In SX Microcontrollers, SX/B Compiler and SX-Key Tool, Coriolis wrote:

[quote="cbmeeks"]
Last night, I got up at 4:00 am to give my one year old son his pacifier because he woke up crying.

99.99999% of the time, I remember to put his rail back up on his bed so that he can't fall out. Last night, I forgot.

THANK GOODNESS, he slept the rest of the night but he could have woke up, walked out of his room (the door was closed this time) and fallen down our stairs...I get sick to my stomache thinking about it.

ANYWAY, being a person that is always trying to think of something neat to do, I get the idea of making a baby bed alarm.

It would work like this:

Option 1
======

If the time is between 8:30 PM and 6:00 AM (his bedtime) and the gate is down for more than 1 minute, sound the alarm.

Option 2
======

If the gate is down regardless of what time it is for more than 1 minute, sound the alarm.


Now, the alarm could be a loud buzzer/beeper but it could wake the baby....
Maybe the alarm could send something wirelessly to our bedroom to sound a buzzer? (less chance of waking baby but more complicated)



Here are some questions:

1) What do you recommend for the detection? Like maybe some type of proximity device that could detect the two objects were more than 1 inch away? I could put them both on the top of the rail so that when it is down, it is seperated.

2) Any info on wireless transmitters?

3) Any info on detecting low battery like in smoke detectors? (I could just light a LED all the time but that would drain it faster.

4) Any suggestions on "baby-proofing" it so that my He-Man son doesn't pull it off?

Any ideas are welcome. I believe I can handle the programming if I can find the parts.

Thanks!

[/quote]
 

 

Either option is feasible, the first would require an external timerkeeper chip, but no big deal. For a sensor, I would use a slotted optical sensor switch, recess it into the bar on the crib and have a tab which fits in the slot on the gate. This recessed mounting should help tamper proof it. I'll leave wireless transmission to others since I don't have much practical working experience with them. There are battery monitor chips which can handle detection of low batteries. Perhaps you can have an LED indicator in the baby's room that would be visable to you, but not to the baby so you can see the gate isn't secured. The LED would be a backup for the buzzer system in your room since it only provides feedback if you are in the room (and awake).

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