Calculator solar panels?

BeerBelly

Member

• Jul 14, 2013

• #1

Looking over the power requirements of some micro-controllers has me wondering.
Has anyone made a uC project using the feeble output from one of those little calculator solar panels?

 

P

picbits

Well-Known Member

• Jul 14, 2013

• #2

Feasible but not practical (generally).

You'd use one to charge up a supercap or battery and have the uC in sleep mode most of the time waking up for the odd burst of activity. The output of the calculator solar cells is very small - probably better to use one from a garden solar light or similar.

 

misterT

Well-Known Member

Most Helpful Member

• Jul 15, 2013

• #3

Dave Jones has couple of video-blogs about that:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdcLvrDdGTA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VvEO_m3Owk

 

Nigel Goodwin

Super Moderator

Most Helpful Member

• Jul 15, 2013

• #4

You might also bear in mind that many supposed 'solar' calculators actually ran off a tiny battery, and the solar panel was just a dummy.

 

misterT

Well-Known Member

Most Helpful Member

• Jul 15, 2013

• #5

Nigel Goodwin said:

You might also bear in mind that many supposed 'solar' calculators actually ran off a tiny battery, and the solar panel was just a dummy.

Click to expand...

Haha, yes. Printed on glossy paper.