Tach IR mounting ideas. Sieg X2D

[Pinresto]

IR sensor mounting ideas. Sieg X2D

I've built my machtach and I'm putting it in a box now. Next I need to mount the IR sensor. Does anyone have pics or ideas of mounting solutions that worked out well? I can either fix the sensor in the black drawbar cap but I'm not sure if it needs light to work. Or, I can mount it under the hard behind the spindle. Unfortunately there's no where I can drill and tap for a bracket behind the spindle. I'm not sure what I would be drilling into. Ideas anyone?

 

[Hawkeye]

When I built my first MachTach, I tried the optical sensor, but didn't get very consistent results, so I changed to the Hall sensor with 6 magnets spaced around the outboard end of the spindle. I held them on with black tape, but later went with heat shrink tubing (large) after the tape started to loosen up with the machine oil.

 

[Cadillac STS]

It does not need light to work. When I did mine I found a spot on the spindle shaft that I could get to and placed 4 pieces of the silver tape after I put on a layer of black electrical tape so the sensor sees black then the silver strip. Works great with the IR sensor for me.

You can place I think from two to 16 or more silver strips but more does not improve sensitivity. At least 4 lets it show lowest speeds. It is all in the instructions.

I noticed when the door is open to the light and I shine a bright light there like when changing speed gears the sensor doesn't work, bright direct light interferes.

 

[Zoltan]

I started out with a IR sensor and switched over to a Hall effect sensor because it's just as accurate at our speeds, and is a lot easier to install. This is how I ended up doing mine: http://benchtopmachineshop.blogspot.com/2014/10/mill-arduino-dro-tachometer.html

I was also able to buy the Hall effect sensor on Amazon with it already mounted on a PCB.