I am going to add an inductive sensor to my printer for Z-axis endstop and auto-leveling. However, the inductive sensor that I have is not really happy at 5V input (6-36V sensor). So, I will connect it to 12V. I need to step the output voltage back to between 3.8 and 5V or fry the poor arduino.
With it being a signal line, I didn't want to go with a 7805 voltage regulator. I had planned on just making a simple voltage divider using a 15 and 10 ohm resistor. That should make the output voltage 4.8V.
Now, looking at the schematic printed on the sensor, it looks like it is an NPN sensor meaning that it will be constantly sending a high signal and will only go low when it senses the metal of the print bed. I would need resistors that can hold up to prolonged voltages. So, what wattage should I be looking at? OR alternatively, would a voltage regulator work? A diode? Maybe a relay switch (probably issues with signal delay)?
Alternatively, I can just wait for the 5V sensor that I ordered to arrive, but I would like to get this figured out.
IF I understand, your signal is 12v HIGH and 0 LOW? Correct, and this is going into a Pin on the Arduino, which can only be 5v HIGH and 0 LOW. A volt divider should work (I would use a 15K and a 10K 1Watt resistors). The current drawn from the Arduino should be very very tiny so there shouldn't be much heat dissipation. Just don't try to control anything with that same signal line.
Some things are meant to be closed. Your mind isn't one of them.
IF I understand, your signal is 12v HIGH and 0 LOW? Correct, and this is going into a Pin on the Arduino, which can only be 5v HIGH and 0 LOW. A volt divider should work (I would use a 15K and a 10K 1Watt resistors). The current drawn from the Arduino should be very very tiny so there shouldn't be much heat dissipation. Just don't try to control anything with that same signal line.
Thanks for the response. I contacted the actual company that produced my printer kit (also the same place it turned out I ordered the sensor from) and they confirmed to use a voltage divider, but they did not answer the wattage question.
My thoughts are as scattered as the frozen winds of November swept across the harvested fields of my mind.
IF I understand, your signal is 12v HIGH and 0 LOW? Correct, and this is going into a Pin on the Arduino, which can only be 5v HIGH and 0 LOW. A volt divider should work (I would use a 15K and a 10K 1Watt resistors). The current drawn from the Arduino should be very very tiny so there shouldn't be much heat dissipation. Just don't try to control anything with that same signal line.
Thanks for the response. I contacted the actual company that produced my printer kit (also the same place it turned out I ordered the sensor from) and they confirmed to use a voltage divider, but they did not answer the wattage question.
The input pin on the Arduino is near (ideally) infinite. Current flow would be in the micro amps, so wattage should be negligible. 1 Watt resistor should be more than enough. Your not trying to sink current, you are simply reading a voltage high or low.
Some things are meant to be closed. Your mind isn't one of them.