Measuring UV index as part of a weather project

Projects General Guidance
1

As part of my 'sensing the environment' project I want to sense the UV/Solar power/UV Index with my arduino.
In our 'local' electronics shop I find this sensor: http://www2.conrad.nl/goto.php?artikel=165185
Before I buy a 20 euro sensor; I would like to know if this sensor is what I need to measure the UV Index.

And how do I have to hook it up with my arduino? Any suggestions?

2

Before I buy a 20 euro sensor; I would like to know if this sensor is what I need to measure the UV Index.

Have you looked at the datasheet - http://www.produktinfo.conrad.com/datenblaetter/150000-174999/165185-da-01-ml-UV_PHOTODIODE_SG01S_de_en.pdf -

The sensor is sensitive in a certain range but as far as I understand you cannot deduce if the sensor was hit by UVA or UVB or UVC.
The datasheet does include a schematic how to connect the sensor, but it is unclear for me if it will connect to a analogIN (a multimeter would help)

If I google for UV sensors (e.g. digikey) I get far more expensive sensors (500+ €) so the price seems not to bad.
might be cheaper when ordered in US? as it is made in the US...

NO experience with the sensor itself...

3

I found the spec-sheet, but from an other manufacturer in Germany.
But I have to figure out first how the UV index is build up: using UVA, B or C.

4

Perhaps a uv led can act as a sensor? It wont work with any wavelength bigger than uv so u can be sure its uv, but also you wont know if its uva or what
but at 5$ for a 1w uv led its pretty cheap

5

hi, I am looking also for measuring the UV index and came acros this site http://www.scitec.uk.com/uvphotodiodes/uv_air_abc.php, do you think that we could connect it to an arduino and read the data ?

6

Just a ( most likely ) stupid question on this :

we have a solar water panel for out hot water geyser, and also a solar heating system for the pool. I have noticed that the energy / temperature gained from these can vary on 2 different sunny cloudless days, even if the air temperature is the same. I assume that it is the UV that has a major effect on these systems.

If so, would a simple solar electric panel not serve the same purpose. Higher UV would produce higher current from the panels ? I imagine that the only problem would be some sort of calibration in the software to convert the panels current to a UV number.

7

Hello,
I was wondering if the posters on this thread had made any advances with the linked sensors? I would eventually be interested in going for maybe the SG01s, but for now I am messing about with a L-7113UVC LED which has a dominant wavelength of 395nm. I am definitely measuring a response to ambient light, direct sunlight, and even light emitting from an identical LED on my multimeter. Of course, I have no good way to convert this into a useful metric (I do not think) which relates to UVA/B/C. Also, the fluctuations vary in the mV range and this is difficult for the Arduino ADC to discern.

Does anyone have any comments on:

  1. how to make use of the signal which is detected? Is it even worth attempting to discern this as a useful reading?
  2. properly filtering and amplifying the mV signal to be able to read it with the Adruino ADC
  3. actual use of the UV Photodiodes linked on this thread. Has anyone used them, what is their experience with them?
8

For the mv reading all you need is an opamp amplifier to allow it to swing to 5v at max