Different Types Of Controllers Used In Solar Led Street Light Circuit

By Author: Marsin Mackle
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There are controllers having greater hierarchy of powers and they can control the operation of other controllers in the system. On the other hand, there are secondary controllers that are used for adding various features while they are controlled by a primary controller having the highest hierarchy of power.

In a typical solar street light system having auto intensity features, a standard controller is used which is capable of controlling the intensity of the light depending upon the requirement of the surroundings. The use of auto intensity controller in solar LED street light circuit is most common in the industry, however, there are various other controllers that can be added in the system in order to introduce novel features and enhance the operation of the system. Therefore, in this article, we will discuss various controller that can be added to a system for enhancing the operation and adding features. These controllers have been divided into two major groups’ i.e. primary controllers and secondary controllers. The explanation of the two groups is given below:

Primary controllers

The primary controllers ...
... are mostly used for controlling the overall operation of the solar street lights and they have the highest hierarchy of power in the system. The primary controllers are usually programmed through computer applications and various instructions are fed in order to control the operation of the system accordingly. There are two main types of controllers available in the market that are discussed below:

1. Microcontrollers: A microcontroller is an integrated circuit that is capable of carrying out instructions that have been fed into its memory and implement features that are designed by the users. A microcontroller contains a processor, memory, and input/output (I/O) units on a single chip, which makes it a highly compact and intelligent equipment. The use of microcontroller is common in the solar LED street light circuit where it is used for controlling other components of the system and providing various features.
2. Microprocessors: A microprocessor is a logical chip, which contains the functions of the Central Processing Unit (CPU) of a computer and it is capable of implementing control mechanisms. The microprocessor is highly efficient in controlling different parts of machinery, transferring data between input and output (I/O) devices and decoding instructions that have been fed into its memory. Therefore, the use of a microprocessor as a primary controller in a street light circuit can be highly effective for achieving the desired results.

Secondary controllers

The secondary controllers are devices that are used for introducing different features in solar street light and enhancing its operation depending upon the requirements of the user. These secondary controllers can be provided in the solar LED street light circuit and are controlled by the primary controllers in order to perform their action. In the section below, some of the popular secondary controller used in solar street light circuits have been discussed:

1. Dimmers: These are a type of controllers used in a solar street light in order to reduce the intensity of the light. The use of the secondary controllers is highly significant for enhancing the operation of the street light and optimising its battery use.
2. RGB LED Controllers: These controllers are capable of optimising the colour output spectrum of a solar LED street light. However, the use of these controllers is also dependent upon the properties of the LEDs that have been used in the system. These controllers can optimise the colour spectrum so as to increase the overall output and industry of the light.
3. Signal amplifier controllers: These controllers are capable of controlling the signal input provided to the solar street light and optimise its output accordingly. In this way, the output intensity of the street light can be optimised and desired intensity can be achieved by introducing a signal amplifier controller in the solar LED street light circuit.
4. Wi-Fi LED controller: The Wi-Fi LED controllers are capable of controlling the operation of the LEDs through the means of a Wi-Fi signal. In this way, the operation of the LED can be easily controlled through a Wi-Fi controller using a remote control and the use of manual operation will be eliminated.

There are various other secondary controllers that can be used in the solar LED street light circuit in order to provide various features depending upon the requirements of the users.

Conclusion

Microcontroller and microprocessor are the two most important primary controllers that are used for optimising the operation of a solar street light system. However, over the course of time, various other controllers have been manufactured such as Arduino, Raspberry Pi, etc. that are capable of controlling the systems in an effective manner and provide greater flexibility to the users. Similarly, wide ranges of secondary controllers are available in the market using which a variety of secondary features can be introduced in the systems and their overall performance can be enhanced. Therefore, it is recommended that while designing a street light circuit, market research in this regard should be carried out in order to find out those controllers that there are capable of meeting the requirements more effectively and conveniently.

My name is Michel Marsin and i work full time as a freelance writer, editor former social worker. I am passionate about writing articles on different topics.