Sch. for Sensing 16-12 VDC using a I/O on arduino

Forum 2005-2010 (read only) Hardware Interfacing
#1

Hey guys... I ran across this schematic, and it looks plausable that I could use this to sense whether I see 16-12 VDC on a vehicles starter wire using a standard Arduino 5v I/O and just reading if its high or not.

http://www.4shared.com/photo/g3_BpSM_/SenseHighVoltage.html

Basicly I just want to sense if the starter relay coil is energized or not. Instead of using a voltage divider, or 5V regulator like others have mentioned, I thought this circuit was interesting, as it looks like the voltage can fluctuate some and still have a somewhat consistent output.

Let me know your thoughts.

The links to the diodes are here: D1 = http://61.222.192.61/mccsemi/up_pdf/SMBJ5.0-SMBJ440CA(DO-214AA).pdf D2 = http://www.fairchildsemi.com/ds/BZ/BZX84C10.pdf

#2

Too complex for your need. All you require is the 5.1volt zener and the 1k resistor feeding it. I'd suggest you go for a 4.7volt zener to ensure you remain below the 5volt requirement. This will produce a maximum of 10ma through the zener, 47mw of dissipation, so no problem with component heating jack

#3

Thank you so much for this valuable feedback! I’ll try it out!

#4