Principles of Operation

We have already discussed how a light sensor works. IR Sensors work by using a specific light sensor to detect a select light wavelength in the Infra-Red (IR) spectrum. By using an LED which produces light at the same wavelength as what the sensor is looking for, you can look at the intensity of the received light. When an object is close to the sensor, the light from the LED bounces off the object and into the light sensor. This results in a large jump in the intensity, which we already know can be detected using a threshold.

Depiction of the operation of an IR Sensor

Detecting Brightness
Since the sensor works by looking for reflected light, it is possible to have a sensor that can return the value of the reflected light. This type of sensor can then be used to measure how "bright" the object is. This is useful for tasks like line tracking.

Depiction of the operationof an IR Sensor to measure brightness

Comparison to a Normal IR Sensor

A normal IR sensor can only tell if an object is bouncing back the IR light. There are times, however, when you also need to know how far away that object is. This is where the Sharp IR sensor comes into play. The Sharp sensor has a special detector that not only determines if there is light, but can also measure how far away an object is and return an analog value of the distance. Back to the top

How it works
The detector in the Sharp IR sensor is similar to the imaging sensor found in digital cameras. Since the detector and the IR LED have a fixed distance and orientation relative to each other, the distance of an object will affect the angle at which the light from the IR LED hits the receiver. By looking at where the light hits the detector, it is possible to calculate the angle of the light and from that angle derive the distance to the object (all of which is done by the sensor itself).

The Sharp IR sensor can detect object distance

Infrared sensor work principle

Infrared technology develpoping until now, already has been known to everyone, this technology has been generally used in the application of modern science technology, national defense and industrial and agricultural fields. Infrared sensor system is by means of media to be a infared measurement system.for the media, in accordance with the function can be divided into five categories: (1) radiometer, apply to spectrum and radiation measurements; (2) search and track system,for searching and tracting Infrared target to define its spatial location as well as tracting its movement; (3) thermal imaging systems, can generate the distribution chart of the target infrared radiation; (4) infrared distance measurement and Communication systems; (5) hybrid system, is of the combination of two or more systems above mentioned. According to detection mechanism,Infrared sensors can be divided: photon detectors(based on the photoelectric effect) and heat detectors(based on thermal effects.)

We first look at the composition of infrared systems, the main optical system and auxiliary optical system, on the basis of that we discuss the key components of IR in detail. In fact, the infrared sensor Works is not complicated. Infrared sensor work principle (1) measured target. infrared radiation infrared system can be set according to the peculiarity of IR radiation of measured target. (2) atmosphere attenuation. infrared radiation of measured target will be attenuated through the Earths atmosphere, due to the scattering and absorption of gas molecules, a variety of gases and sol particles. (3) optical receiver. It receives some infrared radiation of measured target and transmittes to the infrared sensor. just like radar antenna. (4) radiation modulator. it can modulates radiation into alternating radiation,providing information of target location and filtering out a large area of interference information.it known as the modulation drive or chopper,which has avariety of structures. (5) infrared detector. This is the core of IR systems. It is the use of the physical effects of interaction between infrared radiation and matter to detct infrared radiation. In most of cases it is the use of this electrical effects showing in the interaction effect. Such detectors can be divided into sensitive photon detectors and thermal detectors. (6) detector cooler. Because some detectors must work at low temperature.By refrigeration,the equipment can shorten responsetime to enhance sensitivity. (7) signal processing system. It could enlarge and tilter detacting signal to get information. And then translates the information into required format which is transfer to the control device or display at last. (8) display device. This is the final device of infrared device. Display devices are commonly used including oscilloscopes, cathode ray tubes, infrared-sensitive materials, instructions and other instruments and recorder. Infrared system could be able to complete the relevant physical measurement in accordance with the process above mentioned.

The core of infrared system is infrared detectors which can be divided into Thermal detectors and photon detectors according to the different detecting mechanism. The following example of a thermal detector is used to analyze principle of the detector. Thermal detectors make use of radiant heat effect, so that make the temperature of detecting component raise after receiving radiation energy, and thus make the detector performance depends on the temperature performance change. The radiation will be detated when detecting temperature performance change. In most cases, to detect change through thermal radiation. When the device receives radiation to cause non-electricity change that can be measured the power change by means of appropriate transformation.