New Product Discoveries - ams' Lightning Sensor and MikroElektronika's Thunder Click™

My new product showcase this week consists of a lightning detector integrated circuit from ams and the supporting development board from MikroElektronika.

The goal of DigiKey’s web series New Product Discoveries has been to present the most cutting-edge new technology on the market today. This week I have a product from ams that is sure to impress. The AS3935 Franklin Lightning Sensor IC was developed as a safety component to detect and inform people of possible dangers due to lightning strikes from as far away as 24 miles (40 km). Possible applications for this product are lightning detectors for golf courses and other outdoor activities.

I took advantage of this sensor in a personal project I was working on. I recently put a deck on the back of my house, and in doing so, I blocked the sunlight from entering through the window in my basement. My idea was to have a light sensor mimic the intensity of the sun by turning on LEDs when it is sunny outside. With this lightning sensor I was able to mimic lightning strikes as they occurred to provide the ambience of a lightning storm.

The disadvantage of a product like this being in such a small package is its hindrance to development. With that in mind, MikroElektronika and its series of Click Boards have crushed this obstacle by creating a specific Click Board for the AS3935. Dubbed the “Thunder Click,” this board gives a standard pinout to simplify development with an Arduino, Raspberry Pi, or BeagleBone Black by way of an adapter board.

Thank you for watching.