Ask Electronics

3316 readers

1 users here now

For questions about component-level electronic circuits, tools and equipment.

Rules

1: Be nice.

2: Be on-topic (eg: Electronic, not electrical).

3: No commercial stuff, buying, selling or valuations.

4: Be safe.

founded 1 year ago

MODERATORS

DavideAndrea@discuss.tchncs.de

linker3000@discuss.tchncs.de

Since bone is piezoelectric, can I make a working oscillator from it? (voltage.vn)

submitted 1 year ago by Saigonauticon@voltage.vn to c/askelectronics@discuss.tchncs.de

8 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I've wondered this occasionally over the years, but never got it working.

I tried just putting a dried piece of chicken bone pressed between two plates (mild compressive stress perpendicular to the bone), and using an inverter just like I would use a crystal. It did not work. Maybe I need a really thin segment?

I have no practical application in mind. I might make a CPU from it for Halloween I guess?

I'm not sure if I would classify it as electronics or necromancy, but I thought it was an interesting question to ask here :)

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] Saigonauticon@voltage.vn 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Sure. From ancient memory, I think I had looked at this one: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/274365321_On_the_Piezoelectric_Effect_of_Bone

However there's a weird little caveat -- some papers attribute the piezoelectric effect to organic collagen fibers. Others attribute it to the inorganic component (apatite). In the end this paper seemed to have a reasonable measurement process so I've just ignored the exact cause of the piezoelectricity for the moment. From their tests, orientation of the bone is highly important.

They use an applied voltage of 100V then amplify (100db). I'm reasonably competent working with moderate voltages, but would prefer to try something under 30v as a matter of convenience (e.g. what I can reach with a DC-DC boost converter).

Normally though, I just hook up a crystal oscillator to a hex inverter @5V or to an MCU with some caps. I'm not entirely sure how I'd build an equivalent circuit at 30V! Doing unnatural things with crystal oscillators hasn't really come up much in my studies or career.

[–] AG7LR@lemmy.radio 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

For higher voltages, you could build a Pierce oscillator from discrete components instead of using a hex inverter.

[–] Saigonauticon@voltage.vn 3 points 1 year ago

Right, because I can just build an inverter from discrete transistors. That makes sense. I think that's what I'll try next time.