EE 230 - Lab 10: Design Project

Debbie Baeder and Meiyong Himmtann

Build a simple optical signaling device that lights a red LED when one button is pushed
and a green LED when another button is pushed. The signal determining either the red or
green light must be transmitted wirelessly via an optical signal. This device will be
similar to that used for a VCR.

Requirements

Detection of signal causes either a red LED or a green LED to light up, and when no
button is pushed, neither LED is on.
The circuits should be up to 2 feet apart.
Up to three DC supply voltages can be used, and the function generator is not needed.

Set up
First and foremost, we were given a general idea of how the circuits should be connected.
We went on to search through the previous labs to find reference circuits. We learned that the
transmitter consisted of two Wien Bridge Oscillators which are connected to an infrared light
emitting diode. In order to have the green LED light up, one oscillator should produce about a 10
kHz sinusoidal waveform. In order to have the red LED light up, another oscillator should
produce about a 1 kHz sinusoidal waveform. The rest of the circuit will be split into two
receivers; one for the red LED and one for the green LED. Throughout the receiver circuits, an
AC signal will be transformed into a DC signal, so that the LEDs will not flicker. This is
important because the LED will have a longer lifetime. From the transmitter to the receiver, the
signal will be picked up by a photo diode and buffered with a high gain since the received signal
will be very small. The signal will then be directed through a filter (high pass for green and low
pass for red). Once the signal gets through the filters, it will be sent through a peak detector. A
voltage reference will make sure the voltage is high enough to light up the LED. If the voltage
signal is higher than about 0.7V, a peak detector will hold that value and output the signal over
the LED, making it light up.

Design Process
Initially, we were given the schematic to the Wein Bridge oscillator, yet we did not
understand how the potentiometers worked within the circuit. Our first design did not have
potentiometers. After some researched, we realized that potentiometers would give us the
frequency that we wanted. Thus, we were able to adjust the potentiometers to output our desired
frequencies. Before the set up, we thought of using one photo diode. After some consideration,
we found that teaming up two photo diodes would more easily capture the wireless signal. From

there, our buffer would amplify the signal with a very large gain and still keep the signal clean.
Separately, we designed high pass and low pass filters to sort out the respective frequencies for
each LED. Over many trials, we ended up using very simple filters containing only a single
capacitor and a resistor. Following that, we combined a rectifier, a peak detector and a
comparator together. We used one diode, one very large capacitor, and another voltage source all
on one operational amplifier. When the AC signal runs through this circuit, it should detect a
voltage level of about 0.7V and hold it there at a DC signal. Therefore that DC signal will be
outputted to the LED, turning it on.

Figure 1: Transmitter

Figure 2: Infrared LED (ON)

Figure 3: Receivers

Block Diagram
Transmitter
Wien Bridge

Infrared

Receiver
Photo

Buffer

Buffer

Low Pass

High Pass

Rectif

Rectif

Compara

Compara

Red Light Emitting

Green Light Emitting

Theoretical calculations
The attempted theoretical calculations are at the end of this report.

Performance
Our circuit works until our filters. The transmitter oscillates at both about 600 Hz and
about 8 kHz. From there, we connected two photo diodes to strengthen the received signal. In an
effort to find were our circuit failed, we tested many of the nodes up and until the filters and
discovered that the signal wasn't filtered correctly. That signal moves through the buffer and
filter but is then greatly attenuated, and we start to lose the signal in noise and surrounding lights.
We tried to add some simple amplifiers or more buffers but nothing seemed to work.
Unfortunately, leading to the fact that we were not able to get the LEDs to light up.

Possible Improvements
After working through many filters, we realized that perhaps a more advanced filter
would have sorted out the correct frequencies needed. Having a higher order and stage filter
would have also cleaned up the noise and balanced the circuit. We also could have tested with a
photo resistor before using the photo diodes. Using this approach we would still have needed a
buffer to amplify the very small signal. Also, knowing that we used many operational amplifiers,
there is a possibility that any of them could have been faulty.

Conclusion and Reflection

Overall in this design project, we brought together previous circuits that we have
experimented with and analyzed before. By doing this, we were able to optimize each individual
circuit to better the circuit as a whole. Reflecting upon the time given, had the project been more
than two weeks long, we would have been able to work with the individual circuits sequentially
and could have been successful.
We encountered the most difficulty building the filter. Knowing this, more practice and
understanding with advanced filters is needed. We also found the advantage of using
potentiometers to adjust the gain. It has showed us the amount of effort and time required to
fulfill the specifications desired. This project has given us a better understanding of the process
needed to integrate multiple circuits.