Sensor Reference

Sound Sensors

1. Sound sensor ($4.90 USD)

The Sound sensor module is a simple microphone. Based on the power amplifier LM386 and the electret microphone, it can be used to detect the sound strength of the environment. The value of output can be adjusted by the potentiometer.

Features

Light Sensors

2. Directional light / flame sensor

The Grove - Flame Sensor can be used to detect fire source or other light sources of the wavelength in the range of 760nm - 1100 nm. It is based on the YG1006 sensor which is a high speed and high sensitive NPN silicon phototransistor. Due to its black epoxy, the sensor is sensitive to infrared radiation. In fire fighting robot game, the sensor plays a very important role, it can be used as a robot eyes to find the fire source.

The module is mainly used to detect the infrared light. It outputs digital signal 0 and 1 through a Comparator output. The output value will be 0 when infrared light is detected. And the sensitivity is adjustable by the precision potentiometer.

Let's use it to control. When the output value is 0, the led will light up.

• Connect the module to the D3 of Grove - Base Shield using the 4-pin grove cable.
• Plug the Grove - Base Shield into Arduino.
• Connect Arduino to PC by using a USB cable.
• Copy and paste code below to a new Arduino sketch. Please click here if you do not know how to upload.

Environmental Sensors

1. Dust sensor ($15.95) USD
   
   Used to create Digital (Lo Pulse) output to Particulate Matters (PM). Lo Pulse Occupancy time (LPO time) is in proportion to PM concentration. The output is for PM whose size is around 1 micro meter or larger. We can use the sensor to detect the dust indoors and outdoors.

• 
  Features:

  • Grove compatible interface(extra wire with connecter)
  • Supply voltage range: 5V
  • Minimum detect particle: 1um
  • PWM output
  • Dimensions: 59(W)x45(H)x22(D) [mm]

2. Temperature and Humidity

This is a multifunctional sensor that gives you temperature and relative humidity information at the same time. It utilizes a DHT11 sensor that can meet measurement needs of general purposes. It provides reliable readings when environment humidity condition inbetween 20% RH and 90% RH, and temperature condition inbetween 0°C and 50°C, covering needs in most home and daily applications that don't contain extreme conditions.

• Work Voltage: 3.3V ~ 5V
• Measuring Range:

• Accuracy:

• Sensitivity:

• Signal Collecting Period: 2S

3. Air quality sensor 

This sensor is designed for comprehensive monitor over indoor air condition. It's responsive to a wide scope of harmful gases, as carbon monixide, alcohol, acetone, thinner, formaldehyde and so on. Due to the measuring mechanism, this sensor can not output specific data to describe target gases' concentrations quantitatively. But it's still competent enough to be used in applications that require only qualitative results, like auto refresher sprayers and auto air cycling systems. This sensor does better in providing qualitative results over a wide scope of target gases. In this demo, we define 4 statuses for reference in the .cpp file. They are:

• 
  Features
  
  

  • Responsive to a wide scope of target gases
  • Cost efficient
  • Durable

  Cautions
  
  

  • Require relatively clean air as an initial condition. 
  • Long time exposure to highly polluted air can significantly weaken its sensitivity.

4. PIR Motion Sensor Module ($7.90 USD)

Highly integrated module popularly used for entry detection, it complies with microcontroller or DC loads.

 

Applications

• Switch
• Motion sensor
• Thief-guarding system
• Industrial automation

 

Specifications

• Input voltage: DC 4.5~20V
• Static current: 50uA
• Output signal: 0,3V (Output high when motion detected)
• Sentry angle: 110 degree
• Sentry distance: max 7 m

5.Soil moisture sensor

This Moisture Sensor can be used to detect the moisture of soil or judge if there is water around the sensor, let the plants in your garden reach out for human help. They can be very easy to use, just insert it into the soil and then read it. With the help of this sensor, it will be realizable to make the plant remind you : hey, i am thirsty now, please give me some water.

• Soil moisture sensor based on soil resistivity measurement
• Easy to use
• 2.0cmX6.0cm grove module

6. IR Breakbeam Sensors (Adafruit)

• simple way to detect motion
• emitter side that sends out a beam of human-invisible IR light, then a receiver across the way which is sensitive to that same light
• When something passes between the two, and its not transparent to IR, then the 'beam is broken' and the receiver will let you know

Wiring requirements
- 3.3V or 5V power
- Arduino

Pressure Sensors

1. Pressure Sensor (100lb but can get different ranges)

Possible uses:

• tracing footsteps
• reconfiguring furniture when someone sits down 
• measuring the weight of something

Key Facts:

• Sensing area: (0.375 in.) diameter 
• Requires: Arduino UNO or other Arduino compatible board; breadboard; M/M jumper wires; 1 MegaOhm Resistor; Arduino IDE for programming
• Basic code is provided on Sparkfun to get started 

2. Water flow sensor

Water flow sensor consists of a plastic valve body, a water rotor, and a hall-effect sensor. When water flows through the rotor, rotor rolls. Its speed changes with different rate of flow. The hall-effect sensor outputs the corresponding pulse Signal. 

You will need Seeeduino / Arduino ,Water Flow Sensor,10K resistor,a breadboard and some jumper wires.

Wiring up the Water Flow Sensor is pretty simple. There are 3 wires: Black, Red, and Yellow. Black to the Seeeduino's ground pin Red to Seeeduino's 5v pin The yellow wire will need to be connected to a 10k pull up resistor.and then to pin 2 on the Seeeduino.

Chemical Sensors

1. Alcohol sensor

Grove - Alcohol Sensor is a complete alcohol sensor module for Arduino or Seeeduino. It is built with MQ303Asemiconductor alcohol sensor. It has good sensitivity and fast response to alcohol. It is suitable for making Breathalyzer. This Grove implements all the necessary circuitry for MQ303A like power conditioning and heater power supply. This sensor outputs a voltage inversely proportional to the alcohol concentration in air.

• Input Voltage: 5V
• Working Current: 120mA
• Detectable Concentration: 20-1000ppm
• Grove Compatible connector
• Highly sensitive to alcohol.
• Fast response and resumes quickly after alcohol exposure.
• Long life.
• Compact form factor.   

Misc.

1. Magnetic Card (facts from Sparkfun and wikipedia)

• 30mil standard card with a low coercivity magnetic stripe. 
• The stripe can contain up to 3 tracks of information. 
• This card can be erased and written multiple times with a compatible writer.
• only .95 cents
• LoCo cards are much easier to erase and have a shorter lifespan
• Track 1 is written with code known as DEC SIXBIT
• his format was developed by the banking industry (ABA). This track is written with a 5-bit scheme (4 data bits + 1 parity), which allows for sixteen possible characters

 

Existing Sensor Wiki:

http://www.sensorwiki.org/doku.php/sensors/introduction

 

Accelerometer
Accelerometers can measure static, or dynamic acceleration forces. Static forces are measures like gravity which is constantly pulling, while dynamic forces are measured by movement or vibration of the sensor. It can also measure tilt based on the relative force to the ground. These are useful for monitoring or sensing the movement of an object. There are multiple ways to make accelerometers. The two most common are using crystals that when accelerated move closer and create an electric charge, or sensing in capacitance and converting that to a charge.

Measures

 

• Walking, running, dancing or skipping
• Working machines
• Construction work – driving piles, demolition, drilling and excavating
• Moving loads on bridges
• Vehicle collisions
• Impact loads – falling debris
• Concussion loads – internal and external explosions
• Collapse of structural elements
• Wind loads and wind gusts
• Air blast pressure
• Loss of support because of ground failure
• Earthquakes and aftershocks

 

Proximity Sensors
A proximity sensor is a sensor able to detect the presence of nearby objects without any physical contact. A proximity sensor often emits an electromagnetic field or a beam of electromagnetic radiation (infrared, for instance), and looks for changes in the field or return signal. The object being sensed is often referred to as the proximity sensor's target. Different proximity sensor targets demand different sensors. For example, a capacitive or photoelectric sensor might be suitable for a plastic target; an inductive proximity sensor always requires a metal target. The maximum distance that this sensor can detect is defined "nominal range". Some sensors have adjustments of the nominal range or means to report a graduated detection distance. Proximity sensors can have a high reliability and long functional life because of the absence of mechanical parts and lack of physical contact between sensor and the sensed object. Proximity sensors are commonly used on smartphones to detect (and skip) accidental touchscreen taps when held to the ear during a call.^[1] They are also used in machine vibration monitoring to measure the variation in distance between a shaft and its support bearing. This is common in large steam turbines, compressors, and motors that use sleeve-type bearings.

 

Types:

 

• Capacitive
• Capacitive displacement sensor
• Doppler effect (sensor based on effect)
• Eddy-current
• Inductive
• Laser rangefinder
• Magnetic, including Magnetic proximity fuse
• Passive optical (such as charge-coupled devices)
• Passive thermal infrared
• Photocell (reflective)
• Radar
• Reflection of ionising radiation
• Sonar (typically active or passive)
• Ultrasonic sensor (sonar which runs in air)
• Fiber optics sensor
• Hall effect sensor

Applications:

 

Parking sensors, systems mounted on car bumpers that sense distance to nearby cars for parking

Ground proximity warning system for aviation safety

Vibration measurements of rotating shafts in machinery [2]

Top dead centre (TDC)/camshaft sensor in reciprocating engines.

Sheet break sensing in paper machine.

Anti-aircraft warfare

Roller coasters

Conveyor systems

Beverage and food can making lines[3]\

Improvised Explosive Devices or IEDs

Mobile devices

Light Sensor

Two Modes: Light Mode and Dark Mode. Light mode sends a higher signal based on more light,

And dark mode sends a higher signal based on the darker it is.

Wireless ID Sensor
An RFID device that supports sensing and computing: a microcontroller powered by radio-frequency energy.^[1] That is, like a passive RFID tag, WISP is powered and read by a standard off-the-shelf RFID reader, harvesting the power it uses from the reader's emitted radio signals. To an RFID reader, a WISP is just a normal EPC gen1 or gen2 tag; but inside the WISP, the harvested energy is operating a 16-bit general purpose microcontroller. The microcontroller can perform a variety of computing tasks, including sampling sensors, and reporting that sensor data back to the RFID reader. WISPs have been built with light sensors, temperature sensors, and strain gauges. Some contain accelerometers.

Applications:

• Light level measurements
• Acceleration sensing
• Cold chain monitoring
• Security Applications

 

Occupancy/Motion Light Sensors

 Turn lights on and off based on Motion Detection. 

 

Inertial Measurement Units
Measures Velocity, Orientation, and Gravitational forces using a combination of accelerometers, gyroscopes, and sometimes magnetometers. Mostly used for navigation systems.  

Current Sensor
Current sensors measure electric current in a wire and creates a proportional signal from it. The signal can be either analog or digital. The resulting signal can be used for a variety of purposes ranging from being utilized in a control system, analyzed in a data set, or display active current flows.

Alternating Currents:

 

• analog output, which duplicates the wave shape of the sensed current
• bipolar output, which duplicates the wave shape of the sensed current
• unipolar output, which is proportional to the average or RMS value of the sensed current

Direct Currents:

• unipolar, with a unipolar output, which duplicates the wave shape of the sensed current
• digital output, which switches when the sensed current exceeds a certain threshold

 

Gyroscope
Measures and maintains orientation through preserving angular momentum.

 

Uses

• http://www.gyroscopes.org/uses.asp

 

Flex Sensor
Flex sensors are passive resistive devices that can be used to detect bending or flexing. The flex sensor shown in this article is a bi-directional flex sensor that decreases its resistance in proportion to the amount it is bent in either direction. 

Measures

• How much or if the sensor is being flexed or bent