Hello everyone, I'm working on a solar tracker project, but I don't intend to use LDR sensors due to shading interference. So I decided to use an RTC (real-time clock) module to provide day and time data. With the time data, I'll define the start time and angle, for example: (start_angle = 10; mid…

[image] pcjean: I have the impression that it could be a hardware problem and not in the code @pcjean No, if my program made the servo sweep from 0 to 180 then the problem is with the code. I would go back to your original idea of just using the timer and forget about the solar tracker

[image] Wawa: actual sun position In the longer-than-12-hours-days of the year, when Sun crosses the vertical extension of the Equator, the servo can not travel "less than" zero degrees or "greater than" 180 degrees, so must hold at 0 and 180 during those minutes. [image]

I understand all of that, 10 degrees above the horizon is still 10 degrees above the horizon, just at different times of the day in different seasons. Remember that OP lives in Salinas, Brazil, where elevation is 90 degrees twice a year. I suggested to restrict serve (panel) movement to about 30-1…

[image] Wawa: 10 degrees above the horizon I see. Elevation... I was thinking Azimuth.

You need both az and el. One for the servo angle and the other one to know when the sun is actually visible. I advise OP to first display az and el, and learn from it. I never actually done any of this with solar panels. The closest think I made is a virtual rooster that crows for a while when t…

[image] Wawa: virtual rooster I remember... [image] Tone generator off a Nano (classic) General Guidance [image]

[image] pcjean: So I decided to use an RTC (real-time clock) module to provide day and time data. @pcjean That is a good idea, especially if this is just for demo purposes. It will be much easier to get working. So forget about the tracking software and don't worry about elevation.

[image] Wawa: need both az and el Yes, for precision tracking, but if that level of precision is not needed, EL can be fixed at a static declination (ecliptic minus latitude), as the AZ tracks east to west.

[image] xfpd: Yes, for precision tracking, but if that level of precision is not needed, EL can be fixed at a static declination (ecliptic minus latitude), as the AZ tracks east to west. I'm having trouble making sense of "ecliptic minus latitude". What does that mean?

It is a static elevation, and works for house PV collection.

Solar tracker with timer (Real-time clock)

Projects General Guidance

xfpd March 19, 2026, 2:26am 62

I remember...

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Solar tracker with timer (Real-time clock)

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