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TCS230-DB Color Sensor Project — Parallax Forums

TCS230-DB Color Sensor Project

AmanRanaAmanRana Posts: 4
edited 2009-08-11 19:46 in Accessories
Hi there
I am agriculturist and quit new here. I am interested in identifying different plant species using TCS230-DB Color Sensor. Every plant have their own reflective index based on chlorophyll content and·phenotypic structure. I want to differentiate these·within the green color rather than between the color depending upon its reflective index. Suppose RGB value of objects/plant are different. I want to lock each value against its corresponding name that should be displayed over screen when same object put under TCS230-DB Color Sensor. Is it possible? What parts I will need and what will be the protocol? All helper will be appericiated.

Regards
Aman

ranaaman29@gmail.com

7572373412

Comments

  • Mike GreenMike Green Posts: 23,101
    edited 2009-07-20 19:47
    Have you looked at the documentation and sample programs mentioned (with links) on the Color Sensor's page?

    The Color Sensor produces an RGB value (3 16-bit numbers). There may be a small variation from object to object, so you'll need to produce a set of the 3 numbers for an object, then look that set up in a table that has the "center" values for each plant name. Your lookup routine will have to allow for the small variation. Maybe it succeeds whenever each color is within a count of 2 or 5 from what's recorded in the table for each color.

    I'd recommend using the BS2pe Motherboard which is designed to directly use the TCS230-DB. There's a special package that includes 8 digits of LED display which you could use to display the information from the Color Sensor. You could add another 4 digit slave LED panel for a total of 12 digits.

    www.parallax.com/Store/Microcontrollers/BASICStampDevelopmentBoards/tabid/137/CategoryID/12/List/0/SortField/0/Level/a/ProductID/548/Default.aspx

    The extension cable would allow you to mount the Color Sensor a little distance from the Motherboard

    www.parallax.com/Store/Accessories/CablesConverters/tabid/166/CategoryID/12/List/0/SortField/0/Level/a/ProductID/426/Default.aspx

    You'd need a power cable and a 6V to 9V power source

    www.parallax.com/Store/Accessories/CablesConverters/tabid/166/List/1/ProductID/417/Default.aspx?SortField=ISBN%2cISBN

    The Motherboard and Color Sensor could be powered from the USB connector (from a PC), but the LED display would draw too much current for this. If you want to power the Motherboard and Sensor from a PC, you could use the PC's Stamp Editor Debug Window for a display and not use the LED display.

    There are other possibilities depending on how you want to use the Stamp / Color Sensor combination and how you want to display results.
  • AmanRanaAmanRana Posts: 4
    edited 2009-07-20 20:47
    Mr Mike Green
    Thanx a lot for you help. Is there any way to display directly name of plant against the set of numbers as you mentioned. How to load plant names against set of numbers. Do BS2pe support memory cards or what? What is the basic difference in between stamps and propeller? Appologise for asking a lot of questions but I am new to this field but keen to learn.
  • Mike GreenMike Green Posts: 23,101
    edited 2009-07-20 22:35
    The BS2pe has a total of 32K of EEPROM of which 1/2 is for data and 1/2 is for a combination of data and program.· You could store the plant names in a table in this EEPROM along with the "center" value of RGB.· The display I mentioned is really a numeric display and, although it can display letters, they're not really usable because of having to fit them into a 7-segment display.· Parallax sells several serial LCD displays (look at the on-line catalog) that you could use as an alternative that have a high quality alphanumeric display font.

    The BS2pe can interface to USB memory sticks using Parallax's Memory Stick Datalogger.

    The Basic Stamps and the Propeller are very very different devices.· Read Parallax's description first and look at some of the tutorials.· For the Stamp, look at "What's a Microcontroller?".· For the Propeller, there's a permanent forum thread at the top of the Propeller forum list for beginners.· Have a look at that or at the Propeller Education Kit tutorials linked from the Propeller Education Kit product page in the webstore.
  • RevAaronRevAaron Posts: 30
    edited 2009-08-11 05:01
    I have some a bit of experience in this field- a B.S. in Biology, and a continuing interest in mathematical biology and computational ecology. My questions/comments:

    1. Protocol: This is outside the realm of this forum. You need to adapt your methodology from similar work already done. This will mean adapting or developing a set of sampling standards (time of year; plant age, size, environment, individual history parameters) that give you reproducible results.

    2. You'll need to build a enclosure like that on a colorimeter that'll take clean cuvettes if you sample a suspension or solution; not sure what you'd do if you were sampling the naked plant material.

    3. Will it work? I'm skeptical, especially with a simpler sensor like this one. If this is being done as a student project, I think you could get a proof of concept with a handful of species specially selected for RGB values that are straightforward to discriminate. Frankly, I doubt even a lab colorimeter would get you the results you'd like, though it'd be a step in the right direction- and something you could also control through a microcontroller. Unfortunately, this sensor isn't a tiny GC/MS. [noparse]:)[/noparse] However, if you do assume that each plant species did indeed have a different RGB value than doing this would be pretty straightforward.

    I'd be interested in helping you explore this further. I'd be willing to write the code to do what you describe- scan, database look-up, and display by sending information to a desktop computer or to an attached LCD- in exchange for the hardware to prototype the setup. Specifically, one of the TCS230-DB sensors.

    Ref:
    Gausman, H. W. and Allen, W. A. "Optical Parameters of Leaves of 30 Plant Species." Plant Physiology 52.1 (1973): 57-62
    < http://www.jstor.org/stable/4263306 >
  • AmanRanaAmanRana Posts: 4
    edited 2009-08-11 19:46
    Thanks RevAaron
    I really apppericiate your help. This would be a great collobration between us. I am ready to buys hardware when ever we needed. Please let me know what we need. If you want I would like to share my part of informations and Lets make a blue print of prototype, share discuss and start working on it. This would be a greart assingnment for us. Your biology background will help me you to explain what I am looking for. Any question please don't hesitate to call or email.

    Regards
    Aman
    757 237 3412
  • AmanRanaAmanRana Posts: 4
    edited 2009-08-11 19:46
    Thanks RevAaron
    I really apppericiate your help. This would be a great collobration between us. I am ready to buys hardware when ever we needed. Please let me know what we need. If you want I would like to share my part of informations and Lets make a blue print of prototype, share discuss and start working on it. This would be a greart assingnment for us. Your biology background will help me you to explain what I am looking for. Any question please don't hesitate to call or email.

    Regards
    Aman
    757 237 3412
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