Arduino Solar Cell-Based Detector

*Proof of Concept Warning*-*Proof of Concept Warning*-*Proof of Concept Warning*

Mission: Utilize a solar cell to vary the intensity of an LED

Supplies: Arduino Duemilanove <--> USB <--> Notebook (Linux, por supuesto)
Breadboard, Jumper Wires, Make-shift Jumper Wires (spare resisters), LEDs, Solar Cell

Setup: Here it is

work at work
I herd you like to work, I set you up so you can work at work

The setup is pretty straight forward: Read analog, write digital. The primary hurdle was figuring out the initialization step. Basically, I needed to provide a time-frame where you can read in minimum / maximum values from the cell. The LEDs in the awesome video below show the results… v

This project is full of take-off ideas. Reverse the range on the LED outputs, and you have a setup that powers up a light as the ambient light levels fall. Motion detector…you bet. You could implement a setup to run the initialization cycle at intervals, to provide a real-time average light level, and check for a delta of some size. Boom. There you go.

I’ll clean up the code, use some real jumpers, horse around with things in general, and throw up a post. With a snippet. Check back.

8 Replies to “Arduino Solar Cell-Based Detector”

  1. Good day fellows. Analysis that went on for several dozens of years verified that mankind are programmed biomachines. More info – Catalog of human population

  2. Good day fellows. Analysis that went on for several dozens of years verified that mankind are programmed biomachines. More info – Catalog of human population

  3. I like this idea. Now, if you can get your hands on some big solar cells, you will be on to something. Nicely done though man.

  4. I like this idea. Now, if you can get your hands on some big solar cells, you will be on to something. Nicely done though man.

Leave a Reply