As demand for solar panel installation has risen sharply, especially for installations larger than balcony power plants, the order books of solar companies are full. If you ask for a quote today, you may have to wait a while, if your request isn't simply postponed indefinitely. Another consequence of the solar boom is that some companies are charging very high prices for installations.
Yet there is an obvious and radical solution to the problem of excessive prices: Do it yourself, as the English say. The price of materials is currently affordable, and it's the ideal time for those who do the work themselves. They couldn't save more. Add to this the satisfaction of doing something useful, both economically and ecologically, and the pleasure of building yourself.
In this special issue, you'll find a wide selection of Elektor assemblies, from solar panel controllers to solar water heaters and solar panel orientation systems. The issue also contains practical information on solar panel installation and the technology behind them. Finally, there are a number of articles on the subject of balcony power plants, from how to install them to how to connect them to the Internet...
Contents
BASICS
Dimensioning Photovoltaic Panel ArraysAn introduction to photovoltaic energy and the commonest techniques,followed by simplified calculation models and setup guidelines.
Light Sensor TechnologyMeasuring daylight using LEDs.
Solar Power Made SimpleSolar charging with and without a controller.
Cable Cross-sections and Energy Losses in Solar SystemsKey considerations on the minimum values to respect for electricalcurrent in solar panel cabling.
Solar ModulesEverything you always wanted to know about solar panels...
Ideal Diode ControllerDiode Circuits with Low Power Dissipation.
TIPS
Tracking for Solar Modules
zBot Solar/Battery Power Supply
Solar Cell Array Charger with Regulator
Solar Cell Voltage Regulator
Solar-Powered Night Light
Alternative Solar Battery Charger
PROJECTS
Energy LoggerMeasuring and Recording Power Consumption.
Tiny Solar SupplySunlight In, 3.3 V Out.
A Do-It-Yourself DTURead Data from Small Inverters by μC.
Solar ChargerPortable energy for people on the move.
Solar Thermal Energy RegulatorMaximum power point tracking explored.
2-amp Maximum Power Tracking ChargerSolar Power To The Max.
Computer-driven HeliostatFollow the sun or the stars.
Garden LightingUsing solar cells.
Solar Panel Voltage Converter for IoT DevicesYes we CAN exploit indoor lighting.
Travel ChargerFree power in the mountains.
Solar Cell Battery Charger/MonitorWith protection against deep discharge.
Solar-powered Battery ChargerPIC12C671 avoids overcharging and deep charging.
Converters for Photovoltaic PanelsContributed by TME (Transfer MultisortElektronik).
Solar Charging RegulatorFor panels up to 53 watts.
Solar-Powered ChargerFor lead-acid batteries.
CAN Bus + Arduino for Solar PV Cell MonitoringDetect and locate serviceable panels in large arrays.
Balcony Power Plant 2.0The latest: solar panels, installation and inverters
As demand for solar panel installation has risen sharply, especially for installations larger than balcony power plants, the order books of solar companies are full. If you ask for a quote today, you may have to wait a while, if your request isn't simply postponed indefinitely. Another consequence of the solar boom is that some companies are charging very high prices for installations.
Yet there is an obvious and radical solution to the problem of excessive prices: Do it yourself, as the English say. The price of materials is currently affordable, and it's the ideal time for those who do the work themselves. They couldn't save more. Add to this the satisfaction of doing something useful, both economically and ecologically, and the pleasure of building yourself.
In this special issue, you'll find a wide selection of Elektor assemblies, from solar panel controllers to solar water heaters and solar panel orientation systems. The issue also contains practical information on solar panel installation and the technology behind them. Finally, there are a number of articles on the subject of balcony power plants, from how to install them to how to connect them to the Internet...
Contents
BASICS
Dimensioning Photovoltaic Panel ArraysAn introduction to photovoltaic energy and the commonest techniques,followed by simplified calculation models and setup guidelines.
Light Sensor TechnologyMeasuring daylight using LEDs.
Solar Power Made SimpleSolar charging with and without a controller.
Cable Cross-sections and Energy Losses in Solar SystemsKey considerations on the minimum values to respect for electricalcurrent in solar panel cabling.
Solar ModulesEverything you always wanted to know about solar panels...
Ideal Diode ControllerDiode Circuits with Low Power Dissipation.
TIPS
Tracking for Solar Modules
zBot Solar/Battery Power Supply
Solar Cell Array Charger with Regulator
Solar Cell Voltage Regulator
Solar-Powered Night Light
Alternative Solar Battery Charger
PROJECTS
Energy LoggerMeasuring and Recording Power Consumption.
Tiny Solar SupplySunlight In, 3.3 V Out.
A Do-It-Yourself DTURead Data from Small Inverters by μC.
Solar ChargerPortable energy for people on the move.
Solar Thermal Energy RegulatorMaximum power point tracking explored.
2-amp Maximum Power Tracking ChargerSolar Power To The Max.
Computer-driven HeliostatFollow the sun or the stars.
Garden LightingUsing solar cells.
Solar Panel Voltage Converter for IoT DevicesYes we CAN exploit indoor lighting.
Travel ChargerFree power in the mountains.
Solar Cell Battery Charger/MonitorWith protection against deep discharge.
Solar-powered Battery ChargerPIC12C671 avoids overcharging and deep charging.
Converters for Photovoltaic PanelsContributed by TME (Transfer MultisortElektronik).
Solar Charging RegulatorFor panels up to 53 watts.
Solar-Powered ChargerFor lead-acid batteries.
CAN Bus + Arduino for Solar PV Cell MonitoringDetect and locate serviceable panels in large arrays.
Balcony Power Plant 2.0The latest: solar panels, installation and inverters
De UT196 True RMS Solar multimeter is een ideaal hulpmiddel bij het onderhoud van zonne-energie systemen. Deze robuuste meter is ontworpen voor technici die in weer en wind buiten werken. De UT196 kan spanning meten tot 1700 V DC en 1500 V AC, en stroom tot 3000 A AC met behulp van een externe stroomtangsensor. Deze solar meter is waterdicht conform IP65, en is ook bestand tegen een val van 2 m.
De UT196 Solar multimeter is ontworpen met beveiligingen tegen overbelasting van 1700 V DC en 1500 Vrms AC, en getest voor veilig gebruik in CAT III 1000 V en CAT IV 600 V omgevingen.
Kenmerken
True RMS
Meet tot 1700 V DC en 1500 V AC bij hoogspanningstoepassingen zoals zonnepanelen en wind
Bescherming conform IP65
CAT III 1000V, CAT IV 600 V
Analoge staafgrafiek
Frequentiebereik: 45 Hz~1 kHz
Laagdoorlaatfilter functie
Modus voor lage impedantie
Ingebouwde zaklamp, heldere achtergrondverlichting, en visueel alarm
Toepassingen
Meten van hoge DC-spanningen
Uitgangsspanning- en frequentiemeting
Spannings- en frequentiemeting
Stroom- en frequentiemeting
Specificaties
Bereik
UT196
DC-spanning (V)
1700 V
±0,2% +5
AC-spanning (V)
1500 V
±0,8% +3
Frequentie (Hz)
1 MHz
±0,08% +4
Weerstand (?)
60 M?
±0,8% +2
Capaciteit (F)
60 mF
±1,9% +5
Voeding
9 V batterij
Afmetingen
195 x 95 x 58 mm
Inbegrepen
UT196 Solar multimeter
Batterij
Meetsnoeren
Downloads
Datasheet
Gebruikershandleiding
This book is about DC electric motors and their use in Arduino and Raspberry Pi Zero W based projects. The book includes many tested and working projects where each project has the following sub-headings:
Title of the project
Description of the project
Block diagram
Circuit diagram
Project assembly
Complete program listing of the project
Full description of the program
The projects in the book cover the standard DC motors, stepper motors, servo motors, and mobile robots. The book is aimed at students, hobbyists, and anyone else interested in developing microcontroller based projects using the Arduino Uno or the Raspberry Pi Zero W.
One of the nice features of this book is that it gives complete projects for remote control of a mobile robot from a mobile phone, using the Arduino Uno as well as the Raspberry Pi Zero W development boards. These projects are developed using Wi-Fi as well as the Bluetooth connectivity with the mobile phone. Readers should be able to move a robot forward, reverse, turn left, or turn right by sending simple commands from a mobile phone. Full program listings of all the projects as well as the detailed program descriptions are given in the book. Users should be able to use the projects as they are presented, or modify them to suit to their own needs.
This book is for people who want to understand how AC drives (also known as inverter drives) work and how they are used in industry by showing mainly the practical design and application of drives.
The key principles of power electronics are described and presented in a simple way, as are the basics of both DC and AC motors. The different parts of an AC drive are explained, together with the theoretical background and the practical design issues such as cooling and protection.
An important part of the book gives details of the features and functions often found in AC drives and gives practical advice on how and where to use these. Also described is future drive technology, including a matrix inverter.
The mathematics is kept to an essential minimum. Some basic understanding of mechanical and electrical theory is presumed, and a basic knowledge of single andthree phase AC systems would be useful.
Anyone who uses or installs drives, or is just interested in how these powerful electronic products operate and control modern industry, will find this book fascinating and informative.
The MotoPi is an extension-board to control and use up to 16 PWM-controlled 5 V servo motors. The board can be additional powered by a voltage between 4.8 V and 6 V so a perfect supply is always guaranteed and even larger projects can be powered. With the additional power supply and the integrated Analog-Digital-Converter, new possibilities can be reached. An additional power supply per motor is not required anymore because all connections (Voltage, Ground, Control) are directly connected to the board. The control and the programing can be directly done, as usual, on the Raspberry Pi. Special features 16 Channels, own clock generator, Inkl. Analog Digital Converter Input 1 Coaxial power connector 5.5 / 2.1 mm, 5 V / 6 A max Input 2 Screw terminal, 4.8-6 V / 6 A max Compatible with Raspberry Pi A+, B+, 2B, 3B Dimensions 65 x 56 x 24 mm Scope of supply Board, manual, fixing material
Met dit board kan de Raspberry Pi Pico (aangesloten via een pin header) twee motoren tegelijk aandrijven met volledige vooruit, achteruit en stop regeling, waardoor het ideaal is voor Pico gestuurde buggy projecten. Als alternatief kan het board ook gebruikt worden om een stappenmotor aan te drijven. De printplaat is voorzien van het DRV8833 motor driver IC, dat ingebouwde beveiliging tegen kortsluiting, overstroom en oververhitting heeft. De printplaat heeft ook 4 externe aansluitingen op de GPIO pinnen en een 3 V en GND voeding van de Pico. Dit maakt extra IO mogelijkheden mogelijk voor je buggy bouwsels die door de Pico uitgelezen of bestuurd kunnen worden. Bovendien is er een aan/uit schakelaar en een power status LED, zodat je in een oogopslag kunt zien of de printplaat aan staat en je batterijen kunt sparen als je project niet in gebruik is. Om de motor driver kaart te gebruiken moet de Pico een gesoldeerde pin header hebben en stevig in de connector gestoken worden. De kaart heeft een gereguleerde voeding die via de 40-weg connector wordt geleid om de Pico te voeden, zodat je de Pico niet rechtstreeks hoeft te voeden. De motordriver print wordt gevoed via schroefklemmen of via een servo style connector. Kitronik heeft een micro-python module en voorbeeld code ontwikkeld om het gebruik van het Motor Driver board met de Pico te ondersteunen. Deze code is beschikbaar in de GitHub repository. Features Een compact board met veel mogelijkheden, ontworpen als hart van je Raspberry Pi Pico robot buggy projecten. Het board kan 2 motoren tegelijk aansturen met volledige voorwaartse, achterwaartse, en stop regeling. Het bevat de DRV8833 motor driver IC, die ingebouwde beveiliging tegen kortsluiting, overstroom en oververhitting heeft. Bovendien heeft de printplaat een aan/uit schakelaar en een LED voor de voedingsstatus. De voeding van de kaart gaat via een connector in klemmenblokstijl. De 3V en GND pennen zijn ook uitgesplitst, zodat externe apparaten van stroom kunnen worden voorzien. Codeer het met MicroPython via een editor zoals de Thonny editor. Afmetingen: 63 mm (L) x 35 mm (B) x 11,6 mm (H) Download Datasheet
Bouw je eigen vintage radiozender
De Elektor AM-zender kit maakt het mogelijk om audio te streamen naar vintage AM-radiotoestellen. Gebaseerd op een Raspberry Pi Pico microcontroller-module kan de AM-zender uitzenden op 32 frequenties in de AM-band, van 500 kHz tot 1,6 MHz in 32 stappen van ca. 35 kHz.
De frequentie wordt gekozen met een potentiometer en weergegeven op een 0,96" OLED-display. Een drukknop maakt het mogelijk om de zendmodus te schakelen tussen Aan en Uit. Het bereik van de zender hangt af van de antenne. De ingebouwde antenne biedt een bereik van enkele centimeters, waardoor de AM-zender dicht bij of in de radio moet worden geplaatst. Een externe lusantenne (niet inbegrepen) kan worden aangesloten om het bereik te vergroten.
De Elektor AM-zender kit wordt geleverd als een bouwpakket dat je zelf op de printplaat moet solderen.
Kenmerken
De printplaat is compatibel met een Hammond 1593N-behuizing (niet inbegrepen).Een 5 VDC-voeding met micro-USB-connector (bijv. een oude telefoonoplader) is nodig om de kit van stroom te voorzien (niet inbegrepen). Stroomverbruik: 100 mA.
De Arduino-software (vereist het RP2040-boards-pakket van Earle Philhower) voor de Elektor AM-zenderkit plus meer informatie is beschikbaar op de Elektor Labs-pagina van dit project.
Componentenlijst
Weerstanden
R1, R4 = 100 Ω
R2, R3, R8 = 10 kΩ
R5, R6, R9, R10, R11 = 1 kΩ
R7 = optioneel (niet inbegrepen)
P1 = potentiometer 100 kΩ, lineair
Condensatoren
C1 = 22 µF 16V
C2, C4 = 10 nF
C3 = 150 pF
Diversen
K1 = 4×1 pinheader
K2, K3 = 3,5 mm-aansluiting
Raspberry Pi Pico
Drukknop, haaks gemonteerd
0,96" monochroom I²C OLED-display
PCB 150292-1
,
van Clemens Valens
Detecteer straling met de MightyOhm Geiger Counter Kit
De MightyOhm Geiger Counter is een apparaat voor het detecteren en meten van bèta- en gammastraling. Omdat straling zo schadelijk is, wilt u misschien wel...
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Affordable Robot Kits to Kickstart Your Robotics Journey
Robotics is an exciting and rewarding field, but getting started can be intimidating—especially when it comes to choosing the right kit. Fortunately, Elektor offers a...
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Onmisbare Arduino-Boards, Kits & Tools van Elektor voor jouw Arduino-avontuur
Of je nu een beginner bent die de wereld van microcontrollers wil verkennen of een ervaren maker die zijn gereedschapskist wil uitbreiden — Elektor biedt...