4/14/2015

AmbientLightSensorWikID,theIndustrialDesignEngineeringwiki

AmbientLightSensor
FromWikID
Course:AdvancedDesignSupport
Authors:KarimdeWaardenFleurvanMidwoud,Group09

Contents
1Introduction
2Whatarethetypicalapplicationfields,domainsandproductsusingthistechnology?
3Whatistheworkingprinciple?
4Inputsandoutputsofthetechnology
5AbstractPrototype
6References

Introduction
ThisarticleisaboutAmbientLightSensors.Ambient
lightsensorsareusedtodetectlightorbrightnessina
similarwayasthehumaneye.Theyareusedwherever
thesettingsofasystemhavetobeadjustedtothe
ambientlightconditionsasperceivedbyhumans.

Whatarethetypicalapplication
fields,domainsandproductsusing
thistechnology?
Productsthatuseambientlightsensorscanbedivided
infivecategoriesasresultoftheirpurpose,these
purposesare[7](http://catalog.osram
os.com/media/_en/Graphics/00039053_0.pdf):

Figure1:Vishay'sAmbientLightSensors[1]
(http://www.digikey.com/us/EN/ph/Vishay/Ambient_light_
WT.z_Tab_Cat=Featured%2520Products)

Savingbatterypower
Thesesensorsareusedasalowcostpowersavingsolutionforhandheldelectronicdevices.
Examplesare:PDAs,mobilephonesandnotebookPCs.
Savingenergy
Thesesensorscanhelpsavingenergybydimminglampsofofficebuildings,exteriorlightings
andtrafficsignals
Automaticdimmingofflatpaneldisplays
ThesesensorsareusedinLCDscreensandtheirgoalistomaintainthesamedisplay
appearanceunderalllightconditions.
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Automaticdimmingofinstrumentsinautomobilestoensurereliablevisibilityunderall
circumstances
Headlampcontrolincarsimprovesroadsafetybyautomaticallyturningonthelightintwilight
orbyenteringatunnel

Whatistheworkingprinciple?
AnAmbientLightSensorisaspecificversionofaphotodiode[8]
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photodiode).A
photodiodeisatypeofphotodetectorcapableof
convertinglightintoavoltageorcurrent,thisdepends
onthemodeofoperation.AphotodiodeisaPN
junctionorPINstructure,thefigureexplainsthe
workingprincipleofaPNphotodiode.Lightsentersthe
topofthephotodiode,athintopPtypelayerallows
mostphotonstopassintothedepletionregionwhere
electronholepairsareformed.Theelectricfieldacross
thedepletionregionduetothebuiltindiodepotential
Figure2:AmbientLightSensorincomputer[2]
causeselectronstobesweptintotheNlayer,holesinto
(http://osxdaily.com/2010/05/22/whereisthe
thePlayer.Actuallyelectronholepairsmaybeformed
ambientlightsensoronamacbookpro/)
inanyofthesemiconductorregions.However,those
formedinthedepletionregionaremostlikelytobe
separatedintotherespectiveNandPregions.Manyof
theelectronholepairsformedinthePandNregions
recombine.Onlyafewdosointhedepletionregion.
Thus,afewelectronholepairsintheNandPregions,
andmostinthedepletionregioncontributeto
photocurrent,thatcurrentresultingfromlightfallingon
thephotodiode[9](http://electricly.com/category/diode
andrectifier/).
Figure3:Photodiode:Schematicsymbolandcross

ThespecialthingaboutAmbientLightSensorsisthat
section[3](http://electricly.com/wp
theyperceivebrightnessinthesamewayashumaneyes
content/uploads/2010/05/PhotodiodeSchematic
do.ThiscanbeillustratedwithFigure4.Itshowsthe
symbolandcrosssection.png)
spectralemissionofdifferentlightsourcescomparedto
thespectralsensitivityofhumaneye.Standardphoto
detectorshaveaspectralresponserangingfrom1100nmrightdownto350nmwiththepeaksensitivity
around880nm.Humaneyes,however,detectamuchnarrowerwavelengthrange,namelyfrom400nmto
700nmwiththepeaksensitivityat560nm.

AmbientLightSensors"work"inthesameareaasthehumaneye,thereforetheyprovideamuchbetter
accuracyforthebrightnessmeasurement.TheresultscanbefoundinFigure5,itshowsthesignalsreceived
byastandardlightsensordetectorandtheOSRAMambientlightsensorSFH3410[10]
(http://catalog.osramos.com/catalogue/catalogue.do?
favOid=000000020001bae400170023&act=showBookmark#).
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Inputsandoutputsofthetechnology
WhatanAmbientLightSensorbasicallydoesisconverting
lighttoavoltageorcurrent.Theresponseofanambientlight
sensorshouldbelinear.Photodiodeoutputtypicallyrequires
amplificationwhilephototransistoroutputmaynot.
Duetothemanufacturingprocessambientlightsensorsof
differentproductionlotswillyielddifferentoutputsforthe
sameilluminance.Themagnitudeofthissensitivityvariation
dependsonthesensortype.Toaccountforthis,someambient
lightsensorsareofferedindefinedsensitivitybins.Theseare
describedinthedatasheetsandintheapplicationnotesofthe
respectivesensors.Thesensitivityvariationcanalsobe
overcomebycalibratingtheassembledunitintheproduction
line[11](http://www.vishay.com/docs/49670/pl0366.pdf).

Figure4:Spectralemissionofdifferent
lightsourcescomparedtothespectral
sensitivityofhumaneye(Vlambda)[4]
(http://catalog.osram
os.com/catalogue/catalogue.do?
favOid=000000020001bae400170023&act=showBo

AbstractPrototype
WemadeanabstractprototypeofaproductusinganAmbient
LightSensor,itcanbefoundonYouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKHkfqnheI
<videoflashtype="youtube">NKHkfqnheI|720|540|float:right
marginright:13pxmarginleft:25pxmarginbottom:10px
</videoflash>

References

Figure5:Signalsreceivedbyastandard
lightsensordetectorandtheambientlight
sensorSFH3410[5](http://catalog.osram
os.com/catalogue/catalogue.do?
favOid=000000020001bae400170023&act=showBo

Figure6:OutputsignalIpceofOSRAMSFH3410
andOSRAMSFH3710versusIlluminance[6]
(http://catalog.osram
os.com/media/_en/Graphics/00039053_0.pdf)

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[1(http://www.digikey.com/us/EN/ph/Vishay/Ambient_light_sensors.html?
WT.z_Tab_Cat=Featured%2520Products)]Vishay'sAmbientLightSensors.
[2(http://osxdaily.com/2010/05/22/whereistheambientlightsensoronamacbookpro/)]AmbientLight
Sensorincomputer.
[3(http://electricly.com/wpcontent/uploads/2010/05/PhotodiodeSchematicsymbolandcross
section.png)]Photodiode:Schematicsymbolandcrosssection.
[4(http://catalog.osramos.com/catalogue/catalogue.do?
favOid=000000020001bae400170023&act=showBookmark#)]Spectralemissionofdifferentlightsources
comparedtothespectralsensitivityofhumaneye(Vlambda).
[5(http://catalog.osramos.com/catalogue/catalogue.do?
favOid=000000020001bae400170023&act=showBookmark#)]Signalsreceivedbyastandardlightsensor
detectorandtheambientlightsensorSFH3410.
[6(http://catalog.osramos.com/media/_en/Graphics/00039053_0.pdf)]OutputsignalIpceofOSRAMSFH
3410andOSRAMSFH3710versusIlluminance.
[7(http://catalog.osramos.com/media/_en/Graphics/00039053_0.pdf)]OSRAMAmbientLightSensors
SFH3410,SFH3710.
[8(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photodiode)]PhotodiodeWikipedia.
[9(http://electricly.com/category/diodeandrectifier/)]Photodiodes.
[10(http://catalog.osramos.com/catalogue/catalogue.do?
favOid=000000020001bae400170023&act=showBookmark#)]Dr.ChristineRth,AndreasVogler,
WilhelmKarsten,GeneralappnoteforAmbientLightSensors.
[11(http://www.vishay.com/docs/49670/pl0366.pdf)]VishayAmbientLightSensors.
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