Adafruit
Analog UV Light Sensor Breakout - GUVA-S12SD
An analog UV light sensor breakout based on the GUVA-S12SD photodiode, detecting the 240–370nm range covering UVB and most of the UVA spectrum. An on-board o...
An analog UV light sensor breakout based on the GUVA-S12SD photodiode, detecting the 240–370nm range covering UVB and most of the UVA spectrum. An on-board op-amp amplifies the tiny photodiode current to a readable voltage level, making it simple to connect to any microcontroller's analog input.
Unlike more complex I2C UV sensors, this module provides a straightforward analog voltage output — just power it, read the voltage, and convert to UV Index. Power the sensor with 2.7–5.5V DC and read the analog signal from the OUT pin.
Key Features
- True UV Photodiode – Detects 240–370nm (UVA and UVB)
- Analog Output – Simple voltage output, no I2C configuration needed
- On-Board Op-Amp – Amplifies nano-ampere photodiode current to readable voltage levels
- Wide Supply Range – 2.7V to 5.5V operation
- UV Index Conversion – Output voltage ÷ 0.1V = approximate UV Index
Specifications
- Sensor – GUVA-S12SD UV photodiode
- Detection Range – 240–370nm (UVA/UVB)
- Output – Analog voltage (Vo = 4.3 × diode current in µA)
- Supply Voltage – 2.7V to 5.5V
- UV Index Formula – UV Index ≈ Vout ÷ 0.1V
Ideal For
- UV exposure monitoring and sun safety projects
- Weather stations and environmental data logging
- UV curing and sterilisation monitoring
- Arduino and microcontroller sensor projects
Package Contents
- 1× GUVA-S12SD Analog UV Light Sensor Breakout
Jargon buster
Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.
- breakout
- A breakout is a small circuit board that makes a tiny or hard-to-solder component easier to connect to with standard pins. It matters because this OLED module can be wired into a microcontroller project without needing to solder directly to the display’s fine contacts.
- I2C
- I2C is a two-wire communication bus used by many sensors and small modules. It matters because several I2C devices can share the same two wires, but each device needs a compatible address and your controller must support I2C.
- microcontroller
- A microcontroller is a small computer on a chip that runs your program and controls connected inputs and outputs. For this product, it is the part that reads buttons and sensors, drives the display and speaker, and communicates over Bluetooth.
- Op-amp
- An op-amp, or operational amplifier, is a chip used to amplify, buffer, or compare analogue signals. Resistor values around an op-amp help set gain and input behaviour, so choosing the right resistance matters for stable circuit performance.
- photodiode
- A photodiode is a light-sensitive electronic component that produces a signal when light hits it. In this sensor, multiple photodiodes let the chip measure different parts of the light spectrum separately.
- UVA
- UVA is the longer-wavelength part of ultraviolet light, closest to visible violet light. Measuring it separately matters when you need to distinguish general UV exposure from the more energetic UVB and UVC bands.
- UVB
- UVB is a middle band of ultraviolet light that is more energetic than UVA and is important in sun exposure and plant-related UV monitoring. A sensor with a separate UVB channel lets you measure this band without it being mixed together with other UV light.
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