Table of Contents
Light Dependent Resistor
A photoresistor or light dependent resistor (LDR) or photocell is a light-controlled variable resistor. The resistance of a photoresistor decreases with increasing incident light intensity; in other words, it exhibits photoconductivity. A photoresistor can be applied in light-sensitive detector circuits, and light- and dark-activated switching circuits. A photoresistor is made of a high resistance semiconductor. In the dark, a photoresistor can have a resistance as high as several megohms (MΩ), while in the light, a photoresistor can have a resistance as low as a few hundred ohms. If incident light on a photoresistor exceeds a certain frequency, photons absorbed by the semiconductor give bound electrons enough energy to jump into the conduction band. The resulting free electrons (and their hole partners) conduct electricity, thereby lowering resistance. The resistance range and sensitivity of a photoresistor can substantially differ among dissimilar devices. Moreover, unique photoresistors may react substantially differently to photons within certain wavelength bands.
A photoelectric device can be either intrinsic or extrinsic. An intrinsic semiconductor has its own charge carriers and is not an efficient semiconductor, for example, silicon. In intrinsic devices the only available electrons are in the valence band, and hence the photon must have enough energy to excite the electron across the entire bandgap. Extrinsic devices have impurities, also called dopants, added whose ground state energy is closer to the conduction band; since the electrons do not have as far to jump, lower energy photons (that is, longer wavelengths and lower frequencies) are sufficient to trigger the device. If a sample of silicon has some of its atoms replaced by phosphorus atoms (impurities), there will be extra electrons available for conduction. This is an example of an extrinsic semiconductor.
Operational Amplifier Comparator
The comparator is an electronic decision making circuit that makes use of an operational amplifiers very high gain in its open-loop state, that is, there is no feedback resistor. The operational amplifier comparator compares one analogue voltage level with another analogue voltage level, or some preset reference voltage, VREF and produces an output signal based on this voltage comparison. In other words, the operational amplifier voltage comparator compares the magnitudes of two voltage inputs and determines which is the largest of the two.
Shift Register
74HC595 is a simple 8-bit shift register IC. Simply put, this shift register is a device that allows additional inputs or outputs to be added to a microcontroller by converting data between parallel and serial formats. Microprocessor is able to communicate with the 74HC595 using serial information then gathers or outputs information in a parallel (multi-pin) format. Essentially it takes 8 bits from the serial input and then outputs them to 8 pins. This small DIP packaged IC contains an 8-bit, serial-in parallel-out shift register that feeds an 8-bit D-type storage register with parallel 3-state outputs.
Video
Here is the video.