Pyroelectric Detector!

Sep 02, 2005 4 Replies

hello friends,



I need ur help. I am using a PIR detector (IRA-E700STO SERIES MURATA)



I dont get any changes in the output voltage when an infrared body



is detected.. the output voltage ust produce a transition from either


+ve to -ve or from -ve to +ve.. I dont get that..

A PIR detector has an inbuilt FET. the pinout of the detector is the



Drain, Source and the Ground.



The detector is powered by supply connected to the drain.. and the



out put from the source is used for further analysis. I am a bit



confused.. I am not sure if something is wrong with the detector. I



wud really appreciate ur suggestions. thanx in advance.


Natty.



Hi, Natty. First, it's Drain, Source, and Gate. But your description of your test circuit is incomplete. Possibly you could look at the data sheet

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and then try a load resistor on the source, something like the applications circuit in the sheet with a 5VDC Vcc (view in fixed font or M$ Notepad): ` ` VCC ` + ` IRA-E700STO | ` | ` .----------. | ` | | | ` | D o---' ` | | ` | | Sig Out ` | | ` | S o-----------o-------o-------o ` | | | | ` | | | | ` | | .-. | ` | | | | 100K | 100pF ` | g o---. | | --- ` | | | '-' --- ` '----------' | | | ` | | | ` | | | ` =3D=3D=3D =3D=3D=3D =3D=3D=3D ` GND GND GND created by Andy=B4s ASCII-Circuit v1.24.140803 Beta

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You could then amplify the output with an LM358 single supply op amp and then see if you can get an output.

` 1/2 LM358 ` VCC ` + ` Sig Out |\\| ` >--------|+\\ Out ` | >--o-----o ` .---|-/ | ` | |/| .-. ` | | | |20K ` | =3D=3D=3D | | ` | GND '-' ` | | ` '---------o ` | ` .-. ` | |1K ` | | ` '-' ` | ` =3D=3D=3D ` GND created by Andy=B4s ASCII-Circuit v1.24.140803 Beta

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It's likely you'll get a useable signal out of this. You also might want to use the other end of the LM358 as a slow comparator with a 10K pullup at the output to give you a CMOS-compatible logic signal.

I'm also not sure what you mean by an "infrared body". Possibly you might want to try just sensing the flame coming off a cigarette lighter first, to see if your sensor works. The data sheet says your sensor is selective as to response frequency, with a 5um long pass filter. If you're using an narrow band infrared source (like an IR LED), it might be the wrong frequency to respond.

Is any of this relevant? If not, could you describe what you're doing with the FET output of the sensor, and what you're sensing, in somewhat more detail?

Chris

--- The detector is doing just what it's supposed to do, which is to sense a _change_ in temperature and produce an output when it senses that change. What's happening is that when the sensor heats up it sends out a voltage of one polarity while it's heating up, and then when it starts cooling down it sends out a voltage of the opposite polarity while it's cooling down. During the times its temperature is steady, it does nothing.

---

--- If you're getting _any_ output from the detector, chances are there's nothing wrong with it.

-- John Fields Professional Circuit Designer

Hello Chris and John,

thank you so much for ur suggestions. I will try to sort it out the way u said. I think it is doing wat it has to do. Chris, I am trying to use it as a motion detector. i.e to detect the infrared radiation from our body. so it shud produce a pulse wen someone pass throu.. say across a particular door. I am using a dual element PIR. I will soon get back to you with my output. thanks again for ur reply.

Natty.

Actually, it\'s Drain, Source and Ground. Note that the power supply is connected between the drain and ground and that the output signal appears across the source and ground. The gate of the FET is connected internally to the free end one of the series-opposed connected pyroelectric transducers, with the free end of the other transducer connected to ground. They\'re connected in series-opposition so that, for ambient temperature changes, they\'ll be inherently self temperature-compensating, while when a differential thermal signal hits one transducer the charge generated will be placed on the gate of the FET and converted to a voltage before it exits the package.

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