital Controls

PIC Lab 8 Measuring the RPM of a DC Motor

Program Definition:
Write a program to measure the rotational speed of a DC motor.
Discussion:
The speed of a motor may be measured by using a variety of devices; the simplest of which is a photo
detector. This device consists of a light source and a phototransistor that provides an output proportional to
the amount of light received from the light source. These two devices may be either separate or combined
into a single unit. When used with a means to block or reflect the light, it may be used to detect rotation.
We will be using a QRB 1114
Phototransistor Reflective Object Sensor.
This device has both an LED (E) and
phototransistor (S) in a single package. As
the schematic in Figure 2 shows, the LED
emits infrared light that is reflected back on
to the base of a phototransistor. When
illuminated, the phototransistor turns on and
conducts current between the collector and
Figure 1: QRB 1114

Figure 2: QRB 1114 Schematic

Figure 3: QRB 1114 Pin Designations

Figure 4: Photosensor and Motor

Copyright 2005-2007 Janna B. Gallaher

the emitter. If the light is blocked, the transistor turns off providing a high impedance between the
collector and the emitter.
A plastic disk has been attached to the armature of the dc motor. The disk has black and white sections
which will either reflect the light from the LED or absorb it. The light colored side of the disk is reflective
and will reflect the light back into the phototransistor. As the motor turns, the alternating light and dark
areas will form a time varying square wave at the collector of the sensor. This signal will be used to
measure the motor rpm. See Figure 5.

P
oce
ure:

r
d

Figure 6: Photosensor Signal Conditioning

Figure 5: Square Wave Output

1.1.Connect a QRB 1114 mounted to a

4.

5.

6.
7.

motor according to the schematic in

Figure 6. Using an oscilloscope, adjust
the photosensor aim to achieve a square
wave similar to Figure 5. Note that Vdd
and Vss are +5 and Gnd respectively
from the LabX1 board.
2. Connect the photosensor signal output
to the PIC using CCP1 (pin 17) as the
input.
3. Write a program that uses the Capture
and Compare Module 1 to detect each
falling edge of the waveform and
counts these transitions. Display the
counts on the LCD. Use the CCP1IF to
Figure 7: Waveform At Pin 17 - CCP1
tell when the transition occurs. (And dont forget
to reset it after you have reacted to the
transition.) Make sure that you have a 1mhz clock (Fosc/4) and set the timer Prescale to 1:8.
CCP1 works with Timer1 to capture the count of this timer whenever CCPIF is raised. The data is
put into CCPR1L and CCPR1H (it is a 16 bit timer). You can use this information to determine
the time required for a single revolution by subtracting the time captured during a transition from
the time captured at the previous transition. Note that this is seconds per revolution and you
will need to convert it to revolutions per second. You will also need to turn the clock ticks into
seconds. Do this by using the clock frequency, Fosc/4, and the Prescale value.
Display the rpm value on the LCD.
Verify that your measurement is accurate by measuring the waveform with the oscilloscope as in
Figure 7.
Determine why the waveform as viewed at pin 17 has an exponential rise and fall instead of the
square appearance seen in Figure 5.

Copyright 2005-2007 Janna B. Gallaher

Copyright 2005-2007 Janna B. Gallaher