Rev B
TSL230EVM
Users Guide
An Evaluation System Interfacing the TSL230/TSL235/TSL245 Light-to-
Frequency Converters to a Microcontroller
INTRODUCTION
The TSL230/235/245 family of Light-to-
Frequency Converters has greatly simplified the
problem of getting light intensity information into
a digital system. This evaluation module
illustrates simple hardware and software
techniques for interfacing the light-to-frequency
converters to a microcontroller and processing the
information. With the built-in serial PC interface
the TSL230EVM provides a hardware and
software platform for evaluation of the devices in
several light measurement applications.
PURPOSE
The evaluation module shown in Figure 1
illustrates the use of the TSL230, TSL235, and
TSL245 devices in ambient, transmissive, and
reflective light measurement applications,
respectively. The output of the sensors can be
monitored on the LCD display, or interfaced to a
personal computer via the serial port. Windows
software is provided for demonstration of several
light sensing applications. This platform provides
the hardware and software necessary to evaluate
the light-to-frequency converters in a variety of
applications and configurations.
DESCRIPTION
The hardware portion of the TSL230
evaluation module consists of a TSL230,
TSL235, TSL245, a microcontroller (MCU) , an
LCD module, RS-232 interface, power supply
and support components mounted on a printed
circuit board. The system is self-contained with
two on-board N-cell batteries, or it may be
powered from an external 3V supply (with on-
board batteries removed). The module has several
operating modes which are controlled by five
push-button switches. Software in the MCU
performs period, frequency and ratiometric
measurements on the output from the three on-
board sensors. Output is displayed on the LCD
and can be transmitted to a PC via an RS-232
connection provided by an RJ11 modular jack.
The TSL230 programming pins (S0, S1, S2
and S3) are controlled by the microcontroller
parallel port pins PA0 - PA3 (refer to schematic
in Appendix). The logic state of PA2 and PA3
determine the input sensitivity and the logic state
of PA0 and PA1 control the output scaling. The
output of the TSL230 is connected directly to the
timer capture (TCAP) pin of the MCU. The
TSL235 and TSL245 outputs are multiplexed
through the 74HC126 (quad bus buffer) to the
TCAP pin. The MCU parallel port pins PA6 and
PA7 are used to select either the TSL235 or the
TSL245 outputs. A logic high on PA6 selects the
TSL235 output; taking PA7 high selects the
TSL245 output.
 LIGHT-TO-FREQUENCY CONVERTER EVM

TSL235 TSL230 TSL245

3V POWER SUPPLY

Tx / Rx
ON
MPU
1 2 3 4 5

OFF
S0 S1 S2 S3 MODE

Figure 1. TSL230EVM

The LCD (DMC16117) is interfaced to the
MCU via 8 data lines connected to ports PC0-
PC7, and three control lines connected to ports
PB5-PB7. Port PB7 provides the read/write
signal (R/W) to the display. PB6 provides the
register select signal (RS), and PB5 provides the
enable signal (E).
There are two light sources on the EVM. D3,
a red LED operating at a wavelength of 660nm, is
the source for the TSL235 transmissive
configuration. D4, an infrared (IR) LED
operating at 880nm, provides the IR light for the
TSL245 reflective configuration. The current
through each LED, and thus the amount of light
emitted by each LED, is controlled via a simple
digital-to-analog converter comprised of resistors
and MCU-controlled digital outputs. Resistors
R2, R9 and R10 along with ports PB0, PB1, and
output 3 of the HC126 control the current
through D3. Resistors R11 and R6 along with
port PB3 and output 4 of the HC126 control the
current through D4. MCU ports PB2 and PB4
enable outputs 3 and 4 of the 126,

2

Table 1b. TSL230 Output Scaling Options
S3 S2 OUTPUT SCALING
L L 1 an external 3VDC power supply (with the
L H 2 batteries removed from the EVM). Turn on the
H L 10
H H 100
Table 1a. TSL230 Sensitivity Options
S1 S0 SENSITIVITY
L L Power Down
L H 1x
H L 10x
H H 100x
respectively . The quad bus buffer is used in
conjunction with the lower-valued resistors
because of its higher current sinking capability.
The MAX218 (dual RS-232 transceiver)
provides the RS-232 interface to a PC via the
RJ11 jack (JP1). In addition to generating the
nominal 6V for the RS-232 lines, the MAX218
is used to power the LCD module, which requires
a 5V supply. The MCUs on-board serial
communications interface (SCI) provides the
serial communication function via receive input
PD0 and transmit output PD1. Port PA4 is used
to shut down the MAX218s switch-mode power
supply (disabling the transmitter and the LCD
module) to save power when the EVM is idle.
The TPS7248 is a low-dropout regulator
used to regulate the nominal 6V provided by the
MAX218 down to 4.8 volts for the LCD module.
Rev B
OPERATION
The TSL230 EVM may be powered either by
two N-cell alkaline batteries on the board, or by
EVM by moving the slide switch to the up
position. The display will read TSL230EVM
Ver1.0. The TSL230EVM may be operated
stand-alone or in a slave configuration under
control of a PC running the TSL230EVM
software. Both types of operation are described.
Stand-alone Operation
The TSL230EVM has three modes of stand-
alone operation. Each mode is associated with
one of the three on-board sensors. Mode 1 utilizes
the TSL230, Mode 2 utilizes the TSL235, and
Mode 3 utilizes the TSL245. The three modes are
accessed by pressing the MODE button. When
the EVM is first turned on, it is in an idle state; no
mode is selected. Pressing the MODE button
once puts the EVM in Mode 1 (TSL230).
Pressing the MODE button again puts the EVM
in Mode 2 (TSL235), and pressing it a third time
puts the EVM in Mode 3 (TSL245). Pressing the
MODE button from Mode 3 puts the EVM back
in Mode 1. Buttons 1 through 4, also labeled S0,
S1, S2, and S3, perform different functions
depending on the current mode (see Table 2).
Fluorescent Lights
Fluorescent lights are the most common source of
AC light noise (flicker) in transmissive (Mode 2)
and reflective (Mode 3) measurements, and can
cause erratic readings when making ambient light
measurements in Mode 1. Since this type of
lighting is common in office and lab
environments, it is difficult to avoid these
problems when using the TSL230EVM. A
common technique to minimize these effects is to
sample the sensor at an interval which is an exact
multiple of the period of the fluorescent light
flicker (120Hz or 8.33ms), so that the readings
are taken at the same point of the AC waveform
each time. This reduces the problem to that of a
DC offset. The problem is that even a small
deviation in this sampling interval results in a
beating effect with the flicker, showing up as a
 Table 2. TSL230EVM Push-button functions
Mode 1
Button 1 Toggle S0
Button 2 Toggle S1
Button 3 Toggle S2
Button 4 Toggle S3 LED boost (1-7)
Button 5 Next mode
slowly changing ambient light reading. The first
precaution is to shield any transmissive or
reflective experiments from ambient light as much
as possible. The alternative is to synchronize the
sampling interval with flicker frequency. This
technique is incorporated into the PC software
(see Ambient Light Synchronize in the Software
section for more information).
Sleep Mode
The TSL230EVM will automatically enter
power-saving sleep mode if the buttons are not
pressed for 3 minutes. Press any button to wake
up the EVM. Note that although power
consumption is lower in sleep mode, the power
switch should be turned off to conserve batteries
when the EVM not being used.
Mode 1 - TSL230 Evaluation
Mode 1 allows evaluation of the on-board
TSL230 device in general light measurement
situations. Buttons 1 through 4 toggle the state of
the programming lines S0 through S3
respectively. The display indicates the current
programmed state of the TSL230. On power-up,
the EVM defaults to 1x sensitivity and divide-by-
100 output scaling. This corresponds to the states
H, L, H, and H for pins S0, S1, S2, and S3,
where H represents a logic high and L
represents a logic low. Refer to Table 1 for
information on the TSL230 programming options.
Pressing each of the buttons 1 through 4 (S0 - S3)
will toggle the state of the associated line. The
resulting change in the TSL230 configuration is
displayed using the leftmost nine characters of the
display. The rightmost five digits indicate the
TSL230 output frequency in hertz.
4
Mode 2 Mode 3
Ambient reject Ambient reject
Set reference Set reference
- -
LED boost (on/off)
Next mode Next mode
TSL230 Filter Cap
The TSL230EVM is shipped with a filter
cap fitted over the top of the TSL230. The filter
is Hoya CM500 infrared-blocking glass used to
approximate the photopic human eye response.
This filter is used in conjunction with the
Photometer demonstration in the included PC
software package. It can be removed or replaced
as desired for TSL230 evaluation.
Mode 2 - TSL235 Evaluation
Mode 2 allows evaluation of the TSL235 in a
transmissive light measurement mode. The
TSL235 is mounted directly across from a 660
nm red LED. The TSL235 senses the amount of
light directly emitted by the LED, or passed
through some transparent or translucent medium.
In application, the TSL235 measures the
transmittance of a translucent medium by
measuring the amount of light that passed through
the medium.
From Mode 1, press the MODE button to
put the EVM in Mode 2. The display will read
TSL235 nnnnn b, where nnnnn is the period
measurement of the output of the TSL235 in
counts (each count equals 4us), and b is the
current LED boost setting (1-7). The count
ranges from about 8-10 counts to over 65000.
Ambient Light Rejection
Since the TSL235 is not optically shielded,
the output signal represents a combination of
direct light from the LED and interference from
ambient light. The TSL230EVM can eliminate or
at least reduce this effect using ambient light
subtraction. This is accomplished by first
sampling the sensor with the LED off. This gives
a reading of the ambient light level. Then the

LED is turned on and the sensor output is
sampled again. The reading taken with the LED
off is subtracted, leaving just the component of
light from the LED. Note that if the ambient light
is brighter than the light from the LED, then the
reading will be erratic or zero.
Pressing button 1 toggles the ambient light
subtraction function on and off. An A appears
in the next-to-right-most position on the display
when the EVM is in ambient subtract mode.
LED Boost
Button 4 sets the LED boost level, or LED
intensity. Pressing button 4 increases the LED
intensity by one level. The highest boost level is
7. The boost level setting is denoted by the
number in the far right of the display. The boost
function is accomplished by using the boost level
value to drive a simple DAC which controls the
LED current.
Transmittance Measurement
To measure transmittance of a medium, the
measurement system must first be referenced to a
standard for comparison. Reference calibration is
accomplished by measuring the light directly from
the LED either with no media present, or with a
transparent or translucent reference medium in
place between the sensor and LED. To calibrate
the EVM to a reference, first set up the reference
condition by placing the reference medium
between the TSL235 and the LED, as close to the
TSL235 as possible. If the period reading is high
(more than a few thousand counts) press button 4
to increase the boost setting until a lower reading
is obtained. Press button 2 to calibrate to the
reference. After calibration the display will read
TRANSMIT. nnn% where nnn is a percent
value between 0 and 100 representing the ratio of
latest reading divided by the reference reading.
Mode 3 - TSL245 Evaluation
Mode 3 allows evaluation of the TSL245 in a
reflective sensing configuration. The TSL245 is
mounted flat on the board, looking up, and
mounted next to a 940nm infrared LED. Side
Rev B
emission from the LED is shielded by a black
plastic sleeve over the LED, so during operation
the bulk of the signal would come from light
reflected off of a surface in front of the sensor and
emitter. This configuration would be used for
measuring the reflectance of a surface, or to
measure proximity of an object.
Ambient Light Rejection
As in the transmissive configuration, ambient
light can have a significant effect on the sensor
output signal. Note that if the ambient light is
brighter than the light from the LED, then the
reading will be erratic or zero.
To automatically subtract background light
from the reading, press button 1. Press button 1
again to disable the ambient light subtraction. An
A appears in the next-to-right-most position on
the display when the EVM is in ambient subtract
mode
LED Boost
Pressing button 4 turns the infrared LED
boost on and off. When boost is turned on the
EVM puts more current through the LED by
placing a smaller value resistor in parallel with the
existing one. The boost level setting is denoted by
the B in the far right of the display.
Reflectance Measurement
As in transmittance measurements, reference
calibration must first be performed before a
reflectance measurement can be made. To
calibrate the EVM in Mode 3, first position the
EVM and reflectance standard as shown in Figure
2 below. Press button 2 to calibrate to the
reference standard. After calibration the display
will read REFLECT. nnn % where nnn is a
percent value between 0 and 100 representing the
ratio of the latest reading divided by the
calibration reading.

TSL230EVM Reflective Object
Figure 2. TSL245 Reflective Operation
Slave Operation
The TSL230EVM automatically enters slave
operation when communication with the host PC
is established. Normally when in the slave
configuration all user interaction with the EVM
takes place via the graphical-user-interface (GUI)
on the PC screen. Since the PC software controls
the EVM, and may rapidly change the EVM from
one mode to another, the EVM LCD will not
always indicate the current operating state of the
EVM and data displayed will not always match
that shown on the PC screen.
Connecting the EVM to a PC
A modular-to-female DB25 adapter and
modular telephone-style cable are provided for
connecting the EVM to a PC. Insert one end of
the cable into the jack on the EVM, and insert the
other end of the cable into the adapter. Plug the
adapter into the male 25-pin serial port connector
on the PC. If the PC has only 9-pin serial port
connectors, then a user-supplied 25-pin to 9-pin
adapter will be required.
Serial Communication
All functions of the TSL230EVM can be
accessed via the serial port with a dumb
terminal or a PC running a terminal program
(such as Windows terminal) or application-
specific software. Communications settings are:
6
"4800,N,8,1". All of the EVM commands are
single characters, which simplifies the
handshaking requirements between the host
(sending the command) and the EVM. Table 3
lists the EVM commands, and Table 4 lists the
EVM responses and data formats. The EVM
continuously sends the string *p every 5
seconds as a handshake signal. If idle, this tells
the host PC that the EVM is still connected and
operating. Once the EVM has received any serial
command, the EVM self-power-down function
will be disabled (until the next power-up). This
prevents the EVM from powering down during
serial communications. The EVM can still be
powered down via a serial command.
Modes 1-3 - TSL230, TSL235, TSL245
In Modes 1-3, the EVM transmits the period
count reading (each count corresponds to 4us)
from the TSL230, TSL235, or TSL245,
respectively, at regular intervals. The information
is transmitted in the normal format if the ambient
light subtraction function is off, and in the
background format if the ambient light subtraction
function is on (see Table 4 for data formats).
Note that in ambient light subtract mode, the
subtraction is not performed on the transmitted
data. Both LED and ambient readings are
transmitted and the subtraction is left to the
control program. This data packet is transmitted
at the interval set by the Update interval
commands J - M (power-up default is 0.5s,
see Table 3).
Modes 4-6 - Data Dump
Three additional modes, Modes 4-6, are
available on the EVM in the slave configuration.
Modes 4-6 are referred to as data dump modes
and are used to transmit a predetermined number
of period readings (data points) in rapid
succession via the serial port. The data dump is
very useful for analyzing transient or slowly
varying light signals. Modes 4-6 can be entered
via the EVM Mode switch only when the EVM is
operating in slave configuration, but may be
entered at any time via serial command. The
EVM automatically assumes slave configuration

Table 3. TSL230EVM Commands
COMMAND DESCRIPTION
0 Toggle S0 state in Mode 1
1 Toggle S1 state in Mode 1
2 Toggle S2 state in Mode 1
3 Toggle S3 state in Mode 1
4 Set EVM to Mode 1, TSL230
5 Set EVM to Mode 2, TSL235
6 Set EVM to Mode 3, TSL245
7 Set EVM to Mode 4, TSL230 Data dump
8 Set EVM to Mode 5, TSL235 Data dump
9 Set EVM to Mode 6, TSL245 Data dump
A Data dump samples = 128
B Data dump samples = 256
C Data dump samples = 512
D Data dump samples = 1024
E Dump sample interval = 0.015s
F Dump sample interval = 0.03s
G Dump sample interval = 0.06s
H Starts and stops data dump
I Dump sample interval = 0.1s
J Update interval = 0.1s (Modes 1 -3 )
K Update interval = 0.5s (Modes 1 -3 )
L Update interval = 1s (Modes 1 -3 )
M Update interval = 10s (Modes 1 -3 )
O Enable LED Boost Bit 0
P Check EVM (Returns verxx; xx = revision ),
NR
Q Mode inquiry (Returns a - g for Modes 0 - 6)*,
NR
R Set Mode 1 state to 1x, Divide-by-100
S Enable LED Boost Bit 1
T Enable LED Boost Bit 2
U Enable IRED Boost
V Enable ambient subtract
W Disable ambient subtract
X Disable LED Boost1 and 2
Y Disable IRED Boost
Z Shutdown EVM (sleep mode), NR
+ Increase update interval by approx. 4s
- Decrease update interval by approx. 4s
[ Decrease update interval by approx. 40s
] Increase update interval by approx. 40s
_ Reset update interval to default value
! Abort data dump (interrupts current dump),
NR
| (Pipe character) Pod reset to power-up state
(Mode 0), NR
* Mode 0 is the mode the EVM enters on power-up.
NR - EVM does not acknowledge these commands with @
when the PC responds to the handshake request,
*p, by sending a P or any other command.
Rev B
The number of data points transmitted and the
sample period of the data can be set only through
commands (A - G, see Table 3) transmitted to
the EVM via the serial port, and are not
adjustable directly on the EVM. Commands E,
F, G, and I set the time between data
points, or sample interval, to 0.015, 0.03, 0.06, or
0.1s, respectively. Commands A - D set the
number of datapoints sent before pausing to 128,
256, 512, or 1024. Note that the number of
datapoints is always a multiple of two to simplify
processing with algorithyms such as the FFT.
There are data dump modes for each of the
three sensors: Mode 4 for the TSL230, Mode 5
for the TSL235, and Mode 6 for the TSL245. A
data dump can be started from the EVM by
pushing button 1, or by sending an H command
to the EVM. Once the predetermined number of
data points is transmitted, the data dump is
automatically repeated after a short delay.
Pressing button 1 again (or sending the EVM an
H) will halt the transmission of data after the
currently active dump is complete. The data
dump can be stopped (interrupted) by sending the
EVM the ! command. Note that Modes 4-6 are
not available when operating standalone.
EVM Responses
In addition to sending data, the EVM sends
certain characters to the host PC in response to
events occuring on the EVM. The responses are
preceded by an asterisk, *, to distinguish them
from data. The EVM acknowledges receipt of
most commands (see Table 3) by sending the
ampersand @. The EVM sends a z just
before it powers down after about 3 minutes of
inactivity. A p is sent at approximate 5 second
intervals as a handshaking signal to let the PC
know that the EVM is connected. Responses are
also sent as a result of pushing the buttons on the
EVM so that the PC is aware of changes in the
settings made by the user (see Table 4).
 DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS Table 4. TSL230EVM Responses

Description Format
Data Acquisition with the TSL230EVM Command acknowledge @
Primary considerations of a digital data Start of data dump #
End of data dump $
acquisition system, of which the main component Precedes EVM response *
is typically an A/D converter, include sampling EVM checking for PC *p
rate, sample resolution, and dynamic range Switch S0 pressed *0
Switch S1 pressed *1
(usually defined by the available resolution). In
Switch S2 pressed *2
the specific case of a system using the TSL-series Switch S3 pressed *3
light-to-frequency converters, the analog-to-digital EVM in Mode 0 *a
conversion function is performed by a current-to- EVM in Mode 1 *b
EVM in Mode 2 *c
frequency converter (on the chip) and the EVM in Mode 3 *d
conversion to digital data is completed by a EVM in Mode 4 *e
counter (usually on-board the microcontroller). In EVM in Mode 5 *f
EVM in Mode 6 *g
this situation the sampling rate depends on two LED Boost level 1 *q
things: the counting method and the signal LED Boost level 2 *r
amplitude (light intensity). Faster sampling rates LED Boost level 3 *s
LED Boost level 4 *t
are achieved by using period measurement LED Boost level 5 *u
techniques (measuring time between pulses); LED Boost level 6 *v
slower but typically higher resolution sampling LED Boost level 7 *w
Ambient subtract on *V
can be achieved by frequency counting (counting Ambient subtract off *W
number of pulses over a fixed time period). In IR Boost on *U
both cases, the sampling rate is limited by the IR Boost off *Y
light intensity, which determines the frequency Entering sleep mode z
Data format, normal <m>12345<cr><lf>
output of the converter. In the case of period where:
measurement, the maximum sampling rate is the <m> = mode ID (a,b,c,d,e,f,g)
12345 = 5 digit timer count or
inverse of the period of the output of the light-to- >>>>> if overrange
frequency converter, since at least one period <cr> = carriage return (ASCII 13)
must be measured to get a data point. <lf> = line feed (ASCII 10)
Data format, ambient <m>12345|67890<cr><lf>
Resolution in the case of the frequency subtract on where:
output converters is determined by the speed of <m> = mode ID (a,b,c,d,e,f,g)
12345 = 5 digit timer count (LED on)
the measurement clock (for period measurement) 67890 = 5 digit timer count (LED off)
or the frequency counting period (for frequency or >>>>> if overrange
measurement). Dynamic range is determined by <cr> = carriage return (ASCII 13)
<lf> = line feed (ASCII 10)
the output frequency range of the light-to- Notes: 1) Each timer count represents 4s
frequency converter and the counting range of the
counter. the frequency measurement technique in order to
In the design of the TSL230EVM, two utilize the timer capture function. Dynamic range
system-level constraints governed the hardware of this system is determined by the hardware timer
design and dictated the ultimate performance and is 65535 (maximum number of counts)
limitations of the system: the board must operate divided by 10 (approximate minimum number of
on two 1.5V batteries, and component count must counts due to software overhead latency in the
be minimized. timing loop) or 6553:1, approximately 72dB, or
These constraints placed several limits on the equivalent of a 12-bit A/D converter.
hardware choices. An eight-bit microcontroller The 3-volt operation constraint places an
with a 16-bit on-board timer with an input-capture upper limit of 2MHz on the microcontroller clock.
function was chosen for frequency measurement This translates to a 4s resolution (due to internal
and system control. Period timing was chosen as divide-by-8) for period measurement, with an

8

lower limit of 65535 * 4s, or 262ms (3.8Hz) and
an upper limit of 10 * 4s, or 40s (25kHz).
Note that in contrast to typical data acquisition
systems which utilize an A/D converter, with the
period measurement technique the best accuracy
is obtained at the lower end of the input range
(where the number of counts per period is high)
rather than the upper end (where the number of
counts is low). Thus for greatest measurement
accuracy, signals should be kept out of the upper
end of the input range. For example, for the
TSL230EVM to maintain a measurement
accuracy of 1% or better, the signal must be kept
below 2.5kHz (100*4us = 0.4ms, 1/0.4ms =
2.5kHz).
Measurement time in this system is the
period of the input signal plus an additional
constant amount of time for software overhead
and transmission of the data through the serial
port. In order to maintain a constant sampling
rate, the period of the signal must be kept well
under the sampling period thus limiting the low
light measurement level of the system.
Another data acquisition issue worth noting
here is that of signal aliasing. Conventional DA
systems utilize low-pass filters on the input of the
A/D converter to eliminate frequency components
above one-half the Nyquist frequency (the
sampling rate). This eliminates the phenomenon
known as aliasing, in which frequency
components at greater than 1/2 the sampling rate
appear as lower frequency components in the
recovered data. In the case of TSL-family light-
to-frequency converters, addition of an anti-
aliasing filter is not possible since the circuitry is
contained on the chip. If the waveform of a
modulated light source is to be recovered
accurately, the Nyquist criteria must be observed.
This implies that the sampling rate (1 / (output
period + overhead)) must be at least twice the
frequency of the highest frequency component in
the light signal. This imposes a constraint on the
maximum period and, thus, the lowest acceptable
light level. In cases where this requirement cannot
be met the signal of interest may be recoverable
only if certain aspects of the signal, such as its
frequency range and amplitude relative to the
other frequency components, are known.
Rev B
Hardware Design
The design of a light measurement system
using the light-to-frequency converters is
relatively straightforward. As with most
embedded systems, most of the power and
functionality lies in the software. The main
constraints on the EVM design, as mentioned
above, were simplicity and three-volt operation.
For simplicity, only the required components
were used on the EVM design. Functions
necessary or desirable on a real-world application
such as power supply regulation, voltage
supervisor, and dedicated LED drivers were
omitted from the EVM.
One issue that had to be addressed during the
development of the EVM was the use of low-
dropout regulators with a current-limited source.
Since the LCD module requires 5 volts, and the
battery supplies only 3 volts, the higher voltage
must be obtained from the MAX218 RS-232
driver. Since only one of two transmitters is being
used, the 6.5 volts for RS-232 transmission is
available at low-current from the V+ line on the
MAX218. A conventional low-dropout regulator
was originally specified in the design to generate 5
volts for the LCD. On power-up, however, the
LDO regulators pnp pass transistor generated a
transient high-current load which exceeded the
supply capability of the MAX218. The TPS7248
micropower LDO voltage regulator eliminates this
problem through the use of a PMOS pass element.
PC SOFTWARE
System Requirements
Due to the real-time operating requirements and
graphical nature of the EVM software, a
486/33MHz or better PC running Microsoft
Windows and DOS 3.1 or later is recommended.
Installation
To install the TSL230EVM software:
1. Insert the disk in drive A: (or B:).
2. From Program Manager, choose File, Run.
3. Type a:setup (or b:setup) and press Enter.
After installation, go the TSL230EVM group and
double click the TSL230EVM icon to run the
program.
From the main screen, there are six buttons,
one for each of the applications within the
TSL230EVM software. The six applications are
described below.
Help
Launches the help system.
Photometer
Simulates a basic hand-held photometer
compensating filter (Hoya Optics CM-500) used
to block infrared light above about 700nm (see
Figure 3). This corrects the TSL230 sensors
spectral response to approximate that of the
human eye. This type of response, also known as
the photopic response, is useful in applications
such as camera exposure control, lighting control,
and display contrast control, where a
measurement of the perceived brightness ambient
light is required.
Spectral Response
TSL230 with Hoya CM500 Filter Cap
1

0.9
instrument using the TSL230 and the supplied

Normalized Response
0.8
filter cap. 0.7
0.6
0.5
Datalogger 0.4
Logs data collected from the EVM to a disk file 0.3

and displays it on the screen. 0.2

0.1
0
TSL230 Demo 300 400 500 600 700 800 900

Demonstrates the various features of the TSL230 Wavelength (nm)

on a graphical user interface.

Figure 3. TSL230 Response with Filter Cap
Heart Rate Monitor
Recovers pulse waveform and determines heart
rate by passing light through the fingertip.

Proximity Detector Operation

Indicates relative distance of an object from the
EVM by reflecting infrared light off of the object.
For detailed information on the individual
applications, consult the on-line Help system.
Photometer Application
Description
The photometer application simulates the
operation of a simple hand-held-type photometer.
To run the photometer application, first place the
filter cap (included with TSL230EVM kit) firmly
over the TSL230 device on the EVM. Make sure
the cap is centered over the square chip inside the
TSL230 by sighting through the hole in the cap.
The filter is a commercially available color
To start the photometer application, click the
Photometer button from the main screen. To quit
the Photometer application, click the Close button.
Please note that the purpose of the photometer
application is to demonstrate the use of a color-
correcting filter with the TSL230; it is not
intended for use as a measurement instrument.
Accuracy of the readings obtained are influenced
by the TSL230 absolute output frequency
tolerance (5%), and the fact that the filter provides
a reasonable, but not exact, approximation the
photopic response curve.

10

Datalogger Application
Description
The main function of the datalogger
application is to collect data from one of three
sensors (TSL230, TSL235, or TSL245) on-board
the EVM, and save the data to a disk file. The
datalogger also provides a real-time graphical
display of the signal on a simulated chart
recorder. The number of datapoints to be
collected and the time interval between the
datapoints is user selectable.
The datalogger application is useful for
monitoring a light source over a period of time, or
for monitoring a process optically using the EVM
sensors.
Operation
To start the Datalogger application, click the
Datalogger button on the main screen. When the
Datalogger form appears, select the sensor,
number of datapoints, and interval. If you are
logging data from the TSL230, you should first
set the sensitivity and output scaling so that the
operating range will be appropriate for the
lighting conditions (100-5000 counts as indicated
in the Sensor Output window). Click the Start
button to begin datalogging. To exit the
Datalogger choose Exit Datalogger from the File
menu.
TSL230 Application
Description
The purpose of the TSL230 Application is to
demonstrate the operation of the TSL230 Light-
to-Frequency converter. The application does this
through the use of a graphical representation of a
circuit breadboard, in which a TSL230 is
connected to a counter with toggle switches
providing the input voltage levels to the
programming lines. Toggling the switches on-
screen (with the exception of the OE switch)
changes the logic state of the corresponding line of
the actual TSL230 device on-board the EVM.
On-screen displays depict the current operating
mode of the device, and the actual output
Rev B
frequency is displayed in real-time in the on-
screen counter display.
Operation
To run the TSL230 Application, click the
TSL230 Application button on the main screen.
The application form will appear, and will begin
running automatically. Press the red Stop button
in the lower-right corner of the screen to exit the
application and return to the main screen.
Depending upon the ambient light level, the
TSL230 may cause the counter to go overrange or
underrange with the default sensitivity and output
scaling setting. Click the toggle switches to
change the state of the programming lines to
change the mode of the TSL230 and observe the
resulting output frequency changes.
Heart Rate Monitor Application
Description
The Heart Rate Monitor application
demonstrates the use of a TSL235 in a highly-
demanding transmissive-sensing application. The
TSL235 is used to recover a low-level, frequency
modulated light signal (the heart rate) through a
transmissive medium (the flesh of the finger).
This commonly used technique is based on the
fact that the amount of light passed through the
flesh is modulated by the pulsating blood flow
through the capillaries. The frequency of this
modulated signal is the heart rate. The waveform
of this pulsatile signal is called a plethysmograph.
This AC waveform rides on a DC level (the light
which passes through the tissue without being
absorbed or scattered) and can vary in magnitude
from less than 0.01% to greater than 10% of the
DC level.
The Heart Rate Monitor application uses the
Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) and digital filtering
techniques to determine the frequency of the heart
rate component of the signal, filter out unwanted
signal and noise, and display the resulting pulse
waveform on the screen. This operation does not
occur in real-time, since the FFT requires a large
number of datapoints to accurately determine the
frequency of the signal.
Menu selections are provided for adjusting
the number of datapoints collected for the FFT
(256, 512, or 1024) and the sampling rate
(66.7Hz, 33.3Hz, 16.7Hz, or 10Hz). Default is
256 data points at 33.3Hz. Graphical controls
provide adjustment of the low-pass and high-pass
filter cutoff frequencies applied to the input
signal. The threshold control provides a means to
eliminate low-level noise in the signal.

Note: This heart rate monitor application is

meant to be used only as an example of a
transmissive light sensing application. It is
not suitable for use as a medical diagnostic
instrument.
Operation
To run the Heart Rate Monitor application,
click the Heart Rate button on the main screen.
To exit the Heart Rate Monitor application, click
the Exit button.
Setup
To perform the heart rate test, extend your
finger and place it in front of the TSL235,
pointing down to the EVM, fingernail facing the
pink-colored LED (see Figure 3). Without flexing
your finger, apply a light pressure on the board
with your fingertip, and gently push your
fingerprint into the face of the TSL235. Once in
position, cover your hand and the EVM with a
dark cloth, or perform the experiment in a dimly
lit environment in order to reduce the interference
from ambient lights. You must hold extremely still
while the data is being taken since any movement
will interfere with the pulse signal.
Making the Measurement
Click the Start button to start the data
collection. Data collection time will range from
about 2 to 8 seconds depending upon the selected
number of datapoints and sampling rate.
Note that several physical factors will affect
the results of this demonstration. These include
finger position, skin pigmentation, vascularity,
etc. Generally some experimentation is involved
in getting a good result. Along with slightly
varying the finger position and applied pressure,
using a different finger can give a different result.
Processing the Data
After the data is collected, the data is
processed and displayed on the screen. The
software calculates the power spectrum, the time-
domain pulse waveform, and the heart rate, if
possible, in beats-per-minute. The fundamental
harmonic of the pulse waveform is used to
determine the pulse frequency, and is located by
finding the peak among the power spectrum
components in the heart rate frequency range. If a
peak is not identified, then the heart rate is not
calculated and a message is displayed indicating
that the signal amplitude was too low to be
distinguished from noise and other extraneous
signals.
Once the data is displayed, additional
processing may be performed manually by
adjusting the low-pass and high-pass filter cutoff
frequencies, and by adjusting the threshold
control. Each time one of these controls is

12

changed, the power spectrum is recalculated and
the new time-domain waveform is displayed.
Proximity Detector Application
Description
The proximity detector application
demonstrates the use of the TSL245 in a reflective
sensing mode. The TSL245 measures the light
from the LED that is reflected off of an object in
front of the EVM. The relative amount of
reflected light is used as an indication of distance
between the EVM and the object. A reference
position can be set so that the proximity detector
gives and indication of how near or far the object
is from the reference position. This type of
function is useful in applications such as
automatic faucets, safety shields, and process
controls.
Operation
To run the Proximity Detector application,
click the Proximity Detector button on the main
screen.
When the application form appears, click
start to begin operation. The proximity indicator
will behave erratically until calibrated. To
calibrate, place a reflective object within 3 to 12
in front of the EVM and click the calibrate button.
The proximity indicator should center itself. As
the object is brought closer, the indictor will move
up; as the object is moved away, the indicator will
go down. To exit the application and return to the
main screen, click the Close button.
Ambient Light Sync
Description
As mentioned earlier, fluorescent lights with
their flicker rate of 120Hz can be a significant
source of interference when using the
TSL230EVM. Since the light level is varying, the
EVM sees a different ambient light level each time
it samples one of the sensors, causing erratic
output and making ambient light rejection
difficult. Sampling the sensor outputs at an exact
Rev B
multiple of the flicker frequency can reduce the
effect on the data by sampling the same place on
the flicker waveform each time, thus reducing the
interference to a DC level. Although the EVM
uses this technique, slight variations in timing
from unit-to-unit make complete cancellation of
the flicker impossible. The Ambient Light Sync
function allows the user to adjust the EVM
sample frequency to provide almost complete
cancellation of flicker effects.
Operation
To activate the Ambient Light Sync form,
double-click on a blank area on any of the
application forms, but the Datalog application is
most effective for making this adjustment since it
allows you to view the flicker effect (the beat
frequency between the flicker rate and the
sampling rate) graphically.
Call up the Datalog application and use the
default settings (TSL230 source, 100 datapoints,
0.1Hz data rate). Expose the EVM to the ambient
light, start a datalog and observe the graph.
Ambient light flicker will show up as a sinusoidal
pattern, or just a slight undulation in the signal (a
flat line would indicate no interference). Double-
click a blank area on the form to invoke the Sync
form. The Sync form allows you to adjust the
EVM sample rate to synchronize with the ambient
light flicker. The double-arrow buttons increment
(and decrement) by 10 and the single-arrow
buttons by 1. Click the double-arrow button to
adjust the time by 10, then start a datalog.
Observe the graph for any change (reduced
pattern). Stop the datalog and repeat the process
until a change is observed. Note that the ideal
adjustment could be positive or negative. Once
the graph becomes flatter, use the single-arrow
buttons to make fine adjustments until a
satisfactorily smooth graph is obtained. This will
be an interative process and may require a bit of
experimentation. Once a good result is obtained,
click the middle button (||) to close the Sync form
and save the adjustment. The adjustment value
will be saved to disk and will be used each time
the program is run, or until it is changed. The
sync value may have to be readjusted over time or
if the EVM is moved to a different location.

14
 LIGHT TO FREQUENCY CONVERTER EVM
VDD

U1
U2

44
4
R6 2 31 7 2
1 IRQ PC0 30 8 DB0 VDD
R7

1
1
RESET PC1 29 9 DB1 R3

VPP
+ C10

VDD
43 PC2 28 10 DB2 8.2K 4.7

1
+ OSC1 PC3 27 11 DB3
C1 Y1

1
2
4.7 2 R1 PC4 26 12 DB4 3
S0

2
1 2 2MHz 1M PC5 25 13 DB5 VO

2
1
PC6 24 14 DB6
R4

2
1 42 PC7 21 5 DB7 300 U7

3
VDD OSC2 PB7 20 4 R/W 1
S1

1
1 2 PB6 19 6 RS 1 7 SE
PB5 E GND 8 OUT 5
2 U3

2
5 1 10 4 OUT IN 6
R2 H2570
VCC SO 2 9 PA2 13 1 2 3 EN IN
S1 7 12 PA3 PB0 GND
S2 1.8K
1 2 3 S2 8 11 PA0 D3 TPS7248Q
4 OE S3 6 41 PA1 14 1 R9 2 2 1
GND FO TCAP PB1 VDD
3 820 SL
TSL230
1 R10 2
S3
1 2 R1 34 160
35 PD2
4 R2 D4
36 PD3 16 1 R11 2 2 1
R3 VDD
37 PD4 PB3
MODE R4 110
1 2 39 PD5 VDD IR
R5 R6
2 1 PD7 1 2 15uH
5
R12 L1 DS1 MMBD5060LT1
56
VDD 10K U8 1 21 3
C3
2 3

1
1

1A 1Y 6 4.7
U5 + + C2
2 5 2Y 1 6 8 1.0
19

VDD 2A 1G PA6 PA4 U4

1 3 14 4 5 32
GND OUT VDD VDD 2G PA7 PD0
10 15 33 18

1
2
2

LX
V+

C14 3G 13 17 PB2 PD1 6 C+

TSL235
1
Appendix

VDD .1 9 4G 8 PB4 4 VDD + C4

VSS
12 3A 3Y 11 3 EN .47

2
7 4A 4Y 68HC705C8 9 SHDN 16
U6
GND R1OUT C1-

22
2 8 JP1
2

1 VDD 3 5 T2IN
74HC126 Tx/Rx
GND OUT 17 GND 12
1

R13 20 GND R1IN 13 5 1

TSL245
10K 7 GND T2OUT 15 3 2
T1IN V- 6
2
4

C5
1.0
2

MAX218
BT1 PS1 +
2 1 1 2 VDD
1

VDD
R5
3V POWER 1 MIXED SIGNAL PRODUCTS
R1 2
VDD R2 3 13532 N. Central Expressway
R3 4 S/C Bldg. M/S 93
R4 5 Dallas, Tx. 75265
C8 C9 R5 6 Draftsman Tim Flanigan

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1
1
1
1
1
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C6 C7
.1 .1 .1 .1 + C11 + C12 + C13 R6 7
6.8 6.8 6.8 R7 8 Size Document Number Rev
A LIGHT TO FREQUENCY CONVERTER EVM A

2
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2
10Kx7

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Date: Thursday, August 03, 1995
Rev B