tjsmart/solsearching

Repository for solar tracking code

SolSearching Repository

Getting started (using SolarTracker library)

From cloned repository:

1. Download or clone this repository onto your computer
2. Copy or symlink the SolarTracker folder (not the entire repo) to the location of your arduino libraries.
   • On Mac with copy: cp -r SolarTracker ~/Documents/Arduino/Library
   • On Mac with symlink: ln -fs $PWD/SolarTracker ~/Documents/Arduino/Library

From release:

1. Download from the latest release SolarTracker.zip.
2. In the arduino IDE, navigate to Sketch->Include Library->Add .ZIP Library...
3. Select the SolarTracker.zip file you just downloaded.

Getting started (using example sketches)

The optimizer sketch, configures the SolarTracker to search for the brightest light source and track it over time. To upload the solar tracker optimizer sketch to your arduino open sketches/optimizer/optimizer.ino in the arduino IDE and upload it to your arduino.

The skyread sketch, configures the SolarTracker to take a survey of the entire sky and print the values of the photoresistors to the serial monitor. To upload the skyread sketch open sketches/skyread/skyread.ino with the arduino IDE. Also, try the live python plotting and recording under sketches/skyread/python/skyread.py.

Debugging

There are several tests present under the folder tests to confirm that your arduino and its components are working properly.

Contents of this repository

• doc -> documentation including a todo list and some resources
• sketches -> arduino sketches
• SolarTracker -> SolarTracker library

Expected pin ordering in current version (unconfirmed)

For the photoresistors, looking down the shaft of the cross:

       top(2)  
       \    /  
        \  /  
 left(3) \/ right(5)  
         /\  
        /  \  
       /    \  
       bottom(4)  

For the servos, the vertical (horizontal) servo should be attached to pin 9, 10.

Worst case scenario, just troubleshoot it with a test light source and reset which pins in the sketches/optimizer/setup.hpp