LIGHT DETECTOR

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This project would have been incomplete without the help of
various persons.

I first thank our Principal, Pr.T M Purushothaman , our

teacher, Mrs.Bindu Sajeendaran for her valuable advice and help.
Then I thank my parents and friends who gave me incredible help
and support that was valuable in completing the project.

Nevertheless, all the glory goes to God, for without him,

nothing would have been possible.
Saravana kumar S

DATE
PLACE
 CONTENT

No. TOPIC Page no.

1 Introduction

2 Principle

3 Construction

4 Working

5 Applications

6 Conclusion

7 Bibliography
 INTRODUCTION
Light detectors are one of the most popular sensor and they are
commonly found in many real-world applications. This is done by a sensor called
Light Dependant Resistor (LDR) which senses the light actually like our eyes. It is
a device or circuit that detects the intensity of the light incident on it.

LDR is a type of resistor whose resistance changes with the

intensity of light. The resistance of a LDR decreases with increasing incident light
intensity; in other words, it exhibits photoconductivity. A LDR can be applied in
light-sensitive detector circuits, and light-activated and dark-activated switching
circuits.

It is a passive devices that converts light energy whether visible

or in the infra-red parts of the spectrum into an electrical signal output. Light
sensors are more commonly known as “Photoelectric Devices” or “Photo
Sensors” because the convert light energy (photons) into electricity (electrons).
 PRINCIPLE

This project has three main components:

 Light Dependant Resistor

 Resistor
 LM358 OP

WORKING PRINCIPLE OF LDR

A photoresistor (light-dependent resistor) is a light-controlled

variable resistor. When the light falls on the resistor, then the resistance changes.
These resistors are often used in many circuits where it is required to sense the
presence of light. For instance, when the LDR is in darkness, then it can be used
to turn ON a light or to turn OFF a light when it is in the light.
 A photoresistor is made of a high resistance semiconductor. In the dark, a
photoresistor can have a resistance as high as several megohms (MΩ), while in
the light, a photoresistor can have a resistance as low as a few hundred ohms. If
incident light on a photoresistor exceeds a certain frequency, photons absorbed
by the semiconductor give bound electrons enough energy to jump into
the conduction band.

The resulting free electrons (and their hole partners) conduct electricity,
thereby lowering resistance. The resistance range and sensitivity of a
photoresistor can substantially differ among dissimilar devices. Moreover, unique
photoresistors may react substantially differently to photons within certain
wavelength bands.
WORKING PRINCIPLE OF RESISTOR

Resistors are the most common passive electronic component. They are
used to control voltage and currents. Choosing the right type of resistor is
important to making high-performance or precision circuits work well.

All resistors are basically just a piece of conducting material with a specific
value of resistance. For that piece of conducting material to be made into a
practical resistor, a pair of electrodes and leads are attached so current can
flow. The resistor is then coated with an insulating material to protect the
conducting material from the surrounding environment. A Resistor works on the
principle of Ohm’s law and the law states that the voltage across the terminals of
a resistor is directly proportional to the current flowing through it.
WORKING PRINCIPLE OF OP-AMP (LT358 IC)

An Operational Amplifier, or op-amp for short, is fundamentally a voltage

amplifying device designed to be used with external feedback components such
as resistors and capacitors between its output and input terminals. These
feedback components determine the resulting function or “operation” of the
amplifier and by virtue of the different feedback configurations whether resistive,
capacitive or both, the amplifier can perform a variety of different operations,
giving rise to its name of “Operational Amplifier”.

An Operational Amplifier is basically a three-terminal device which consists

of two high impedance inputs. One of the inputs is called the Inverting Input,
marked with a negative sign. The other input is called the Non-inverting Input,
marked with a positive sign. A third terminal represents the operational amplifiers
output port which can both sink and source either a voltage or a current

In this project the Op – Amp is configured in Comparator mode i.e. it will compare
the voltages at inverting and non – inverting terminals and correspondingly
generate a HIGH or LOW output.
 CONSTRUCTION
LIST OF COMPONENTS USED :

 LM358 OP – Amp IC
 Small LDR
 10 KΩ Resistor
 10 KΩ Potentiometer
 1 LED
 220 Ω Resistor
 Connecting wires
 Power supply (9V Battery)
 Solder iron
 Solder wire

Circuit Diagram:
 First the components are collected and laid out

 A suitable piece of vero board is used which is large enough to hold all the
components of the circuit.

 Firstly the LM358 OP Integrated Circuit is inserted in its position and

soldered. The Op – Amp is configured in Comparator mode i.e. it will
compare the voltages at inverting and non – inverting terminals and
correspondingly generate a HIGH or LOW output.

 Then connect the wiper terminal of the 10 KΩ Potentiometer to the inverting

terminal (2) of the OP- Amp.

 Then the LDR is soldered in its position according to the layout.

 The 10 KΩ resistor is soldered in such a way that it gets connected to the

LDR .

 Then to the non-inverting terminal (3) , connect the junction of the 10 KΩ

resistor and the LDR. These two will form a potential divider feeding its
output to the OP-Amp.

 The output terminal of the OP-Amp is connected to 220 Ω resistor and then
to the anode of the LED.

 Connect the power supply (9 volt battery) to Vs+ (8) of the OP-Amp.

 Vs- of the OP-Amp is connected to the ground potential.

 Make sure all the connections are made correctly.

 WORKING

 Transfer the circuit to a desired working environment.

A place with moderate but sufficient light is a good place to start for testing
the circuit.

 Close the circuit by allowing the current to flow through it.

 When the light is falling on the LDR, its resistance decreases. Hence, the
non – inverting voltage is lower than the inverting voltage and as a result,
the LED remains OFF.

 When there is no light falling on the LDR, the resistance of the LDR
becomes very high and as a result, the voltage at the non – inverting
terminal will be more than the voltage at inverting terminal. The output of
the Op – Amp will be high and the LED is turned ON.
 APPLICATIONS

 The automatic dusk to dawn light works based on the LDR light sensor.
The dusk to dawn light sensor circuit automatically turns off the load during
morning time (as day light falls on LDR). Similarly, during evening time (as
darkness falls on LDR) the load turns on automatically. By using this
system energy consumption is also reduced because now a days the
manually operated lights are not switched off properly even when the
sunlight dawns and are also switched on earlier before sunset. In sunny
and rainy days, the ON and OFF time of the lights differ which is one of the
major disadvantages of using manual operation.

 LDR is used in light intensity meters.

 It can be used in cupboards or wardrobes. When the door is opened, the

light will automatically turn on.

 There are many kinds of anti-theft alarm systems. One such system can
be made using light dependant resistors. An LDR based alarm system can
be used to protect lockers or locker rooms. In such a system, the LDR
sensor is attached to an alarm mechanism and alight source or laser light
source is fixed above the sensor in a closed casing. When a locker or
locker room is tried to be accessed unethically, the laser light is activated
and it in turns simulates the LDR sensor to invoke the alarm.

 LDRs can be used to control the shutter speed on a camera. The LDR
would be used the measure the light intensity and the set the camera
shutter speed to the appropriate level.
 Many modern electronics, such as computers, wireless phones, and
televisions, use light sensors (LDRs) to automatically control the
brightness of a screen, especially in lowlight or high light situations. They
can detect how much light is in a room and raise or lower the brightness to
a more comfortable level for the user.
 CONCLUSION

 LDR is very cheap and is easily available in the market. They come in
different shapes and sizes for the different requirements.

 For the LDR to operate only less power and voltage is required.

 LDR is used for energy conservation or energy management by automatic

control of brightness level in mobile phones and auto ON/OFF of street
lights.

 LDR is bidirectional and offer moderate response time.

 Minimal maintenance costs.

 BIBLIOGRAPHY

 https://www.slideshare.net /automatic-night-lamp-62470869

 https://www.electronicshub.org/light-detector-using-ldr/

 https://www.elprocus.com/ldr-light-dependent-resistor-circuit-and-working/

 http://www.openobject.org

 https://www.edgefxkits.com

 http://www.rfwireless-world.com

 https://www.instructables.com/id/Simple-Light-Detector