NBL-W-LUX Illuminance & Light Intensity Sensor

The NiuBoL NBL-W-LUX Illuminance Sensor is designed to measure environmental light intensity and output the measurement directly in Lux. It is suitable for agricultural greenhouses, automatic weather stations, environmental monitoring, urban lighting, smart buildings and industrial lighting-control systems.

The sensor uses a high-sensitivity silicon blue photovoltaic detector and covers a wavelength range of approximately 380–730 nm. The standard full measurement range is 0–200,000 Lux.

Output options include RS485 Modbus RTU, 4–20 mA and 0–5 V, allowing the NBL-W-LUX to connect to PLCs, weather-station data loggers, greenhouse controllers, building-management systems and IoT gateways.

NBL-W-LUX Illuminance Sensor Technical Specifications

What Does an Illuminance Sensor Measure?

Illuminance describes the amount of visible light reaching a surface and is expressed in Lux (lx). The NBL-W-LUX converts detected light intensity into an electrical or digital signal corresponding to the measured illuminance.

These measurements are related to light but are not interchangeable. The correct sensor should be selected according to whether the project requires human-visible illuminance, plant-light measurement or solar-energy measurement.

Lux Sensor vs PAR Sensor vs Pyranometer

For greenhouse projects focused specifically on photosynthetic light available to crops, a PAR sensor may be more appropriate than a Lux sensor. For general environmental light intensity, lighting control or daylight monitoring, NBL-W-LUX is the more direct measurement.

NBL-W-LUX Product Features

RS485, 4–20 mA or 0–5 V: Which Output Should You Choose?

Analog Output Conversion

For analog-output versions, illuminance is calculated from the electrical output and the selected full measurement range.

Where L is illuminance in Lux, I is current in mA, V is voltage in volts and Lm is the configured full measurement range.

For example, with a 0–200,000 Lux range and 0–5 V output, a measured signal of 2.5 V corresponds to:

2.5 / 5 × 200,000 = 100,000 Lux

RS485 Modbus Communication

NBL-W-LUX Wiring

Illuminance Sensor Installation

Typical Applications

Maintenance and Troubleshooting

NBL-W-LUX Illuminance Sensor FAQ

Q1. What does the NBL-W-LUX measure?

A1. It measures illuminance or environmental light intensity and reports the result in Lux.

Q2. What is the measurement range?

A2. The standard measurement range is 0–200,000 Lux.

Q3. What wavelength range does the sensor cover?

A3. The documented spectral range is approximately 380–730 nm.

Q4. Does it support RS485 Modbus?

A4. Yes. The RS485 version uses Modbus RTU with a default baud rate of 9600 bps.

Q5. Is a 4–20 mA version available?

A5. Yes. RS485, 4–20 mA and 0–5 V output configurations are available.

Q6. Is a Lux sensor the same as a PAR sensor?

A6. No. Lux is an illuminance measurement, while a PAR sensor is intended for photosynthetically active radiation measurement. For plant-light research, a dedicated PAR sensor may be more appropriate.

Q7. Can the NBL-W-LUX be used in a greenhouse?

A7. Yes. It can monitor greenhouse illuminance and can be integrated with a controller or data logger. It should not be treated as a direct measurement of photosynthesis.

Q8. Can it be connected to a weather station?

A8. Yes. The RS485 version can be connected to compatible weather-station data loggers or IoT gateways.

Q9. Can data be uploaded to our own server?

A9. Yes. A compatible data logger or gateway can collect the sensor data and forward it to a cloud platform or private server using supported communication protocols.

NBL-W-LUX Illuminance Sensor Datasheet

NBL-W-LUX-Illumination-Sensor-Instruction-Manual.pdf

NBL-W-LUX for Lighting and Environmental Monitoring

The NBL-W-LUX Illuminance Sensor provides 0–200,000 Lux light-intensity measurement with RS485 Modbus, 4–20 mA or 0–5 V output. It is suitable for lighting control, greenhouse environmental monitoring, weather stations, buildings and industrial IoT systems.

For quotation and model selection, specify the required output signal, power supply, measurement range, cable length, quantity and the controller or data logger that will receive the illuminance data.