I'm looking into purchasing a few sensors for a project and wondered if you could help me decide which is the best option.
I will be using an Arduino Uno micro controller to control all the sensors, i can, and will probably have to, use an external power source.
I'm looking for a humidity sensor that is durable and is as accurate as possible, are there any that someone can recommend?
I'm also looking for a good quality temperature sensor, with a high accuracy value. It will only be to measure the air temperature outside in Britain so the minimum value would need to be down to -26C and the maximum 40C. Could anyone recommend one they've used?
Another sensor i need is an InfaRed distance sensor, through research i've found that Sharp make a great reliable distance sensors. I need it to have a range of 35cm so i've chosen the Sharp GP2YOA41SKOF. Do you think this is a wise choice and can you recommend any others?
I'm also looking to measure solar radiation so need a pyranometer has anyone used one with arduino uno? which ones have been used and any recommendations?
Sorry for all the questions, but I would like to be sure what products to purchase and any help and advice would be most welcomed.
I also have another question would the arduino uno be cable of controlling/monitoring 2x Hall effects sensors, 1xInfaRed sensor, 2xthemistor, 2xhumidity sensors and a pyranometer? this maybe a little premature as once i know which component/sensors i need i can then work out how many pins are needed and work from there. but just in case it's obvious to someone with more knowledge, please let me know.
A DHT22 will give you both temperature and humidity and they are cheap and accurate.
What kind of precision do you need for the pyranometer? Would a simple CDS photocell do the trick? Dirt cheap and easy to interface.
I have no personal experience with IR distance sensors, but there are simple to use HC-SR04 based ultrasonic sensor modules available for about $4. Lots of software examples too. You just need to use a hood or something like that to keep it dry outside
thank you so much for your suggestions after some research into them I went for the most accurate humidity and temp sensor i could find, a HYGROCHIP HYT-221.
From a friend I found a guy in the states who makes his own Pyranometers, Measuring Sunlight at Earth’s Surface: Build Your Own Pyranometer. This was the cheapest option. Adafruit do a good luminosity sensor but i needed a pyranometer to measure insolation, i think it's basically a photocell but in a 180 tefalon case and calibrated properly.
i considered a ultra sonic sensor but it will be situated in an evaporating toilet and i was worried it would get destroyed by the water vapor and thought that a IR sensor would be better equipped to handle that, though i might be wrong.
i ended up getting a sharp GP2YOA41SKOF as someone on a webpage mentioned that Sharp were good quality.
I'm still worried about getting them all to work however with one Arduino Uno and can't seem to find out more information on using more than one sensor in a project and how to handle the power between all the components on a circuit.
does anyone have a good website / book suggestion for circuit design. and how to build circuits with multiple sensors/components?