Solar Energy Labs – Part 1ENGR 1181

Today's Learning Objectives

After today's class, students will be able to:• Describe and build both a calibration and solar

meter circuit • Convert decimal values to binary values • Discuss how a potentiometer works • Explain how a photodiode light sensor works• Compare a pictorial image of a circuit to a

schematic wiring diagram • Use a Photodiode Light Sensor and a Binary

Voltmeter circuit to measure the intensity of light (in Watts/m2)

Solar Energy Meter

In lab today, you will build a solar energy meter circuit to measure the energy intensity from a light source.

solar energy meter

Output :watts/m2

Solar Energy Meter Parts

5 Volt power supply

DMM

Breadboard

Solar Energy Meter Circuit Schematic and Breadboard Layout – Final Circuit

+5 V +5 V+5 V

P C B 1

Light Se ns or

5

2 1

63 4

V O

ut

+5

V+

5V

V O

ut

Gn

dG

nd

P C B 2

Bina ry Voltm e te r

6

2 1

75 14

4 3

8 9 10

11

12

13

D7

(M

SB

)

+5

V+

5V

D6

V I

np

ut

Gn

d

+5

V+

5V

D5

D4

D3

D2

D1

D0

(L

SB

)D 7

D 6

D 5

D 4

D 3

D 2

D 1

D 0

BINA RY DISPL A Y

SHORTW IRE

S o la r E n e r g y M e te r C ir c u it

L EDs

Breadboard Setup Build now in pairs!

Measure the Power Supply Voltage, V = ______ Volts

+5V

Gnd

Note DMM usage here

Note jumpers

Calibrate the Binary Voltmeter

+5 V

+5 V +5 V

1 0 K

P O T

13

2

P C B 2

Bina ry Voltm e te r

6

2 1

75 14

4 3

8 9 10

11

12

13

D7

(M

SB

)

+5

V+

5V

D6

V I

np

ut

Gn

d

+5

V+

5V

D5

D4

D3

D2

D1

D0

(L

SB

)

D 7 D 6

D 5

D 4

D 3

D 2

D 1

D 0

SHORTW IRE

B in a r y V o ltm e te r C a lib r a tio n C ir c u it

L EDs

0 to +5 V OL T S

BINA RY DISPL A Y

DMM

TrimPot – varies input voltage

Total resistance (Pin 1 to Pin 3) = 10 kOhms

Resistance at Pin 2 varies by turning the small adjustment screw (0 to +5V on Pin 2)

Use it to change the input voltage to the Binary Voltmeter circuit

It is a variable resistor.+5 V

1 0 K

P O T

13

2

Pins 1 2 3

8-Bit Binary Display

• The LEDs at the output of the Binary Voltmeter are labeled from D7 to D0

• The LEDs have two digital states, on and off, representing the binary numbers “1” and “0”

• D7 is the Most Significant Bit (MSB). D0 is the Least Significant Bit (LSB)

• The 8-bit binary number can be converted to a decimal number using a formula

D 7 D 6

D 5

D 4

D 3

D 2

D 1

D 0

8-BIT BINA RY DISPL A Y

L EDs

MSB LSB

 

8-bit Binary Numbers

00000101 = 5

LSBMSB

…. + 0*23 + 1*22 + 0*21 + 1*20

= 5

For example, convert binary 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 into a decimal:

The Calibration Circuit

+5V

Gnd

Short wire of LEDs must be toward ground side

• Place the TrimPot as shown and:

• Connect Pin 1 to Ground

• Connect Pin 3 to +5 Volts

• Connect Pin 2 to V Input on the Binary Voltmeter

• Connect the LEDs

• Connect the Red DMM wire to V Input

+5

V

10

K

PO

T1 3

2

• ENGR 1181 First-Year Engineering Program

Calibrate the Binary Voltmeter CircuitTable A – record and store in lab spreadsheet

Set Voltage Record Binary Numbers Calculate Decimal Values

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

5.0

Full CW

Solar Energy Meter Circuit Schematic and Layout

+5 V +5 V+5 V

P C B 1

Light Se ns or

5

2 1

63 4

V O

ut

+5

V+

5V

V O

ut

Gn

dG

nd

P C B 2

Bina ry Voltm e te r

6

2 1

75 14

4 3

8 9 10

11

12

13

D7

(M

SB

)

+5

V+

5V

D6

V I

np

ut

Gn

d

+5

V+

5V

D5

D4

D3

D2

D1

D0

(L

SB

)

D 7 D 6

D 5

D 4

D 3

D 2

D 1

D 0

BINA RY DISPL A Y

SHORTW IRE

S o la r E n e r g y M e te r C ir c u it

L EDs

Task 3 – How the Light Sensor Works

• The Photodiode converts light photons to a current

• The Amplifier converts the current to a voltage

• The voltage output of the Light Sensor Board is proportional to the intensity of sunlight (Isolar, Watts / m2)

The calibration equation for the Solar Light Meter is:

Isolar = 5.0 Ndecimal (Watts / m2)

Isolar

AmplifierPhotodiode

V Output

Use the Solar Energy Meter to measure the intensity of a light source

Place the spotlight in the ring stand so that the front of the bulb is 13 inches away from the top of the Light Sensor.

Make sure that the Photodiode is directly in the center of the beam.

Measure the Intensity of the light source at distances of 23, 19, 15, 11 and 7 inches.

Comment on shading LEDS and Blinking on least significant digits

• ENGR 1181 First-Year Engineering Program

Measure the Intensity of the Light Source at various distances

Distance( Inches ) Binary Number Decimal Value Intensity

( Watts / m2)

23.0

19.0

15.0

11.0

7.0

Topic Document Type

Marble Delivery System None

Quality and Productivity Executive Summary

Circuits Executive Summary

Solar Energy – Part 1 --

Solar Energy – Part 2 Memo (Combined)

Beam Bending Memo

Wind Turbine 1 --

Wind Turbine 2 Report (Combined)

Problem Solving Project 1Project Notebook

(Combined)Problem Solving Project 2

Problem Solving Project 3