Hello
I have a circuit that converts light to frequency as shown in this link
and I want to use Arduino usb2serial to transmit the data from the circuit to my Mac. I'm connecting the circuit to the Arduino through TX port but I don't see the TX light flashing and when I try to use Arduino program to try to upload something on my Arduino I don't see it listed in Tools-> Boards ?
Any help would be appreciated.
I'm new to Arduinos.
overlord49:
I don't see it listed in Tools-> Boards ?
What exactly are you expecting to see listed in Tools-> Boards ?
I'm expecting to see Arduino usb2serial
That won't happen, usb2serial is not an Arduino board, it's just a USB to serial adapter. You need to select the appropriate board for whatever you have connected to the usb2serial. If you'll describe what that is I can tell you what you need to select in the Tools -> Board menu to be able to upload to it using the usb2serial.
overlord49:
I have a circuit that converts light to frequency as shown below
For some reason that image embed didn't work. Here it is:
Source: https://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/threads/light-to-frequency-ics.55897/#post-372426
I have this circuit built on a breadboard and I have terminal 3 connected to Arduino usb2serial through TX, but I don't know how to have the data transmitted and read by my Mac.
I don't think you can just plug a 555 into a USB-serial adapter and certainly you can't upload sketches to a 555, it's not a microcontroller.
Please describe exactly what you're trying to accomplish.
I'm trying to have this circuit measure the intensity of light (light to frequency) and have the data(frequency) sent to my mac through the Arduino. Note that in the picture I have a photodiode in place of R1.
Then I want to write a program that puts the data in a graph
Here's what you need to do:
I don't have any experience with photodiodes but I don't see how the 555 would be useful in any way for this application. You want to get an analog voltage reading from the photodiode that varies according to light intensity, not a frequency. Note that the forum post where you found that circuit diagram is talking about a photoresistor, not photodiode.
Thanks for the help.
Is there any Arduino board that you would recommend? A board that would also be helpful for other projects.
I always recommend a Nano 3. People say to me "no, you should recommend Uno for beginners". The reason, I am told, is that there are slightly less driver problems. I wouldn't know about that because I gave up using Windows at home years ago in favour of a less troublesome OS.
Uno is great if you want to use shields, and can find shields that do what you want and are compatible with each other. But if you want to build circuits on a breadboard, get an Arduino designed for breadboard.
If you try to use an Uno with a breadboard, you end up with something that looks like a plate of spaghetti. If it does not work, no one can figure out why from a photograph!
I completely agree with PaulRB. Each board has its benefits but I think the most generally useful is a Nano. Get a breadboard to put it in and a pack of each type of jumper wire (male-male, male-female, female-female). I do use some Uno form factor boards with shields just for specific test rigs because it's the fastest way to accomplish that but for prototyping it's much more useful to have a breadboard friendly Arduino board. You're not likely to find a photodiode shield but you can plug most any components you might need for this project into a breadboard.
Thanks guys, I appreciate it.
