Lightning Sensor - 40km Range

As Electronics enthusiasts and tinkerers, it’s no secret that lightning is a somewhat daunting phenomenon, which could strike at almost any unexpected time to completely ruin whatever electronics projects in the making. Fortunately, this small disaster is now completely avoidable with the Lightning Sensor from DFRobot, which offers lightning detection up to a 40km range in all directions, with a 21bit resolution so you can identify how far away the lightning strikes are with high precision.

Although some people may ponder about the value of this sensor, given the fact that we can hear lightning and we can manually time it according to the time difference between the light and sound produced, the truth is that sometimes lightning can be quite inaudible if there are other sounds like traffic or harsh winds. Additionally, there may be other times in which you aren’t in the same location of the electronics you want to protect, and in such times, you need a reliable system that can act appropriately when lightning gets too close, to keep your valuable circuitry safe from unnecessary damage.

Typical Applications for the 40km Range DFRobot Lightning Sensor: 

While a lot people may simply assume that this Lightning Sensor from DFRobot is a tool designed for safety, it can actually also be used for a range of exciting projects too, such as lightning photography. This is because, at the moment that the lightning strikes, the interrupt pin IRQ will generate a pulse, and this pulse can then be used to activate specific components, Modules, software applications or consumer electronics like cameras.

So it’s time to get that old camera out of the cupboard and set it up for some exciting Lightning Photography, or consider taking this idea even further and fitting a range of different Sensors, modules or other Electronics Components to react in whatever way you want whenever lightning strikes, with different actions depending on how far away the lightning is striking. In fact, because these sensors can use three different I2C addresses, you could even have various mini weather stations taking readings, so as to triangulate precisely where the storm is, and track the location as it travels.

Additional Resources:

• Official DFRobot Wiki for Lightning Sensor Module
• The Official Github Repository for the DFRobot_AS3935 Libraries

As self-proclaimed “Robo-holics”, DFRobot is a company comprised of over 100 staff members, of which 30% are engineers who love to build robots. It was started in 2008 with the goal of embracing and promoting open-source hardware, with a core focus on Arduino, Raspberry Pi and their very own LattePanda development boards. Since then, DFRobot have manufactured over 1300 unique modules, sensors and components that all work together and complement each other, allowing users like us to enjoy a full spectrum of cutting edge robotics and electronics without having to pay premium prices.

With the primary goal of developing and manufacturing great quality products, while making them accessible to as many people as possible, DFRobot are rapidly becoming one of the most common-place brands in the world of open-source robotics and electronics. With more than 1300 products developed in-house, and an impressive range of different categories and specialisations, there are few brands in the world who can compete in terms of quality, accessibility and genuine innovation.