Sunlight Meter
Using the Adafruit TSL2591 Digital Light Sensor and a Raspberry Pi to monitor daily sunlight conditions.
About
The TSL2591 is a high dynamic range digital light sensor.
It can detect infrared, full-spectrum and human-visible light, then transmit that data over a serial connection.
By collecting this data, we are able to:
- Calculate the lux value for the current light conditions.
- Report real-time data for monitoring or automation.
- Save historical data to give insight on changes over time.
- Provide a dashboard to control the sensor and visualize data.
- Most importantly, determine if your location is: ☁️ shade, partial shade, partial sun, or full sun ☀️
How it works
Configuration:
The TSL2591 sensor is connected to a Raspberry Pi via i2c.
Connecting the sensor to the Pi:
- Vin to 3.3V
- GND to GND
- SDA to SDA
- SCL to SCL
"Sunlight Meter" automatically adjusts sensor gain and integration time.
This helps ensure accurate readings and avoid saturation in high light conditions.
API:
"Sunlight Meter" runs an API that allows remote access to the sensor data and jobs.
Connect remotely to:
- Start/Stop any recording job.
- Receive real-time readings and light conditions.
- Download historical data as a SQLite DB.
- Check device wifi-signal strength.
Dashboard:
The "Sunlight Dashboard" is a web app that displays the current light conditions and historical data.
- Visualize historical light conditions
- Control the sensor
- Export the results
Understanding Lux Values
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lux:
Illuminance (lux) |
Surfaces illuminated by |
0.0001 |
Moonless, overcast night sky (starlight) |
0.002 |
Moonless clear night sky with airglow |
0.05–0.3 |
Full moon on a clear night |
3.4 |
Dark limit of civil twilight under a clear sky |
20–50 |
Public areas with dark surroundings |
50 |
Family living room lights |
80 |
Office building hallway/toilet lighting |
100 |
Very dark overcast day |
150 |
Train station platforms |
320–500 |
Office lighting |
400 |
Sunrise or sunset on a clear day |
1000 |
Overcast day; typical TV studio lighting |
10,000–25,000 |
Full daylight (not direct sun) |
32,000–100,000 |
Direct sunlight |
Infrastructure