Electronics > Projects, Designs, and Technical Stuff
Elevator Position Sensor
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fuquar7:
I have a 4 stop hydraulic elevator installed in 1955 that has not modernized.
I am looking for ideas to do two things.

1) auto park the elevator at its lowest level after a set wait time and or after a certain time of day
2) have a position/direction indicator

I want to use an Arduino with a real time clock. The auto park is the easy part, I am having trouble figuring out how to setup a position sensor of some kind. The elevator controller runs all switching/relays at 120 VAC
ejeffrey:
I would try a laser tape measure.  You can buy them cheap and I am sure there are videos on tearing them down and connecting an arduino.  Its possible that the sensors are available from places like sparkfun ready to integrate as well.
pwlps:
I would look for a laser rangefinder with analog or RS232 output.
There are plenty of those on Alibaba  for example https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/50m-high-precision-laser-sensor-to_60622103739.html?spm=a2700.7724857.normalList.7.5bfb3be2FQxCl1&s=p
Otherwise try to hook up an analog output from a hanheld rangefinder ?
Tom45:
If the elevator position control is closed loop, there must already be some kind of position feedback available. You could try to use that.

In 1969 I worked in a new 4 story office building with a hydraulic elevator. After sitting idle all night, it was sluggish enough that it would often not quite make it to a floor. It seemed to stop close but then could take minutes to creep the last little bit into position and open the door. So the first person to arrive in the morning would send it to the top floor, but exit before the door closed and take the stairs to the second floor. After one or two 1st to 4th round trips it was good to go for the day.
ucanel:
Elevators has very serious regulations.
Latest one in our country is EN 81-20
i have worked in a company that produces
elevator controller cards and its all other components,
my job was the designing the pcbs and
writing the programs according to the standards
as a part of a team.

If you want to take the responsibilities
you can make modifications
but i do not recommend this.

As a sensor commonly used one is named
bistable and monostable sensor
it is a hall effect sensor
you have the magnets at the pit
2 for each floor level
1 for door preopening space and
1 up and 1 down slowing level indicator
and sensors at the cabinet.

There is also different layouts for sensor magnet positioning.

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