Channel positioned TV antenna
The Concept
The completed product of Channel Positioned Antenna would primarily consist of the following components;
Drive Unit
This unit would be responsible for driving the antenna and give feedback to the control box in order to identify the position of the antenna. The two components would be connected via a gear wheel which results in both rotating together.
The Drive unit would consist of the following
- Stepper motor – This would be used for driving the antenna
- Potentiometer or hall sensor – This would be used to determine the coordinates of the current position.
Control Box
This could be considered the heart of the product as this is responsible for majority of the functions performed by this unit from detecting the signal from remote controller to providing the necessary signal to drive the motor.
The control box would consist the following
- Microcontroller (PIC16F877A) – This would be used for data processing in order to perform the required task.
- Infrared receiver – This would be used detect signals from remote controller
- Seven segment display unit– This would be used to indicate which key is pressed and display other required functions.
Remote Controller
This would be the human interface for the product where the user would be pressing a button in order to execute the required task. This would not be included in the final product as the existing television remote controller would be used for this purpose.
Features of the components
- Drive Unit
- rotate in both clockwise and anticlockwise direction
- The drive unit could rotate the antenna in 360deg
- Determine the current position of the antenna
- Control Unit
- A step down transformer would be used to power up the unit
- The coaxial cable would be used to drive the stepper motor and receive antenna reception signals.
- Constantly save the current position of the antenna in order to restart from the current position.
- Save and recall the multiple number of positions
- Display the channel number that has been selected which will be displayed by three seven segments.
- Detect signal from remote controller.
- Remote Controller
- Utilize the existing remote controller of the television
- Command to rotate the motor in both clockwise and anticlockwise direction
- Command to save a desired location
- Command to recall a desired position
- Command to delete a desired location
- Command to shift through saved location