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There's this module called NC-200 Park Sensor and there's barely any documents or videos about it. The AliExpress link is here. I wanted to know if anybody has worked with this thing before. I'm kind of a beginner so it's difficult for me to figure the sensors out by myself.

I want to design in-ground parking sensors using that module and place them in parking lots. The sensors send data (the occupancy of a parking space) to a web server. When a person tries to enter the parking lot, he opens the proprietary app that I'll make and will be guided to the nearest parking space. Unfortunately there's no info about the manufacturers of this product on the web. Your tips will be appreciated!

Helmar
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deathnote9494
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    Welcome to the site. "Has anyone worked with it?" is a bit bare information-wise. Can you elaborate what you're trying to do? And what it has to do with the Internet of Things? – Helmar Nov 14 '17 at 09:57
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    I suggest you contact the seller for additional information about physical connectivity. – Richard Chambers Nov 14 '17 at 14:21
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    Thanks, I made some clarifications in the post. Hopefully I made my question clear. – deathnote9494 Nov 15 '17 at 06:21

2 Answers2

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Well, the sensors are only a few bucks, so buy one and try it out. Ask the vendor for information. Look at the part numbers on the chip and Google each one

But it sounds like you will need hundreds of these, so you should look for a cheaper solution:

  • Ultrasound sensors are around a dollar.
  • Laser ranging sensors (Time-of-Flight) are 5 bucks.
  • Cameras can sense many cars and are a few bucks.
  • LIDAR can sense many cars and is around $150.
  • Pressure sensors can sense the weight of a car
BraveNewCurrency
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I have worked with similar technology solutions; these are on the more primitive end of operations. It appears that the key data point is pin 5, you will get a 1 if a vehicle is probably parked there and a 0 if it is not probably parked there. Based on the number of factory test notes and the unknown component weight, there is a chance that you will be beta-testing this thing, except you won't receive any support when you do point out errors. It looks like you might be able to calibrate a base reading used to calculate if a vehicle is present and how long it has been there, but the details are very poorly written.

This is probably a total waste of money, there is no way it is worth 8 dollars. You are still responsible for transmitting the data it gathers to a base station and providing energy for the sensor and transmitter. You will need to design some sort of protective enclosure that is water-resistant. To avoid theft or vandalism, you may have to dig into the pavement and partially cover up the sensor in cement so it is impossible to remove from the site, but have fun when the device needs batteries again in a few years.

Looking at related items, several sellers appear to be selling a similar item. If you put all the data together, you might have a functional specification. One thing in common is that all the vendors have one sale at most on these items.

tl;dr: You can do better for cheaper.

Scott Simontis
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