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I IntroductionThe light sensor is developed based on the photoelectric effect principle of semiconductors. It can be used to detect the intensity of ambient light, and it can also be used to detect the difference in light between different colored surfaces. Users can make projects that interact with light with it, such as smart dimming lights, a laser communication system or something more awesome.Light Sensor Using Arduino and LDR | Arduino Light SensorCatalogI IntroductionII Definition  2.1 What is a Sensor?  2.2 Definition of the Light SensorIII Spectrum and Photometric Physical Quantity  3.1 Spectrum  3.2 Photometric Physical Quantities  3.3 MID Display's Perception of Backlight Brightness Under Different IlluminationIV How the Light Sensor WorksV Types and Characteristics of Light Sensors  5.1 Photodiode Type  5.2 Photoresistor TypeVI Applications of Light Sensors  6.1 Types of Light Sensors in Application  6.2 Typical Applications  6.3 Practical Application CasesVII The Circuit Diagram of a Light Sensor  7.1 Model Introduction  7.2 Appearance and Size  7.3 Application  7.4 Functional Framework Diagram  7.5 Application CircuitVIII Programming Guide  8.1 mBlock Programming  8.2 Arduino Programming  8.3 SchematicIX A Related Question about Light Sensor  9.1 Question  9.2 AnswerⅩ FAQII Definition2.1 What is a Sensor?In a broad sense, a sensor is a sensor that converts a measurement into a signal that can be perceived or quantified. In a narrow sense, a device that senses the measurement and converts it into an output signal of the same or another nature according to a certain law. The sensor is generally composed of a sensor element, a conversion element, a measurement circuit, and an auxiliary power source. The sensor element and the conversion element may be combined into one, and some sensors do not require an auxiliary power source.2.2 Definition of the Light SensorThe light sensor usually refers to a device that can sensitively sense the light energy of ultraviolet light to infrared light and convert the light energy into an electrical signal. The light sensor is a kind of sensing device, which is mainly composed of light-sensitive elements. It is mainly divided into four categories: ambient light sensor, infrared light sensor, sunlight sensor, and ultraviolet light sensor. It is mainly used in the field of changing body electronics applications and intelligent lighting systems. Modern electrical measurement technology is becoming more and more mature. Due to its advantages such as high accuracy and easy microcomputer connection for automatic real-time processing, it has been widely used in the measurement of electrical and non-electrical quantities.  However, the electrical measurement method is susceptible to interference. In the AC measurement, the frequency response is not wide enough and there are certain requirements on the withstand voltage and insulation. Today, the rapid development of laser technology has been able to solve the above problems.Figure1. Light SensorIII Spectrum and Photometric Physical Quantity3.1 SpectrumThe spectrum is a pattern in which monochromatic light, which is dispersed by the dispersive system (such as a prism and a grating), is sequentially arranged according to the size of the wavelength (or frequency). The largest part of the visible spectrum is the visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum of the human eye. Electromagnetic radiation in this wavelength range is called visible light. The spectrum does not include all the colors that the human brain can distinguish, such as brown and pink.Figure2. Spectrum3.2 Photometric Physical Quantities3.2.1 Light Intensity(I/Intensity)(1) Definition: the intensity of light emitted by a monochromatic light source (frequency 540 × 1012 Hz, wavelength 555nm) in a unit solid angle in a given direction (radiation intensity in this direction is 1/683 watts per spherical degree) .(2) Unit: cd (Candela)(3) Luminous intensity of common light sources:●  Sun, 2.8E27 cd●  Highlight flashlight, 10000 cd●  5mm super bright LED, 15 cd 3.2.2 Luminous Flux(F/Flux)(1) Definition: The energy emitted by a point light source or a non-point light source in a unit time. Among them, the visual person (radiation flux that humans can feel) is called luminous flux.(2) Unit: Lm (lumens)(3) Efficiency of common light sources (lumens / watt, Lm / W)● Incandescent, 15● White LED, 20● fluorescent lamp, 50● The sun, 94● Sodium lamp, 120 3.2.3 E/Illuminance(1) Definition: Luminous flux irradiated onto a unit area.(2) Unit: Lx / Lux (1), 1 (Lx) = 1 Lm / m2.(3) Common Illumination (Lx):● Direct sunlight (noon), 110,000● Overcast day, 1000● Inside the mall, 500● Cloudy room with window, 100● Under normal room lighting, 100● Full moon, 0.2 3.2.4 L / Luminance(1) Definition: The intensity of light emitted by the unit light source area in the normal direction and within the unit solid angle.(2) Unit: nt (nits), 1 (nt) = 1 cd / m2.(3) Brightness of common luminous body (nt):● Solar surface, 2,000,000,000● Incandescent filament, 10,000,000● White paper under the sun, 30,000● Brightness that human eyes can get used to, 3,000● The human eye can better distinguish the brightness of the color, 1● No moon night sky, 0.00013.3 MID Display's Perception of Backlight Brightness Under Different IlluminationFigure3. Ambient Illumination-LUXIV How the Light Sensor WorksThe light sensor actually works according to the principle of the photoelectric effect. The so-called photoelectric effect refers to the phenomenon that certain special substances can convert light energy into electrical energy after absorbing light. The photoelectric effect can be divided into two types: an external photoelectric effect and an internal photoelectric effect. The external photoelectric effect refers to the fact that under light irradiation, electrons can be emitted from the inside of the material to generate electricity. The photocell and photomultiplier are originals based on the external photoelectric effect.  Correspondingly, the internal photoelectric effect occurs inside the substance. When light is irradiated onto the substance, the resistivity inside the substance is changed, thereby generating electromotive force. Photoelectric elements such as photoresistors and photovoltaic cells are made based on the internal photoelectric effect. Take the light sensor on the mobile phone as an example:The light sensor in a mobile phone should actually be an ambient light sensor, which is mainly composed of two parts, a light projector, and a light receiver. The white dot next to the front camera acts as a lens that focuses the light in the environment and transmits it to the receiver via the projector. According to the photoelectric effect, the light receiver can convert various light signals into corresponding electrical signals, and then further process them into various switching and control actions to realize the sensitivity adjustment of the mobile phone. An infrared cut-off film is often attached to the chip of the ambient light sensor to eliminate the interference of infrared light so that our electronic devices such as mobile phones and laptops can accurately detect the visible light intensity in the environment. When the display consumes too much power, the light sensor can also automatically reduce the screen brightness to extend the operating time of the battery. Figure4. Light Sensor in PhoneV Types and Characteristics of Light Sensors5.1 Photodiode TypePhotodiodes and semiconductor diodes are similar in structure, and their die is a PN junction with photosensitive characteristics, which has unidirectional conductivity, so a reverse voltage needs to be added when working. When there is no light, there is a small saturation reverse leakage current, that is, a dark current, at which time the photodiode is turned off. When exposed to light, the saturation reverse leakage current greatly increases, forming a photocurrent, which changes with the intensity of the incident light. When light irradiates the PN junction, an electron-hole pair can be generated in the PN junction, which increases the density of minority carriers. These carriers drift under the reverse voltage, causing the reverse current to increase. So you can use the light intensity to change the current in the circuit. It is turned off when there is no light and turned on when there is light. Features:(1) High sensitivity can reduce the influence of stray light(2) Photodiode (photodiode) is a photoelectric conversion device, which can convert the received light into a current change(3) The working mode of the photodiode (photodiode) is to increase the reverse voltage or not increase the voltage. When a reverse bias is applied to it, the reverse current in the tube will change with the intensity of the light. The greater the light intensity, the greater the reverse current.Figure5. Photodiode5.2 Photoresistor Type(1) PrincipleIt works based on the semiconductor photoelectric effect. The photoresistor is non-polar and is purely a resistive element. It can be applied with DC voltage or AC voltage.(2) Working characteristics of the photoresistor: When the light is on, the resistance is small; when the light is off, the resistance is large. The stronger the light, the smaller the resistance; when the light stops, the resistance returns to its original value.(3) Spectral range: from ultraviolet to infrared.(4) Features:● The internal photoelectric effect has nothing to do with the electrode (only related to the photodiode), that is, a DC power supply can be used.● Sensitivity is related to the semiconductor material and the wavelength of the incident light● Epoxy resin package, high reliability, small size, high sensitivity, fast response speed, and good spectral characteristics.Figure6. PhotoresistorVI Applications of Light Sensors6.1 Types of Light Sensors in Application(1) Ambient light sensorThe ambient light sensor can sense the surrounding light conditions and tell the processing chip to automatically adjust the backlight brightness of the display to reduce the power consumption of the product. On the other hand, the ambient light sensor helps the display provide a soft picture. When the ambient brightness is high, the LCD monitor using the ambient light sensor will automatically adjust to high brightness. When the external environment is dark, the display will be adjusted to low brightness to achieve automatic brightness adjustment. (2) Infrared light sensorThe infrared light sensor uses a charged thermopile and a scandium bromide iodide (KRS-5) window to sense wavelengths from 580 to 40,000 nm. The sensor can be used to measure a range of phenomena, including infrared radiation from the palm of your hand. (3) Sunlight sensorSolar sensor. It can recognize horizontal and vertical 360 degrees. The location of the sun, identification, cloudy, cloudy, semi-cloudy, sunny and evening during the day. Tracking bearing identification. Identification circuit processing and server drive. A digital chip is used to complete the processing of the above information. It can serve a variety of ordinary motors, stepper motors. The power consumption of the whole machine is 3mA, and the chip working voltage is 5V.  International advanced solar tracking equipment uses computer data theory, which requires data and settings for the latitude and longitude of the earth. The circuit principle and equipment technology are complicated. Intelligent sun tracker uses recognition theory technology, simple circuit and few components, no theory of latitude, longitude and data information. There is no need to consider the route that the sun runs through the year. From which direction the sun rises and from which direction it falls, it can accurately identify the position where the sun rises and falls. If he is placed on a walking car or boat, the tracker can face the sun no matter where he goes. (4) UV light sensorThe UV light sensor uses a filter to measure the UV light band (315nm-400nm). Remove the filter, the sensor can sense visible light at the same time. The sensor includes a UV filter, a sight, and a sensor handle. Figure7. Types of Light Sensors6.2 Typical ApplicationsBacklight adjustment: TV, computer monitor, LCD backlight, mobile phone, digital camera, MP4, PDA, GPS;Energy-saving control: outdoor advertising machines, induction lighting appliances, toys; instruments and meters: instruments and industrial controls for measuring light intensity;Environmentally friendly replacement: Replace traditional photoresistors, photodiodes, phototransistors6.3 Practical Application Cases6.3.1 Changing Body Electronics Applications(1) Ambient light detectionIn body electronics applications, ambient light sensors are used to adjust the backlight intensity of the dashboard, as well as the LCD backlight intensity in navigation systems (GPS), temperature control, and DVD screens. This is especially important for displays like BMW's iDrive and Prius' Multi-Info. For example, when daylight becomes dim and dark, the dashboard backlight will be adjusted to varying degrees to achieve the best visibility and reduce the glare that may be caused to the driver. Using these sensors eliminates the problem of turning on the headlights during the day, and the display automatically adjusts brightness. The key function of the ambient light sensor is to use the sensitivity visible wavelength of 380nm ~ 780nm to replicate the sensitivity of the human eye. (2) Tunnel detectionTunnel detection requires the input of two sensors. The first sensor has a wider field of view "looking up" and a relatively long average moving period, which prevents the lights from turning on and off. The second sensor has a narrower field of view "looking forward" and a relatively short average moving time. This allows the tunnel sensor to respond quickly to sudden changes in daylight, turn on the car's headlights, and adjust the display's backlight brightness when entering the tunnel. Forward-facing sensors eliminate the need to turn lights on and off when entering under a bridge or a tree covering the sun. In these cases, the sensor will still "see" the light ahead. When entering the tunnel, the signal from the tunnel sensor will drop, while the signal from the wide-field sensor will remain high; the headlights of the car will be turned on. When exiting the tunnel, the signal from the tunnel sensor will increase and the signal from the wide field of view sensor will decrease; the headlights of the vehicle will be turned off. With different average moving periods, the controller makes a clear distinction. 6.3.2 Intelligent Lighting SystemTo improve the comfort of the working environment, the lighting control system adopts a light sensor to automatically control the lighting equipment according to the illuminance of the current environment, so that the illuminance is controlled within a comfortable range. In traditional lighting control systems, ordinary light sensors are often combined with A / D converters (ADCs). Because the light signal detected by the light sensor contains both visible light components and infrared light components, the infrared light is filtered to detect the light sensor detection results.VII The Circuit Diagram of a Light Sensor7.1 Model IntroductionThe light sensor shown below is a low-cost I2C digital light sensor (ALS), which can convert light intensity into a digital output signal that can directly interface with I2C, providing a wide dynamic range from 0.01lux to 64K lux The linear response is very suitable for applications under high ambient brightness.Figure8. Model7.2 Appearance and SizeFigure9. Appearance and Size of the model7.3 Application(1) Back-lighting Control in mobile / portable devices(2) Touch Panel Control in mobile / portable devices7.4 Functional Framework DiagramFigure10. Functional Framework Diagram7.5 Application CircuitFigure11. Application CircuitVIII Programming GuideThe programming described below is based on the Me light sensor developed based on the photoelectric effect principle in semiconductors.8.1 mBlock ProgrammingThe light sensor module supports the mBlock programming environment. The following is a brief description of the module instructions:Figure12. Programming GuideHere is an example of how to use mBlock to control a light sensor moduleWhen the LED receives the light, M-Panda will move left and right and say I love sunshine; Cover the LED light, M-Panda will stop moving and say I love night. The results are as follows:Figure13. Result8.2 Arduino ProgrammingIf you write a program using Arduino, you should call the library Makeblock-Library-master to control the Me Light Sensor. This program instructs Me Light Sensor to read the current light intensity through Arduino programming.Figure14. Arduino ProgrammingFunction list of light sensor:Figure15. Function List of Me Light Sensor8.3 SchematicFigure16. SchematicIX A Related Question about Light Sensor9.1 QuestionHow to combine these 2 circuits together so that during complete darkness on the LDR, the LED would turn on instantly and when light falls on the LDR there would be around a 1 or 2-second delay before completely shutting off?The circuit would be running on a 5V DC power supply and powering an LED array.How to combine them together? Figure17.Circuit1Figure18. Circuit29.2 AnswerIn the 555 circuit the capacitor controls the wait time, if the capacitor is short-circuited the circuit will wat forever.In the LDR circuit the transistor acts like a switch but unfortunately it's switching to ground but the capacitor in the 555 circuit is connected to +9VTo resolve this I swapped the parts in the 555 circuit upside down to have the capacitor to ground. Then it was simple to I merge the two circuits.Figure19. AnswerIn the dark R1 turns Q1 on the keesp C1 duscharged so 555 output will be high.when there is light the LDR turns Q1 off and C1 charges , once it gets enough charge the 555 output goes low.We could have instead built the upside-down version of the LDR circuit using a BC557 transitor (or other similar PNP type) instead of the BC547 NPN transistor and merged that with the original 555 circuit.Ⅹ FAQ1. How is a relay added to a light sensor circuit?Presumably, your light sensor will be generating a variable voltage signal in response to how much light is hitting it, and you want to trip a relay when this light is above (or possibly below) a threshold. One way to do this is with a comparator circuit, which will compare two voltages and output a high or low depending on which one is higher. You then compare the signal from the light sensor to a reference voltage that you can set with a potentiometer and generate a high or low output signal from that. You can also use a microcontroller and read the signal from the light sensor with an analog input pin. This is more complex but useful if you want to implement features like hysteresis in the comparison. Now, the logic level signal can’t drive a relay coil directly, so you will need to use a transistor to switch the relay coil current. Which transistor to use will depend on the voltages involved and the amount of current you need to switch, but it’ll be a small signal transistor of some kind. You also need a current limiting resistor on the gate, possibly a pull-down on the gate as well, and a flyback diode across the relay coil. 2. What is a light sensor?Light sensors respond to changes in infrared light to detect motion or proximity to another object. Proximity sensors help robotic machines navigate obstacles and avoid bumping into objects. They are also used for devices in vehicles that sound an alarm when the vehicle is close to bumping into an object. 3. What are the disadvantages of a light sensor?Following are the disadvantages of Light sensor :• LDRs are highly inaccurate with high response time (about 10s or 100s of milliseconds).• Resistance varies continuously (analog) in photoresistors and is rugged in nature.• Photodiodes are temperature sensitive and are uni-directional, unlike photoresistors. 4. What does a light sensor do?Light sensors are electronic devices that indicate the intensity of daylight or artificial light. They convert light energy to electrical signal output. Light sensors have several uses in industrial and everyday consumer applications. 5. Where are light sensors used?Light sensors have a lot of uses. The most common use in our daily lives is in cell phones and tablets. Most portable personal electronics now have ambient light sensors used to adjust brightness. 6. How many types of light sensors are there?By using LDR as a circuit, we can calibrate the changes in its resistance to measure the intensity of Light. There are two other Light Sensors (or Photo Sensors) that are often used in complex electronic system design. They are Photo Diode and Photo Transistor. All these are Analog Sensors. 7. How long does a light sensor last?Long Duration Settings – In most cases, your motion detector light should only stay on for 20 to 30 seconds after it's triggered. However, you can manipulate the settings so it will stay on longer. For example, many lights come with settings ranging from a few seconds to an hour or more. 8. Is a light sensor analog or digital?Analog sensors that are used for detecting the amount of light striking the sensors are called light sensors. These analog light sensors are again classified into various types such as photo-resistor, Cadmium Sulfide (CdS), and, photocell. 9. What is a light sensor in a phone?Ambient-light sensors (ALS) are widely used in smartphones to provide information about ambient-light levels, in support of the backlight LED power circuit. 10. How do you wire a light sensor to an outside light?Connect one black wire on the photocell to the black wire that comes from the building. Be sure to twist the exposed copper wire so that it forms a tight connection. Connect the second black wire on the photocell to the black wire on your light fixture, making sure that the copper wire is twisted together completely.  

The larger the resistance of the drive, the longer the turn-on time of MOSFET, and the longer the voltage and current overlap time in the switching time, the greater the switching loss. Therefore, the smaller the resistance, the better the drive resistance should be, provided that the drive resistance can provide enough damping to prevent the drive-current oscillation. When designing switch power supply or motor drive circuit with MOSFET, the factors such as on resistance, maximum voltage and maximum current of MOSFET should be considered. In general, the MOSFET tube can be divided into the enhanced and depleted, P-channel or N-channel is a total of 4 types, but the enhanced NMOS tube and PMOS tube are mainly used, in these two commonly mentioned enhanced type, the more commonly used is NMOS, The reason is its small on-resistance and easy to manufacture. However, it is not enough to consider these, because the current will have different losses in various devices, so we must ensure that sufficient current to drive the MOSFET.  Figure 1. MOS schematic diagram In this paper, we will discuss the calculation of the MOS gate drive resistor. The range of the MOSFET drive resistance is between 5~100ohms, so how to further optimize the selection of the resistance value in this range?  Equivalent Drive Circuit Figure 2. Equivalent drive circuit L is the PCB line inductor, according to the professional experience its straight line value is 1nH/ mm, considering other line factors, take L=Length +10 (nH), where Length unit is mm. Rg is the gate drive resistance, and the driving signal is a square wave with a peak value of 12 V. Cgs is the gate and source capacitance of MOSFET, with different tubes and driving voltage its value will be different, here is 1nF. VL+VRg+VCgs=12V Taking drive circuit: Getting differential equation of driving voltage of Cgs: Obtaining Transformation function by method of Laplace transform: This is a third-order system, which is an overdamped vibration when its poles are three different real roots, there are two same solid roots is critical damped vibrations, and there are imaginary roots is underdemped vibrations, which will generate waves of oscillation up and down at the gate of MOFET. This is something we do not want to see, so the choice of gate resistance Rg should make it work in the critical damping and over damping states, but the parameter error is actually working in the overdamped state. Based on the above, therefore, the minimum range of Rg values can be obtained according to the length of the line. Making the length of running line of 20mm and 70mm respectively: L20= 30nH , L70= 80nH, then Rg20=8.94Ω, Rg70=17.89Ω, Here are the voltage and current waveforms   Figure 3. Driving current ripple curve According to the diagram when the Rg is small, the driving voltage surge will be higher, more and more oscillation will exist when the L becomes large, and the performance of MOSFET and other devices will be affected obviously. However, when the resistance value is too large, the driving waveform will rise slowly, while it will have a negative effect when the MOSFET has a large current passing through. In addition, we should note that when L is small, the peak value of driving current is larger, and the output capacity of general IC is limited. When the actual driving current reaches the maximum value of IC output, the output of IC is equivalent to a constant current source. When Cgs is charged linearly, the rising of driving voltage waveform will slow down. The current curve may be shown on the follow (the inductance does not work because the current is constant), this may have an impact on the reliability of the IC, and a small step or burr may occur in the rise of the voltage waveform. Figure 4. Current curve The PWM OUT output of the general IC is shown in the left figure. The internal integration includes the current-limiting resistor Rsource and Rsink, usually Rsource > Rsink, but the actual values are related to the peak driving output ability of the IC. It can be approximately considered that R=Vcc/Ipeak. The drive output capacity of IC is about 0.5A, and meanwhile Rsource is about 20Ω. From the previous voltage and current curves, we can see that the IC driver can drive MOSFET,  but the drive line is usually not a straight line, the inductance may be greater, and in order to prevent external interference, it is necessary to use the Rg drive resistor to suppress. This resistance should be as close as possible to the gate of the MOSFET when considering the effect of the line distribution capacitance. Figure 6. PWM OUT The effect of Rg and L on rising time: (Cgs=1nF, VCgs=0.9*Vdrive) TR(nS)19492302045229Rg(ohm)10221001022100L(nH)303030808080 It can be seen that L has little effect on TR, but Rg has great influence on TR. TR can be estimated approximately by 2*Rg*Cgs. Usually, the rise time is less than 20 percent of the conduction time, and the loss of the MOSFET switch when it is switched on will not cause a heat problem. So when the minimum conduction time of MOSFET is determined, the maximum value of Rg is determined . Generally, the smaller the Rg is, the better, but if considering the EMI, its value should be taken as large as possible. The selection of resistor in MOSFET on-state is discussed above. In order to ensure the fast discharge of gate charge in MOSFET off-state, the resistance should be as small as possible, which is the reason of Rsink<Rsource. To ensure rapid discharge, a diode can be connected in parallel on the Rg. When the discharge resistance is too small, it will also cause resonance due to the inductance of the line (so in some applications there will be a small resistance on the diode.). But the reverse current of the diode is not conductive, at the same time, the Rg is involved in the reverse resonant circuit. Therefore, the peak of reverse resonance can be suppressed. This Diodes usually use a high frequency and small signal tube 1N4148. In practice, we should also consider the influence of the gate and drain of MOSFET and a capacitor Cgd. When MOSFET is on, Rg has to charge Cgd, which will change the voltage rise slope. When off, VCC will charge Cgs through Cgd. In this case, the charge on Cgs must be removed quickly, otherwise, it will lead to abnormal conduction of MOSFET. Figure 7. MOSFET schematic diagram FAQ   1. Why do MOSFETs need resistor? MOSFET gates are exceptionally high impedance. Just like a GPIO pin set to be an input, a pull-down or pull-up resistor helps keep the transistor on or off during power-on. ... When used with a switch or cable that could be disconnected, it is obvious to use a pull-down or pull-up resistor.   2. Do MOSFETs need pull down resistors? You either need a resistor to pull it down to ground or you need the input signal to drive it low. ... You only have to drain the inherent capacitance on the MOSFET gate when you're pulling it low so even at a high resistance to ground the RC time constant is usually relatively short.   3. Does Mosfet have resistance? The MOSFET behaves like a resistor when switched ON (i.e. when Vgs is large enough; check the data sheet). Look in the data sheet for the value of this resistor. It's called Rds(on). It may be a very small resistance, much less than an Ohm.   4. What is the purpose of gate resistor? A gate resistor is used is to slow down the turn-on and turn-off of the MOSFET. (This is more relevant to power circuits that switch a fair amount of current.)   5. What is Mosfet used for? The MOSFET (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor) transistor is a semiconductor device which is widely used for switching and amplifying electronic signals in the electronic devices. The MOSFET is a three terminal device such as source, gate, and drain.   6. What is Mosfet and how it works? In general, the MOSFET works as a switch, the MOSFET controls the voltage and current flow between the source and drain. The working of the MOSFET depends on the MOS capacitor, which is the semiconductor surface below the oxide layers between the source and drain terminal.   7. How Mosfet can be used as a resistor? When you slowly increase the gate voltage the MOSFET slowly starts conducting by entering the linear region where it starts developing voltage across it which we call as VDS . In this region, the MOSFET acts as a resistance of finite value.   8. Can Mosfet switch AC? Yes, but you need to connect two back to back to deal with the body diode. Connect the source terminals and gate terminals and connect a floating voltage supply between sources and gates. This circuit is typically called a solid state relay.   9. How much current can a Mosfet handle? Modern MOSFETs can have on resistances of less than 10 milliohms. A little math shows that this device can handle 10 amps with one watt converted into waste heat (power = current2 x resistance). Since many MOSFETs come in TO-220 packages, no heatsink is needed in this instance.   10. How many types of Mosfet are there? four types. There are two classes of MOSFETs. There is depletion mode and there is enhancement mode. Each class is available as n- or a p-channel, giving a total of four types of MOSFETs. Depletion mode comes in an N or a P and an enhancement mode comes in an N or a P.

A team of MIT engineers has described a novel way of controlling the flow of water in flexible tubes, a finding with implications for agricultural systems worldwide. Their research, published in the Journal of Mechanical Design, could reduce the energy demands of pulsating sprinklers used for irrigation."Food and its relationship to water is one of the biggest problems in the world," says Ruo-Qian Wang, a former postdoc at the MIT Tata Center for Technology and Design who is now a postdoc at the University of California at Berkeley. "There is a clear need for efficient irrigation technologies that save money and conserve resources."Wang co-authored the paper with three researchers in MIT's Department of Mechanical Engineering: graduate student Teresa Lin, PhD candidate and Tata Fellow Pulkit Shamshery, and Assistant Professor Amos Winter.The model they propose could be especially useful in developing countries, where many farmers cultivate small plots of land without reliable access to the electricity grid. These farmers rely on solar or diesel power to draw water for irrigation."If you bring down the energy requirements of the irrigation system, that means a farmer can buy a smaller solar panel, or use less diesel," Wang says. "Everything gets cheaper and more accessible."Compensating for pressureThe researchers focused on a device called a Starling resistor, which is a flexible tube that collapses as pressure is applied. This device is noted for its similarities to human respiration, and has been used to model flow in the lungs and airways."But," Wang says, "it has never been applied to a pressure-compensated flow control system for agriculture."The team created an experimental Starling resistor architecture that introduces a needle valve, which allows for independent control of two key variables: activation pressure and flow rate. The goal is a phenomenon called pressure compensation, in which a steady flow rate can be maintained no matter the pressure differential."Activation pressure is key to energy consumption," Wang says. "A traditional resistor has to achieve a high level of activation pressure, about 1 bar, to activate the pressure compensation mechanism. That takes a lot of pumping power."The team's experiment showed that using a rubber tube to replace the diaphragm of the existing Starling resistor design can reduce the needed activation pressure by 90 percent."As a result, Wang says, "farmers can use smaller pumps and smaller solar panels to provide the activation pressure."They placed the needle valve at a critical juncture in the system, where, together with the rubber tube, it acted as part of a series of resistors to water flow. Using different tube lengths and thicknesses, they discovered that adjusting the needle valve changed the flow rate, but did not change the minimum pressure needed to "activate" the system. Their paper describes the first mathematical model that quantitatively predicts this decoupling of the two variables.This means their device could make it easier to optimize irrigation systems for a variety of settings."We can design the activation pressure using a given tube material and geometry, and by adjusting the needle valve, water can be applied to different crops at different flow rates," Wang says.This new Starling resistor can be optimized for a high flow rate—necessary for pulsating sprinklers—while the pressure compensation phenomenon also causes the tube to oscillate, which gives it a natural pulsating quality.Wang explains that "a traditional sprinkler uses a spring-loaded arm to impact the flow rate. That wastes energy, and energy has a cost. This device provides pulsation by itself."Leveraging global expertiseThe project has grown out of the team's partnership with Jain Irrigation Systems, a multinational company headquartered in Jalgaon, India, that provided funding, technical knowledge, and market expertise. Researchers in Winter's GEAR Lab have collaborated with Jain on a number of projects related to water and agriculture."Jain is a $1 billion revenue company with small-scale farmers comprising 80-90 percent of their clients," says Wang. "They can commercialize agriculture projects in that space better than any other company."He notes that Jain's guidance and ability to field-test prototypes helped keep the Starling resistor project on the right track."Being able to test this architecture with Jain helped us determine that it had potential in sprinkler systems. Now we have a great opportunity for our work to make an impact."Reference:KY83-TFH85M51R0JEKY83-PF2472-100RF1KY83-P8212 

TT Electronics launched the LCS series of thin film resistors. For sensing and measurement of DC and AC currents in the sub-3A range, the resistors bring precision thin film resistor performance into the field of low ohmic values for use in very accurate current sensing applications. Most thin film chips have a minimum value in the range of one to 10Ω, but TT Electronics’ LCS series uses a proprietary technology to extend this down to 100mΩ.The resistors also feature low sensitivity to temperature variations.Aimed at designers of power supplies, battery monitoring, process control and point of load converters, the LCS resistors will find acceptance for use in market sectors such as industrial, medical, instrumentation and IT.The resistors offer a level of precision of ±0.5% and ±50ppm/°C, providing higher precision and temperature stability of current measurement. While there are currently a few thin film chip products below one ohm that use the nickel phosphorus material traditionally used for low value films, TT Electronics’ proprietary LCS film system delivers lower TCRs (temperature coefficient of resistance) in the hundreds of milliohms range.Available in five sizes from 0603 to 2512, LCS resistors feature high power ratings, e.g. 1W for 2512, which is comparable to thick film ratings. This also enables smaller footprints to be used. Enhancing reliability and reducing field failures in industrial applications, LCS also feature anti-sulphur terminations.A major factor driving the demand for this type of product is the growth of battery powered equipment. The proprietary thin film technology of TT Electronics’ LCS bridges the gap between the ohmic values offered by bulk metal chips and those of conventional nichrome thin film chips. Whilst thick film chips are also available in this very low ohmic range, LCS offers superior precision, offering the lowest TCR for precision current sensing available in the 0.1 to 1 Ω range.Reference:KY83-ERA-S15J180VKY83-ERA-S15J472VKY83-ERA-S27J182V 

Riedon has today announced a cost-effective power resistor design achieving superior performance in high-frequency applications and high-speed pulse circuits. The various TO-style resistors within Riedon’s PF family are non-inductive and use an advanced power film formed on a heat-conducting alumina substrate that is metalized and soldered to a heat-dissipating copper plate tab.This process offers devices featuring excellent thermal resistance in small-size, thin-profile TO-style packages for high-density applications.Phil Ebbert, Riedon’s VP of Engineering, commented: “All our TO-style thin-film resistors combine superior performance with the full power-dissipation capabilities these packages offer. In addition, the low-inductance design makes these parts ideal for high frequency applications, such as wireless communications, or in systems that need to withstand short-duration, high-energy pulses, for example, medical equipment.”Available with power ratings from a few Watts up to 600 Watts, the resistors come in both through-hole and surface mounting packages. The PF1260 series provides resistances in the range 0.01Ω to 51kΩ, tolerances from ±1%, a temperature coefficient from ±50ppm, and up to 20W dissipation (with a heatsink) in an epoxy-molded TO-126 leaded package. The PF2200 and PF2470 series offer similar specifications but with increased dissipation up to 50W and 140W in leaded TO-220 and TO-247 packages, respectively.Designed for ultimate power dissipation, the PF2270 series handles up to 300W in a screw-terminal TO227 style package, when attached to an appropriate heatsink and subject to temperature derating. The last of the new introductions, the PFS35 series provides a solution for surface mounting, using a TO-263 housing (D-Pak) to provide 35W dissipation when used with a heatsink or 2W with a simple solder pad.Riedon’s full range of TO-style power resistors are available from Kynix.Reference:PF22000T12BKPF22000T12LGPF22000T12BK230PF22000T12LG230