Transimpedance Amplifier

  1. Connect a 3.3V power supply to VCC+ and SHDN terminal
  2. Connect a multimeter (set to measure current) to the 2 terminals of the photodiode
  3. Connect a multimeter (set to measure voltage) to Test Point 2 and GND of the amplifier
  4. Place the setup under lights with different intensity
  5. Record the current and corresponding voltage values
  6. The conversion between current and voltage should be $V=IR_f$

ADC(VSENSE) Input Signal Testing (how to use an oscilloscope)

  1. Get a oscilloscope and the cables/probes
  2. Connect the cable to channel 1
  3. Press “coupling” button besides the screen to show the signals
  4. Connect the probe to “Probe Comp” at the bottom right of the screen, make sure the wave displayed is a square wave. Otherwise, adjust the probe using a osco driver (the special driver used to adjust the probe) to adjust the probe, until the wave becomes a square wave
  5. Adjust trigger level to set trigger line at the center of the screen to stabilize the wave
  6. After testing transimpedance amplifier, connect the probe to VSENSE terminal
  7. Adjusting external light source so that the photodiode could provide different currents
  8. The magnitude of voltage displayed on the oscilloscope should be proportional to the intensity of light

Solar Cell Testing

  1. Assemble the solar cells as indicated by the circuit diagram
  2. In a sunny day, place the solar cell board under sunshine, ensure that no parts of the board are under shades
  3. Use a multimeter, measure the voltage across 2 series connected solar cells