Solaruino, just a simple solar tracking project with the arduino duemilanove

This is a small arduino project I made a few months ago. It´s a simple solar tracker that turns the panel to the brightest incoming light source. In this case I used a torch to activate the 4 LDRs measuring the brightness. Futhermore the LCD shows these values and additionally the servo position. In future I will try to build an effective charger to supply current to the 9V (8.4V) rechargable battery. But I think, the solar cell will not provide enough amps to make this a real self-sufficient and autonomous unit.

Used components:
-1 Arduino Duemilanove
-2 servos
-1 LCD 16*4 characters
-4 LDRs
-1* 10V solar cell
- some wood, a perfboard etc.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Arduino
• solar
• servos
• project
• LCD
• sun
• tracker
• light
• tracking
• panel
• photoresistor
• LDR

[kent789]

for my case,im nt goin to do the display tho... do i need PIC? and did u do some modified to the servo motor? cuz i saw few project actually modified it by opening the cover n did some changing inside...

can u tel u wats the rectangle thinggy and the circle thinggy around the panel? sry for noob question:) im doin my project diploma...

[CeeEast]

@kent789

First question, see answer to fallenangel919315.

Second question, the servo is not modified. It´s maximum angle is about 180 degrees. I Know, there were some instructions how to remove the limit to get continiuous rotation. I don´t know if this would work in this project. But why would you need more than 180 degree if a solar panel is mounted on a fixed point?

Third Question, the black rectangles around the cell are just a piece of black tape, the round are the photo resistors (LDR).

[kent789]

@CeeEast wats the black tapes for? and may i know which type of servo u use? thx....

[CeeEast]

@kent789

I used these servos: TOP-LINE STANDARD SERVO RS 2 JR ( conrad.de/ce/de/product/233751­/TOP-LINE-STANDARD-SERVO-RS-2-­JR/SHOP_AREA_19788&promotionar­eaSearchDetail=005 ) .

the black tape should produce a small shadow covering the LDR when the light is incoming in a small and flat angle to the panel. Especially when the sun was behind clouds the panel did not face to the window I expected. You can try yourself putting some tape around the LDRs to influence them...

[fallenangel910315]

may i know how you control the movement of the servo motor?

do you use PIC microcontroller?

[CeeEast]

@fallenangel910315

how to use servos and LCDs is described on the arduino website ( arduino.cc/playground/ ) and I guess the new Arduino IDE has included these examples in the Sketchbook. You can use the PWM-Pins of the arduino (an ATMEL 328 chip) to control servo position from 0 to about 180 degrees. 

[RavenRof]

How is the power consumption on the Servos and does the solar panel overrides that consumption to, for example, charge a battery?

[badmoonryzn]

Great job and thanks for all of the information. I am going to give this one a try. It is nice to see so much info. Cheers!

[Khalid1349]

Okay, Let suppose you have a power failure in the middle. When you power up how do the servo remember their positions?... A home switches be the best idea?..Can you use the steppers instead of servos?

[sioroelectronics]

If possible. Hello, I would like to know how to do their project, and if possible be able to do for my study.

[thealiahjay]

can you teach me step by step how to do this project.? sorry for that noob question.. thnx..