Arduino common components(modules)

 

Arduino common components(modules)

Arduino is an Open-source electronic prototyping device that is programable and used by people to control electronic projects and drive devices such as motors and sensors.

It comprises of 13 input digital pins with 6 (11, 10, 9, 6, 5, and 3) pin having the ability to perform PWM (pulse width modulation ~)

The board works on most of the operating systems like windows, kali etc. and also works with various central processing unit (CPU) like Atmel AVR(8-bit), ARM Cortex-MO+(32-bit) etc. with a memory of SPAM, with numerous pin that can connected allot of sensors and devices as am going to explain below.

1.        Touch sensor

As the name suggests this sensor works in the same way as a switch and when the surface of the sensor detects a touch pressure(when pressure is applied on the surface of the sensor) its completes the circuit and current flows  through and this principle can be used to switch on various devices such as LEDs , Air conditioners and other complicated circuits

The model consists of 3 terminals, GND which is connected to the Ground(-tve), VCC which is connected to the live(+vte) and lastly the SIG(signal) which is connected to the to any the components or devices going to be controlled.

 

2.        Temperature sensor

The temperature model comprises of a controller IC (integrated circuit) and a temperature sensor which collects the varying analog temperature signals from the environment and send it to the IC for processing.

It finds it common use in fire detecting projects, in which the sensor is connected to a buzz or and alarm system that turns on when the temperature is high.

The model has gotten 3 terminals  of GND,VCC and the SIG for the signal.

3.        LDR (Light Dependent Resister)

The LDR (Light Dependent Resistor) this model is mostly used for light sensitive projects like tilting a robotic solar plane toward the suns. This works in such a way that when light shines on the Resistor it resistance decreases and a lot of current follows through it completing the circuit and when the light is blocked the resistance gets so high which breaks the circuit. It also comprises of three terminals.

4.        Humidity sensor

Humidity being the amount of water / moisture in the air or atmosphere, the humidity sensor uses that principle where when its place in the air it determines the amount of water drops lets by abusing it and outputting a current corresponding  to the amount of water in the air In simple terms completing the circuit in which it is connected

There are several types of the sensor including coulometric, gravimetric, microwave etc. the model also has gotten three terminals.

5.        Moisture sensor

The moisture sensor is mostly used to detect the amount of water and how wet or dry the soil is, this sensor also collects the varying signals and sends them to the integrated circuit mounted on the board, it consists of 4 terminals for the output of the data collected. It has mainly two types, the Distractive pin and Non-destructive pin types.  It can be used in large agricultural farms where it is always inserted in he soil and when the soil water reduces it switches on a pump which starts the watering sequence.

6.        Water sensor

This model works more like a solar cell which coverts light into electric signals but for the water sensor model when water drops on it (detects presence of water on its surface). It converts the varying signals to electric signals(allowing current flow) which is then used to control other circuits such as alarms systems or LEDS.

7.        Accelerator sensor

 

This sensor consists of 8 pins (GND,VCC,CS,INT1,SDD,SDA,SCL) used to measure the proper acceleration, this being the acceleration relative to free fall (felt by objects or people falling ) it works on the principle of gravitation pull and most commonly used to measure car accelerations and vibrations on buildings find its use in earth quake detection. This has various types including high gravity, DC response and High temperature to mention a few.

8.        IR (Infrared) sensor

The InfraRed sensor (IR sensor)  consists of an infrared receiver and infrared emitter used to emit the infrared radiation connected to a trim pot that adjusts the distance, it works in such a way that the radiation(infrared) emitted propagated a certain distance in air and it hit or meets an obstacle it is reflected back and detected by the infrared receiver which in turns causes a voltage drop hance completing the circuit. It is most commonly used in television remotes.

9.        ultrasound sensor

The ultrasonic sensor is one of the commonly used models in the Arduino because of its ability to measure distance it works in such a way that it emits ultrasonic waves which after propagating a given distance in the air and it meets an obstacle it is reflected back and detected by the sensor, the examples of the ultrasonic sensors include the M12, M18 etc.

10.   PIR (Passive Infrared Receiver) sensor

 

The PIR (Passive Infrared Receiver) sensor this mainly used to detect motion Infront of it, it works more like the other two sensors the infrared sensor and the ultrasonic sensor where it emits a radiation and when detected this causes voltage drops cross its terminals which can be used to control other multiple circuits like a alarm and it mostly applied in bugler alarm systems which use motion detection.

Inconclusion these are the top most used Arduino sensor models for most of the Arduino projects but generally speaking there are hundreds of sensors out there like the thermal sensors, color sensors,  motion sensors to mention a few but most of them are used in the same way and I will be handling the sensors with how to code and connect them in the next article.