Project 006 – Development of research equipment

Solar Cell Laboratory Test Equipment

In solar cell research there was need for laboratory equipment to measure and enhance the performance of thin-film solar cells. After the fabrication of the research type solar panels, there were still some defects present in the solar panels.

To remove these defects, a solution was conceived and a proof-of-principle test was conducted. Then a more extensive and enhanced setup was required to handle the full size solar panels.

This new equipment was developed in corporation with the research institute. The project consisted of developing electronics, mechanics, embedded software and Windows PC-software.

The user could use the front panel of the equipment, or PC-software, to select a range of solar cells for measurement and for treatment. The frontpanel had an array of LEDs to show what range of cells was selected and had visual and audio feedback for the operator. A bootloader made it easy to update the embedded software in the field.