Honored Contributor
Honored ContributorHi eviltwinzzz
Most all of my work is not an Altera part , DSP, or a micro like a PIC chip. The big part, other then software, is interfacing the "Smarts" to the outside (analog) world. If you do the PCB right you can forget the opto couplers and especially the relays. Those are both expensive part types and the drive for a relay may as well just drive a light or something that makes sound. Bypass caps and grounding make all the difference in the world. As far as the GPS goes ... what kind of distance do you want to measure? 10 feet, 50 feet, or across a football field? If it's close you might look at an ultrasonic range finder at a fraction of the trouble getting GPS going as well as lower cost. To be honest, for just controlling shot count and timing probably all you need is a $3 PIC chip instead of a Cyclone and configuration chip. Instead of a LASER you can modulate an IR led and have a detector tuned for the modulation frequency. That is what is often used to detect someone standing in a door. Last but not least, what is your expected production volume? For a low number use expensive things that save time but higher numbers you trade the other way. Al
