Water detect and fluid sensing Click board

MikroElektronika has released the Water Detect 2 Click, a compact add-on board that detects the presence/flow of a liquid in a clear tube, featuring the OPB350L250, a liquid sensor from TT Electronics.

Comments Nebojsa Matic, CEO of MIKROE: “This Click board makes the perfect solution for the development of non-contact fluid sensing, IV fluid, oils, and other petroleum products sensing applications, coloured fluids, toner fluids, water, and more. Water Detect 2 Click has multiple output states and can recognise fluid present, no fluid present, and no tube present.”

The tube liquid sensor comprises an LED and a phototransistor, where the phototransistor reads the light of an LED that passes through a clear tube. This system can distinguish light from dark liquid, no liquid presence, bubbles in the liquid, and even no tube presence. The user must identify the typical current values for each situation, where the ratio between the different states permits the acknowledgement of other conditions. Also, the sensor itself comes in an opaque plastic housing that enhances ambient light rejection. The housing snaps around the tube, supplying a secure and tight connection. The sensor accepts 1/4” (6.3mm) diameter tubing, regardless of the direction of the liquid’s flow.

The board uses the MCP6022, a rail-to-rail input/output operational amplifier from Microchip, to amplify the output of the liquid sensor. For a visual presentation of the fluid sensor status, this Click board includes an RGB LED that utilises all three colours to indicate water detection, no water detection, and the LED ON. The onboard VREF potentiometer is employed for the calibration of the liquid sensor. This way, you can set the threshold for what you want to detect.

The board is supported by a mikroSDK-compliant library, which incorporates functions that simplify software development.