TCS3200 RGB Color Sensor Equivalents, Structure, Applications and Usage
07 December 2023
Ⅱ. Features of TCS3200 color sensor
Ⅲ. TCS3200 symbol, footprint and pin configuration
Ⅳ. Structure of TCS3200 color sensor
Ⅴ. Applications of TCS3200 color sensor
Ⅵ. Technical parameters of TCS3200 color sensor
Ⅶ. Color recognition principle of TCS3200
Ⅷ. How to use the TCS3200 color sensor?
TCS3200 is a widely used sensor for color detection and recognition, which can measure the color of an object's surface and convert it into a digital signal output. Below we will introduce its features, structure, applications, technical parameters and usage.
The TCS3200 is a programmable color light-to-frequency converter manufactured by TAOS. It integrates a configurable silicon photodiode, a current-to-frequency converter, and three color (RGB) filters, making it the industry's first RGB color sensor with a digitally compatible interface. The TCS3200 has a wide range of applications in colorimetry measurement applications, such as color printing, medical diagnostics, calibration of computer color monitors, and process control of paints, textiles, cosmetics, and printed materials. process control.
Replacements and equivalents:
• BH1745NUC
• TCS230
• TCS3414
• TCS34725
• TCS3200 has adjustable gain which can be adjusted according to the ambient light condition.
• TCS3200 can operate in two modes: frequency output mode and pulse output mode.
• It detects the light intensity reflected from objects and generates square wave signals with different frequencies.
• A configurable silicon photodiode is integrated with the current-frequency converter on a single CMOS circuit.
• It is possible to control the frequency range of the output signal by configuring the photodiode matrix and the current frequency converter.
• The TCS3200's photodiodes are arranged in a 16x4 array for relatively high resolution.
The figure above shows the symbol, footprint and pin configuration of the TCS3200. The TCS3200 has eight pins and comes in an SOIC surface mount package. The following are the names and functions of the pins.
Pin 1&2 (S0&S1): Select lines for output frequency scaling.
Pin 3 (OE): Enable for fo (active low)
Pin 4 (GND): This pin is used to connect the sensor to the ground (0V).
Pin 5 (VCC): It is a supply voltage. The pin provides power to the sensor which can be 5V.
Pin 6 (OUT): Output frequency (fo).
Pin 7&8 (S2&S3): Select lines for photodiode type.
The TCS3200 is a sensor capable of detecting any number of colors with correct programming. It contains RGB (Red Green Blue) array. As shown in the picture, under a microscope we can see the box inside the sensor's eye. These boxes are components of the RGB matrix. Each box contains three sensors for sensing red light intensity, green light intensity, and blue light intensity.
Each of these three arrays is individually selected based on requirements, hence it is called a programmable sensor. It is able to perceive certain colors and avoid others. Additionally, it has a "no filter mode." In this mode, the sensor is able to detect white light.
• Medical diagnosis: It can help doctors understand the patient's health status in a timely manner by detecting the color of the patient's blood, providing a strong basis for subsequent diagnosis and treatment.
• Color correction: The TCS3200 can be used to correct the color of a monitor or camera to ensure that they can accurately display or capture color.
• IoT application: By combining the Arduino development board with TCS3200, we can achieve real-time collection of color data. This data can be used in a wide range of IoT applications.
• Color recognition: The TCS3200 sensor can measure the color of an object and output the corresponding RGB value, thereby helping the system determine the color of the object.
• Environmental monitoring: TCS3200 can be used in the field of environmental monitoring. It can quickly detect the color and pollution level of water, providing important technical support for environmental protection.
• Color feedback system: In some interactive systems, TCS3200 can be used to identify user-specified colors, thereby triggering corresponding feedback, such as providing different display colors to the user or performing specific operations.
For the TCS3200 sensor, when a color filter is selected, it only allows a particular primary color to pass, preventing the passage of other primary colors. For example, when the red filter is selected, only red incident light can pass through, blue and green are blocked. With these three light intensity values, we can analyze the color of the light reflected onto the TCS3200 sensor. The TCS3200 sensor has four filters: red, green, blue and clear, and we can select the filter mode by the high and low levels of its pins S2 and S3.
L stands for low level and H stands for high level. When the red, green and blue rays of the reflected light from the object under test pass through the corresponding filters and reach the TAOS TCS320ORGB sensor chip, respectively, its built-in oscillator generates a square wave, the frequency of which is proportional to the intensity of the light sensed. The stronger the light, the higher the frequency of the square wave output from the oscillator. The TCS3200 sensor has a pin OUT, which outputs a signal whose frequency is proportional to the frequency of the built-in oscillator. The user can select the ratio factor by adjusting the levels of pins SO and S1.
Now we have processed the light intensity value so that it is converted into a wave and multiplied a factor on top of it to convert it into the frequency of the signal that the OUT pin outputs to the main control board. Next, we need to get the RGB standard value of the corresponding color, we need to do white balance correction.
First, we connect the sensor's pins to the corresponding pins on the controller board. The TCS3200 sensor has VCC, GND, S0, S1, S2, S3, OUT and other pins. VCC and GND are connected to the 3.3V and GND pins on the controller board respectively, and the OUT pin is connected to a number on the controller board. On the input pins, the S0, S1, S2, and S3 pins are connected to the digital output pins of the controller board and are used to select the working mode of the sensor.
Next, we select the sensor's operating mode according to our needs. The TCS3200 sensor supports three main operating modes, namely output frequency measurement mode, output frequency comparison mode, and output level measurement mode. By adjusting the level of S2 and S3 pins, we can select different modes, please refer to the datasheet of the sensor for details.
Finally, the sensor will get the color data by reading the level change of the OUT pin. The sensor will change the output level according to the light intensity of the detected red, green and blue colors. The color data is acquired by reading the real-time level of the OUT pin. We use the interrupt function of the digital input pin to detect the level change in real time.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is TCS3200 color sensor?
The TCS3200 programmable color light-to-frequency converter combines configurable silicon photodiodes and a current-to-frequency converter on a single monolithic CMOS integrated circuit. The output is a square wave (50% duty cycle) with frequency directly proportional to light intensity (irradiance).
2. What is the use of TCS3200?
The TCS3200 color sensor can detect a wide variety of colors based on their wavelength. This sensor is specially useful for color recognition projects such as color matching, color sorting, test strip reading and much more.
3. What type of sensor is TCS3200?
TCS3200 color sensor is a complete color detector, including a TAOS TCS3200 RGB sensor chip and 4 white LEDs.
4. What is the difference between TCS3200 and TCS230?
The TCS3200 is a color sensor that can detect a wide range of colors, while the TCS230 is a more sensitive sensor that can detect a narrower range of colors with higher precision. Both sensors are typically used in applications such as color detection, color identification and color sorting.
5. How does the TCS3200 work?
The TCS3200 programmable color light-to-frequency converter combines configurable silicon photodiodes and a current-to-frequency converter on a single monolithic CMOS integrated circuit. The output is a square wave (50% duty cycle) with frequency directly proportional to light intensity (irradiance).
