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Welcome to the wiki page for the course PC5271: Physics of Sensors!
This is the repository where projects are documented. Creation of new accounts have now been blocked,and editing/creating pages is enabled. If you need an account, please contact Christian.
Projects
Project 1 (Example)
Keep a very brief description of a project or even a suggestion here, and perhaps the names of the team members, or who to contact if there is interest to join. Once the project has stabilized, keep stuff in the project page linked by the headline.
Simple Optical Heart Rate Monitor
This project demonstrates the principles of photoplethysmography (PPG) through the construction of a simple device to measure heart rate. The project involves using an LED and photodiode to detect variations in light absorption caused by changes in blood volume during each heartbeat.
Gas sensor
This project aims to use high and low detection methods of tin dioxide (SnO2) sensor to detect carbon monoxide or other combustible gases.
Optical Sensor for Noise Flickering
Group Members: Eric Cheung; Lee An Min, Amanda; Loh Jia Ying Whitney
This project aims to use a simple voltage divider made up with resistors and LDR to measure visual noise tags.
Real time temperature alarm
This project aims to build a system using Python and Raspberry Pi to measure and display temperature in real-time using temperature sensors, and to issue an alarm when the temperature exceeds the set threshold
Gravitational Torsion Balance
This project aims to determine the gravitational constant using the gravitational torsion balance based on the Cavendish Experiment
Sensor that recognizes specific sounds and steers toward the source
Optical Sensor for UV Radiation
We want to design a photodiode-based sensor to detect UV radiation levels in Singapore. We expect it can be used for monitoring the real-time UV index of the environment. Photodiodes is a type of apparatus which can convert light into an electrical current and are used for light intensity detection.
Team members
LiJiasheng, ChenXingjian, LiXuejian
Setup
UV Photodiode Optical Filters Analog-to-Digital Converter Temperature Sensor
Selecting the Right Photodiode:
According to our research, among different types of UV radiation(UVA, UVB, and UVC), UVB is the primary concern for skin damage and vitamin D synthesis, which wavelength is about 280-320 nm; UV-Specific Photodiodes are usually made of silicon carbide (SiC) or gallium nitride (GaN), which have high sensitivity for UV light.
Designing the Detection Circuit:
First, we need to design a circuit that can amplify the weak current generated by the photodiode upon UV exposure. We also need optical filters, which help improve accuracy by ensuring only the desired UV light is detected. Finally, we need an Analog-to-Digital Conversion (ADC), since we need to convert the analog signals from your sensor into digital data: most computers only work with digital signals.
Data Processing and Presentation:
We need to choose a microcontroller that can process the signals from your ADC, performing necessary calculations to determine the UV index. We also need an LCD display, smartphone app, or website for displaying the UV index in real-time.
Position Sensor
Group Members: Angela Anna Baiju, Chenyue Gu, Joel K Jose
Resources
Recorded sessions
Devices and material
Apart form the stuff in the teaching lab, we have a resources you may want to consider for your project:
- ...
Books and links
Software
- Various Python extensions. Python is a very powerful free programming language that runs on just about any computer platform. It is open source and completely free.
- Gnuplot: A free and very mature data display tool that works on just about any platform used that produces excellent publication-grade eps and pdf figures. Can be also used in scripts. Open source and completely free.
- Matlab: Very common, good toolset also for formal mathematics, good graphics. Expensive. We may have a site license, but I am not sure how painful it is for us to get a license for this course. Ask if interested.
- Mathematica: More common among theroetical physicists, very good in formal maths, now with better numerics. Graphs are ok but can be a pain to make looking good. As with Matlab, we do have a campus license. Ask if interested.