2 Beam Optical Pulse Generator

[mtripoli]

Thanks for sharing. If this was some project where you had to use flip-flops or something then I get it. However, (and I know I'll take crap for this), I have to ask; couldn't all of the above been done with just one PIC (pick your type and flavor)?

[WOZZY-2010]

mtripoli,

You're probably right.

However the 74FXX chips cost less than $0.20 each.
Their switching speed is phenomenal...on the order of 3nS
My PIC timer project has a measurement resolution of 200nS.

Do you think that the PIC could react this fast?

This circuit kind of evolved from an earlier circuit that could control the Set and Reset function of a precision bench-top frequency counter / timer that I have. That controller needed 2 S-R latches. one of which I also use to control PIC timer for comparison

I can use the bench-top unit to determine error corrections for the PIC timer

The PIC timer uses CCP1 and TIMER1 instant interrupts to count clock pulses from a single pulse on a single pin.
The core engine of the was put together by Bruce, Based on Darrel's instant interrupts.
See: http://www.picbasic.co.uk/forum/show...01&postcount=3

Thanks for the suggestion.
Bob W.

[mackrackit]

I like this for a couple of reasons.

Most of the logic is done outside of the PIC. The latching of one till the other is triggered and re-setting when the second is triggered seems like some code load would be taken from the PIC.

A one PIC pin solution. Often we find that more I/Os are needed, leading to multiple PICs or larger PICs just for a pin or two. Off the top I would probably use two PIC pins if I were doing this PIC only.

Many ways to do anything. This project is a good reminder that a MCU is not always needed or can be complimented with external circuitry.

Now if I could just remember how to make LEDs blink without a MCU

[WOZZY-2010]

I posted the Code and PIC schematic part of this project in Code Examples Here:
http://www.picbasic.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=12634

-- Bob

[marvelaugusts]

Is this true, An optical top hat pulse generator controlled by solitons. The top hat generator comprises a non-linear optical loop mirror (NOLM) that is fed by a continuous wave (CW) optical signal and is controlled by incoming optical pulses comprising first order solitons. The soliton regime for the incoming optical pulses is obtained by choosing a fiber with the correct dispersion and by adjusting the peak power of the control pulses.

[WOZZY-2010]

Nah... It's actually much simpler than that?!