Homemade Circuit Projects

Get free circuit help 24/7

Smart Laser Alarm Protection using IC 555

Last Updated on by 58 Comments

The post discusses the making of a simple yet effective smart laser alarm protection circuit using the IC 555, for securing a specified restricted zone from human interventions. The idea was requested by Mr. Collins.

Protecting Home with Laser Alarms

I just want to tell you what an amazing passion and dedication to electronics you have and thank you for helping others like me. My name is Collin from south Africa.

We have a huge problem of safety here.

There are countless number of robberies and house break inns its so unreal. I was hoping you can help me with regards to a circuit for a very cost effective and reliable product.

I have built a laser tripwire alarm using a 555 IC timer but the circuit design lacks a lot of features.

I need something that as soon as an intruder enters my property I will be alerted before they even get a chance to try and get into my home.

The circuit needs the following: Once alarm is activated it needs to sound for a few minutes and then go off



and arm again automatically. Don't want it ringing for hours in end if I am not at home to reset it.

It should not be triggered by pets or flying debris in the yard.

Easy alignment of the sensors. The laser alarm works OK but its very difficult to set the pointer on the LDR that keeps moving off. Any tips if we are going than route?

It doesn't have to be a laser system I am open to whatever you think will solve my problem.

Thanks a lot for everything and feel free to add whatever you think I missed out with regards to all the features.

Kind regards

Collin

The Design

 

 

Parts List

R1, R4 = 100K
R2 = 1M
R3/C2 = TO BE CALCULATED (SEE TEXT)
C1 = 4.7uF/25V
IC = ANY 555 VARIANT
C3 = 10nF
C4 = 0.33uF
ALARM = 12V, 200mA PIEZO ALARM.
LDR = any standard

 

image of LDR

 

IC 555Pinouts

 

Simulation and Working

The proposed smart yet simple laser alarm circuit using IC 555 can be witnessed in the following image, the functioning can be understood with the following points:

1) The IC 555 is configured in its basic monostable mode.

2) Pin#2, which is the trigger input of the IC can be seen connected with the emitter of a PNP BJT via a blocking capacitor C2.

3) We can also notice a couple of parallel LDRs secured within opaque pipes and their leads hooked up with the base of the PNP BJT, such that as long as the LDRs remain illuminated together through the laser light focus, the BJT remains deactivated. This happens because in the presence of laser light the LDR's combined resistance drops to around 30K, which keeps the base of the PNP more positive than the ground bias from R2.

4) The inclusion of two LDR ensures a fool proof alarm set-up such that only a human presence is able to interrupt the LDRs, while these remain unaffected by other smaller irrelevant intruders such as animals, birds etc.The two LDRs could be placed at a distance of around 2 feet so that only taller objects such as a human being gets detected.

5) Therefore whenever an interruption in the laser beam is detected, the LDRs go through a sudden rise in their resistances causing T2 to switch ON, which in turn triggers pin#2 of the IC via C1.

6) This prompts the IC 555 to activate its pin#3, which finally activates the connected alarm unit.

7) Since the IC 555 is configured in its monostable mode, the pin#3 remains activated only for a period determined by the RC network at pin#6 and pin#7 of the IC, or by R3,C2.

These timing components can be appropriately calculated using the IC 555 calculator software for accomplishing the desired length of time for which the alarm may remain switched ON.

How to Set Up the Laser Transmitter Units

The laser transmitter devices could be installed near the LDRs itself and focused back to the LDRs using mirror reflectors as shown below:

 

The installing of the laser devices near the LDRs allows the entire unit to be installed inside a single enclosure and also allows the lasers to be powered from the circuit itself.

This also facilitates securing the lasers and the LDR units firmly and accurately so that both the counterparts are unable to move or deviate from their positions even in an event of a mechanical shock or other vibrational interferences.

The mirrors could be positioned at some specified distance, exactly opposite to the laser installation , making sure that the laser beams intersect the restricted zone and the presence of a possible intrusion is detected without fail.

This concludes the making of the proposed IC 555 based smart laser alarm protection circuit, if you have any doubts please feel free to put them forth in the below given comments box.

Using BJTs for Reducing Current Consumption

The above design can be further enhanced to work with lower standby current, and also with a battery backup during of power failures, through the following upgraded schematic:

laser protection using transistors

Laser Security using Single LDR

If you intend to simplify the implementation for a single LDR operation, in that case the following concept can be tried:

IC 555, Laser, LDR security

Sharing is caring!

Have questions? We love answering questions, Please feel free to post them through comments and get guaranteed replies within 5 hours. Get free expert consultation for your personalized questions (Please Share and Bookmark us)



Get New Circuit Updates in your Email


 

Reader Interactions

Forum Discussion - Ask a Question

  3. hi . i’m still new on this . and i don’t know how to use the ic 555 calculator software . can you tell me what kind of value of R3 and C2 can use ?

    Reply

  4. dear sir
    i want to make mid night lamp which should be on 12 mid night and off at morning 4 o clock. timer or LDR circuits not effective for exact timings (while power off or bad light conditions) therefore i want use a digital clock for time input . please set instructions

    Reply

    • Dear Jayanth, you can try the following concept and modify according to your particular needs:

      https://www.homemade-circuits.com/making-programmable-timer-circuit-using/

      Reply

  7. Hi im just about to build this circuit for my back yard security, what ohm LDR do i need , havnt done electronics for 15 years im a little rusty! thanks for your time
    paul

    Reply

    • Hi, you can use any LDR whose resistance is able to drop to approximately 50K in ambient light (not direct light), and rises to infinity in darkness.

      Reply

  8. In above circuit all leds of first ic glow, the leds of second ic strts glowing ,but leds of first ic also simultaneously glowing, which is not required, kindly solve my problem

    Reply

    • no that shouldn't happen? LED sequencing is supposed to start from the first pin of one IC and go on sequencing one after the other until the 18th LED on the last pinout of the second IC is reached, after this the sequence must revert to the initial pinout of the first IC and the cycle must go on repeating in the same way…please first diagnose and correct the fault in your design

      Reply

  9. Thanks for such a lightening reply. After selecting 4 or 16 position in a selection knob , and pressing of push button , first 4 or 16 LEDs out of 32 should glow one by one then stop, again after push of push button 5 to 9 LEDs should glow with 1 sec gap.

    Reply

    • Subhramayam, what kind of sequencing are you getting, I am sure it's one led at a time, do you need this kind of sequencing or do you want the subsequent LEds to latch and glow constantly as the sequence proceeds?

      for the second option you may have employ small SCRs at the 49017 outputs so that the LED illumination can get latched while sequencing?

      after this you will need selector switches for selecting the desired sequence lengths

      Reply

  11. Hi sir, i am from india and very much need of undermentioned circuit. Kindly help me.
    After selecting 4 or 16 position in a selection knob , and pressing of push button , first 4 or 16 LEDs out of 32 should glow one by one then stop, again after push of push button 5 to 9 LEDs should glow with 1 sec gap. As it is required to teach my students and I have only mechanical background, i could not make it.please help me.

    Reply

    • Hi Subramanyam, first I would suggest you to make the last circuit from the article which is mentioned below…and succeed making the 18 LEDs run in sequence, once you make this I will instruct you how to proceed further…

      https://homemade-circuits.com/2011/12/how-to-make-18-led-light-chaser-circuit.html

      Reply

    • Debasis, it will depend on how far the laser is able to travel and reflect back on the LDR without losing the required intensity..as long as it is able to implement this, it will work regardless of the distance…

      Reply

Have Questions? Ask Now

Your comment will be held for moderation, and will be published with a reply as soon as as it is moderated by the Admin.