# AS3935 Lightning Sensor / MIKROE-1444 Expansion board

**URL:** <https://forum.digikey.com/t/as3935-lightning-sensor-mikroe-1444-expansion-board/548>\
**Category:** Sensors Transducers\
**Tags:** sensors-transducers, automation-and-control, sciosense\
**Created:** [September 15, 2017, 6:57pm UTC](https://forum.digikey.com/t/as3935-lightning-sensor-mikroe-1444-expansion-board/548 "2017-09-15T18:57:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Pat\_Sagsveen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Pat\_Sagsveen](https://forum.digikey.com/u/Pat_Sagsveen)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2017, 6:57pm UTC](https://forum.digikey.com/t/as3935-lightning-sensor-mikroe-1444-expansion-board/548/1 "2017-09-15T18:57:08Z")

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This is the place to ask questions relating to the AS3935 lightning sensor IC from AMS (AS3935-BQFTCT-ND). This device is intended to detect lightning strikes up to 40km away and allow the user to estimate how far away the head of the storm is. The AS3935 has an evaluation board made by MikrolEktronika that is meant to assist in testing the AS3935.

For the video we used some example code on GitHub from the project “ThunderAndLightning”. The code is working; however, we still have to tune some parameters within the code to get the project working properly.

Video -

[![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/digikey/original/3X/4/c/4ce4e064af7f8307ae5b19a71ba42ec82f995ffa.jpeg "ams AS3935 Lightning Sensor – Another Geek Moment | DigiKey") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqwmbk9I8fo)

EEWiki - [eewiki - Electronic Component and Engineering Solution Forum - TechForum │ Digi-Key](http://eewiki.net/display/DKSB/Thunder+Click+Lightning+Detector)

| | MFG P/N | Digi-Key P/N |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1) | [AS3935-BQFT](https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/ams/AS3935-BQFT/AS3935-BQFTCT-ND/3182215) | [AS3935-BQFT-ND](https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/ams/AS3935-BQFT/AS3935-BQFTCT-ND/3182215) |
| 2) | [MIKROE-1444](https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/mikroelektronika/MIKROE-1444/1471-1115-ND/4495480) | [1471-1115-ND](https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/mikroelektronika/MIKROE-1444/1471-1115-ND/4495480) |

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**Author:** ![nstarinski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f07891/32.png) [@nstarinski](https://forum.digikey.com/u/nstarinski)\
**Post date:** [May 26, 2021, 12:50pm UTC](https://forum.digikey.com/t/as3935-lightning-sensor-mikroe-1444-expansion-board/548/2 "2021-05-26T12:50:50Z")

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I would like to make people aware that there is a strong possibility that Thunder Click PCB arrived at the Digikey without being tested at all. Yesterday, when trying to operated this board, I discovered that the AS3935 chip was soldered on the PCB in the 180 degree reverse orientation. The technical stuff from the MIKROE refused to act even the clear snapshot of the chip from the microscope was presented to them.

Nick

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**Author:** ![Kaili\_Simpson](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/digikey/user_avatar/forum.digikey.com/kaili_simpson/32/4645_2.png) [@Kaili\_Simpson](https://forum.digikey.com/u/Kaili_Simpson)\
**Post date:** [May 26, 2021, 2:08pm UTC](https://forum.digikey.com/t/as3935-lightning-sensor-mikroe-1444-expansion-board/548/3 "2021-05-26T14:08:53Z")

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Thanks for bringing this to our attention, @nstarinski

Are you able to provide the picture that you mentioned of this issue?

T4283983

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**Author:** ![nstarinski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f07891/32.png) [@nstarinski](https://forum.digikey.com/u/nstarinski)\
**Post date:** [May 26, 2021, 6:09pm UTC](https://forum.digikey.com/t/as3935-lightning-sensor-mikroe-1444-expansion-board/548/4 "2021-05-26T18:09:52Z")

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Hi Kim,

I am sending you two pictures. One - with my indications of the first pin location on the chip and the PCB. Second one - is a photo from the manufacturer manual showing the correct orientation of the chip on the PCB. The microscope screenshot has bad contrast, but the little dot in the right-bottom corner is visible. It supposed to be in the left-top corner, where the white triangle on the PCB silkscreen is.

I hope it helps. All I want is to get working board.

Regards,  
Nikolai Starinski  
Engineer-Physicist  
University of Montreal

 ![Thunder_Click_2.jpg](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/digikey/original/3X/1/b/1b965dcd9dc5846b23be264cfdf7e60eb422580e.jpeg)

 ![2021-05-26_08-15-02.jpg](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/digikey/original/3X/6/d/6d40a101201c0086d12805259deca76f32cf686b.jpeg)