3 Simple Ways to
Share What You Make

With Instructables you can share what you make with the world — and tap into an ever-growing community of creative experts.

PhotosPhotos

Share one or more photos of a project, recipe, or whatever you've made, quickly and easily.

Step by StepStep-By-Step

Share your step-by-step photos with text instructions of what you made so others can do it too!

VideoVideo

Share your how-to video. You'll need your embed code from a video site such as YouTube.

A very simple proximity detector

A very simple proximity detector
Gadget freaks, model railroaders, roboticists or cat-hosts will love the versatility of the Sharp IS471 infrared proximity detector. It is the size of a transistor, operates over the 4-16 volt range, and can detect objects about 4-9 inches away by reflected IR pulses.
The basic implementation requires only the IS471, an IR LED and a 9 volt battery and can be built by most any tinkerer in less than 10 minutes.
 
Remove these adsRemove these ads by Signing Up
 

Step 1Gather the parts

Gather the parts
«
  • start_parts.jpg
  • on_nickle.jpg
The parts you'll need are:
1) the Sharp IS471 (available for $2 at: http://www.junun.org/MarkIII/Info.jsp?item=46 or $3 from www.digikey.com, and others)
2) a 940nm IR emitter (such as the Fairchild QED-234, available from www.mouser.com for about 50 cents, and other sources)
3) Something to mount the above two items on. You've got a lot of options here. There are several excellent Instructables on making your own PCBs. If you want to try it out before doing the etching thing you can use a pluggable breadboard (not shown) or go with a small piece of perf-board (pads on .100" centers, shown at bottom left).
4) 9 volt batter and battery clip
5) Soldering iron & solder, diagonal cutters (if not going the breadboard route).

If you'd rather not etch, but still want something snazzy you might drop me a line about the very small custom perf-boards I had made at www.pad2pad.com (shown at bottom right), priced at $2 each for the bare boards, postage included).
« Previous StepDownload PDFView All StepsNext Step »
95 comments
1-40 of 95next »
Feb 10, 2012. 3:18 PMfbujold says:
ir-detector for about 10$ you suppply 5 V you get an analog output .5 to 4 volt. No hassle garantee!
Jan 3, 2008. 2:16 PMDavius Minimus says:
Radio shack has changed this chip (276-1323) recently (somewhere around January 2008). If you get it from radio shack make sure it's the one you want!
Dec 20, 2011. 8:46 PMraven1479 says:
thank u
Dec 11, 2011. 8:53 AMrthapliyal says:
does it give analog output???
coz it's not clear from the instructions that i does...
and also is IS741 available in india???
Sep 28, 2010. 7:59 AMshaunwhite says:
Is the Vcc using 9v? because base on the datasheet of the QED234 Fairchild, it says tht the forward voltage is only 1.6 volt and a forward current of 100mA. Wouldnt it spoil the IR LED at tht voltage? Please educate me as i'm just a newbie in this sort of things
Aug 6, 2011. 4:40 AMsde meeter says:
Also if i run the 5V my PIC works on? Nice sensor by the way
Oct 24, 2011. 12:20 PMreajrdn says:
Stumbled onto all this info. Really exciting even for an ol' guy like me.
Far too many years from making PCBs and little widget circuitry.
At 80 yrs. old, am again starting a new company and the IR LED and Sharp IS471 may solve a problem--- better, create an opportunity.
I'm in Folsom, CA Home 916 989-3005
Office in Fair Oaks, CA
Would like to find some people who are into making PCBs and Proximity sensors. I need some help because my electronic savvy is too far lost in deep core.
And, possible opportunity for anyone looking to join an emerging company.

Carl Rea Jordan reajrdn@yahoo.com www.optx-ltd.com (emerging)
I have several other start-up and need some entrepreneur-type minds.
Nov 4, 2011. 10:56 AMMike Nelson says:
Not sure how hard it would be, but could you setup the "Alert" to go off when the IR Detector sees the IR light? So reverse basically? would it be a NOT chip or is there an easier way?

I want to setup an IR LED on one side of the cat food container and the detector on the other side, and have it light up a separate light when the food is low enough for the IR LED's path to not be blocked by cat food... so the path would be normally blocked...

Thanks!
Oct 11, 2011. 8:53 AMcwienands says:
Nice instructable. For the lazy amongst us, check out optoswitches such as the "Photo Reflective Sensor (SEN130A3B)" from Seeedstudio. Disclaimer: I'm not related to Seeedstudio in any way, it just happens that I ordered a couple of them the other day and had the part number available.
Jun 21, 2011. 8:45 PMamruth says:
Hi there author, i would like a LED get triggered when i move my hand in front of the detector. How do i make it happen, should i connect the positive side of the LED to the V-out pin and the negetive pin of the LED to the negetive side of the power source.
Jul 3, 2011. 4:20 AMsteveastrouk says:
Nice little project BTW.
Jun 26, 2011. 7:32 AMsteveastrouk says:
No, connect the LED anode to the V+ pin, connect the LED cathode (via a resistor) to the Vo pin.
Jul 2, 2011. 10:26 PMamruth says:
THX.
Feb 11, 2011. 8:33 AMwarrendkelly2 says:
Instruction #2 above indicates to connect the negative leg of the infrared LED to IS471F pin 4. Sharp IS471F data sheet indicates this pin 4 (GL) is an output voltage rating of 16. If the data sheet is correct and one connects as indicated above, will the proximity sensor still function properly?
Sep 25, 2008. 10:17 PMbvstang1967 says:
Hello, I am an industrial design student and have been tasked with creating a Point of purchase display that makes use of light. I wanted to create a circuit that when an individual walks by the display would light up. Basically what I would like to know is there a way to increase the range of the detector to 3 or 4 feet? I would like to use a circuit similar to this one in conjunction with a relay circuit to activate a flashing led circuit that I found here:

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-fast-blinking-LED-bike-light/

My electronics skills are rusty at best, I'm willing to get my hands dirty (with soldering flux I guess) but do you think this may be to complicated for a novice?
Nov 5, 2008. 1:45 PMzmrobins says:
would it be possible to replace infrared proximity sensor with wave frequency proximity sensor where the output too would be LED display output as bvstang wanted. could someone direct me to a link where it shows something about receiving and emitting frequencies. Thanks.
Sep 30, 2008. 5:16 AMfrontier says:
to save time you can also easially buy cheap components that does this, in a plathora of varieties. just look on electronic sites. like sparkfun.com i know they got em.
Nov 1, 2009. 10:30 AMidaholaura says:
could you explain how to do this with the FET?

Jan 8, 2010. 8:21 PMspiderfurby says:
How sensitive is the detector sensing? Will it detect something like a second hand on a clock if it passes the sensor focal point?
May 1, 2011. 5:49 PMBuild_it_Bob says:
WOW, I think this is one of my favorite instructibles!
Awesome job with this ! and the referance to Junun Mark lll site opens the door to sensors and equipment i wasn't even aware of!
I built a bar fridge light controller with Arduino and want to add a non contact detector for when fridge door is opened . This will work nicely!
I also use a Radio Shack PIR as the main detector for the overhead and bar glass lights ...this and the audio module in combination will make the experience even better!
MANY Thanks!!!!
Build_it_Bob
May 7, 2011. 6:24 AMakadiri says:
hey ..thanks for this great project. Very usefull, but the pdf is needed. If it isn't any trouble can you send me the pdf to ahmad_kaderi@hotmail.com ? please, thanks in advance
Feb 19, 2011. 1:13 AMmahlev says:
Are there any good replacements for the Sharp IS471?
I find it very hard to find since I'm not from the US

Thanks
Jul 1, 2008. 12:42 AMconrad2468 says:
perfect for my proximity hand grenade
Feb 2, 2010. 6:15 PMColonel88 says:
Can you say... Proximity Claymore for Airsoft?
Feb 2, 2010. 7:49 PMconrad2468 says:
DO IT!!
Aug 29, 2010. 10:52 PMbeehard44 says:
what about proximity fertilizer (never forget the power of microwave radiation!)
May 25, 2009. 1:20 PMtinkerC says:
Only hurt someone if they really deserve it.
Nov 30, 2009. 2:54 PMomnibot says:
I find that remark discriminatory.
1-40 of 95next »

Pro

Get More Out of Instructables

Already have an Account?

close

All Steps Viewing
View all steps of an Instructable on the same page when you're a Pro Member.

Upgrade to Pro today!
8
Followers
1
Author:offlogic