photodiode output amplification

Thread Starter

Chinmaya kulkarni

Joined Sep 8, 2016
5
Guys i need some help. So i have this application in which i use an infrared led at sending end sfh 4845 osram and at receiving end i have a photodiode sfh 2400 fa osram in reverse bias. I need a simple amplification circuit using any bjt so that when i shine led, i get some amplified voltage at output. I had tried common emitter amplification. As it amplifies current. But somehow haven't gotten any result. I would really appreciate your help. Thank you.

upload_2016-9-9_6-14-30.png
 

be80be

Joined Jul 5, 2008
2,072
Last edited:

Sinus23

Joined Sep 7, 2013
248
Are you sure that you have tried this?

The red line is when the current source is turning the transistor hard into saturation making the voltage drop over R2 dominant. The blue one is when there is almost no current going to the base, turning it pretty much off making the voltage drop over collector-emitter dominant.

The R2 is probably not the best calculated value but as an example it works...

1234.png

Also you might want to read this if you haven't already.

http://www.osioptoelectronics.com/application-notes/AN-Photodiode-Parameters-Characteristics.pdf
 
Last edited:

dl324

Joined Mar 30, 2015
16,845
Welcome to AAC!
I need a simple amplification circuit using any bjt so that when i shine led, i get some amplified voltage at output. I had tried common emitter amplification. As it amplifies current. But somehow haven't gotten any result.
What voltage do you measure on the collector of the transistor under no light and full light conditions? What voltage change do you want?
 

Thread Starter

Chinmaya kulkarni

Joined Sep 8, 2016
5
First of all thank you guys for your replies. So first I will try the emitter follower (in spice simulation) and see what output I get. @dl324 I got the same output 11.4/11.5 V with or without light. That's the problem. My output with the circuit remains independent of the IR LED input. It made me wonder whether my amplification circuit is wrong. I hope I am making myself clear, as I am a newbie in electronics. Thank you.
 

HW-nut

Joined May 12, 2016
97
I suggest getting rid of the BJT's and use an op-amp configured as a current to voltage converter. The circuit is simple and has excellent control of the gain. The BJT approach will have poor gain control.
 

be80be

Joined Jul 5, 2008
2,072
I don't no what spice shows but the emitter follower in real life with photodiode inside a 1 inch straw covered with black tape so light only comes in at one end. Gives you about 1.88 volts off I mean as in no led pointed at it and 4.88 volts turned on and if you move away it can change lower from the 4.88 volts down to the 1.88.
This is using 5 volts so I can read it with a ADC pin of a arduino.
But at 12 volts you'd be in the 4.5 volt to 11.5 volts
I don't see how you could test this with spice I didn't see any light setting last time I looked Joke but I still
don't think spice is what you want to test it.
 

Sinus23

Joined Sep 7, 2013
248
I have simulated optical sensors with spice using voltage controlled current sources.
If it's not an industrial secret would care to show us? Besides I don't think that simulation is the problem.

I think be80be hit the nail on the head with the real world problem. I just made the simulation to prove that emitter follower would most likely be better than common emitter in this case.
 

be80be

Joined Jul 5, 2008
2,072
I don't see how you could test this with spice I didn't see any light setting last time I looked Joke but I still
don't think spice is what you want to test it.
I guess some miss the Joke part I know you can test with spice just I'm about sure what you come up with will not match the real hardware.
Which I no it true cause I just did some test in last week and it didn't.
And the emitter follower works good a opamp is better. This week is going to be phototransistor week when I get into it.
I just got a bunch of cheap laser pointers to shine on them.
 

Thread Starter

Chinmaya kulkarni

Joined Sep 8, 2016
5
Hi Guys, sorry for my late answer. @be80be I agree with you, spice just shows the simulation for electronics signals/ circuits. I also tried emitter follower and my application worked. Thanks a lot.
@Sinus23 My application is to make a 'proof of concept' design for frustrated total internal reflection. but I have to replace camera and use photodiodes instead; which is now working (yeyy!!). I can not take pics to show the whole assembly but I will get the spice file.
Thanks all.
 

be80be

Joined Jul 5, 2008
2,072
That's what it's for (video imaging ?) scanning but you could do a big area with one and the op still be using photodiodes.
 
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