# Arduino + PIR to trigger a prop - Help, please



## JeffHaas (Sep 7, 2010)

We just got a Tekky Toys Rising Reaper. It turns out it has a connection for a footpad. Our haunt is outdoors, so putting a pad on the ground (that says, "Step here!") isn't really what we want to do.

I tested the footpad input with a pushbutton, it seems that pressing the button activates the prop, and if you keep on pressing the button after it's been activated, it ignores you, goes through its routine, and then waits for another press of the button. Perfect!

It turns out I have a couple of unused Arduinos not tied up in projects, and the Parallax PIR was only ten bucks at Radio Shack.

Here's my question: What's the right setup? Do I need a small cheap relay to substitute for the footpad/pushbutton? It seems that it is:
PIR => Arduino => Relay => Footpad input.

Thanks in advance for any help!


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## HomeyDaClown (Oct 3, 2009)

Using an Arduino would work but it I think that would be overkill.

Scary Terry has a nice page on wiring up that PIR module to activate a prop just the way you asked.

Here:http://www.scary-terry.com/itw/pirsensor/pirsensor.htm


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## JeffHaas (Sep 7, 2010)

Thanks for the link! I haven't been to Scary Terry's page in ages, that's very useful.

I've got another more complicated set up that probably will need an Arduino, (trigger light effect, play sound, wait a minute, shut things off) but that will come next.


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## JeffHaas (Sep 7, 2010)

I found this web page explaining a solution for using an Arduino, a PIR and a relay to trigger mp3s:

http://halloweenjared.blogspot.com/2010/10/arduino-pir-and-mp3-oh-my.html

Easily adaptable for other projects. He's also got some other interesting projects there too.


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