I have also wired it up to the Arduino Duemilanove using the example a combination of two of the example codes.
// include the library code:
#include <LiquidCrystal.h>
// initialize the library with the numbers of the interface pins
LiquidCrystal lcd(12, 11, 5, 4, 3, 2);
int sensorPin = 0; // select the input pin for the potentiometer
int sensorValue = 0; // variable to store the value coming from the sensor
void setup() {
// set up the LCD's number of rows and columns:
lcd.begin(16, 2);
// Print a message to the LCD.
lcd.print("pH Value");
}
void loop() {
// set the cursor to column 0, line 1
// (note: line 1 is the second row, since counting begins with 0):
lcd.setCursor(0, 1);
// read the value from the sensor:
sensorValue = analogRead(sensorPin);
// print the number of seconds since reset:
lcd.print(sensorValue);
}
The results are:
In a PH Buffer Solution of 10.00 -
150
In a PH Buffer Solution of 7.00
300
In a PH Buffer Solution of 4.00
450
What are these numbers???
Also, I have multiplied the values by adding in 7/3 after the pirnt sensor value so that line looks like: lcd.print(sensorValue7/3);
This results in displaying the pH using a three or four digit number where the first is the ph followed by the two decimal places, unless the ph is above 9. However, it displays these numbers counting the wrong way. If the ph is 4, it reads 10. If the ph is 10, it reads 4.
My goal would be to display the ph with the decimal in the correct place and read in the standard format. Any ideas?
The sensor converted the pH value to a voltage. The Arduino compared that voltage to VRef (usually +5V), and scaled it to a range of 0 to 1023. It is that scaled value that analogRead returns.
lcd.print(sensorValue*7/3);
The sensorValue is an int, so sensorValue*7/3 is performing all integer arithmetic. The value is multiplied by 7, then divided by 3, returning the integer amount, that lcd.print then prints.
If you want to use floating point arithmetic, you need to do this:
lcd.print((float)sensorValue*7.0/3.0);
However, sensorValue is not pH, so scaling it up is not going to give you a meaningful result. The sensorValue reading is a function of pH. If you want actual pH values displayed, you'll need to create a function that reverses how the sensor converts pH to voltage, and apply that function.
However, sensorValue is not pH, so scaling it up is not going to give you a meaningful result. The sensorValue reading is a function of pH. If you want actual pH values displayed, you'll need to create a function that reverses how the sensor converts pH to voltage, and apply that function.
As I am very new to all things electronic, what would be the steps involved in accomplishing this task????
According to the "How the pH sensor works" section of the datasheet, the meter should return about 1.75 volts at pH 7, and every time the pH increases by 1, the output decreases by 0.25 volts (inversely proportional.) That means that the readings should be
Your observed readings are pretty close to these theoretical readings, which means your sensor is probably working correctly. The observed readings may be off due to factors like old age, sensor deterioration, and calibration. If you're confident in your measurements and your calibration solutions, you can use those to scale your pH readings.
It seems like your pH readings are changing by 50 for each pH increment, and following the trend, the reading at pH 0 will probably be 650. Also, every time your pH increases, your value decreases, which we'd like to change.
First you find how far your value is from 650 (which we're taking to be 0 pH). Then you divide by the scaling factor (50 units per pH increment). This pH value is stored in a float now, so lcd.print should work properly. If not then you can do something like
This prints out the integer value of your value, a decimal point, and then subtracts the integer value from the decimal value leaving only the decimal places, scales the decimal by 100 (two decimal places), and prints those decimal places after your decimal point.