Introduction.
This discussion illustrates how a Motorola MPX4115 might be interfaced with a 10-bit A/D to measure barometric pressure. Expressions are developed for station pressure and for sea level pressure and an implementation is illustrated in program Barom.Bas. Note that the call to GetADC is simply a "stub" in this routine which was run on the BasicX-1.
Discussion
The new BX24 provides the ability to perform 10-bit A/D conversions. Thus the voltage may be determined as;
(1) V_a_d = band / 1024 * V_refwhere band is the measured quantized band in the range of 0 to 1023 and V_ref is the nominal 5.0 VDC supply which powers the BX24.
The MPX4115AP sensor outputs a voltage which is proportional to pressure.
(2) V_out = V_ref * (P_station * 0.0009 - 0.095)where V_ref is the nominal 5.0 VDC which powers the MPX4115 an P_station is the pressure in millibars.
If the MPX4115 output is connected directly to the A/D, the V_out = V_a_d.
Thus, equating (1) and (2);
V_ref * (P_station * 0.0009 - 0.095) = band / 1024 * V_refEliminating V_ref and solving for P_station;
(3) P_station = 1.085 * band + 105.55However, note that P_station varies with altitude as;
(4) P_station = P_sea_level * exp (-z/7000.0)where z is the altitude in meters.
Thus;
(5) P_sea_level = P_station / exp (-z/7000.0) = ((1.085 * band) + 105.55) / exp(-z/7000.0)Note that in this expression, the sea level pressure is in millibars and the altitude z is in meters.
For those living in the US where barometric pressure is reported in inches of mercury;
(6) P_sea_level_US = ((0.03188 * band) + 2.95) / exp(-z_ft/22965.0))where P_sea_level_US is in inches of mercury and z_ft is the altitude in feet.
' Barom.Bas ' ' Illustrates how to measure barometric pressure using an MPX4115 Pressure ' Sensor. ' ' Note that subroutine GetADC() is a "stub". The intent is to map this over ' to the BX24 which has eight 10-bit A/D converters. ' ' Calculations are performed and displayed both for millibars and inches ' of Hg. ' ' An alternate technique for displying is then presented which truncates ' millibars to an integer and then displays the result in inches of Hg in ' the form XX.YY. ' ' copyright, Peter H. Anderson, Baltimore, MD, Oct, '99 Sub Main() Dim Band as Single Dim AltitudeMeters as Single, AltitudeFeet as Single Dim P_millibars as Single, P_in_Hg as Single Dim P_in_Hg_Int as Integer Dim WholePart as Integer, DecimalPart as Integer Dim str as String Call OpenSerialPort(2, 9600) AltitudeMeters = 1760.0 AltitudeFeet = 5774.0 Band = GetADC() P_millibars = ((1.085 * Band) + 105.55) / exp(-AltitudeMeters/7000.0) P_in_Hg = ((0.03188 * Band) + 2.95) / exp(-AltitudeFeet/22965.0) str = "Pressure in millibars = " ' display the obvious way Call PutStr(str) Call PutS(P_millibars) Call NewLine() str = "Pressure in Inches of Hg = " Call PutStr(str) Call PutS(P_in_Hg) Call NewLine() str = "Pressure in millibars = " ' now display millibars ans integer Call PutStr(str) Call PutI(CInt(P_millibars)) Call NewLine() str = "Pressure in Inches of Hg = " ' and this as XX.YY Call PutStr(str) WholePart = Cint(100.0 * P_in_Hg) \ 100 Call PutI(WholePart) str = "." ' put in the decimal point Call PutStr(str) DecimalPart = Cint(100.0 * P_in_Hg) MOD 100 If (DecimalPart <10) Then str="0" ' add leading zero Call PutStr(str) Call PutI(DecimalPart) Else Call PutI(DecimalPart) End If Call NewLine() End Sub Function GetADC() as Single GetADC = 644.0 ' this is a stub End Function