Re: Solar Powered PIC


WiseOne wrote:
Hi all.. Sorry this is maybe a bit long winded.

I'm Just gathering thoughts together for a project that has family
connection close at heart.

My father (deceased) was a lighhouse keeper on various lighhouses
around Ireland and as one of those Father/Son things, I'd like to keep
remembering him by having something around my home that may seem
unusual to neighbours but meaningful to me plus, a conversation
starter.

I used to have a lighhouse overlooking a garden pond that was powered
by a simple stobe circuit but it was more of a novelty when my dad was
alive.

What I would like to do now as a project is to build a PIC based
project that will simulate the flashing sequence of a particular
lighthouse. The PIC circuit I can get working okay via they
technology department in the school I work in but what I would like to
do is operate it using a solar panel so that I don't need to work with
mains - everything self-contained.

I've been looking at the Garden type solar panels and notice that they
only charge at 3.6V into 2 NICAD batteries at 2.8V but PIC's operate
at 5V. I would like to use LED's as the light source so what way
would anyone suggest I increase the charging mechanism so that I can
build up a suitable voltage/current to operate a PIC circuit with
LED's (say 1 bright LED)

A lot of PIC's will run nicely on 2.0 volts if you limit the clock to
4Mhz. Although your solar panel may be 3.6 volts, the pair of NICAD's
only puts out 2.4 volts. This is fine for the PIC, but make sure your
selected LED's can run on this voltage.

Also, you can safely drive the LED's directly with the PIC, the outputs
are current limited.

For lots of PIC stuff: http://members.cox.net/berniekm/
Luhan

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Solar Powered PIC
    ... I used to have a lighhouse overlooking a garden pond that was powered ... The PIC circuit I can get working okay via they ... Although your solar panel may be 3.6 volts, ...
    (sci.electronics.design)
  • Re: Solar Powered PIC
    ... I used to have a lighhouse overlooking a garden pond that was powered ... The PIC circuit I can get working okay via they ... Although your solar panel may be 3.6 volts, ...
    (sci.electronics.design)
  • Re: Solar Powered PIC
    ... My father was a lighhouse keeper on various lighhouses ... The PIC circuit I can get working okay via they ... Although your solar panel may be 3.6 volts, ...
    (sci.electronics.design)
  • Re: Solar Powered PIC
    ... My father was a lighhouse keeper on various lighhouses ... I used to have a lighhouse overlooking a garden pond that was powered ... The PIC circuit I can get working okay via they ... do is operate it using a solar panel so that I don't need to work with ...
    (sci.electronics.design)
  • Solar Powered PIC
    ... My father was a lighhouse keeper on various lighhouses ... I used to have a lighhouse overlooking a garden pond that was powered ... The PIC circuit I can get working okay via they ... do is operate it using a solar panel so that I don't need to work with ...
    (sci.electronics.basics)