# Toy Car Speed Timer ## Overview I like collecting 1/64 scale cars and was wondering how fast they are on my track. Using two IR Break Beam Sensors I can measure the time between both sensors being triggered and determine the speed. I can then also see if a heavier car is faster and if rubber wheels are better than plastic. ![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/039/131/medium800/sensors__MG_9656.jpg?1486772802) ## Parts needed The following parts were used to build this - [Feather M0 Basic Proto](https://www.adafruit.com/products/2772) - [FeatherWing OLED](https://www.adafruit.com/products/2900) - [Feather Header Kit](https://www.adafruit.com/products/2886) - 2x [IR Break Beam Sensor 3mm](https://www.adafruit.com/products/2167) - [Breadboard-friendly SPDT Slide Switch](https://www.adafruit.com/products/805) - [Lithium-Ion Polymer Battery (optional)](https://www.adafruit.com/product/1578) - 4x 4-40 3/8" Machine Screws - 4x 2-56 3/8" Flat Head Machine Screws The Feather M0 can also be substituted with a [Feather 32u4 Basic proto](https://www.adafruit.com/products/2771) # Prerequisites The following two guides should be followed to make sure the necessary drivers and libraries are installed in the Arduino IDE. The guides also show how to solder the headers on. - [Adafruit Feather M0 Basic Proto](../../../adafruit-feather-m0-basic-proto/overview) - [Adafruit OLED FeatherWing](../../../adafruit-oled-featherwing/overview) If you havent soldered before this is a great guide to learn how to solder. - [Adafruit Guide To Excellent Soldering](../../../../adafruit-guide-excellent-soldering) - [Next Page](https://learn.adafruit.com/toy-car-speed-timer/3d-printing.md) ## Featured Products ### Adafruit Feather M0 Basic Proto - ATSAMD21 Cortex M0 [Adafruit Feather M0 Basic Proto - ATSAMD21 Cortex M0](https://www.adafruit.com/product/2772) Feather is the new development board from Adafruit, and like its namesake it is thin, light, and lets you fly! We designed Feather to be a new standard for portable microcontroller cores. This is the  **Feather M0 Basic Proto** , it has a bunch of prototyping space... In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/2772) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/2772/guides) ### Adafruit FeatherWing OLED - 128x32 OLED Add-on For Feather [Adafruit FeatherWing OLED - 128x32 OLED Add-on For Feather](https://www.adafruit.com/product/2900) A Feather board without ambition is a Feather board without FeatherWings! This is the **FeatherWing OLED** : it adds a 128x32 monochrome OLED plus 3 user buttons to _any_ Feather main board. Using our [Feather Stacking...](https://www.adafruit.com/products/2830) In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/2900) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/2900/guides) ### Header Kit for Feather - 12-pin and 16-pin Female Header Set [Header Kit for Feather - 12-pin and 16-pin Female Header Set](https://www.adafruit.com/product/2886) These two  **Female Headers**  alone are, well, lonely. But pair them with any of our [Feather](https://www.adafruit.com/categories/777) boards and you're in business! What do they do? They get soldered on either side of the Feather... In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/2886) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/2886/guides) ### IR Break Beam Sensors with Premium Wire Header Ends - 3mm LEDs [IR Break Beam Sensors with Premium Wire Header Ends - 3mm LEDs](https://www.adafruit.com/product/2167) Infrared (IR) break-beam sensors are a simple way to detect motion. They work by having an emitter side that sends out a beam of human-invisible IR light, then a receiver across the way which is sensitive to that same light. When something passes between the two, and its not transparent to IR,... In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/2167) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/2167/guides) ### Breadboard-friendly SPDT Slide Switch [Breadboard-friendly SPDT Slide Switch](https://www.adafruit.com/product/805) These nice switches are perfect for use with breadboard and perfboard projects. They have 0.1" spacing and snap in nicely into a solderless breadboard. They're easy to switch no matter what size fingers you have, but not so easy that they'll get flipped by accident. Work great as... In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/805) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/805/guides) ### Lithium Ion Polymer Battery - 3.7v 500mAh [Lithium Ion Polymer Battery - 3.7v 500mAh](https://www.adafruit.com/product/1578) Lithium-ion polymer (also known as 'lipo' or 'lipoly') batteries are thin, light, and powerful. The output ranges from 4.2V when completely charged to 3.7V. This battery has a capacity of 500mAh for a total of about 1.9 Wh. If you need a larger (or smaller!) battery, Out of Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/1578) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/1578/guides) ### Assembled Adafruit FeatherWing OLED [Assembled Adafruit FeatherWing OLED](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3045) A Feather board without ambition is a Feather board without FeatherWings! This is the **Assembled FeatherWing OLED** : it adds a 128x32 monochrome OLED plus 3 user buttons to _any_ Feather main board. Comes fully assembled so you can connect a FeatherWing on top of your... In Stock [Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3045) [Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/3045/guides) ## Related Guides - [Adafruit OLED FeatherWing](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-oled-featherwing.md) - [CircuitPython Hardware: MPR121 Capacitive Touch Breakout](https://learn.adafruit.com/circuitpython-hardware-mpr121-capacitive-touch-breakout.md) - [Build a Cloud-Connected ESP8266 Power Meter](https://learn.adafruit.com/build-a-cloud-connected-esp8266-power-meter.md) - [MIDI Solenoid Drummer](https://learn.adafruit.com/midi-solenoid-drummer.md) - [CircuitPython Hardware: LIS3DH Accelerometer](https://learn.adafruit.com/circuitpython-hardware-lis3dh-accelerometer.md) - [Level Shifting 3.3V microcontrollers and NeoPixels](https://learn.adafruit.com/neopixel-levelshifter.md) - [Festive Feather Holiday Lights](https://learn.adafruit.com/festive-feather-holiday-lights.md) - [Mystery Box: Crypto Countdown Case](https://learn.adafruit.com/mystery-box-crypto-countdown-case.md) - [Holiday Icicle Lights with Flair](https://learn.adafruit.com/holiday-icicle-lights-with-flair.md) - [Using MPL3115A2 with CircuitPython](https://learn.adafruit.com/using-mpl3115a2-with-circuitpython.md) - [Animated LED Sand](https://learn.adafruit.com/animated-led-sand.md) - [CircuitPython 2FA TOTP Authentication Friend](https://learn.adafruit.com/circuitpython-totp-otp-2fa-authy-authenticator-friend.md) - [Coffee Detonator: The TNT Plunger Grinder](https://learn.adafruit.com/coffee-detonator.md) - [MicroPython for SAMD21](https://learn.adafruit.com/micropython-for-samd21.md) - [Wireless NeoPixel Controller](https://learn.adafruit.com/neotrellis-neopixel-controller.md)