Jamaican Black Castor Oil

DescriptionWhether you are building an automated robotic rover that needs to avoid crashing into walls, or teaching students how television remote controls work in a summer electronics bootcamp, infrared light is the simplest way to add “vision” to your microcontroller. This 5mm IR LED Pair includes everything you need to establish a basic, invisible optical link.Color-Coded for Easy IdentificationTo make wiring and assembly as foolproof as possible, these two components are physically color-coded by their epoxy lenses so you never mix them up on your breadboard:The Transmitter (Clear Lens): The clear component looks exactly like a standard LED, but when powered, it emits infrared light (typically around the 940nm wavelength). This emitted color is completely invisible to the human eye. (Pro tip: You can verify the clear transmitter is working by looking at it through your smartphone camera, which will often pick up a faint purple glow!)The Receiver (Black Lens): The black component is the infrared receiver (photodiode). Its dark, opaque casing is not just for decoration; it acts as a physical daylight filter. The black color blocks out standard visible light from the sun or overhead room lamps, ensuring the sensor only reacts to the invisible 940nm IR light bounced back from the transmitter.How to Use ThemYou drive the clear TX diode exactly like a normal LED, using a standard current-limiting resistor (e.g., 220Ω or 330Ω on a 5V system) to prevent it from burning out. For the black RX diode, when IR light strikes it, its internal resistance changes. By setting it up in a simple voltage divider circuit with a pull-up resistor, your Arduino or ESP32 can easily measure that change via an analog or digital input pin.Key Features:Perfectly Matched: The clear TX and black RX diodes are tuned to the exact same wavelength for maximum sensitivity and range.Daylight Filtering: The black receiver minimizes false triggers and noisy data caused by ambient room lighting.Breadboard Friendly: The standard 2.54mm pitch legs fit perfectly into breadboards and perfboards for rapid prototyping.Technical Specifications:Lens Diameter: 5mmPhysical Lens Color (TX): Water ClearPhysical Lens Color (RX): Black TintedEmitted Light Color: Invisible InfraredPeak Wavelength: 940nm (Typical)Transmitter Forward Voltage: 1.2V to 1.5VTransmitter Maximum Current: 20mA (Continuous)Receiver Type: Photodiode / PhototransistorViewing/Receiving Angle: ~20° to 30°Ideal Applications:DIY line-following robot sensorsShort-range obstacle avoidance modules for smart car chassisOptical break-beam sensors for counting passing objects (e.g., in a dispensing chute)Cloning or building custom IR remote controlsEducational mechatronics and sensor labs