The Adafruit TSL2561 Arduino Compatible Digital Light / Luminosity / Lux Sensors can be re-configured to detect illuminance from 0.1 to 40,000 Lux on the fly. Containing two sensors, a full spectrum sensor which includes the human visible and infra-red wavelengths, and an infra-red sensor, the boards allow you to calculate the illuminance in Lux. This is handy for controlling LCD brightness according to ambient conditions or controlling exposure in photographic applications. They have 3 x I2C addresses so that you can have up to 3 sensors attached to your microcontroller plus they have 3.3V regulators and level shifters making them 3 to 5V compatible. Ideal for low power or battery powered applications, they have a very low current draw, only 0.5mA when actively sensing and 15µA in sleep mode.
Adafruit supply a free tutorial and library to get you started. Supplied as a fully assembled and tested board plus a strip of 01.in. header pins for you to solder on as required.
Approximates human eye response
Precisely measure illuminance in diverse lighting conditions
Dynamic range: 0.1 to 40,000 Lux
3 to 5V DC power supply
Adafruit part no.: 439
*Customers looking to resell on eBay or Amazon should contact Adafruit directly.
*Customers looking to resell on eBay or Amazon should contact Adafruit directly.
