Re: Low voltage - help

I've wired the 2 SD5443 diodes into an opamp circuit now but I still am unsure how to acheive the comparator results that I want.

Does anyone have a sample circuit with diodes connected together by a comparator so that I can get a single output (2.5v out at both equal...0v at one high...5v at other high) kind of thing?

TIA

Jeff

Hey all, > > I am wiring up some test circuits for IR detection using some photodiodes. > The diodes are SD5443's by honeywell. In the datasheet PDF there is a test > circuit that it has pictured, and I have wired it up as it says. Giving a 5V > supply, we are getting about 9mV back in a semi dark room (which i think is > fairly low). However, we are expecting a large response when there is an IR > source present. However, we get a response up to about 20-25mV when we place > an IR emitter about 1.5M away. This is a response that is repeatable but it > is too low for our microcontroller to register properly. Would attaching teh > circuit into an Opamp be a viable solution? > > Also, we are looking to cut out the background light as much as possible and > are looking for a daylight filter of some kind to cut down the light. Anyone > have ideas for this? > > We are also looking to build 2 of these IR sensors into a differential > circuit so that we can determine the direction that light is coming from. > Anyone have an suggestions on how to build this kind of circuit? > > TIA > > Jeff > >
Reply to
Fr335tyl3r
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Hello, If you want to use a comparator, you will never get 2.5v when the two sensors are equal as there will always be one greater than the other. Remember a comparator has a very high gain, so any slight difference (such as noise) will 'tip the balance'. Look at using an Opamp with the +Vs connected to +5v, the -Vs connected to

0v, and the Gnd connected to 2.5v (use two 1k resistors to form a potential divider between +5v and 0v). Now you have an Opamp whos output will swing +-2.5v about 2.5v. Next connect your IR diodes to each of the inputs. Left like this you have a comparator with outputs of 5v or 0v. If you want to make the output more analogue (so you can use with an ADC) you will need to reduce the gain of the Opamp. You can do this by providing feedback from the output to the inputs. Best thing to do is look at your voltages on the inputs for various extremes of inputs, then calculate what the gain should be, then calculate the reistor values to use in the feedback loop.

photodiodes.

Reply to
Geoffrey Swales

Sayeth Fr335tyl3r :

I seem to remember that exposed colour photo film is a cheap but effective IR pass filter ... and this seems to confirm it:

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-----sharks

Reply to
sharkey

This is Fr335tyl3r's Dad (support centre!) letting you helpful people that things are going great with the new, fantastic Junior robocup machine. Having overcome sadly underpowered Copal motors in Italy (came 5th in world) now using much much better FaulHaber's or Escaps - both sound and run great. Kicker - progress here as well, instead of a pinpoint contact area with the ball, we have a much larger contact area. Now doing acceleration tests over

1 metre and graphing results. Not the time to develop a crossbow type firing system at the moment (National comps in 4 weeks) It must be kept in mind that the space for the kicking mechanism is extremely small, about 1cm high and around 6cm deep - there is no other space.

IR detection now working a dream - I am very pleased with the development of this. We now have reliable, small angle IR detection - we can easily determine if the direction of approach is from the left or the right - so ball locating is a snap. To manage 'straight on' detection the IR phototransistor outputs are also managed by another op amp which simply uses the sum of the IR signal and the output indicates a maximum (bell shape response to the IR source) i.e the ball is directly between the two IR 'eyes' Distance detection is fine as well - I thought of them using a mini torch head with the IR detector at the focal point but I really think this will not be needed. We are using red plastic to reduce the effect of ambient 'non IR sources' - although not really the correct filter, it does make a difference.

The ONE big problem is the ambient IR from sunlight and normal incandescent household lamps - the unit basically gets flooded by all this IR and wont respond properly to our much weaker IR Robocup ball. Actually this isnt a real problem as in gameplay, the ambient lighting is considerably reduced to prevent interference to the IR sensors on everyones robots. This design is very tolerant of ambient IR sources. The good thing is that the op amp uses a v reference and this means we have a reliable 'reference' voltage at the output prior to the IR source being detected, this change then being read by the A-D in the Handyboard software - otherwise we would need to go through a setup routine for each game.

Two things left now: Ambient light sensor to track the grayscale on the soccer field 'floor' and How to prevent underfloor wiring from screwing up the compass.

The greyscale sensor system will be a backup to the compass. The venues often have high current cabling set in the concrete floors and the electronic compass just goes crazy (21cm from the floor). The compass is not allowed to be any higher. We looked at Mu metal - expensive but we might salvage some from surplus equipment.

For the greyscale sensor, we are going to work on a triangle system - the sensor at the top of the triangle to measure reflected light as it moves from light to dark (and so determines which end its heading for) The other two sensors will be a differential arrangement where if the reflected light is equal then everything is ok, however if one is receiving more light than the other it means the machine has moved to the right or left (we will ensure we can tell which by the voltage output - not dissimilar to the IR system)

The input that all of you have made is invaluable and although working through the maze of problems can be frustrating at times, this has set Jeff on the way to a career in engineering I think - he loves it! The biggest challenge has been the 3 wheel 120 degree offset design and controlling it correctly - but thats all solved now.The other major challenge was how to get the overall weight down - primarily in the power ccts. In Italy Jeff proved the design and now is improving the basic concept and making efficiencies in weight,speed and accuracy. Starts university next year in mechanoids, I cant wait so my brain can have a rest! - being a mentor is tough.

Russell

Reply to
snowdy

Try modulating your IR at, say, 1kHz, then use a narrow

1kHz filter on the receiving diode.

incandescent

Reply to
Airy R Bean

The problem with this is that the robocup IR ball is the IR source, no other IR source is allowed on the robot at all. I believe the robocup soccer ball has IR emmitters that do not modulate or do anything other than be on, hence Jeff's problem, the ball is supplied by the officials.

If there is a stronger IR source than the ball all that can be done is make sure the IR sensors on the robot have a shield that does not allow this source to get in. As the walls of the field are a set height, make sure they cannot see over that height. This does not take care of reflections from the field or walls but may be just enough to get you by.

Reply to
Robert Hoehne

Only probelm with this is that we do not contorl the IR source...it is coming out of an IR emitting ball provided byt he people at the competition, so we cant modify it to suit our sensors. Otherwise it would be a snap.

Reply to
Fr335tyl3r

Try building a scanning sensor with a narrow field of view (fixed photodiode, rotating mirror sort of thing), and also use photodiodes with built in IR filters - there are lots of these - look for one with a big active area to get the best response. You can also use lenses to increase the light captured from a specific direction [ But remember that the lenses must be transparent to IR ! ]

As you scan across the fov you should get sharp rises and falls for strong signals, wheras the background will not be so marked. So use AC coupling to your sampler (A/D)

If you still have a strong false signal in your fov then you will need to think about masking it out with software.

So, key points:- increase signal to noise ratio by

1) increase signal by using bigger/more sensitive photodiode, plus possibly lens/mirror to grab more signal 2) decrease noise by only looking at a small area at a time

Dave

Reply to
dave garnett

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