Subject: Light Detector?

From: [email-masked] (Ken Tetterington)
Date: 4 Mar 1995 05:40:30 GMT

I am not sure if this is the proper group for this but I am looking for a 
small device capable of detecting a light small light source as being on 
or off. I had a solor battery idea in mind but it would be to slow to 
respond. Does any one have any ideas about such a device on the market?
  I know I am being vauge but I know what I want it for but not what it is.
  Ken Tetterington    [email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (JerryFrank)
Date: 5 Mar 1995 14:11:44 -0500

Ken Tetterington writes:
<I am not sure if this is the proper group for this but I am looking for a

<small device capable of detecting a light small light source as being on 
<or off. I had a solor battery idea in mind but it would be to slow to 
<respond. Does any one have any ideas about such a device on the market?
 <I know I am being vauge but I know what I want it for but not what it
is.

PIN photodiodes are cheap, sensitive, fast and reliable but require some
support circuitry.  HP, TI and Burr-Brown make all sorts of neat
opto-electronic devices.  You will have to decide on the radiation band of
interest, power supply requirements, and what sort of output you want from
your detector; analog, digital or frequency.
Good Luck
Jerry Frank