TCS3200 Color Sensor: Raspberry Pi

1. Introduction

The TCS3200 is a color detection sensor that can identify RGB (Red, Green, Blue) values of objects. It converts light intensity into frequency output, which can be read using GPIO pins of the Raspberry Pi.

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2. Components

• Raspberry Pi 4 Model B
• TCS3200
• Jumper wires
• Breadboard (optional)

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3. Circuit and Connections

Raspberry Pi Pinout Diagram

TCS3200 Colour Sensor Module Pinout Diagram

Connection Table

TCS3200 Pin	Raspberry Pi
VCC	5V
GND	GND
S0	GPIO5
S1	GPIO6
S2	GPIO13
S3	GPIO19
OUT	GPIO26

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4. Detailed Step By Step Circuit Working

1. Sensor uses photodiodes to detect RGB colors
2. S2 & S3 pins select color filter (Red, Green, Blue)
3. Light intensity is converted into frequency output
4. Raspberry Pi reads frequency from OUT pin
5. Frequency values correspond to RGB intensity

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5. Libraries to be Included

pip3 install RPi.GPIO

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6. Code (Python)

import RPi.GPIO as GPIO
import time

S2 = 13
S3 = 19
OUT = 26

GPIO.setmode(GPIO.BCM)
GPIO.setup(S2, GPIO.OUT)
GPIO.setup(S3, GPIO.OUT)
GPIO.setup(OUT, GPIO.IN)

def read_color():
    count = 0
    start = time.time()
    while time.time() - start < 0.1:
        if GPIO.input(OUT) == 0:
            count += 1
    return count

try:
    while True:
        # Red
        GPIO.output(S2, 0)
        GPIO.output(S3, 0)
        red = read_color()

        # Blue
        GPIO.output(S2, 0)
        GPIO.output(S3, 1)
        blue = read_color()

        # Green
        GPIO.output(S2, 1)
        GPIO.output(S3, 1)
        green = read_color()

        print("R:", red, "G:", green, "B:", blue)
        print("--------------------")

        time.sleep(1)

except KeyboardInterrupt:
    GPIO.cleanup()

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7. Detailed Step By Step Code Working

• S2 & S3 select color filter
• OUT pin outputs frequency pulses
• Pulse count represents light intensity
• Program counts pulses for each color
• Displays RGB values

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8. Tips

• Keep object close to sensor
• Avoid external light interference
• Use white LED illumination (on module)
• Calibrate for accurate color detection
• Use fixed distance for consistency

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9. Uses

• Color sorting machines
• Robotics (line/color following)
• Industrial automation
• Object detection systems
• Smart packaging

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10. Conclusion

The TCS3200 color sensor allows Raspberry Pi to detect and analyze colors effectively. It is widely used in automation and robotics applications.