Maxbotic EZ1 Sonar Sensor

[JesseWelling]

I'm having some trouble with the MaxBotix EZ1 sonar...any one ever use it?
Here is the web page: http://www.maxbotix.com/

I can use the analog ok but it's possible for me to use the serial.
I know my serial code works on my AVR but I keep getting junk
out of this thing. Any one ever use the Serial option on it?

Thanks for the help

[dhylands]

Hi Jesse,

The serial on the Maxbotics isn't really logic level serial. True, it does use logic levels, but it uses them in a way that allows a PC to be plugged in directlly. You have a couple of options to connect it to your AVR.
1 - Invert the Tx and Rx lines (using a hardware inverter).
2 - Stick a Max232 or similar between the maxbotix sensor and the AVR (treating the maxbotix sonar like an RS-232 level device).

I wrote up a page over here:
http://docswiki.gumstix.org/Serial_voltages

which explains the differences between the various voltages. The maxbtox sensor is behaving like a device which uses "logic level RS-232".

[JesseWelling]

Yea I ordered in some level shifters in and am working it out this weekend.