TCS230 Color Sensor Daughterboard is a complete color detector, including a TAOS TCS230 RGB sensor chip, white LEDs, collimator lens, and standoffs to set the optimum sensing distance. It plugs directly into the BASIC Stamp-2pe Motherboard and will also interface to any BASIC Stamp module or Propeller board using the optional DB-Expander SIP Converter (#28325). The TCS230-DB can detect and measure a nearly limitless range of visible colors. Applications include test strip reading, sorting by color, ambient light sensing and calibration, and color matching, to name just a few.
The TCS230 has an array of photodetectors, each with either a red, green, or blue filter, or no filter (clear). The filters of each color are distributed evenly throughout the array to eliminate location bias among the colors. Internal to the device is an oscillator which produces a square-wave output whose frequency is proportional to the intensity of the chosen color. Read the documentation below and check out the Color Matching Demo for more detailed information.
Features:
- TAOS TCS230 color sensor
- Adjustable lens
- 2 current-regulated white LEDs
- Motherboard connector: compatible with the MoBoStamp-pe and all future Parallax motherboards
Key Specifications:
- Power requirements: 5.0 VDC
- Communication: Serial 1-Wire (asynchronous serial)
- Dimensions: 1.37 x 1.37 x 1.18 in (35 x 35 x 30 mm)
- Operating temp range: -32 to +158 °F (-0 to +70 °C)
Downloads & Resources:
BASIC Stamp MOBO Family Overview
TCS230-DB Color Sensor Documentation (.pdf)
TCS230DB Demo Code [DB-Expander] (.zip)
TCS230DB Demo Code [MoBoStamp] (.zip)
Color Matching Program for Windows 95-XP - Software, Code, and Documentation (.zip)
Color Matching Program for Linux - Software, Code, and Documentation (.zip)
N&V column "Color Me Tickled" #98 (.pdf)
TAOS's TCS230 Info page (Off Site)
Sensor Objects for Propeller Programmers