DIY Coin Sorting and Counter

This cardboard based coin sorting machine will calculate and display total value of coins. It will also sort the coins by value. It seems to be an inexpensive fit for every bank and cashier of the company and can be built on their own. Ikhsan Ismail, a DIY maker has come up with yet another interesting DIY project.

This simple machine is build around a few things like an Arduino Nano R3, 3 TCRT5000 IR Sensors, 12C LCD Module, 9V Battery, One Switch, Adafruit Standard LCD – 16 x 2 White on Blue, 3 x 10 Ohm Resistor, One Full Size Cardboard, Jumper Wires, Resistor 10k Ohm, and a 10 Ohm Resistor.

So how does this works. Well, you would be inserting the coins via slider and the hole. As the IR sensor detects the coin, it sends an IT signal to the infrared sensor. It receives the signals and passes it on to the Arduino. Here, IR light plays the main role. The wavelength of this light is longer than the visible light, so when the IR sensors detect any infrared ray they transform it into electric current. The current gets detected by a amperage or voltage detector. The main feature of LEDs is that these entities generate a specific light wavelength whenever electric current is applied. However, LEDs also generate current as these get subjected to similar wavelength of light. Practical application of this concept can be seen here in this project.

Here, Ikhsan makes use of IR LEDs as motion detectors. He wired the first IR LED for light emission while the second one was used for transmitting signals as these receive IR input. As some object comes in the range of IR emitter, an IR signal is reflected back. The signal can also be used for other functions like opening up sliding doors, turning on light, or best setting off an alarm. You may see the schematic down here:

Image Explaining Cardboard Coin Sorting and Banking Machine Schematic