Want to build a magnetic levitator in under two hours? With a total of 7 parts, including the coil, it just cannot get simpler than what [How-ToDo] shows here! It is not only an extremely simple circuit, it also has the advantage of using only discrete components: a MOSFET, hall effect sensor, diode and two resistors, that’s it.
The circuit works by sensing the position of the levitating magnet, using the hall effect sensor , then turns the coil on and off in response via the MOSFET. The magnet moves upwards when the coil is energized and falls down when it is not. This adjustment is made hundreds of times a second, and the result is that the magnets stays floating in mid air.
This is the kind of project that can make a kid get interested in science: it combines easy construction with visually amazing behavior, and can teach you basic concepts (electromagnetism and basic electronics in this case). Excellent for a school project.
For the more advanced enthusiast, a more sophisticated levitator design based on an Atmega8 micro-controller will be of interest.
Quote: “This adjustment is made hundreds of times a second”
Not really. The adjustment is made dynamically in real time. The physical oscillation you see (up and down) is just like the oscillation of a pendulum. It’s because gravity is a squared relationship of force and mass (as is the proximity to the electromagnet) and the suspended metal has mass so there is also momentum which is a linear relationship between force and mass.
That’s telling ’em! We could use you on the Stargate project.
LOL Yes but now we all *know* that mind control *does* work. We just call it google advertising now.
Have you seen the TV show? (Not the creepy government program) :P
I think Apple has truly figured out mind control; iThis, iThat, iSame-as-last-time-but-thinner…
That’s…. that’s called marketing. Mind control, yes, obviously, but it’s been around for a while.
…it’s whichever CULTure brainwashes us!
To be pedantic there is no such thing as real-time. As you zoom the space-time continuum you enter the Quantum domain which is no longer a continuous domain but rather a fuzzy discrete domain.
It gets so fuzzy that you can’t tell the difference between discrete and continuous models of reality because there isn’t a distinction.
Of course there is, otherwise there wouldn’t be any scientific discussion on the implications of the planck length and if we are living inside a simulation.
*hovers around the analog versus digital control debate*
Yes, The Arduino and 555 fanboys are paralyzed as it doesn’t use either.
Could have done it with …. wait
…with a triode?!? :D
Kids these days, you think electronics are the answer to every problem.. Could’ve done it with magnetic amplifiers.
Really thin string.
For when you need it to work glowing red under 1000g shock and vibe.
Perhaps incorporate flux redirection to lower the power consumption.
Kaylee: Did you see the chandelier? It’s hovering.
Mal: What’s the point of that, I wonder?
Mal: I mean, I see how they did it. I just ain’t gettin’ the why.
Maybe less components…
Microphone and a speaker in a feedback loop. That oscillation controls the coil holding the object. The object sits in the standing wave and adjusts the phase and amplitude.
“it just cannot get simpler than what [How-ToDo] shows here!”
I’ve read it can be done passively. I think the trick is to have the coil as part of a resonant circuit which is run (and I might get this bit wrong) just above the resonant point. I assume this needs to be done with ferrite to prevent eddy repulsions ruining the effect. I don’t know if this has ever been done with mains AC, needing a signal generator and amplifier is a bit of a cheat, but still, passive post AC power supply and might be possible with mains.
We’ve seen it done with aluminum…
http://hackaday.com/2016/06/03/flying-balls-of-molten-aluminum/
Apples and oranges, I know.
There is no resonance in the electronic circuit. The resonance is the result of the different forces of gravity and momentum created by the mass and velocity of the suspended object.
The electronics is *not* a tuned circuit (or PID) but it does represent the ‘P’ of ‘PID’. The momentum of the physical mass represents the ‘I’ of ‘PID’. The acceleration of gravity is independent of all else so it has no input to anything than can be evaluated as a ‘PID’. To the result is a ‘PID’ without the ‘D’ that can be tuned by altering the gain of the FET and the mass of the suspended object. So what you are left with in math is a simple reciprocal quadratic and if you were to graph it’s movement you see exactly that.
Where is the Arduino on this thing? hahahahahahahahaha
*glues a nano to the magnet*
There! Happy? :P
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlGywKkifcI
Just wanted to point out thecircuit uses an A3144 Hall effect switch the output is either on or off so Manuels statement that the circuit adjusts its self 100’s of time a second is more accurate than any of the comments so far.
If it was an analog output hall device than things were be different ….