How to make a TCRT5000 IR Sensor
Hello and welcome to this video! Today, I will show you how I made an Infrared proximity sensor.
Since I was attracted to robotics clubs and the world of Arduino and sensors, I became eager to learn how to create such devices to gain more knowledge about electronics and PCB fabrication. I began by replicating the well-known Arduino UNO board, and now I am working on the TCRT5000 IR sensor.
Parts List
- 1*IR Photodiode and Phototransistor
- 1*IC LM311P
- Resistors: 2*1K (Footprint 0805), 1*110 (Footprint 0603), 2*10k (Footprint 0603) Ω
- 2*Capacitors 0.1uF (Footprint 0603)
- 2*LED (Footprint 1206)
- 1*10K Potentiometer
- Pin headers (male)
Circuit Schematic and GERBER File
Assembly & Soldering
Once all the components and the fabricated PCB arrived, I moved on to my favorite part of the whole project: soldering. Sitting down at the bench, placing each surface-mount component, and watching the bare PCB transform into a functional circuit board is always the most satisfying step for me!
Once the soldering was complete, it was time to test it out. Since I didn’t have a standalone power supply or a voltage regulator on hand, I simply powered the sensor using the Arduino’s 5V and GND pins. After a quick tweak of the potentiometer to calibrate the sensitivity, the sensor worked perfectly!
All right! I hope you liked the design! If you have any questions, drop them down below in the comments section!