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9V IR detector
by Candymanproductions on April 15, 2011 Table of Contents 9V IR detector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Intro: 9V IR detector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 1: What you need . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 2: Assembly Part 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 3: Assembly Part 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 4: Assembly Part 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 5: Soldering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 6: A bit more soldering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 7: Cutting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 8: Attaching the 9V battery clip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 9: Using the mounting tape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 10: Glue is the solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 11: Last Step! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 12: You're done!/Problemfixes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 2 3 3 3 4 5 5 6 7 7 8 9

Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

http://www.instructables.com/id/9V-IR-detector/

Intro: 9V IR detector
This is a great, simple project to make a small and robust 9V IR detector. It can be used to seek out security cameras that use infrared light to "see" or to check if your remote control is still working.

Image Notes 1. LED 2. 330 ohm resistor 3. IR Phototransistor 4. 9V battery clip 5. Hey! My fingers!

Step 1: What you need

For this project you will need: -A 9V battery clip with a flat cover made of plastic -A 9V battery -LED (any color although it should be clear in order to see it better) -330 ohm resistor (orange-orange-brown-gold or silver) -Infrared Phototransistor -perf board (see 2nd picture) -double sided mounting tape -wire -needlenose pliers -wire snipper -dremel or hack saw to cut perf board -clear epoxy-like glue -Soldering equipement: -soldering iron -solder with flux core

Image Notes 1. 330 ohm resistor (orange-orange-brown-gold or silver) 2. 9V battery clip (cover made of plastic and flat 3. LED (any color although it should be clear in order to see it better)

Image Notes 1. This is the kind of perf board you should use

http://www.instructables.com/id/9V-IR-detector/

4. IR Phototransistor 5. perf board

Step 2: Assembly Part 1

First up is putting the LED in. Bend the leads over and insert it in the perf board like in the picture (note that you should start in the corner to make our application as small as possible)

Image Notes 1. LED 2. shorter lead (negative lead) 3. long lead (positive lead)

Image Notes 1. leads bent over

Step 3: Assembly Part 2

Next, put in the 330 ohm resistor like in the two pictures.

Image Notes 1. LED 2. 330 ohm resistor

Image Notes 1. resistor lead 2. resistor lead

Step 4: Assembly Part 3

The last step is to insert the IR Phototransistor like in the pictures. Pay attention that with this part the long lead faces the negative pole.

http://www.instructables.com/id/9V-IR-detector/

Image Notes 1. IR Phototransistor 2. 330 ohm resistor 3. LED

Image Notes 1. Long phototransistor lead 2. Short phototransistor lead

Image Notes 1. Make sure that the short lead doesn't touch the other leads

Step 5: Soldering
After step 2-4 you'll need to solder the parts to the perf board to make your detector usable. If you're a first-time solderer, you should watch this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_NU2ruzyc4 . (I didn't make the video, thanks go to CuriousInventor) After soldering, your project should look like the example in the first picture. Then, clip off the excess component leads, making sure not to break the solder joints.

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Image Notes 1. These joints must be connected

Image Notes 1. Carefully clip off the leads 2. Keep the longest leads

Step 6: A bit more soldering

To finish off the soldering part, you'll need to connect two soldering pads like in picture 1. For the bridge you can take a snipped off lead from one of the components. I first bent my lead to put it through the holefor stabilisation like in picture 2, but you don't have to. The result is all that counts.

Image Notes 1. Soldering joint 2. Other soldering joint 3. bridge

Image Notes 1. This part goes through the hole 2. This is going to be the bridge

Step 7: Cutting
After soldering, you'll need to saw/cut off the excess perf board. Make sure you leave space for the negative & positive wires that are connected to the battery.

http://www.instructables.com/id/9V-IR-detector/

Image Notes 1. battery wires go here -> leave space!

Image Notes 1. Battery wires go here -> leave space!

Step 8: Attaching the 9V battery clip

Take your hardcover 9V battery clip and cut it's wires to about 1/2 inch (1,4mm) lenth like in the 2nd picture. Then solder the battery clip to your detector and make sure you get the polarity right! After soldering your gagdet should look like pictures 3 & 4. To prepare it for the next step, twist the 9V battery clip so it can be bent under the circuit like in picture nr.1. Now is a good time to check if your device works. Carefully clip it on a 9V battery. If you try it out during the day, the LED will be partially on depending on how bright it is where you are. To be sure that it works point the Phototransistor to the sun/roomlight and put your finger over it. The LED should get dimmer when your finger is in the way. If nothing works, check out the last step for possible solutions.

http://www.instructables.com/id/9V-IR-detector/

Step 9: Using the mounting tape

Next up is fastening the circuit to the battery clip, the most efficient way I found is to use double sided mounting tape. To keep everything in place for the tape to stick and for the next step I used wire to wrap it up.

Image Notes 1. Twist the wire to hold the detector together 2. Mounting tape 3. For best results wrap the wire over the resistor

Image Notes 1. The mounting tape should be as big as the circuit and should cover all the connections.

Step 10: Glue is the solution

To ensure the detector's long life, glue is used. Just cover up the circuit (except for the LED and the IR Phototransistor), the border on both sides of the mounting tape and the wires from the battery clip with a thin coating of epoxy glue. Let the glue dry over night.

http://www.instructables.com/id/9V-IR-detector/

Image Notes 1. Put a thin coating on the circuit 2. Leave out the Phototransistor (and the LED) 3. Leave out the LED (and the Phototransistor)

Image Notes 1. Make sure to cover the ends of the perf board and mounting tape

Image Notes 1. To prevent the wires from being ripped off cover them too.

Step 11: Last Step!

After letting the glue dry take off the wire used to let the mounting tape & glue bond. If you have problems taking off the wire then you've put too much glue on, but that won't affect the functionality of your device.

http://www.instructables.com/id/9V-IR-detector/

Image Notes 1. After the wire is removed

Step 12: You're done!/Problemfixes

If you jumped to this step because you have problems with your devices: 1. Check if your battery has enough juice (the "putting the contacts on the tongue" trick will work) 2. Make sure all the solderconnections are nice & smooth 3. Check if there any shorts in the circuit (solderbridges that shouldn't be there) 4. Check if any leads/wires from the parts or battery connector are broken, sometimes too much stress on the parts makes them break. 5. Did you put the LED & Phototransistor in the right way around / did you get the polarity right? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------For all the others: Fetch a 9V battery and try your IR detector. Clip it on and... you're done! Have fun! Comment, rate & follow!

Image Notes 1. 9V battery 2. The LED should light up

Image Notes 1. sideview

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Related Instructables

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Small-Range Motion Detector by crazycircuits

A very simple proximity detector by offlogic

Flatulant Boss Detector by el_roboto_loco

Easy LED Remote Control by crazycircuits

How to make a portable handy lie detector in Altoid tin by paewookyung

Comments
11 comments Add Comment

rtty21 says:

Apr 30, 2011. 7:49 PM REPLY Where do you find your pad-per-3hole perforated board? lol! perforated board sounds so much more technical and geeky than perfboard!

Candymanproductions says:
you should check for cheaper pricing but here is an example: http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-store/item/ECS-3/SOLDERABLE-PERF-BOARD-3-HOLE-PAD//1.html

May 1, 2011. 3:44 AM REPLY

compaqxp123 says:

Apr 27, 2011. 6:15 PM REPLY I've wondered if you could send music over IR. For example have a transmitter hooked up to the radio, nothing complicated there, and have a recived on the other end connected to an amp. Perhaps I'll try and Idea I have.

blackdragon27 says:
here is the same concept but with lasers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKRPfa66_po they also have those ir headphones you could find the schematic for that and alter it for your use.

Apr 29, 2011. 5:57 PM REPLY

carmaster says:

Apr 29, 2011. 7:03 AM REPLY That will not work directly you have to modulate the signal with a sine wave, producing varying intensity values which can then be picked up by the receiver or you can use an A to D converter and transmit the data digitally, on/off the IR transmitter. That would be a cool project but... no use?

http://www.instructables.com/id/9V-IR-detector/

zack247 says:
ive always wondered the same thing, let us know what you find out!

Apr 27, 2011. 10:08 PM REPLY

amelaboy says:
WOW

Apr 29, 2011. 12:04 PM REPLY

robot1398 says:
the same instructable http://www.instructables.com/id/IR-Detector/

Apr 28, 2011. 4:13 AM REPLY

omnibot says:
Nice build. I think you meant to write photodiode rather than phototransistor.

Apr 28, 2011. 2:42 AM REPLY

msubzwari says:

Apr 26, 2011. 1:19 AM REPLY Nice little gadget. Though you have explained each step in great detail, I am a bit lost between short leg/long leg. Can you please add a circuit diagram for completeness sake. Thanks.

gscott69 says:

Apr 25, 2011. 8:39 AM REPLY Very cool little project. I think might try this one out. The instructable is very nicely done. Great pictures and well written. Thanks for adding this.

http://www.instructables.com/id/9V-IR-detector/