HANOI UNIVERSITY OF SCIENE AND TECHNOLOGY

SCHOOL OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

FACULTY OF MECHATRONIC ENGINEERING

-----*-----

SENSORS AND SIGNAL PROCESSING

SUBJECT
UTILIZING TCS230 COLOR SENSORS

TEACHER: Ph.D Trần Văn Hướng

STUDENT : Nguyễn Thái Sơn – 20215752
Trần Đức Đào Nguyên – 20215743
Phạm Khắc Toàn – 20215765
CLASS : 152279

Hà Nội, 12/2024
 SENSORS AND SIGNAL PROCESSING

CONTENTS
SUMMARY OF PROJECT ............................................................................................................................................. 2
1.Outline the objectives, significance, and requirements of project. ....................................2
2.Summary of Achievements: ...................................................................................................2
3.The tasks ..................................................................................................................................2
PROBLEMS...................................................................................................................................................................... 3
Concept .......................................................................................................................................3
Description .................................................................................................................................3
Terminal .....................................................................................................................................4
The operating principle .............................................................................................................5
Function block diagram ............................................................................................................6
Interpreting Sensor Data ................................................................................................................................................. 9
Hardware components ............................................................................................................10
Schematic..................................................................................................................................12
Source code : ............................................................................................................................12
RESULT .......................................................................................................................................................................... 16
Calibrate :.................................................................................................................................17
CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................................................... 21
REFERENCE MATERIALS ........................................................................................................................................ 22

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SUMMARY OF PROJECT
1.Outline the objectives, significance, and requirements of project.
The course aims to provide for students basic knowledge and fundamental of sensors,
along with signal processing circuits, post-sensor signal processing methods and sensor
pairing with processing stages. next in measurement, control and mechatronic systems.
Common types of sensors are classified and presented in groups with similar
characteristics in circuit and signal processing methods after the sensor, in order to help
students easily grasp and synthesize knowledge. The content of the module is the basis for
students to carry out projects and other specialized subjects.
2.Summary of Achievements:
Students will gain numerous benefits when using color sensors in the Sensors and Signal
Processing course. Specifically, students will: Understanding the principles of operation
and applications of color sensors.
Developing programming skills and signal processing abilities.
Examples of applications of color sensors:
- Color detection.
- Object classification.
- Motion tracking.
3.The tasks
FULL NAME Tasks NOTES
NO
Nguyễn Thái Sơn Analyze the operating principle
1
Draw the circuit diagram
Trần Đức Đào Nguyên Programming
2
Calculating
Calibrating sensor
Phạm Khắc Toàn Writing report
3
Complete hardware system

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SENSORS AND SIGNAL PROCESSING

PROBLEMS
Concept
How to classify product in the industry , quality control of the product?
We can use color sensors
In this project , we work with and operate the TCS 230 color sensor

TCS 230 sensor

Description
The TCS230 programmable color light-to-frequency converter combines configurable
silicon photodiodes and a current-to-frequency converter on single monolithic CMOS
integrated circuit. The output is a square wave (50% duty cycle) with frequency directly
proportional to light intensity (irradiance). The full-scale output frequency can be scaled
by one of three preset values via two control input pins. Digital inputs and digital output
allow direct interface to a microcontroller or other logic circuitry. Output enable (OE)
places the output in the high-impedance state for multiple-unit sharing of a microcontroller
input line. The light-to-frequency converter reads an 8 x 8 array of photodiodes. Sixteen
photodiodes have blue filters, 16 photodiodes have green filters, 16 photodiodes have red
filters, and 16 photodiodes are clear with no filters. The four types (colors) of photodiodes
are interdigitated to minimize the effect of non-uniformity of incident irradiance. All 16
photodiodes of the same color are connected in parallel and which type of photodiode the

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device uses during operation is pin-selectable. Photodiodes are 120 µm x 120 µm in size
and are on 144-µm centers.
Features:
- High - Resolution Conversion of Light
- Intensity to Frequency
- Programmable Color and Full-Scale Output TFrequency
- Communicates Directly With a Microcontroller
- Single-Supply Operation (2.7 V to 5.5 V)
- Power Down Feature
- Nonlinearity Error Typically 0.2% at 50 kHz
- Stable 200 ppm/°C Temperature Coefficient
- Low - Profile Surface-Mount Package
Terminal

Terminal No I/O Description

Power supply ground. All voltages are referenced to

GND 4 GND.

OE 3 I Enable for fo (active low).

OUT 6 0 Output frequency (fo).

SO, Sl 1, 2 I Output frequency scaling selection inputs.

S2, S3 7, 8 I Photodiode type selection inputs.

VDD 5 Supply voltage

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The operating principle

The light-to-electric signal conversion process in the TCS230 sensor can be broken down
into two main steps:
Step 1: Light Absorption
When light strikes the sensor, it gets absorbed by electrons within the material.
An absorbing electron receives energy from a photon of light, entering an excited state.
Step 2: Signal Generation
The excited electrons release their gained energy as an electric current.
This current is then converted into an electrical signal.

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Function block diagram

Digital inputs and digital output allow direct interface to a microcontroller or other logic
circuitry.
Output enable (/OE) places the output in the high-impedance state for multiple-unit sharing
of a microcontroller input line.
The output is a square wave (50% duty cycle) with frequency (fO) directly proportional to
light intensity (irradiance).
The full-scale output frequency can be scaled by one of three preset values and off, via
two control input pins (S0, S1).
Four types of photodiodes - Red, Green, Blue and Clear (no filter) - are pin-selectable (S2,
S3) to read the individual components of the color detected
Selectable options of output frequency scaling

OUTPUT FREQUENCY SCALING

S0 S1 (fo) S2 S3 PHOTODIODE TYPE

L L Power down L L Red

L H 2% L H Blue

H L 20% H L Clear (no filter)

H H 100% H H Green

Photodiode spectral responsivity

The table above shows the spectral response
of a photodiode. The spectral response is a
graph that shows the intensity of light
emitted or absorbed by a material at different
wavelengths. In this case, the photodiode is
stimulated by light with wavelengths from
300 to
1100 nanometers (nm).The x-axis of the
graph is the wavelength of light, expressed in
units of nanometers. The y-axis is the
relative sensitivity of the photodiode,
expressed as a number from 0 to 1. The
number 1 corresponds to the highest sensitivity, while the number 0 corresponds to the
lowest sensitivity.As you can see, the photodiode is most sensitive to light with a
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wavelength of 680 nm. This is the wavelength of red light. The photodiode is also sensitive
to light with a wavelength of 500 nm, corresponding to green light. However, its sensitivity
to blue and violet light is much lower.The spectral response of a photodiode can be used
to identify the type of photodiode.

TEST CLEAR BLUE GREEN RED

CONDITIONS PHOTODIOD PHOTODIOD PHOTODIODE PHOTO
E E DIODE
S2 = H, S3 = H
S2 = H, S3 = L S2 = L, S3 = H S2 = L,
PARAMETER S3 = L UNIT

MIN TYP MAX MIN TYP MAX MIN TYP MAX MIN
TYP
MAX

Ee = 47.2 16 20 24 11.2 16.4 21.6 kHz

mW/cm2,
λp = 470 nm

Ee = 40.4 16 20 24 8 13.6 19.2 kHz

mW/cm2,
λp = 524 nm

Ee = 34.6 16 20 24 14 kHz
mW/cm2, 19
fO ( Output λp = 640 nm
frequency) 24

fD (Dark Ee = 0 2 12 2 12 2 12 Hz
frequency) 2
12

λp = 470 nm 424 348 81 26

λp = 524 nm 495 163 337 35

Irradiance Re λp = 565 nm 532 37 309 91 Hz/

responsivity (mW/
(Note 8) λp = 640 nm 578 31 29 550 cm2)

λp = 470 nm 1410 1720

λp = 524 nm 1210 1780

Saturation λp = 565 nm 1130 1940

irradiance mW/
(Note 9) λp = 640 nm 1040 1090 cm2

λp = 470 nm 565 464 108 35 Hz/lx

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λp = 524 nm 95 31 65 7
Illuminance Rv
responsivity λp = 565 nm 89 6 52 15
(Note 10)
λp = 640 nm 373 20 19 355

fO = 0 to 5 kHz ± 0.1% ± 0.1% ± 0.1% ± 0.1% %F.S.

fO = 0 to 50 ± 0.2% ± 0.2 ± 0.2 ± 0.2 %F.S.

kHz % % %

Nonlinearity fO = 0 to 500 ± 0.5% ± 0.5% ± 0.5% ± 0.5% %F.S.

(Note 11) kHz

Recovery from 100 100 100 100 ms

power down

Response time 100 100 100 100 ns

to out- put
enable (OE)

For example, photodiodes with the highest sensitivity to red light are often used in
applications such as color sensors.
Operating Characteristics at VDD = 5 V, TA = 25°C, S0 = H, S1 = H

NOTES:
8. Irradiance responsivity Re is characterized over the range from zero to 5 kHz.
9. Saturation irradiance = (full-scale frequency)/(irradiance responsivity).
10. Illuminance responsivity Rv is calculated from the irradiance responsivity by using the
LED luminous efficacy values stated in notes
4, 5, and 6 and using 1 lx = 1 lm/m2.
11. Nonlinearity is defined as the deviation of fO from a straight line between zero and
full scale, expressed as a percent of full scale

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INTERPRETING SENSOR DATA

The output is a square wave (50% duty cycle) with frequency (fO) directly proportional to
light intensity:
Fo=fd+(Re)(Ee)
where fo is the output frequency; fd is the output frequency for dark condition (when Ee
= 0); Re is the device responsivity for a given wavelength of light in kHz/(mW/c𝑚2 ); Ee
is the incident irradiance in mW/c𝑚2 .
fd is an output frequency resulting from leakage currents. As shown in the equation above,
this frequency represents a light-independent term in the total output frequency fo. At very
low light levels (dark colors), this dark frequency can be a significant portion of fo. The
dark frequency is also temperature dependent.
As fo is directly proportional to frequency, it is possible to map between the frequency and
RGB color value (0-255 for each of R, G and B) using linear interpolation.

Two points on the RGB line are well determined – pure Black (RGB 0, 0, 0) and pure
White (255, 255, 255). The values returned by the sensor can be read using easily
obtainable color swatches:
A black color card gives us the dark condition constant fd. This is the origin (zero value)
for the RGB straight line conversion.
A white color card gives us the extreme RGB point fw, also known as white balance.
Knowing fd, this value can be used to scale all intermediate frequencies to a corresponding
RGB value.
The proportional relationship is expressed by the standard straight line equation y =
mx + b where
y is the reading obtained (in our case fO)

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x is the normalised RGB value

b is the value of y when x is 0 (in our case fD)
fw − fd
m is the slope, or proportionality constant, of the line (in our case ).
255
The resulting equation is
fw − fd
fo= fd+ x
255
or, rearranging to give us the desired RGB value
𝑓0 − 𝑓𝑑
𝑥 = 255
(𝑓𝑤 − 𝑓𝑑)

Hardware components

Number Name Quantity

1 ARDUINO UNO R3 1

2 LCD 1602 1

3 MODULE I2C 1

4 JUMPER WIRES 11

5 TCS 230 1

1. ARDUINO UNO R3
Arduino is an open-source electronics platform based on easy-to-use hardware and
software. Arduino boards are able to read inputs - light on a sensor, a finger on a button,
or a Twitter message - and turn it into an output - activating a motor, turning on an LED,
publishing something online. You can tell your board what to do by sending a set of
instructions to the microcontroller on the board. To do so you use the Arduino
programming language (based on Wiring), and the Arduino Software (IDE), based on
Processing.
Over the years Arduino has been the brain of thousands of projects, from everyday objects
to complex scientific instruments. A worldwide community of makers - students,
hobbyists, artists, programmers, and professionals - has gathered around this open-source
platform, their contributions have added up to an incredible amount of accessible
knowledge that can be of great help to novices and experts a like
2. LCD 1602 + I2C
LCD modules are very commonly used in most embedded projects, the reason being its
cheap price, availability and programmer friendly. Most of us would have come across
these displays in our day to day life, either at PCO’s or calculators. The appearance and
the pinouts have already been visualized above now let us get a bit technical.

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16×2 LCD is named so because; it has 16 Columns and 2 Rows. There are a lot of
combinations available like, 8×1, 8×2, 10×2, 16×1, etc. but the most used one is the 16×2
LCD. So, it will have (16×2=32) 32 characters in total and each character will be made of
5×8 Pixel Dots. A Single character with all its Pixels is shown in the below picture.
Now, we know that each character has (5×8=40) 40 Pixels and for 32 Characters we will
have (32×40) 1280 Pixels. Further, the LCD should also be instructed about the Position
of the Pixels. Hence it will be a hectic task to handle everything with the help of MCU,
hence an Interface IC like HD44780is used, which is mounted on the backside of the LCD
Module itself. The function of this IC is to get the Commands and Data from the MCU
and process them to display meaningful information onto our LCD Screen. You can learn
how to interface an LCD using the above mentioned links. If you are an advanced
programmer and would like to create your own library for interfacing your Microcontroller
with this LCD module then you have to understand the HD44780 IC is working and
commands which can be found its datasheet.

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Schematic

Source code :
First we need to define the pins to which the sensor is connected and define a variable for
reading the frequency. In the setup section we need to define the four control pins as
outputs and the sensor output as an Arduino input. Here we also need to set the frequency-
scaling, for this example I will set it to 20%, and start the serial communication for
displaying the results in the Serial Monitor.

In the loop section, we will start with reading the red filtered photodiodes. For that purpose
we will set the two control pins S2 and S3 to low logic level. Then using the “pulseIn()”
function we will read the output frequency and put it into the variable “frequency”. Using
the Serial.print() function we will print the result on the serial monitor. The same procedure
goes for the two other colors, we just need to adjust the control pins for the appropriate
color.1
#include <LiquidCrystal_I2C.h>
LiquidCrystal_I2C lcd(0x27,16,2);

#define S0 4
#define S1 5
#define S2 6
#define S3 7

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#define OUT 8

int RED_freq = 0;
int GREEN_freq = 0;
int BLUE_freq = 0;

void setup() {
pinMode(S0, OUTPUT);
pinMode(S1, OUTPUT);
pinMode(S2, OUTPUT);
pinMode(S3, OUTPUT);

pinMode(OUT, INPUT);

digitalWrite(S0,LOW);
digitalWrite(S1,HIGH);// 1600 800 2300

// digitalWrite(S0,HIGH);
// digitalWrite(S1,LOW); //200 4 300

// digitalWrite(S0,HIGH);
// digitalWrite(S1,HIGH);

Serial.begin(115200);

lcd.init();
lcd.backlight();
lcd.setCursor(0,0);
lcd.print("Color Detecting");
lcd.setCursor(0,1);
lcd.print("Initializing..");
}
void loop() {
digitalWrite(S2,LOW);
digitalWrite(S3,LOW);

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RED_freq = pulseIn(OUT, LOW);

Serial.print("R = ");
Serial.print(RED_freq);
delay(500);

digitalWrite(S2,HIGH);
digitalWrite(S3,HIGH);
GREEN_freq = pulseIn(OUT, LOW);
Serial.print(" G = ");
Serial.print(GREEN_freq);
delay(500);

digitalWrite(S2,LOW);
digitalWrite(S3,HIGH);
BLUE_freq = pulseIn(OUT, LOW);
Serial.print(" B = ");
Serial.println(BLUE_freq);
delay(500);

int R = RED_freq;
int G = GREEN_freq;
int B = BLUE_freq;

if ((R > 1500 && R < 3000) && (G > 4000 && G < 9000) && (B > 5000 && B <
9990)){
Serial.println("=> Red Detected");
lcd.setCursor(0,1);
lcd.print("=> Red ");
}
else if (R > 6000 && (G > 2000 && G < 6000) && (B > 1000 && B < 5000)) {
Serial.println("=> Blue Detected");
lcd.setCursor(0, 1);
lcd.print("=> Blue ");
}

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else if ((R > 5000 && R < 9000) && (G > 500 && G < 2000) && (B > 1000 && B
< 9000) ){
Serial.println("=> Green Detected");
lcd.setCursor(0, 1);
lcd.print("=> Green ");
}
else if ((R > 0000 && R < 2000) && (G > 0000 && R < 2000) && (B > 3000
&& B < 5000)) {
Serial.println("=> Yellow Detected");
lcd.setCursor(0, 1);
lcd.print("=> Yellow ");
}
else{
Serial.println("None Color Detected");
lcd.setCursor(0,1);
lcd.print("=> None Color ");
}
}

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RESULT
Now if we run the Serial Monitor we will start getting some values. These values depend
on the selected frequency-scaling, as well as from the surrounding lighting
Note here that three values differ due to the different sensitivity of each photodiode type,
as seen from the photodiode spectral responsivity diagram from the datasheet of the sensor.
Nevertheless, now let’s see how the values react when we will bring different colors in
front of the sensor. So for example, if we bring red color, the initial value will drop down,
in my case from around 1500 to around 3000.
The result displayed on the Arduino IDE's

Serial Monitor shows three basic color

parameters:
R (Red), G (Green), and B (Blue).
By combining these three values,
we obtain the desired color
representation

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Calibrate :
At the data collection step, you need to perform the following steps:
1. Prepare objects with basic colors (red, green, blue, white, black) or the colors you
want to calibrate accurately.
2. Place these objects in front of the TCS230 sensor in a stable lighting condition.
3. Use the current code to measure the pulse width (PW) value of the sensor for each
reference color.
4. Note the PW value of each reference color.
For example, to collect data for the color green, you can perform the following steps:
1. Prepare a green object.
2. Place this object in front of the TCS230 sensor in a stable lighting condition.
3. Run the code and record the PW value of the sensor.
4. Repeat steps 2-3 for other green objects.
After collecting data for all reference colors, you can use this data to determine the color
threshold for each color. Here are some tips for collecting data:
• Make sure that the colored objects are placed in front of the sensor in the same
position. This will help ensure that the PW measurements are accurate.
• If possible, try to collect data in a variety of lighting conditions. This will help you
determine more accurate color thresholds for different lighting environments.
• Check the collected data to ensure that they are accurate. If you see any abnormal
PW values, remove them from your dataset.
• You can use a spreadsheet or graphing software to help you analyze the data. This
will help you identify trends and patterns in the data.
• You can use a statistical analysis tool to help you determine the best thresholds for
each color.

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CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the utilization of the TCS230 sensor in the context of signal processing has
proven to be both insightful and promising. Through our experimentation, we successfully
integrated the TCS230 sensor into our setup, aiming to explore its capabilities and
applications.
The TCS230 sensor, with its principle of operation based on color sensing, demonstrated
reliable performance in capturing and processing signals related to the intensity and
frequency of incident light. The obtained results revealed a clear correlation between the
sensor's output and the characteristics of the applied stimuli.
Our analysis of the data highlighted the sensor's strengths in accurately detecting and
quantifying color variations. The versatility of the TCS230 was evident as it provided
consistent results across a range of test scenarios. This reliability positions the sensor as a
valuable tool for applications requiring precise color recognition.
However, it's essential to acknowledge certain limitations encountered during our
experimentation. Factors such as ambient light conditions and sensor calibration proved to
influence the sensor's output, prompting consideration for further refinement in real-world
applications.
Despite these challenges, the TCS230 sensor holds great potential in various practical
applications. Its effectiveness in color sensing opens avenues for integration into fields
such as industrial automation, robotics, and quality control processes.
In the future, advancements in sensor calibration techniques and noise reduction methods
could enhance the TCS230's performance further. Additionally, exploring collaborative
applications with other sensors and technologies may unlock new possibilities for
comprehensive signal processing solutions.
In summary, our exploration of the TCS230 sensor in the realm of signal processing has
provided valuable insights into its capabilities and limitations. As we continue to refine
and expand our understanding of this technology, the TCS230 stands poised as a reliable
and adaptable tool for a wide range of applications in color sensing and signal processing.

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REFERENCE MATERIALS
The LUMENOLOGY Company & TAOS Inc. (2008).
TCS230 PROGRAMMABLE COLOR LIGHT-TO-FREQUENCY CONVERTER.
https://www.mouser.com/datasheet/2/588/cs230-e33-
1214740.pdf?srsltid=AfmBOopuCC56bMLrGLAi2czzqiM29_EMsNsWULfnpWSuO_C
zS-bnxxUR
TAOS, Inc., & Poynton, C. (2005). Sensing color with the TAOS TCS230.
https://arduinoplusplus.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/color-sensing-using-
the-tcs230-wp.pdf
Bill Earl. (2013, May 21). Adafruit Color Sensors. Adafruit Learning System.
https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-color-sensors/arduino-code
Mybotic. (2020, July 21). Tutorial: How to Use RGB Colour Detector Sensor TCS230
With Arduino UNO. Instructables.
https://www.instructables.com/Tutorial-How-to-Use-RGB-Colour-Detector-Sensor-by-/

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