AS3935 lightning sensor chip
Manuel Garbe and Drone both wrote in to draw our attention to this new “Lightning Detector” chip from Austriamicrosystems. According to the manufacturer’s press release, “[t]he AS3935 is a programmable Lightning Sensor IC that detects the presence and approach of potentially hazardous lightning activity in the vicinity. It detects intra-cloud activity as well as cloud to ground flashes, often enabling risk to be evaluated for approaching storms, while rejecting interference signals from common man-made sources such as: fluorescent lighting, motors, microwave oven, switches, etc. The flexible IC allows for configurability that allows the part to work both indoors as well as outdoors, just changing the gain setting in a register.”
You can find more information on the product’s info page.
In order to receive the datasheet and price information, the manufacturer requires that you complete their registration process.
Via the contact form.
This entry was posted in components, new parts, sensors and tagged AS3935, lightning sensor.
Comments
I hope Mouser carries it and I hope it’s cheap!
OK, this component has me baffled . So it detects a lightning bolt – which could be a cloud to cloud superbolt a 100km away and then what? It reminds me of my alien blub detector which makes a peep whenever alien blub is within a parsec of earth.
I like, I like,I like !!!!
I was excited… until I saw it’s a 4mmx4mm MLPQ package. Here’s hoping someone sells ‘em mounted to a breakout board.
Someone on Tindie is selling a breakout: https://tindie.com/shops/TAUTIC/as3935-lightning-sensor-board/
How does this chip detect these lighting activities? It sure sounds like a great lighting sensor chip!
In teory the lightning has a electromagnetic activity, I try a detect at 300Khz with antenna and work
They are available (backordered until 6/4/12) at Digikey for $8 at qty 1. They use signal processing to distinguish other electrical activity from lightning. Otherwise you could just use a very simple analog circuit.
I don’t know how well it works, especially for measuring distance to the storm. They say they use “statistical” techniques which means to me it doesn’t work real well in that regard. But they claim they don’t get many false alarms.
The distance to storm (“statistical”) is done in most cases by looking at received intensity. CG strikes display a lot of energy at lower frequency spectra. IC waveforms are less intense and more difficult to detect (until they’re close) but presage the CG strikes.