Mailing List flyrotary@lancaironline.net Message #53298
From: Ed Anderson <eanderson@carolina.rr.com>
Subject: Re: [FlyRotary] Cheap prop tach
Date: Sun, 19 Dec 2010 17:30:35 -0500
To: Rotary motors in aircraft <flyrotary@lancaironline.net>
Well, it depends on a lot of things - there are about 3-4 different basic schemes for producing an RPM reading from a signal source ranging from a simple pulse intergration circuit which basically charges a capacitor to a different voltage level depending on the average voltage produced by the pulse train all the way  to a microchip based on which measure the interval between each pulse and gives you an (almost) instantaneous rpm reading.
 
Then the manner of display comes into play - a simple cheap voltage meter could be used to display the charge on the capacitor and you calibrate it for rpm - or there is a relative simple LED BAR graph that displays the number of dots depending on rpm, to and LCD type read out, etc.
 
You could probably find something on the internet - it would just need to handle 6 pulse/rev and whatever voltage the MT signal is.  A suitable 6 pulse/rev might be a bit harder to find than the more common 1 -4 Pulse/rev , but they are probably out there.
 
 
 
Ed

Sent: Sunday, December 19, 2010 5:12 PM
Subject: [FlyRotary] Cheap prop tach

Ed,

The MT electric prop has a prop speed pickup that senses 6 bolt heads per revolution as they go by the sensor.  How difficult/expensive would it be to fabricate an LED readout that will give prop rpm that taps into this signal line?

 

Bill B

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