Infrared beacon transceiver

The Infrared beacon transceiver from Pololu

The Pololu IR Beacon Transceivers are devices meant to be used in pairs to give robots a simple means for detecting each other. You can use the beacons to build pairs of robots that interact or chase one another or to make a robot that can identify and return to a home base. These beacons are ideal for autonomous robot contests in which robots compete in pairs.

The IR beacons feature round PCBs with six wide-angle emitters to provide uniform broadcasting in all directions. The on-board voltage monitoring enables more consistent output brightness over the voltage range. Most components are pre-assembled, so all you need to solder is the capacitor, connectors, and IR sensors (make sure you solder them in from the bottom of the PCB!).

The beacons work by transmitting and detecting infrared light, much like a television remote control. The beacons alternate between transmitting and receiving so that they never get confused by reflections of their own transmissions.

Interfacing to the Pololu IR Beacon is simple. It has 4 digital outputs that indicate which of its four sides detects the other beacon the strongest. An enable input lets you select between active mode and a low-power mode.

Some usage examples of the Infrared beacon transceiver from Pololu:

• Cat and Mouse Robots
• Human following robot
• Robot to robot detection
• Simultaneous localization and mapping
• automatic return to the base

Technical specifications of the Infrared beacon transceiver from Pololu

• PCB Size: 1.35" diameter
• Output refresh rate: 20 Hz
• Detection range: 6 inches - 20 feet
• IR Modulation Frequency: 56 kHz
• Supply Voltage: 6-16 VDC
• Data Voltage: 5 VDC
• Number of IR Detectors: 4