Summary of Magnetic Levitation using the Arduino
This article describes building a magnetic levitation device using an Arduino Duemilanove board. The project aims to make a small magnet float by using a Hall effect sensor to detect the permanent magnet's field and modulate an electromagnet accordingly. After calibration, the magnet can hover for minutes or indefinitely with a larger "dart" shape.
Parts used in the Magnetic Levitation Device:
- Arduino Duemilanove board
- Hall effect sensor (SS19 from Honeywell)
- Permanent magnet
- Electromagnet
- Laptop
- AllElectronics components
It’s been only a couple weeks since I discovered Arduino, an open source microcontroller platform. I was looking for a cheap interface between my laptop and electronic circuits. Arduino with its price $35 and easy to use development environment was the best choice. So after getting my Arduino Duemilanove board and ordering some cheap components from AllElectronics, I had everything to start working on my old dream, making a magnet fly. Well, float.
Update: detailed description here
It took only a few days to figure out all the problems and my magnet floating device was born:
As you can see by the blurred edges, the tiny magnet oscillates a bit. After a good calibration, the oscillations can be kept very small and the magnet can keep hovering for minutes. The big dart is much more stable and can float pretty much indefinitely. The device uses a small Hall effect sensor (SS19 from Honeywell, available for $0.50 from AllElectronics) to sense the field of the permanent magnet and uses that information to modulate the magnetic field of the electromagnet. Since the sensor is on the electromagnet,
For more Detail: Magnetic Levitation using the Arduino
- What is the cost of the Arduino platform?
The Arduino costs $35. - How long can the magnet keep hovering after calibration?
After good calibration, the magnet can keep hovering for minutes. - Which sensor is used to sense the field of the permanent magnet?
A small Hall effect sensor SS19 from Honeywell is used. - Where can the Hall effect sensor be purchased?
The sensor is available for $0.50 from AllElectronics. - Why is the big dart more stable than the tiny magnet?
The big dart is much more stable and can float pretty much indefinitely. - How does the device modulate the magnetic field?
The device uses information from the Hall effect sensor to modulate the magnetic field of the electromagnet.
