How it's made

How does automatic hallway lighting work?

Automatic hallway lighting is designed to activate lights temporarily when a person is detected, and natural light is insufficient. A pyroelectric motion sensor or sound detection is used for presence detection. The BISS0001 chip controls the lighting, and components like resistors and capacitors set the light's activation duration. The circuit is powered by AC, using a full-wave bridge rectifier and solid-state relay to manage the light.

How Overheating Protection Works?

Overheating in electronics can result from factors like fan failure, degraded thermal paste, dust buildup, or blocked ventilation. To address this, devices use temperature monitoring systems that trigger alarms or disable functions when thresholds are exceeded. A demo circuit uses a 555 timer and LM358 comparator to simulate automatic overheating protection.

How does a flammable gas sensor work?

Flammable gas sensors, such as the MQ-5, are vital for detecting dangerous gases like propane, butane, and methane. These sensors use a sensitive semiconductor layer to react to gases, with components like a heating coil and gold electrodes ensuring accurate detection. They are critical in safety applications, including home gas detection and industrial use, offering early warnings of gas leaks and preventing explosions.

DIY Amp for an Ultrasonic Range Finding Sensor

A sensitive amplifier with a filter is needed to process signals from ultrasonic or infrared sensors. The GL3274 IC, designed for infrared receivers, is used for this purpose. It operates at 4.7–5.3 VDC and features internal protection, band-pass and low-pass filters, and comparators. Replacing a photodiode with an ultrasonic receiver enables accurate distance measurement.

How to use Hall-effect sensors?

How to use Hall-effect sensors: This guide covers the differences between reed switches and Hall sensors, the principles behind Hall-effect operation, and how to connect analog and digital Hall sensors in circuits. It includes a step-by-step process for assembling a magnetic polarity detector using digital Hall sensors.