Photo-interrupter Brick



Pictured with the KY-010 kit module plugged in.
Kit Bricks · SKU TP-K12
Slot sensor: counts anything that breaks the beam.
₹299
Works with TinkerPie V1 · Arduino C++ with the TinkerPieBricks library · Delivery across India: ₹100, 3–7 days · 7-day replacement for damaged or defective kits
About this kit
Slot sensor: counts anything that breaks the beam. The Photo-interrupter Brick is a carrier for the KY-010 module from common 37-in-1 sensor kits: plug the module into the socket and connect one cable to a TinkerPie SENSOR port. A small CH32V003 processor on the brick does the timing work, so your program simply reads the result over I2C.
Features
- Wheel encoder / speed counting
- Event counter + state
- Optical, no contact
- Plug the kit module straight into the socket – no jumper wires
- One cable to any TinkerPie SENSOR port (I2C), BUS IN + BUS OUT to chain more bricks
- On-board CH32V003 does the timing – your code just reads the result
Specifications
| Kit module | KY-010 Photo-interrupter (module 12 of the 37-in-1 sensor kit) |
|---|---|
| Socket | KIT SENSOR: 2.54 mm female, S + - |
| Size | 48 x 32 mm, M3 holes on the 8 mm grid |
| Connectors | 2 x JST-PH 4-pin TP-BUS (IN / OUT) |
| Interface | I2C 0x08-0x0F (8 on one bus) |
| Power | 3.3 V from the SENSOR port |
| Brain | WCH CH32V003 |
| Arduino class | tpb::KitSensor |
How to use it with TinkerPie
- Plug the KY-010 module into the 2.54 mm socket on the top edge. Match the pin names: the brick says S + -, the module has the same letters.
- Connect BUS IN to any TinkerPie SENSOR 1-4 port with a 4-pin JST-PH cable (the same cable as the other sensors).
- More bricks? Plug the next one into BUS OUT. Two bricks of the same type need different addresses: bridge ADDR +1, +2 or +4 on the back (0x08-0x0F; the first is 0x08).
- Install the TinkerPie and TinkerPieBricks Arduino libraries, open the quick-start sketch below, choose the board ESP32S3 Dev Module and upload.
Libraries: TinkerPie and TinkerPieBricks (Arduino IDE: Sketch → Include Library → Add .ZIP Library). Full guide: getting started with TinkerPie Bricks.
Quick start
Upload this, open the Serial Monitor at 115200 baud and watch the TinkerPie matrix.
Quick-start sketch (Arduino C++)
// Photo-interrupter Brick (TP-K12): quick start
// Reads the brick and shows the value on the TinkerPie matrix and in the Serial Monitor (115200 baud).
#include <TinkerPie.h>
#include <TinkerPieBricks.h>
using namespace tinkerpie;
tpb::KitSensor s;
void setup() {
Serial.begin(115200);
tinkerpie::begin(); // also starts the SENSOR ports (I2C bus Wire1)
if (!s.begin()) Serial.println("Photo-interrupter Brick not found at 0x08: check the cable to SENSOR 1-4");
}
void loop() {
bool level = s.state(); // the S pin, debounced
uint8_t n = s.events(); // how many times it fired (counts up, wraps at 255)
Serial.printf("S = %d events = %u\n", level, n);
if (level) led::fill(Colors::Green); else basic::clearScreen();
basic::pause(100);
}
Project: Object counter
Drop coins, marbles or paper strips through the slot. Each one that breaks the beam adds one to the count. Button A resets.
Object counter (Arduino C++)
// Object counter: Photo-interrupter Brick (TP-K12)
// Drop coins, marbles or paper strips through the slot. Each one that breaks the beam adds one to the count. Button A resets.
#include <TinkerPie.h>
#include <TinkerPieBricks.h>
using namespace tinkerpie;
tpb::KitSensor slot;
uint8_t last = 0;
int count = 0;
void setup() {
Serial.begin(115200);
tinkerpie::begin(); // also starts the SENSOR ports (I2C bus Wire1)
if (!slot.begin()) Serial.println("Photo-interrupter Brick not found at 0x08: check the cable to SENSOR 1-4");
last = slot.events();
}
void loop() {
uint8_t n = slot.events();
if (n != last) { count += (uint8_t) (n - last); last = n; music::playTone(1200, 40); basic::showNumber(count, Colors::Yellow); }
if (input::buttonIsPressed(Button::A)) { count = 0; basic::showNumber(0, Colors::Yellow); }
basic::pause(10);
}
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