The Engineering Projects

Arduino Mega 1280 Library for Proteus

Hi Guys! Hope you’re well today. Thank you for viewing this read. In this post today, I’ll walk you through the Arduino Mega 1280 Library for Proteus. You may already be familiar with Arduino Boards, in case you don’t, they are the open-source easy to use hardware and software platform used in modern electronic projects. These boards receive inputs and convert them into outputs to activate motors, LEDs, electrical circuits, robots, and embedded systems. They are mainly designed for newbies and non-tech geeks who hesitate to construct the electrical circuits from the get-go and hate diving into the nitty-gritty of architecting electrical wires accurately to fashion electrical circuits. Arduino boards come with both ready-made electronic kit and software program IDE (Integrated Development Environment) that runs on the computer. You only worry about the running code on your system, without involving into the hassle of organizing and connecting everything perfectly on your electrical circuit. We’ve already discussed the Arduino Mega 2560 Library for Proteus. Both Mega 2560 and Mega 1280 are almost similar in working and execution with a slight difference in flash memory and microcontrollers incorporated on the boards. Arduino Mega 2560 carries Atmega 2560 microcontroller with flash memory 256kb while Arduino Mega 1280 carries Atmega 1280 with flash memory 128kb. These boards can be powered by both USB cable and external power source where AC-to-DC adaptor or battery is used to power them externally. Our team is designing and adding these new libraries in the proteus library database to help students better understand the working of Arduino boards in proteus workspace. Check this post where we’ve shared Arduino Library for Proteus that includes six Arduino Boards in a single library. If you don’t have proteus installed in your PC, check this post covering how to download and install proteus software. This is the brief introduction of Arduino boards, let’s dive in to download the Arduino Mega 1280 library for proteus.

Arduino Mega 1280 Library for Proteus

Click the link below and download Arduino Mega 1280 Library for Proteus.

• As you download this file, it will appear in zip format. Extract this file that houses two files named ArduinoMegaTEP.LIB and ArduinoMegaTEP.IDX.

Arduino Mega 1280 Library for Proteus

• Copy and paste these two files in the library folder of proteus software.

• After placing these files, start your proteus software, if it’s running already… restart. Now, click the ‘P’ button and look for the Arduino Mega 1280.

• As you search this, it will return the figure below.

• Select this file and click OK. As you click OK your cursor will start blinking with the Arduino Mega 1280, indicating you can place this board anywhere in the proteus workspace.

As you place this board in the proteus workspace, it will appear as below. Half work is done. Now we’ll include HEX file to run this board. To do this, right-click the board and select ‘edit properties’ or double click the board it will return window as below. Now browse the ‘PROGRAM FILE’ option to upload the HEX file. You can read this post in which I’ve briefly explained how to get a HEX file from Arduino.

• This is how you can get Arduino Mega 1280 library for Proteus.

Now we’ll construct a simple LED blinking circuit with Arduino Mega 1280 in the proteus workspace.

• We’ve designed a simple LED blinking circuit where we’ve attached LED with the pin 13 of the Arduino Mega 1280.

Open this blink example in the Arduino software and upload the HEX file. As you upload the HEX file and play the proteus software it will appear as figure given below. That’s all about How to download Arduino Mega 1280 Library for Proteus. You can use this library in your electronic projects. If you feel any difficulty in downloading this library, pop your comment in the section below, I’ll help you the best way I can. Feel free to share your suggestions about libraries you think should be a part of Proteus Library Database, I’ll design and include respective libraries. Thank you for reading this post.

Analog Flex Sensor Library for Proteus

Hi Friends! Happy to see you here. Thank you for viewing this read. Hope you’re well today. In this post, I’m going to discuss the Analog Flex Sensor Library for Proteus. You should also have a look at Digital Flex Sensor Library for Proteus. I’ve been adding them over the last few days intending to design and share brand new libraries that are not a part of the proteus library database already. I’m adding both simple simulation and simulation with the Arduino board to help you better understand these libraries with microcontrollers and Arduino devices. Before I go further and walk you through on how to download and simulate Analog Flex Sensor Library for Proteus, let’s get to know what’s Flex sensor first. Simply put, a flex sensor is used to monitor the value of bend. It is also known as a bend sensor that is mainly used in robot whisker sensors, door sensors, stuffed animal toys, and Nintendo power glove. The flex sensor is coupled with the exterior where the rotation of this exterior is directly related to the change in the sensor resistance. Carbon or plastic material is used for the construction of these sensors where deflection value is sensitive to varying resistance. In terms of varying resistance and size, these sensors are categorized into two main types i.e. 4.5-inch bend sensor and 2.2-inch bend sensor. I hope you’ve got a brief insight into what is flex sensor and why it is used for. You can also sneak into the Analog PIR Sensor Library for Proteus that I’ve shared previously. And if you don’t have proteus software installed in your system, check this post on how to download and install proteus software. Without further ado, let’s jump right into the Analog Flex Sensor Library for Proteus. Continue reading.

Analog Flex Sensor Library for Proteus

First of all, click the link given below to download the analog flex library for proteus. Analog Flex Sensor Library for Proteus As you download this file, it contains two folders named Proteus Library and Proteus Simulation. Click the Proteus Library, it will open up four files that read:

• FlexSensorAnalogTEP.HEX
• FlexSensorTEP.HEX
• FlexSensorTEP.IDX
• FlexSensorTEP

Copy and place these four files into the proteus library folder. Now, click the ‘P’ button as below and write ‘Flex sensor analog’ in the search bar. As you do this, it will return the file as mentioned below.

• Select this file and click “OK” As you click OK, your cursor will start blinking with the flex sensor, indicating you can place this sensor anywhere you want on the proteus workspace.

When you place this sensor on the proteus workspace, it will appear as follows: This is how flex sensor appears on proteus workspace.

Flex Sensor Pinout

Flex sensor contains four pins as follow:

• G = first is the ground pin that you’ll connect to the ground voltage.
• O = second is the OUT pin that gives the Flex sensor value demonstrating if the sensor has identified the value of bend.
• V = third is the voltage supply pin that receives 5V to power the sensor.
• TestPin = forth is TestPin that we require in Proteus simulation only. This pin is not included in the sensor in real. We need to add this pin for identifying the value of bend. When this Pin is HIGH it gives the value of bend and when it turns LOW it gives no value of bend.

Adding HEX File

Now we’ll add the HEX file in the Flex sensor to run our simulation. You can find FlexSensorAnalogTEP.HEX file in the library folder of your Proteus library folder. Recall, we’ve already placed this file in the library folder of proteus.

• To add this file, right-click on the sensor and look for ‘edit properties.’
• You can also double click the flex sensor to reach the ‘edit properties’ panel.

Now search for the HEX file that you have placed in the proteus library folder. Add this file and click ‘OK’ … Before you run this simulation we need to design and connect the LC circuit with the Flex sensor. We’ll add this circuit purposely. Why? You’ll get to know later in this post. Connect the Output ‘O’ pin with the LC circuit through voltmeter where we get the output voltage following the variable resistor attached with the test pin.

• Both output voltage across voltmeter and variable resistance are inversely proportional to each other. When resistance is maximum, the voltage on the voltmeter is zero, thus indicating no amount of bend.

And when resistance is zero the voltage appearing across a voltmeter will be 4.98V, confirming the value of bend as an output voltage on the flex sensor. You may be wondering why we add this LC circuit with the flex sensor? We need to include this circuit because proteus gives a peak to peak value that we have to convert into the Vrms value. That LC circuit serves this purpose. You’ve done it. You have designed a simple simulation of a flex sensor library for proteus. We have added this library the very first time, as you won’t find this library in the proteus library database before. I’ve mentioned at the start of the article, I’ll share both simple simulation and simulation with Arduino Board.

Analog Flex Sensor With Arduino UNO

Now we attach the Arduino board with the flex sensor. To do this, we connect the voltage appearing across the voltmeter with the analog input pin of the Arduino board. As you run this simulation it will return the result below. Again, when resistance is maximum, the voltage is zero, that gives equivalent analog value on the LCD connected with the Arduino board, that value is 0019. And when resistance is zero, the voltage will be 4.98V and its equivalent analog value on the LCD will appear 1019. That’s all for today. Hope you find this read helpful. If you face any difficulty in the simulation of Analog Flex Library for Proteus, you can leave your query in the section below, I’ll help you the best way I can. Feel free to leave your suggestions of the libraries that are not available in the proteus library database, I’ll design and share respective libraries with both simple simulation and simulation with Arduino boards. Thank you for reading this post.

Control Engineering: Surprising Applications of Servo Motors

Hi Friends! Hope you're well today. I welcome you on board. In this post, we'll discuss surprising applications of servo motors. Servo motors also called “servos” or “control motors”, are electrical devices used for the precise control of position, torque, or speed of an object. They can help in rotating or pushing items at a certain angle or distance. This actuation device has been around for quite some time. Servo motors are widely practiced in different industries.

Servo Motor Applications

A servo motor may appear small but this tiny beast is packed with countless capabilities that make certain objects function more effectively. Projects that require maximum precision rely on this electrical device. You should also have a look at Servo Motor Control using Arduino. A servo motor with high torque is an ideal pick to handle heavy loads properly. These versatile servo motors can quickly adapt to any kind of environment. I have also posted on Servo Motor interfacing with PIC Microcontroller. Let’s take a look at some of the valuable uses of servo motors.

1. Sushi Bars

Have you seen those cute, sushi trains in Japanese restaurants? They use servo motors. Due to lack of staff, Yoshiaki Shiraishi developed a sushi train to serve sushi straight to customers. Sushi trains are made with a conveyor belt. The ability of a servo to deliver perfect repeatability of motion serves a great purpose in sushi trains.

2. Escape Rooms

Those who seek an adventure will love escape rooms. You and your friends will have to complete a mission for you to literally “escape”. The doors are installed with a servo motor controller that will only open if your team solves the puzzle. Props and supplies as well as other interactive parts of the game also use servo motors.

3. Automated Doors

We usually see these doors in business centers, shopping malls, and other commercial establishments. They all operate through servo motors. How? Automated doors have infrared sensors that detect the presence of an individual. The data collected through the infrared sensors is sent to the servo motors which in turn open the door.

4. Remote-Controlled Toys

Whatever remote-controlled toy or object it may be, it is guaranteed to be equipped with a servo motor. A user controls the toy using a transmitter which sends a signal through radio waves. The signal is then sent to the toy through an antenna and circuit board. Upon receipt of these signals, the servo motors then steer the wheels in a toy car, operate the toy helicopter’s propellers, or do whatever the command you apply.

5. Camera Auto-Focus

Advanced cameras like Canon or Nikon use servo motors for their auto-focus feature. You can see the feature “AF Servo” in some digital cameras. Based on the camera’s settings, autofocus allows photographers to capture perfect images even if the subject is moving. The servo motors are programmed with an intelligent algorithm. With just one click, it looks for angles with great focus in auto mode. This is helpful for photographers working on sports or wildlife.

6. Super High-Tech Fashion

Sometimes servo motors serve purposes beyond human imagination. In 2013, Anouk Wipprecht, an iconic Dutch designer, designed a one-of-a-kind outfit called “Spider Dress”. This dress is, no doubt, unprecedented. Each shoulder pad has two 12-channel Maestro servo controllers that move through embedded sensors. The triggers involve stress levels or when someone comes close around the wearer.

7. Collaborative Robots

Also known as “cobot”, this type of machine is different from a traditional robot. They are programmed to work in partnership with humans to complete a certain task. Servo motors provide these robots a remarkable intelligence that you cannot expect from a simple cc motor. Also, advanced sensors and servo drive technology enable cobots to adapt to different environments.

Types of Servo Motors

There are scores of servo motors available in the market. They are categorized in terms of size and shape based on the nature of the application.

1. DC Servo Motors 

DC current controls DC servo motors. They are the right fit for smaller applications for their ability to handle smaller current surges. Due to their swift reaction to commands and motions, DC motors are preferred for machines programmed with mathematical controls. They have, however, stability issues and may need more maintenance compared to AC servo motors.

2. AC Servo Motors

AC current controls AC servo motors. Compared to their DC counterparts, these servos can take higher current surges. The reason they are preferred for CNC and industrial machinery, as well as in automation. In this type of servo, there is an integrated encoder that allows closed-loop control and feedback. Stability is also not an issue with this servo. Furthermore, frequent maintenance is not required.

3. Positional Rotation Servo Motors

This kind of servo is considered as the most common and important among all servo motors. They are typically used in an aircraft, toy, or robot servo. This servo comes with a shaft that can rotate up to 180 degrees. To make sure it won’t surpass this limit, the servo is also equipped with gear mechanisms with physical stops that guard the rotation sensor.

4. Continuous Rotation Servo Motors

These servo motors are somewhat similar to a positional rotation model with limited operations. They can move in any direction but the distance results are indefinite. Instead of directing the motor in a fixed position, the control signals handle the servo’s speed and direction of rotation. Their unlimited rotation and directional control features make them ideal for radar dishes or servo motor for robots.

5. Linear Servo Motors

Another kind of servo that is similar to a positional rotation model is the linear servo motor. The difference is that this type of servo motor has extra gears that allow linear movements or forward/backward motions. They are rare but are available in hobby stores. A hobby or higher-model airplane, small vehicle build, and even a robot use linear servo motors as actuators.

Working of Servo Motors

Servo motors can rotate 90 degrees from either direction and can turn up to a maximum of 180 degrees. It cannot exceed this number because of its built-in mechanical stop. A Pulse Width Modulated (PWM) signal controls the servo motors which are sent to the control wire. Every 20 milliseconds (ms), the servo motor expects to receive a pulse. The PWM received by the motor sends a command as to how the shaft will position. Moreover, the duration of the pulse forwarded via the control wire directs the rotor in which position to turn to. Take a look at this study about a robot arm’s movement that can be controlled via Internet access. Here, the control signal came from someone behind the computer. The robotic arm servo motors react differently according to the pulse width received. With a pulse width of 0.6 mS, the shaft moved -45 degrees. Then the pulse width increased to 1.5 mS causing the shaft to return to 0 degrees. Lastly, the pulse width increased again to 2.4 mS which shifted the shaft to 45 degrees.

Conclusion

If excellent precision is required, servo motors are the solution you’re looking for. The application of this actuation device is rampant in different industries. You’ll find servo motors in a collaborative robot, sushi bar, and even in an out-of-this-world fashion. Their classification depends on the servo motors application. When it comes to movement, the command comes through PWM signals. The width of the pulse received dictates the position of the shaft. The Internet is already occupied with countless content where it’s difficult to identify the right one. With the Design Web Kit, you don’t need to worry about getting the wrong information anymore. We offer a collection of articles about various website trends.

Analog PIR Sensor Library for Proteus V2.0

Hey Guys! Glad to see you here. I welcome you on board. In this tutorial today, I’m going to share the Analog PIR Sensor Library for Proteus. We have already shared the digital PIR Sensor Library for Proteus V1.0. Moreover, you should also check the latest version of PIR Sensor Library V3.0. If you don’t know what is PIR sensor, you must read this post first where I’ve briefly discussed the Interfacing of PIR sensor with Arduino.

PIR (Passive Infrared Sensor) also known as a motion sensor, is used to detect motion using infrared rays. It is used in banks for security purposes. It can detect the presence of a person by identifying their motion inside. Similarly, it is used in home automation where it detects the movement in the room, giving a signal we need to turn on the light because there is someone in the room. And when there is no motion detected, it turns off the light.

Analog PIR Sensor Library for Proteus is not available in the Proteus Library Database, and I’m sharing it, for the very first time. If you’re a regular reader of our blog, you might have read the new libraries we shared previously, if you haven’t, you can first have a look at Arduino Library for Proteus where you’ll get a hold of a simulation of Arduino Board in Proteus.

I’ll be sharing both: simple simulation in proteus and simulation of PIR sensor with Arduino Board. Besides Arduino Boards, you can also interface this analog PIR sensor with PIC and 8051 microcontrollers.

If you feel, we are missing something important that must be included in the proteus library, share your valuable suggestion in the section below. If you’re new to proteus software, check this post on how to download and install proteus software. Let’s discuss the Analog PIR Sensor Library for Proteus. Keep reading.

Analog PIR Sensor Library for Proteus

Click the link given below and download Analog PIR Sensor Library for Proteus.

Analog PIR Sensor Library for Proteus

As you download the library, it comes with four files that are:

• PIRSensorAnalogTEP.HEX
• PIRSensorTEP.HEX
• PIRSensorTEP.IDX
• PIRSensorTEP

Now copy all these files mentioned above and place them into the library folder of your Proteus software.

• Click ‘P’ (Pick from Libraries) as below and search for the PIR sensor analog.

• It will pop up four files of the PIR analog sensor as mentioned below.

• Place all these four files in the proteus workspace. As you place them, it will appear as follows:

• I have added four PIR Analog Sensor files in the proteus workspace that you can use as you like better.
• These sensors are the same in terms of working but they all come in different colors just to make them attractive.
• The first one appears in berylline color, the second one is green, the third is red and the fourth one is blue.

PIR analog sensor contains four pins as follows:

• Vcc = This is a voltage supply pin where we apply 5V to power the sensor
• O = second is the OUT pin where we get the output of the PIR sensor indicating whether or not this PIR sensor has detected the motion.
• G = third is the ground pin which is attached to the ground voltage.
• TestPin = forth is TestPin we need to add in Proteus simulation only. You won’t find this pin mounted on the sensor in real. We have to add this pin because without this pin we cannot detect the motion in proteus simulation. When this TestPin is HIGH it shows the motion is detected and when it is LOW it shows no movement.

After adding these four files to the proteus workspace, we need to include the HEX file in the PIR sensor. You will find this PIRSensorAnalogTEP.HEX file in the library folder of your Proteus software.

• You can add the HEX file in two ways. Right-click the sensor and look for ‘edit properties’ or double-click the analog sensor.

• Now look for the HEX file that you have pasted in the library folder below.

• After adding this file, click ‘OK’ … now you’re done. You’ve added the HEX in the analog PIR sensor. You can now use this PIR sensor simulation in Proteus.
• We’ll design and attach a simple LC circuit with this PIR sensor to understand the working and simulation of the library of this sensor.

Attach the sensor’s analog output pin (O) with the LC circuit through a voltmeter using a voltmeter. Ground (G) pin and apply 5V to the (Vcc) voltage supply pin. Now connect the variable resistor with the TestPin, which will help identify the motion in the surrounding.

The value of this variable resistor is related to the voltage appearing across the voltmeter. When resistance is 100% the voltage appearing on the voltmeter will be zero which shows no motion detection and when resistance is 0% the voltage value across a voltmeter will be 4.97V as below, indicating the presence of motion. Both output voltage and resistance are inversely related to each other.

• We need to design and connect this LC circuit with the PIR sensor due to the peak-to-peak value we receive on proteus. This peak-to-peak value needs to be converted into Vrms using this LC circuit.

This is it. This is the proteus simulation of the PIR analog sensor. We treasure to announce we’ve added this new library to the proteus database for the very first time.

PIR Analog Sensor with Arduino UNO

• It’s time to connect the PIR Analog Sensor with the Arduino Board.
• To do this, we’ll connect the output voltage we get on the voltmeter with the analog input pin of the Arduino board.
• You should also have a look at PIR Arduino Interfacing.

• When resistance is maximum, the voltage will be zero, thus giving an equivalent analog value of 0019 and when resistance is zero, the voltage across the voltmeter is 4.98V and gives an equivalent 1019 analog value on the LCD attached with the Arduino Board.
• You can download LCD Library for Proteus, which I have used in the above simulation.

This is it for today. Hope you find this tutorial helpful. If you’re unsure or have any questions, you can pop your comment in the section below, I’ll help you the best way I can. Thank you for reading this article.

Smart Buildings Boost the Need for Intelligent Gas Sensors

The global smart building market is expected to reach approximately $33.5M by 2022, indicating a vastly growing need for safe and secure building environments. These sensors continuously monitor environments to ensure that the air quality, temperature, and ventilation in a building are accurate. They can identify scores of potential threats - including harmful gases and gas leaks. According to one recently published report, the need for more sophisticated and intelligent gas sensors in the smart building of the automation industry is critical - this is because consumers demand security where tighter governmental regulations are calling for better and safer indoor air quality.

How Gas Sensors Improve Building Safety?

Gas sensors play a vital role in building safety. They are designed to detect and monitor gas leakage and toxic gases. This is achieved through safety inspections that focus on testing air quality in different parts of the building. New health and safety regulations passed by governments across the globe mean that gas sensors boasting high sensitivity to gases are becoming an important part of safety systems.

These sensors are electronic devices with the ability to detect the existence of (and particular concentrations of) different gases in the environment. Based on the concentration of gases in the atmosphere, the sensors show the different resistance levels of various substances used in the device to check for fluctuations in output voltages. Depending on the readings obtained, we can identify the type and concentration of different gases.

What Type of Gas Sensors Are Used in Engineering?

Gas sensor technologies are used to boost engineering safety - including non-dispersed infrared sensors for carbon dioxide detection and miniaturized photo-ionized detectors for measurement.

In the past, buildings used to contain different sensors, occupying significant space. A need has therefore arisen for more compact, robust, powerful, and reasonably priced sensors that can ensure safety in different sectors - including the health, oil, gas, and automation industries.

Detecting Combustible Gases

Modern-day gas sensors can detect a wide array of gases - including combustible gases such as methane, butane, propane, hydrogen, and more. These sensors can detect the presence of toluene, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and other gases, offering a reading in the range of 0 to 5 parts per million.

The components used in the sensors can respond to changes in physical or chemical properties. The latter is converted to electric signals by transducers; the sensors measure the concentration of different gases through analytic reactions between the sensing material and target gases. Various types of sensors exist; for example, optical gas sensors measure the amount of light scattering caused by different type of gases. The type of sensor used depends on its intended application. For instance, catalytic sensors are better and therefore preferred for combustible gas detection, while carbon nano-materials are usually chosen for environmental monitoring. These materials have different advantages as well in terms of sensitivity, cost, response time, weight, and stability.

New Chemistry for Ultra-Fine Gas Sensors

Engineering teams are constantly on the lookout for more efficient, lighter sensors capable of fulfilling more than one role. On July 1, 2020, scientists from Ruhr-University Bochum announced that they had developed a new process for zinc oxide layers that can be utilized both ways i.e. as a protective layer on plastic and for sensing the presence of toxic nitrogen gas. These layers can be laid down via atomic layer deposition, which contains chemical compounds (or precursors) that ignite when they come in direct contact with the air. The Ruhr-University Bochum team created a new manufacturing process using a non-pyrophoric zinc precursor that can be made at temperatures that are low enough for plastics to be coated. These zinc oxide layers can do many functions all in one fell swoop - including that of protecting degradable goods.

How are Ultra-Thin Zinc Oxide Layers Made?

In the manufacture of sensors for nitrogen dioxide, a fine layer of nanostructured zinc oxide is applied to a sensor substrate that is then joined to an electric component. The Ruhr-University Bochum scientists have used atomic layer deposition (ALD) to join the ultra-fine layers to the sensor substrates. ALD processes are usually used in engineering to make tiny electrical parts using ultra-thin layers. Some are just a few atomic layers thick, yet they are robust and highly efficient. For this process, specific precursors that can form such fine layers are required. Up until now, these layers were made using highly reactive, and highly pyrophoric zinc precursors via ALD.

Working in a Safer Fashion

The new method allows teams to work safely by avoiding highly ignitable compounds. It relies on very safe, low temperatures that enable the deposition of the layers onto plastic. It is therefore of great use in the production of gas sensors as well as in any industry in which goods need to be protected from oxidation through the use of plastics. The food and pharmaceutical industries are two sectors that can potentially benefit from these gas-protected plastic layers. The gas sensor market is predicted to grow exponentially every day. Continuous monitoring of gas levels is key to ensuring the health and safety of those living and working in buildings where they need to deal with toxic and sensitive gases every day. Trends dominating this product include a need for greater customization, lower-cost sensor technology, and smaller-sized sensor packages. Due to the high demand for smart buildings over the years, the desire for continuous and accurate gas measurement is increasing daily. These sensors are high in demand in different areas including the Asia Pacific Region, the Middle East, and North America. Moreover, several new chemical processes are required for the creation of ultra-thin and efficient gas sensors.

This is achieved by atomic layer deposition using precursors that require low heat and can protect the integrity of the plastic. A small amount of fine nanostructured zinc oxide is applied to a sensor substrate before connecting it with an electric component. This new intelligent gas sensor technology is used in the gas and packaging industries.

New Proteus Libraries of Digital Sensors

Hi Everyone! Hope you’re well today. I welcome you on board. In this post today, I’ll walk you through the list of New Proteus Libraries of Digital Sensors.

I told you earlier, our team has designed these proteus libraries after a lot of hard work and you won’t find them anywhere online. We are designing these proteus libraries to help you better understand the working of sensors through proteus simulations. Also, we have added the interfacing of these sensors with Arduino boards, where you can observe the working and simulation of sensors with microcontrollers or Arduino Boards.

If you think we are missing something important, something that should be a part of the Proteus library, share your valuable suggestion in the comment section below, and I’ll try my best to design and add the respective library in Proteus.

Adding a new library is simple and straightforward. Even you can do it on the fly. Read this post on how to add a new library in Proteus.

Before I bore you to tears, let’s jump right in and look for the New Proteus Libraries of Digital Sensors.

I hope you’ve already got Proteus installed in your system. If you haven’t, read this post on how to download and install Proteus Software.

Keep reading.

1. PIR Sensor Library for Proteus

PIR stands for Passive Infrared Sensor which is mainly used for motion detection. It makes use of infrared radiation for motion detection. PIR sensor contains crystalline material at the face of a sensor that detects infrared radiation. The infrared rays are reflected from the object, generating heat and infrared radiation in its field of view. This sensor is used for both domestic and industrial applications for security purposes.

We’ll include TestPin for motion detection in proteus simulation. The sensor doesn’t carry this pin in real. HIGH and LOW voltages generate a sense of motion detection. When the voltage is HIGH it means TestPin is getting 5V and in this case, it will detect the motion when the pin is LOW it means there is no voltage and thus no motion is detected.

Download PIR Sensor Library for Proteus

2. Gas Sensor Library for Proteus

Gas sensor, as the name suggests, is used to measure the presence of gages in the atmosphere. The concentration of the gas in the surroundings changes the resistance of the sensor material, ultimately generating a corresponding potential difference. When this potential difference is measured as an output voltage it gives the amount of concentration of gas in the atmosphere.

These sensors are mainly installed for the detection of toxic gases and gas leakage. When it detects the gas leakage, it sends an alarm signal, confirming there’s a leakage in the surrounding that needs to be fixed. Gas sensors vary in terms of their range, size, and sensing ability. It all depends on the nature of the application and the gas used. They mostly operate as a part of an embedded system that is commonly connected to the audible alarm.

We’ve produced both: simple simulations with the gas sensor and the simulation of the sensor with the Arduino Board. You can click the link below to download the proteus library of the gas sensor.

Download Gas Sensor Library for Proteus

3. Flame Sensor Library for Proteus

Sensitive to normal light, a flame sensor is used to detect fire and flame. The flame sensor carries a range from 760nm to 1100nm. Better maintain a certain distance from the fire or flame object, or else high temperature might damage the sensor. A distance of almost 100cm from the flame object is normally recommended. These sensors are embedded in firefighting robots as a part of an embedded system. Moreover, they work better than the smoke sensor due to their remarkable sensitivity. The flame detection mechanism includes a natural gas line, alarm system, and fire suspension system. This flame sensor is widely used in industrial boilers, confirming if the boilers are working properly.

Again, we’ve included both: simple simulation and simulation with the Arduino board. The Proteus library zip file download link is as follows:

Download Flame Sensor Library for Proteus

4. Vibration Sensor Library for Proteus

A vibration sensor, also known as a piezoelectric sensor, is used to measure the vibration of the machines. Vibration plays a critical role in the working of industrial machinery. The values exceeding the recommended values can put the entire system at a total halt. These sensors are installed in industrial machinery to keep the vibration under control. They are mainly connected to the audible alarm system which results in total suspension of the system in case vibrations exceed a certain number.

Vibration sensors use the piezoelectric effect to monitor minor changes in temperature, pressure, acceleration, and force. Thus detecting the changes converts them into an electrical signal. These sensors are also used to monitor air fragrance. It differentiates between fragrances by measuring both quality and capacitance.

We’ve added the proteus library of the vibration sensor. Curious to download and use this proteus library? Click the link below.

Download Vibration Sensor Library for Proteus

5. Flex Sensor Library for Proteus

A flex sensor, also known as a bend sensor, is a device used to measure the value of a bend. This sensor is attached to an exterior that upon twisting produces a change in resistance in the sensor. It finds applications for indoor sensors, robot whisker sensors, Nintendo power gloves, and stuffed animal toys. These sensors are composed of carbon or plastic material that provides enough elasticity to the sensor where the value of deflection is directly related to the varying resistance. Flex sensors are mainly divided into two types based on their size and varying resistance i.e. 2.2-inch bend sensor and 4.5-inch bend sensor.

We’ve designed and added both: simple simulations of the flex sensor and simulations with the Arduino board. The Proteus library zip file download link is as follows:

Download Flex Sensor Library for Proteus

6. Rain Sensor Library for Proteus

A rain sensor, as the name suggests, is a device used to detect rainfall. It operates on the principle of total internal reflection. A rain sensor is mainly used in two applications. In the first case, it is used to protect the car interior from rain. The sensor uses infrared light that is flashed at an angle of 45 degrees on the windscreen. When the screen is wet, this angle changes to 60, causing the light to reflect with a lower intensity than automatically activates the car windscreen wipers to remove water and clean the car windscreen.

In the second case, the water conservation device is attached to an irrigation system that brings the system to a total halt in the case of rainfall. These sensors for irrigation systems come in both hard-wired and wireless versions.

You can download the rain sensor library for Proteus from the link below. Both simple simulation and simulation with the Arduino board are available.

Download Rain Sensor Library for Proteus

7. Magnetic Reed Switch Library for Proteus

A magnetic reed switch is a device used to identify the magnetic field and control electricity in the surroundings. They are composed of ferrous reeds encapsulated in a small glass that is sensitive to the magnetic field in the switch. It finds applications in electromagnetic projects and fluid-level sensors to measure motor oil.

We’re sharing this library first time as you won’t find it in the proteus database before. Click the link below to download a magnetic reed switch library for Proteus.

Download Magnetic Reed Switch Library for Proteus

8. Infrared Sensor Library for Proteus

Infrared sensors are used for obstacle detection. They use infrared rays to identify if there is any obstacle in front. These sensors come in two parts: one is a transmitter that transmits the infrared rays and the other is the receiver that receives these rays after getting reflected from the object. They are also used to detect the heat emitted by an object. Infrared sensors find applications in robotics and automation for security purposes. The Proteus library zip file download link is as follows:

Download Infrared Sensor Library for Proteus

That was all about New Proteus Libraries of Digital Sensors. I hope you like this article. I’ve dissected every piece in an easy-to-read and easy-to-understand step-by-step tutorial. You can DIY, simulate, and incorporate this library into your project just by reading our posts. If you find any difficulty in the simulation or execution of your proteus project, I’m here to help you. And don’t forget to share your valuable suggestions or feedback, they help us create quality content. Thank you for reading this post.

Proteus Libraries of Embedded Sensors

Hi Folks! Glad to see you here. Thank you for viewing this read. In this post today, I’m going to list New Proteus Libraries of Embedded Sensors.

I’ve shared scores of Proteus libraries and today I’m going to pack them into one single post that will help you scan through all libraries related to sensors in one place. Moreover, if you are alien to Proteus, you can check this post on how to add a new library in Proteus. I’m going to embed the link to each Proteus library added recently. You can download and simulate Proteus libraries from the respective links. Plus, all these libraries are compatible with Microcontrollers and Arduino boards.

All links you find in this post come with two simulations i.e. one simple simulation of the sensors and another simulation with the Arduino board. If you face any difficulty in simulating the library, you can pop your question in the section below, I’ll help you the best way I can. Before further ado, let’s jump right in and look at the list of New Proteus Libraries for Engineering Students. If your system doesn’t carry Proteus software already, you must have a look at How to Download and Install Proteus Software.

1. Ultrasonic Sensor Library for Proteus

Ultrasonic sensors are mainly used for obstacle detection. They use sound waves for object detection. Ultrasonic sound waves are emitted at a particular frequency which is then reflected back to the sensor after hitting the obstacle. The time these sound waves take in traveling from the sensors and then reflecting from the object is measured, which gives the total distance covered by the sound waves. It is important to note that these ultrasonic sound waves travel faster than the audible sound that we humans can hear.

We’ve designed an ultrasonic sensor library for proteus which you can easily run and simulate in proteus. The library is demonstrated with examples that will help you better understand these sensors covering three different scenarios. I’m sure you’ll love the working and simulation of this library that you can easily understand and incorporate into your semester project. The Proteus library zip file download link is as follows:

Download Ultrasonic Sensor Library for Proteus

2. PIR Sensor Library for Proteus

PIR (passive infrared) sensor is an electronic device that uses infrared rays for motion detection. They are based on thermal detection. They measure infrared rays reflected from objects that produce heat and thus infrared radiations in their field of view. Crystalline material incorporated at the center of the sensor detects infrared radiation. These sensors are mainly used for security purposes. You’ll find these sensors installed in bank security or home security systems.

We cannot measure real motion in proteus software unless we place TestPin. We don’t need this pin in real-time applications. We use this pin for proteus simulation only. When we give 5V to this pin, it will detect the motion and when zero voltage is applied, no motion is detected through this pin.

We’ve designed the proteus library of the PIR sensor, you can download the Library zip file from the link below:

Download PIR Sensor Library for Proteus

3. Gas Sensor Library for Proteus

A gas sensor is an electronic device mainly used to detect the presence of gases in the surrounding. Working is simple and straightforward. The gas sensor generates a potential difference based on the gas concentration in the atmosphere. This potential difference is directly related to the resistance of the inside material. This potential difference is measured as an output voltage that is directly proportional to the concentration of the gas.  The gas sensor is widely used in a variety of industries for the detection of gas leakage.

We’ve designed and added the library for the gas sensor which you can easily simulate in proteus. We’ve included the following 8 gas sensors in the library:

• MQ – 2
• MQ – 3
• MQ – 4
• MQ – 5
• MQ – 6
• MQ – 7
• MQ – 8
• MQ – 9

You can download the Gas sensor library for proteus by the link below.

Download Gas Sensor Library for Proteus

4. Flame Sensor Library for Proteus

A flame sensor is an electrical device mainly used to detect flame or fire. This sensor carries an infrared band that detects the presence of hot gases in the atmosphere. Installation of the flame sensor depends on the nature of work i.e. the presence of hot gases can lead to sounding the alarm, activation of the fire suspension system, or deactivation of fuel from the mainline. A flame sensor works better than a heat or smoke detector due to its quick response corresponding to hot gases. It is widely used in industrial furnaces, confirming if the furnace is running accurately.

Again, we cannot produce fire in the proteus software the reason we need to include the TestPin for the detection of fire. When the TestPin is HIGH it indicates the presence of flame and when it is LOW it projects the absence of flame.

We’ve designed and added Flame Sensor Library in Proteus, which you can download from the link below:

Download Flame Sensor Library for Proteus

5. Vibration Sensor Library for Proteus

A vibration sensor (also called a piezoelectric sensor) is an electrical device mainly used to detect vibration. It is a transducer that behaves like a switch to turn off or turn on the system when a certain vibration level is achieved. The vibration sensor might contain different sensitivity that depends on the nature of the application. Sensitivity is 500 mV/G for low-vibration applications and 100 mV/G for high-vibration applications.

These sensors are also used in security systems. If someone tries to break into your house, this sensor can detect the forced entry and produce a signal that triggers an alarm system.

Vibration plays a critical role in electrical and mechanical machines. These systems are configured with a specific number of vibration which if exceeds the recommended value, can damage the machine. These sensors confirm if machines are running with the required vibration.

Click the link below to download the vibration sensor library for the proteus.

Download Vibration Sensor Library for Proteus

6. Flex Sensor Library for Proteus

The flex sensor is also known as a bend sensor mainly used to measure the bending angle. The resistance of the sensor element is directly proportional to the value of the bend that the surface generates. The bend sensor is also called a flexible potentiometer. This sensor is widely used in security systems, rehabilitation research for measuring joint movement, and in computer and music interfaces. Dataglove is a common example of a flex sensor.

We’ve designed and added the library of this flex sensor in Proteus which you can download from the link below.

Download Flex Sensor Library for Proteus

7. Heart Beat Sensor Library for Proteus

A heartbeat sensor is used to detect the heartbeat of the human heart. It operates on the principle of light modulation. When a finger is placed on the sensor, it generates the digital output of the heartbeat. As you place the finger, it detects the blood flow that you can produce as a digital output on the LCD connected to Arduino Board or Microcontroller.

We’ve designed and added the library of this heartbeat sensor in Proteus. We’ve produced two versions of a heartbeat sensor where one version generates only one heartbeat pattern and the other produces multiple heartbeat patterns. The Proteus library zip file download link is as follows:

Download Heart Beat Sensor Library for Proteus

Download Heart Beat Sensor Library V2.0 for Proteus

8. Rain Sensor Library for Proteus

A rain sensor is a switching device used to detect rain. It finds applications in security systems and home automation. This sensor is also installed in some car windshields where it detects the presence of rainwater, giving an automatic signal to the windshield wipers that thus start cleaning the windshield. Rain sensor operates on the principle of total internal reflection with the use of infrared radiation. The infrared light beam is set at a 45-degree angle on the clear glass of the windshield. This sensor triggers when it starts raining. In the presence of rain, less amount of light is reflected back to the sensor. When this reflected light meets the preset value you already set earlier, it turns on the car wiper mechanism.

We’ve designed and added the library of rain sensors in Proteus which you can download from the link below.

Download Rain Sensor Library for Proteus

9. Soil Moisture Sensor Library for Proteus

Soil moisture sensor, as the name suggests, is used to measure the water content. It carries two probes where the resistance value of the current passing through the soil is used to record the moisture value. The probe is normally powered with a DC supply or batteries ranging from 3.3 to 20V that generates the output voltage ranging from 0 to 3V.

We’ve designed the library of soil moisture sensors in proteus. You won’t find this library before in the proteus library and we’re adding it the very first time. The Proteus library zip file download link is as follows:

Download Soil Moisture Sensor Library for Proteus

10. Water Sensor Library for Proteus

A water sensor is an electrical device used to detect the presence of water. It is mainly used for domestic and industrial purposes where it is used to detect water leakage. When it detects the leakage, it turns off the water supply to the house.

We’ve designed and added the library of water sensors in Proteus which you can download from the link below.

Download Water Sensor Library for Proteus

Conclusion

I've shared 10 New Proteus Libraries above for Engineering Students. Hope you find this post helpful. You can use these libraries in your semester project or anyway as you like better. Both simple sensor simulation and simulation with the Arduino board are added to the proteus library. And TestPin included in the sensor is only used for simulation purposes. You won't find this pin in the actual sensor.

Don’t forget to leave your comment in case you need my help. We keep sharing and adding new libraries on and off, not available in the proteus already. Feel free to leave your valuable suggestions about the libraries you think are not included in the Proteus library. We’ll try our best to include them from the get-go in easy-to-read and easy-to-understand tutorials. Thank you for reading this post.

Introduction to BC640

Hello Everyone! Hope you’re well today. Thank you for viewing this read. In this post today, I’ll be discussing the Introduction to BC640. BC640 is a bipolar junction transistor that belongs to the PNP transistor family. It is composed of silicon material and comes in a TO-92 package. It is used to drive load under 500mA. In this post, you’ll get to know everything related to BC640 covering pinout, working, alternatives, applications, and physical dimensions. Keep reading.

Introduction to BC640

• BC640 is a PNP bipolar junction transistor mainly used for amplification and switching purpose.
• It comes with three pins called the emitter, base, and collector.
• The base is the main terminal responsible for the entire transistor reaction. The small current change at the base terminal is used to control large current across remaining terminals. The reason, it’s also called current controlled device in contrast to FET (field-effect transistors) which is a voltage-controlled device.
• BC640 carries three layers where one n-doped layer is placed between two p-doped layers.
• As this is a PNP transistor, here current flows from emitter to collector as opposed to NPN transistor where current flows from collector to emitter.

• Both holes and electrons play a critical role in conductivity. In the case of PNP transistors, holes are the majority carriers and electrons are major charge carriers in NPN transistors.
• It is important to note that NPN transistors are preferred over PNP transistors because the movement of electron is better and faster than the movement of holes. In some electronic projects, both PNP and its complementary NPN are combined and incorporated into a single circuit.

• When two diodes are joined together from the cathode side, they produce PNP transistors. Here N-layer represents the base terminal while remaining layers represents emitter and collector respectively.

• In PNP transistor there is no current at the base side when the transistor is turned ON, while in NPN transistor electrons start flowing through the base terminal when the bias voltage is applied.

 

Where To Buy?
No.	Components	Distributor	Link To Buy
1	BC640	Amazon	Buy Now

BC640 Datasheet

• It’s always better to sift through the datasheet and get a hold of the main features of the component.
• Download BC640 datasheet by clicking the button given below:

Download BC640 Datasheet

BC640 Pinout

BC640 carries three pins named: 1: Emitter 2: Base 3: Collector The following figure shows the pinout of BC640.

• All these pins are used for the external connection with the electronic circuits, and they all are different in terms of their functions and doping concentrations.
• The doping concentration in the emitter terminal is higher than both base and collector terminals.

BC640 Working Principle

• Both PNP and NPN transistors almost work similarly with some exceptions.
• The voltage polarities and current directions in PNP transistors appear opposite compared to NPN transistors.
• The base is still considered the main area responsible for the overall transistor action.

• As holes are majority carriers in this PNP transistor, now holes are emitted from the emitter terminal (electrons are emitted from the emitter in case of NPN transistor) which are then collected by the collector.
• It is important to note that when there is no current present at the base terminal, PNP transistor is turned ON and when current flows through the base it is considered turned OFF.

BC640 Power Ratings

The following image shows the absolute maximum ratings of BC640.

Absolute Maximum Ratings BC639
No.	Rating	Symbol	Value	Unit
1	Collector-Emitter Voltage	Vce	80	V
2	Collector-Base Voltage	Vcb	80	V
3	Emitter-Base Voltage	Veb	5	V
4	Collector Current	Ic	500	mA
5	Total Device Dissipation	Pd	625	mW
6	Transition Frequency	ft	50	MHz
7	Storage Temperature	Tstg	-55 to 150	C

• Both collector-emitter and collector-base voltages are 80V while the emitter-base voltage is only 5V which means the only 5V is required to trigger the transistor reaction.
• Device dissipation is 625mW which implies the amount of heat it produces as a byproduct due to its primary action.
• Collector current is 500mA which projects the value of load it can drive. The transition frequency is 50MHz which is a measure of the high-frequency operating characteristics of a transistor.
• These are the stress ratings. Make sure these ratings don’t surpass the absolute maximum ratings, else they will damage the component, thus the entire project.
• Moreover, extended exposure to stresses above recommended absolute maximum ratings can influence the device reliability.

Difference between PNP and NPN transistors

• Current direction is the major difference in both NPN and PNP transistors.
• Recall, current flows from emitter to collector in PNP transistor when a negative voltage is applied to the base terminal and current flows from collector to emitter in NPN transistor when a positive voltage is applied at the base terminal.
• In both cases, the base terminal is responsible for the electron reaction.
• In NPN transistor, the transistor turns on when current flows through the base terminal, and in case of PNP transistor, the device turns on when there is no current at the base terminal.

• Both transistors are the primary components used in modern electronic projects.
• It is important to note that both NPN and PNP transistors are interchangeable and are made up of two back to back diodes where one is forward biased and the other is reverse biased.
• The main difference stands in the polarities of the applied voltage at the base terminal and current direction as mentioned above.

• In conclusion, both PNP and NPN are interchangeable and work perfectly well if we change the polarity of the applied voltage.

BC640 Alternatives

Following are BC640 alternatives:

• BC618
• BC635
• BC636
• BC637

Better check the pinout of the alternatives before embedding them into your projects, as it’s likely they might carry different pinout than BC640. The complementary NPN transistor to the BC640 is BC639.

BC640 Applications

The following are some applications of the BC640.

• It is used to source current, i.e. current flows out of the collector.
• Used for switching and amplification purpose.
• Used in electronic motors to control current.
• Employed in the push button.
• Used in robotics and instrumentation.
• Finds applications in Darlington pair circuits.

BC640 Physical dimensions

The following figure shows the physical dimensions of the BC640. That’s all for today. I hope you’ve got an insight into the Introduction to BC640. If you have any question, you can approach me in the comment section below, I’d love to help you the best way I can. You’re most welcome to share your feedback and suggestions, they help us provide quality work. Thank you for reading this post.

Water Sensor Library For Proteus

Hello Everyone! Happy to see you here. I welcome you on board. In this tutorial, I’ll walk you through the Water Sensor Library for Proteus. You won't find this library in the proteus software, and we are introducing it for the very first time. It will help you to better understand the working/ operation of the water sensor.

If you want a proteus library of any sensor, that is not available in proteus already, you can share it in the comments below, I’ll try my best to create and share that library asap.

Before I go further, it’s better to scratch and get a hold of what is a water sensor? A water sensor is an electronic sensor, used to detect the presence of water. It detects the water by measuring the water's electrical conductivity. These sensors are mainly used to ward off the flow of water in case any leakage happens. This device is mainly used for detecting water levels, rainfall, and water leakage.

Let’s dive in and study how to download and simulate Water Sensor Library For Proteus.

Water Sensor Library For Proteus

• Click the button below, to download a water sensor library for proteus:

Water Sensor Library For Proteus

• As you download the file, it will appear in a .zip file that comes with two folders named: Proteus Library and Proteus Simulation.

Now, you have to open the proteus library folder that carries three files, named:

• WaterSensorTEP.IDX
• WaterSensorTEP.LIB
• WaterSensorTEP.HEX

• Copy all these three files and paste them into the Library Folder of the Proteus software.

• After doing this drill, you have to start the proteus software. If it’s already open, restart.
• After starting the proteus software, search for the water sensor available in the component’s search box as mentioned below:

• As you search for the sensor, you will get the figure below. This is our water sensor library for proteus that we have recently added to the proteus library.

• As you click ‘OK’ you’ll watch the sensor appearing as a blinking image, indicating you can place this sensor anywhere you want in the proteus workspace. After doing this, you’ll get the below result:

• Almost half work is done. You’ve created the proteus workspace with the water sensor.

Sensor Layout

Still reading? Perfect. Before I move further and discuss how to add a sensor’s hex file and run a proteus simulation of the water sensor, let’s discuss the sensor’s pins and layout first. This water sensor comes with four pins as follows:

• (S): This is an analog output pin that is used for the connection with the input of the circuit.
• (-): This pin is connected to the ground.
• (+): This is a power supply pin that is used to power the sensor. It is officially recommended to connect this pin with a voltage ranging from 3.3V to 5V.
• TestPin: This test pin is used for proteus simulation. You won’t find this pin in real-time on the water sensor.

The sensor comes with ten exposed copper traces where five are sense trances and the remaining are power traces.

• Though these copper trances are not directly connected, they stand connected when they all are submerged in water. Generally, they are placed together where one sense trace stands between two power traces.
• There is one LED incorporated on the board that turns on when the sensor is powered.

Working Of Water Sensor

Working is pretty simple.

• The exposed parallel traces work as a variable resistor whose resistance is directly related to the water level.
• The sensor resistance is inversely proportional to the water level.
• When the sensor is fully immersed it shows the low resistance, thus indicating more height of the water.

• And when the sensor is partially immersed, it shows more resistance, and less conductivity, thus indicating less height in correspondence with the resistance.
• This variable resistance is directly related to the voltage appearing across the sensor. By measuring that voltage we can detect the water level.

Adding Sensor’s Hex File

• I hope you’ve got a clear idea of how this sensor works and detects the water level. Now, we’ll add the hex file of this sensor available in the library folder.

You can do it in two ways.

• Right-click on the water sensor and look for “Edit Properties” as shown in the figure below.

• You can also get the “Edit Properties” panel by double-clicking on the sensor.
• Now, you can add the sensor’s hex file by clicking the browse button as shown below. This file you can find in the library folder of the proteus software.

• You’ve added the hex file successfully. Now click “OK” and close the “Edit Properties” panel.

Proteus Simulation of Water Sensor

• Now we simulate the sensor we’ve produced in the proteus workspace.
• To do this, we’ll design a small LC circuit that will help simulate the water sensor.
• Connecting the LC circuit with the sensor is simple and straightforward. We’ll connect the sensor’s analog output pin (S) with the LC circuit through a voltmeter. And we’ll attach the variable resistor to the TestPin of the sensor. This resistance of this variable resistor will help us detect the water.
• The voltage on this voltmeter connected with the LC circuit gives the value against the variable resistor.

• When the resistance is zero, it gives the maximum voltage across the voltmeter i.e. 4.97V. Recall, when the sensor is fully immersed in water, it shows zero resistance, thus indicating more height of the water level.
• And when we start increasing the resistance across the variable resistor, the voltage on the voltmeter will start decreasing, thus indicating the sensor is not immersed in water, projecting the low height of the water level.
• There is a reason we’ve connected the sensor with the LC circuit. Because proteus always provides the peak-to-peak value of the sensor and we need to convert that peak-to-peak value into Vrms.
• We are using this LC circuit to run our proteus simulation, we don’t need it in the real-time hardware implementation of the water sensor.

• We’ve done it. This is the complete simulation of the water sensor. This water sensor library is not available in the Proteus library, we’ve added it the very first time.
• Now, click the play button at the bottom left of Proteus software, it will show the result above.

Water Sensor with Arduino

• Now, we’ll attach this sensor with Arduino.
• We’ll connect the output of the water sensor appearing across the voltmeter to the analog input pin of the Arduino board.

• When the resistance is zero, the voltage will appear as 4.97V, thus giving an equivalent analog value of 1019 on the LCD attached to the Arduino Board.

That’s all for today. Hope you’ve got a clear insight into how to simulate a water sensor library for proteus. If you have any questions, you are most welcome to ask me in the comment section below, I’ll try my best to help you according to the best of my expertise. In the upcoming tutorials, I’ll keep adding more libraries in proteus around sensors and others not available in the library, already. Thank you for your precious time. Stay tuned!

Soil Moisture Sensor Library For Proteus

Update: We have created a new version of this library, which you can check here: Soil Moisture Sensor Library for Proteus V2.0.

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Hi Friends! Hope you’re well today. I welcome you on board. In this tutorial, I’ll be discussing the Soil Moisture Sensor Library for Proteus. You won't find Soil Moisture Sensor Library in Proteus and we’re going to share its Proteus Library very first time. I have previously shared many Proteus Libraries for digital and analog sensors and today I’m discussing something new. Excited to get a hold of the Soil Moisture Sensor Library? Me too. In the upcoming days, I’ll keep sharing different libraries related to sensors. If you’re curious to sneak into the nitty-gritty of sensors not available in the Proteus library already, pop your suggestion in the comment section below. I’ll try my best to comply with your suggestions and walk you through something brand new.

Soil moisture sensors are used to measure the water content in the soil. They use capacitance to measure the dielectric permittivity of the soil which defines the function of the water content. Before further ado, let’s dive in and have a look at How to download and simulate Soil Moisture Sensor Library for Proteus:

Where To Buy?
No.	Components	Distributor	Link To Buy
1	LCD 20x4	Amazon	Buy Now
2	Arduino Uno	Amazon	Buy Now

Soil Moisture Sensor Library For Proteus

• You can download the Proteus Library zip file of Soil Moisture Sensor Library by clicking the button below.

Download Proteus Library Files

• It’s a .zip file that contains two folders inside i.e. Proteus Library & Proteus Simulations.
• The real fun starts right here right away.
• Open proteus library folder that contains three files named:
  • SoilMoistureSensorTEP.IDX
  • SoilMoistureSensorTEP.LIB
  • SoilMoistureSensorTEP.HEX
• Copy and paste these three files in the Library folder of your Proteus software:

• Now, we need to run the Proteus ISIS software and don't forget to restart, if it's already open.
• Look for the Soil Moisture in the component’s search box as shown below.

• After installing the Library successfully, you’ll get similar results as below:

• You can see in the figure above we have one Soil Moisture Sensor.
• Now simply place this Soil Moisture Sensor in your Proteus workspace, as mentioned below:

• You can see in the figure above, I have placed one Soil Moisture Sensor inside the Proteus workspace.
• This sensor carries 4 pins in total, named:

• V (Vcc): We’ll provide +5V here.
• G (GND): We’ll provide ground here.
• Ao (Out): It’s an analog output signal from the sensor.
• TestPin: It is used for simulation purposes only. Soil Moisture Sensor doesn’t contain this pin in real.

Adding Sensor’s Hex File

• After this drill, we’ll add the Sensor’s Hex File, which we have downloaded and placed in the Library folder.
• To do that, right-click on your Soil Moisture Sensor and then click on “Edit Properties” as below:

• Or you can double click the Soil Moisture Sensor, it will pop the window below:

• Click on the Browse button and add SoilMoistureSensorTEP.HEX file available in the Proteus Library section as shown in the figure below:

• After adding the Sensor’s Hex File, click on the ‘OK’ button to close the ‘Edit Properties’ Panel.
• Our Soil Moisture Sensor is now ready to simulate in our Proteus ISIS.
• We’ll design a small circuit to thoroughly understand the working of this Soil Moisture Sensor.

Proteus Simulation of Soil Moisture Sensor

• Here, I’m designing a simple circuit. I’ve attached a variable resistor with the Test Pin & added a Voltmeter at the Output pin, as shown in the figure below:

• This resister defines the soil water content in the proteus simulation.
• When the resistance is maximum at the test pin, the circuit shows zero volts across the voltmeter, which means the sensor is either in the dry ground or taken out of the ground i.e. giving zero moisture value of the water content.
• And when resistance is zero, the circuit will show the maximum voltage across the voltmeter which indicates the sensor is inserted in a wet ground i.e. water contents in the soil are too high.
• This is important. We have attached the output pin with an LC filter. This filter is not required in real hardware implementation.
• We are using it in Proteus Simulation only as Proteus gives the peak-to-peak value and we have to convert that PP value into Vrms.
• If you are working on a real sensor then you don’t need to add this LC circuit.
• Now, let’s run this Proteus Simulation and if you have done everything as mentioned, it will show the result mentioned in the figure above.

Simulation of Soil Moisture Sensor with Arduino

Now, let's interface this sensor with a microcontroller.

• We have attached the output of the sensor appearing across the voltmeter with the A0 pin of the microcontroller as below.

You can see we get the analog value 1019 when the voltage across the voltmeter is 4.98V

This is it. I hope you find this tutorial helpful. This will help engineering students in simulating their semester projects in proteus. In the next tutorials, I’ll be sharing and adding more libraries of sensors. You’re most welcome to share your suggestions with the sensors you want me to libraries of. If you’re unsure or have any questions, you can ask me in the section below. I’ll help the best way I can. Thank you for reading this article.