LIGHT DEFENDANT

RESISTOR
OLEH : MULYADI RAHAYU
WHAT IS LIGHT DEPENDENT RESISTOR?

• LDR are sensors that allow you to detect light. They are small, inexpensive, low-power, easy to use and
don't wear out. For that reason they often appear in toys, gadgets and appliances. They are often referred
to as CdS cells (they are made of Cadmium-Sulfide) and photo-resistors.
•
• LDR are basically a resistor that changes its resistive value (in ohms Ω) depending on how much light is
shining onto the squiggly face. They are very low cost, easy to get in many sizes and specifications, but are
very inaccurate. Each photocell sensor will act a little differently than the other, even if they are from the
same batch. The variations can be really large, 50% or higher! For this reason, they shouldn't be used to
try to determine precise light levels in lux or mili-candela. Instead, you can expect to only be able to
determine basic light changes
TYPICAL
CONSTRUCTION
OF LIGHT
DEPENDENT
RESISTOR
This is a picture showing the typical
construction of a LDR
SPECIFICATIONS

• A)Resistance versus illumination • R is approximately 5.6:6.1 kohms at normal

day light
• In Nhat Tao, there’re 2 types of LDR(This is
the specific specs for LDR in Nhat Tao) : The • R is approximately 1.840Mohm at darkness
small one (5mm in diameter) :
• Bear in mind that LDR are very inaccurate.
• R is approximately 400ohm at full day light The variation of resistance even within the
same manufacture can be as large as 50%.
• R is approximately 1.6:2 kohms at normal day
Thus, use the aforementioned specs as an
light
approximation only
• R is approximately 1.123 Mohms at darkness
• The large one (12mm in diameter)
• R is approximately 600ohm at full day light
SPECIFICATIONS
b). Spectral Respone

LDR, particularly the common CdS cells

that you're likely to find, are not sensitive
to all light. In particular they tend to be
sensitive to light between 700nm (red) and
500nm (green) light. Empirically speaking, I
would say that LDR is most sensitive to
light at 550mm in wavelength.
SPECIFICATIONS

• c) Light memory characteristic

• LDR has a particular property in that they remember the lighting conditions in which
they have been stored. This memory effect can be minimized by storing LDR in light prior
to use. Light storage reduces time to reach steady resistance value
 SOME SPECIFIC
USE OF LDR

a)Light detecting circuit

With a properly selected resistor R1, the voltage

at the base of the transistor in the dark state is
less than 0.7 V, and therefore the transistor is in
the cut-off state. Since the transistor is cutoff, no
current flows from its collector to its emitter, so
the LED will be off. As the photo-resistor’s
resistance decreases (as the result of an increase
in light intensity), the voltage at the base increases
due the voltage divider formed by R1 and the
photo-resistor. Once the base voltage reaches 0.7
V, the base current starts to flow, and any further
decrease in the photo-resistor’s resistance causes
an increase of base current. This base current
increment will be amplified by the current gain of
the transistor up to the point that the transistor
saturates.