Kits put colour sensors to the test

Agilent Technologies has released two colour sensor application development kits combining ready-to-use integrated colour sensor modules with detailed application information.

Agilent Technologies has released two colour sensor application development kits combining ready-to-use integrated colour sensor modules with detailed application information.

The kits are designed to provide a quick and easy way for engineers to discover how colour detection, measurement and control capabilities can be integrated into their applications.

Agilent offers these application kits in versions for transmissive and reflective colour sensing applications.

Applications for Agilent's colour sensor can be divided into three categories: colour detection - identifying the presence or absence of a specific colour; colour measurement - identifying a colour based on its red, green and blue components; and colour control - using the colour sensor as part of a closed-loop feedback system to produce and maintain a required colour.

These capabilities can be used in a wide range of applications, including controlling interior lighting and LCD backlighting, chemical analysis, colour control of cosmetics and textiles, and in office automation for controlling the colour output of printers and colour calibration of image scanners.

Agilent's colour sensor converts the primary colours red, green and blue to individual, proportional analogue voltages.

The module in the application kit combines photodiode arrays and associated amplifiers in a single package provided with a cable and a connector for power input and R, G and B output voltages.

The AECS-1000-AA02 transmissive design kit is intended for applications that are self-illuminated: for sources such as ambient light, an incandescent bulb, light-emitting diode (LED) or self-emissive displays.

The gain of the amplifiers may be set to 1x or 10x for optimum performance under a wide range of lighting conditions.

The application kit can also be used to determine the colour of transparent media such as glass, plastic or liquid through which light is passed before reaching the sensor.

The AECS-1010-AA02 reflective design kit is intended for applications in which light is reflected from a surface or object.

To use the colour sensor in reflective applications, the kit provides an illuminant-sensor module containing a white LED as the light source with Agilent's colour sensor as the detector.

Optics have been designed into the kit to focus the reflected light onto the colour sensor.

The kit also features an alignment tool for maintaining an optimum gap between the sensor and target surface.

The dimensions of the transmissive colour sensor application kit are 33 x 28 x 35mm, and it operates from a single 5V DC supply with a current consumption of 20mA (typical).

R, G and B outputs are analogue voltages that range from 0 to 3V.

Inclusive of the gap alignment tool, dimensions of the reflective color sensor application kit are 45 x 28 x 35mm.

It also operates from a single 5V DC supply and requires an additional 25mA to operate the LED light source.

The AECS-1000-AA02 transmissive design kit and AECS-1010-AA02 reflective design kit are now available from Agilent.

Agilent also plans to provide customised colour sensor modules, based on customer need.

Full availability is expected in mid-2004.

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