Engineers Garage

  • Projects and Tutorials
    • Electronic Projects
      • 8051
      • Arduino
      • ARM
      • AVR
      • PIC
      • Raspberry pi
      • STM32
    • Tutorials
    • Circuit Design
    • Project Videos
    • Components
  • Articles
    • Tech Articles
    • Insight
    • Invention Stories
    • How to
    • What Is
  • News
    • Electronic Products News
    • DIY Reviews
    • Guest Post
  • Forums
    • EDABoard.com
    • Electro-Tech-Online
    • EG Forum Archive
  • Digi-Key Store
    • Cables, Wires
    • Connectors, Interconnect
    • Discrete
    • Electromechanical
    • Embedded Computers
    • Enclosures, Hardware, Office
    • Integrated Circuits (ICs)
    • Isolators
    • LED/Optoelectronics
    • Passive
    • Power, Circuit Protection
    • Programmers
    • RF, Wireless
    • Semiconductors
    • Sensors, Transducers
    • Test Products
    • Tools
  • EE Resources
    • DesignFast
    • LEAP Awards
    • Oscilloscope Product Finder
    • White Papers
    • Webinars
  • EE Learning Center
    • Design Guides
      • WiFi & the IOT Design Guide
      • Microcontrollers Design Guide
      • State of the Art Inductors Design Guide
  • Women in Engineering

Light sensor using photodiode and opam

By Ashutosh Bhatt

The project about light sensor circuit shows the application of photodiode to detect the presence of light. This light sensor can be used as an intermediate circuit in various applications to detect the presence or absence of light. The sensitivity of the sensor can be adjusted using the preset. 
 
What lies Inside the Circuit?
 
This circuit is based around a LM339 comparator along with variable capacitors, photodiode, LED and a solo resistor.
The LED at the output will glow when light falls on the diode. In such a condition, the inverting input drops to a lower value than the reference set at the non-inverting input and so the output goes providing the necessary forwards bias to the LED.  

 
A photodiode, used as a photo detector, generates current in the circuit when light incidents on it. The circuit of this project uses the photodiode in reverse bias mode with resistor R1(10k). This resistor does not allow too much current to flow through the photodiode in case a large amount of light falls on the detector. Initially when no light falls on the photodiode, it results in high potential at the inverting input of a comparator (pin6) of LM339. When light falls on the photodiode, it allows current to flow through the diode, and thus drops the voltage across it. The non-inverting input (pin7) is connected to a variable resistor VR2 (preset) which is used to set the reference voltage of the comparator. A comparator works on the principle that its output remains high as long as the non-inverting input is at higher level than that at its inverting input. Here, the output (pin1) is connected to an LED. The reference voltage is set to correspond to a threshold illumination through a preset VR1 (10k).

Circuit Diagrams

Light-sensor-using-photodiode

Project Components

  • LED
  • LM339 IC
  • Preset
  • Resistor


Filed Under: Electronic Projects
Tagged With: ic, light sensor, lm 339, photodiode, sensor
 

Questions related to this article?
👉Ask and discuss on Electro-Tech-Online.com and EDAboard.com forums.



Tell Us What You Think!! Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

HAVE A QUESTION?

Have a technical question about an article or other engineering questions? Check out our engineering forums EDABoard.com and Electro-Tech-Online.com where you can get those questions asked and answered by your peers!


Featured Tutorials

  • PS2 Keyboard To Store Text In SD Card Using Arduino Circuit Setup On Breadboard
    How To Use PS2 Keyboard To Store Text In SD Card Using Arduino- (Part 42/49)
  • Wireless Path Tracking System Using Mouse, XBee And Arduino Circuit Setup On Breadboard
    How To Make A Wireless Path Tracking System Using Mouse, XBee And Arduino- (Part 43/49)
  • How to Make a Wireless Keyboard Using Xbee with Arduino- (Part 44/49)
  • Making Phone Call From GSM Module Using Arduino Circuit Setup On Breadboard
    How to Make Phonecall From GSM Module Using Arduino- (Part 45/49)
  • How to Make a Call using Keyboard, GSM Module and Arduino
    How To Make A Call Using Keyboard, GSM Module And Arduino- (Part 46/49)
  • Receiving SMS Using GSM Module With Arduino Prototype
    How to Receive SMS Using GSM Module with Arduino- (Part 47/49)

Stay Up To Date

Newsletter Signup

Sign up and receive our weekly newsletter for latest Tech articles, Electronics Projects, Tutorial series and other insightful tech content.

EE Training Center Classrooms

EE Classrooms

Recent Articles

  • Renesas delivers intelligent sensor solutions for IoT applications
  • Microchip Technology releases AVR-IoT Cellular Mini Development Board
  • Qualcomm acquires Cellwize to accelerate 5G adoption and spur infrastructure innovation
  • MediaTek’s chipset offers high-performance option for 5G smartphones
  • Nexperia’s new level translators support legacy and future mobile SIM cards

Most Popular

5G 555 timer circuit 8051 ai Arduino atmega16 automotive avr bluetooth dc motor display Electronic Part Electronic Parts Fujitsu ic infineontechnologies integratedcircuit Intel IoT ir lcd led maximintegratedproducts microchip microchiptechnology Microchip Technology microcontroller microcontrollers mosfet motor powermanagement Raspberry Pi remote renesaselectronics renesaselectronicscorporation Research samsung semiconductor sensor software STMicroelectronics switch Technology vishayintertechnology wireless

RSS EDABOARD.com Discussions

  • SRF04 module measure distance
  • Motherboard - worst case scenario
  • Will Wifi throughput be affected by RSSI (attenuation) in my setup?
  • Adaptive filters fundamental
  • Using LTspice to check Current sense transformer reset?

RSS Electro-Tech-Online.com Discussions

  • Are Cross-wind compensation and Road crown compensation functions inputs to LKA function?
  • Interfacing ZMOD4410 with Arduino UNO
  • Help diagnosing a coffee maker PCB
  • Capacitor to eliminate speaker hum
  • Identify a circuit.
Engineers Garage
  • Analog IC TIps
  • Connector Tips
  • DesignFast
  • EDABoard Forums
  • EE World Online
  • Electro-Tech-Online Forums
  • Microcontroller Tips
  • Power Electronic Tips
  • Sensor Tips
  • Test and Measurement Tips
  • 5G Technology World
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise

Copyright © 2022 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising | About Us

Search Engineers Garage

  • Projects and Tutorials
    • Electronic Projects
      • 8051
      • Arduino
      • ARM
      • AVR
      • PIC
      • Raspberry pi
      • STM32
    • Tutorials
    • Circuit Design
    • Project Videos
    • Components
  • Articles
    • Tech Articles
    • Insight
    • Invention Stories
    • How to
    • What Is
  • News
    • Electronic Products News
    • DIY Reviews
    • Guest Post
  • Forums
    • EDABoard.com
    • Electro-Tech-Online
    • EG Forum Archive
  • Digi-Key Store
    • Cables, Wires
    • Connectors, Interconnect
    • Discrete
    • Electromechanical
    • Embedded Computers
    • Enclosures, Hardware, Office
    • Integrated Circuits (ICs)
    • Isolators
    • LED/Optoelectronics
    • Passive
    • Power, Circuit Protection
    • Programmers
    • RF, Wireless
    • Semiconductors
    • Sensors, Transducers
    • Test Products
    • Tools
  • EE Resources
    • DesignFast
    • LEAP Awards
    • Oscilloscope Product Finder
    • White Papers
    • Webinars
  • EE Learning Center
    • Design Guides
      • WiFi & the IOT Design Guide
      • Microcontrollers Design Guide
      • State of the Art Inductors Design Guide
  • Women in Engineering