Example Code for Arduino-Read Solar Radiation Value

This project demonstrates how to use the RS485 Photoelectric Solar Radiation Sensor with Arduino UNO R3 to read and display real-time solar radiation values. Users will learn RS485 communication setup, Modbus-RTU protocol implementation, and data parsing for environmental sensing applications.

Hardware Preparation

Software Preparation

Wiring Diagram

If the power of the RS485 device is small and the required current is less than 12V-160mA, the RS485 to UART signal conversion module does not require a 12V external power supply, making wiring more convenient.

Other Preparation Work

Ensure the sensor's wiring matches the pinout specifications (VCC to brown line, GND to black line, 485-A to yellow line, 485-B to blue line). Verify the RS485 module's baud rate is set to 4800bit/s (default).

Sample Code

#include <SoftwareSerial.h>
SoftwareSerial mySerial(2,3);
uint8_t Com[8] = { 0x01, 0x03, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x01, 0x84, 0x0A };  
int TSR;
void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);
  mySerial.begin(4800); 
}
void loop() {
  readTSR();
  Serial.print("TSR = ");
  Serial.print(TSR);
  Serial.println(" W/m² ");
  delay(1000);
}

void readTSR(void) {
  uint8_t Data[10] = { 0 };
  uint8_t ch = 0;
  bool flag = 1;
  while (flag) {
    delay(100);
    mySerial.write(Com, 8);
    delay(100);
    if (readN(&ch, 1) == 1) {
      if (ch == 0x01) {
        Data[0] = ch;
        if (readN(&ch, 1) == 1) {
          if (ch == 0x03) {
            Data[1] = ch;
            if (readN(&ch, 1) == 1) {
              if (ch == 0x02) {
                Data[2] = ch;
                if (readN(&Data[3], 4) == 4) {
                  if (CRC16_2(Data, 5) == (Data[5] * 256 + Data[6])) {
                    TSR = Data[3] * 256 + Data[4];
                    flag = 0;
                  }
                }
              }
            }
          }
        }
      }
    }
    Serial.flush();
  }
}

uint8_t readN(uint8_t *buf, size_t len) {
  size_t offset = 0, left = len;
  int16_t Tineout = 500;
  uint8_t *buffer = buf;
  long curr = millis();
  while (left) {
    if (mySerial.available()) {
      buffer[offset] = mySerial.read();
      offset++;
      left--;
    }
    if (millis() - curr > Tineout) {
      break;
    }
  }
  return offset;
}

unsigned int CRC16_2(unsigned char *buf, int len) {
  unsigned int crc = 0xFFFF;
  for (int pos = 0; pos < len; pos++) {
    crc ^= (unsigned int)buf[pos];
    for (int i = 8; i != 0; i--) {
      if ((crc & 0x0001) != 0) {
        crc >>= 1;
        crc ^= 0xA001;
      } else {
        crc >>= 1;
      }
    }
  }

  crc = ((crc & 0x00ff) << 8) | ((crc & 0xff00) >> 8);
  return crc;
}

Result

Print the collected solar radiation values, which cannot be collected by ordinary indoor light sources.

Was this article helpful?

TOP