Web Site: www.parallax.com Office: (916) 624-8333 Forums: forums.parallax.com Fax: (916) 624-8003 Web Site: www.taosinc.com Office: (972) 673-0759 Sales: sales parallax.com Sales: (888) 512-1024 Sales: sales taosinc.com Fax: (972) 943-0610 Technical: support parallax.com Support: (888) 997-8267 TCS3200-DB ( 28302): Color Sensor Module Product Overview General Description TCS3200-DB Color Sensor Daughterboard is a complete color detector, including a TAOS TCS3200 RGB sensor chip, white LEDs, collimator lens, and standoffs to set the optimum sensing distance. It plugs directly into the BASIC Stamp-2pe Motherboard ( 28300), Propeller Backpack ( 28327), MoBoProp ( 28303, a future product) and will also interface to any BASIC Stamp module or Propeller board using the optional DB-Expander SIP Converter ( 28325). The TCS3200-DB can detect and measure a nearly limitless range of visible colors. The TCS3200 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. Features Sensor provides a readout of individual RGB color components as a digital frequency. Onboard white LEDs can be gated on and off for ambient light subtraction. The included 5.6mm lens provides a well-defined field of view. Module is plug-compatible with Parallax motherboards. Module can run from 3.3V or 5V logic supplies, plus 5V for the LED. Applications Test strip reading. Sorting by color. Ambient light sensing and calibration. Color matching. Whats Included TSL3200-DB with lens, standoffs, and screws. What You Need to Provide Parallax motherboard, or DB-Expander in conjunction with a BASIC Stamp or Propeller chip. Parallax, Inc. TCS3200-DB (January 21, 2010) Page 1 of 7 Out of the Box The TCS3200-DB Color Sensor Daughterboard Kit consists of a TCS3200-DB daughterboard that includes the TAOS TCS3200 color sensor chip, a lens, and two current-regulated white LEDs. Also included are four one-inch aluminum standoffs and four 3/4 screws. The daughterboard is compatible with all Parallax motherboards, including the MoBoStamp-pe, Propeller Backpack, and the upcoming MoBoProp. It can operate with Vdd set anywhere between 2.7V and 5.5V. However, a nominal 5V supply is needed for operation of the LEDs, which the motherboards automatically provide. For operation without a motherboard, such as with Parallax s Board of Education or Propeller Demo Board, an extension cable (p/n 800-28301) and a SIP adapter DB Expande, p/n 28325) are available separately to convert the TCS3200DB s two-row, 2mm header to a more convenient single-row, 0.1-inch spacing. Getting Started If you are using the TCS3200-DB with the MoBoStamp-pe, make sure that you have the GPIO3 firmware loaded into the AVR coprocessors. The MoboStamp-pe comes from the factory with the GPIO3 firmware installed. If you have installed other AVR firmware, reload the GPIO3 hex file using the LoadAVR.exe utility before proceeding. The TCS3200-DB works best with the front surface of the printed circuit board located between 1 and 1 1/16 from the subject being sensed. For this reason, aluminum spacers are included, which can be affixed to form legs. If you are using your TCS3200-DB with a Parallax motherboard, remove all the screws from the brass spacers at both ends of the board, and replace them with the 3/4 screws included in this kit. The screws should be installed from the bottom of the motherboard and protrude through the brass spacers. At this point, you can install the TCS3200-DB on the end of the motherboard and attach the spacers as shown below. The left-over short screws may also be screwed into the ends of the legs as a height adjustment. If you are connecting the TCS3200-DB to the motherboard via the extension cable (p/n 800-28301), attach the spacers directly to the TCS3200-DB using the unused short screws provided with the motherboard. If you are using the TCS3200-DB with the DB-Expander instead of a motherboard, you will need to obtain eight 4-40 x 1/4 panhead machines screws (Parallax p/n 700-00028) to attach the legs and to use as a height adjustment, since the 3/4 screws provided are too long. Parallax, Inc. TCS3200-DB (January 21, 2010) Page 2 of 7