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Operant

Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2012
Location
US
I'm back, with more wiring from hell...

The Case Lighting Project:

First up is an update on that graphic equalizer. I realized I never posted the video that I made so here you go:

>>>>>>YOUTUBE LINK<<<<<<

This takes in sound via a small mic and then processes it through the graphic equalizer. The what is shown in the video is a function which takes an average of 2 low frequencies, 2 mids, and 2 highs. These three sets are then mapped to the red, green, and blue leds (respectively) to produce a "color" for a given sound at any point. I'm hoping to swap out the mic for a 3.5mm audio jack so I can get a much more accurate sound reading. I'll also throw it all in a small project box, power it off a molex connector (everything is run off 5V), and stash it somewhere in my case. I've been so busy lately that I haven't had time to finish my full writeup of this, but I promise I'll get something out soon for everyone. :) (This could be a nice upgrade from a NZXT Hue or other lighting solutions)

The Sign Project:

Next up is a project that I've been working on for my robotics team. This is a control box for a set of LED signs. I know, MORE LEDs... :chair:

So what's packed inside so far? Well, as of now, this includes 5V and 3.3V linear voltage regulators, arduino mini, graphic equalizer, pot for adjusting the sensitivity on the fly, accelerometer, 5V to 3.3V logic level shifter, microphone, LCD panel, LCD "backpack" to control the LCD via I2C, RGB backlight for the LCD, 3 button interrupts, and various I2C ports for communication to the sign boxes which handle the actual LED strips.

The box turned on:
_MG_6895.JPG

Here is a shot of the front of the board:
_MG_6906.JPG

and the back:
_MG_6905.JPG

The soldering isn't the best due to a heavily worn iron. I really need to get a new one. A little off track for this thread, but if anyone has recommendations for a digitally controlled unit (preferably a whole station setup), I'll gladly take them as I'm in desperate need of one.

Now for a quick demo of an equalizer function (left is bass, middle is mids, and right is highs):

>>>>>>YOUTUBE LINK<<<<<<

One improvement that I plan to make is the removal of the I2C line for communication between the signs and the addition of a AM radio module for wireless communication. Why can't I use something easier like wifi or bluetooth? Well, the FRC competition rules specifically ban all wireless communication (think wifi and bluetooth) and alternatives like IR require precise positioning. Another improvement in the works is the addition of an encoder to allow for easier navigation of the menu shown on the LCD screen. Finally, once I'm fully confident in this circuit design, I'm going to be sending it off to have a couple boards made with silkscreened labels and everything.



In the end, the code for both this and the case lights will be open sourced along with complete wiring diagrams and all respective files. If you have any recommendations or comments, I'm all ears! Once I finally have more time on my hands, I can get back to making even more cool projects and hopefully drop back into overclocking. :attn:
 
That's pretty awesome!
What're the signs themselves for? What's the team building, anyway?
 
The signs are used in the stands when we are at competitions. It's a way to help represent the team while boosting morale.

As for what we are building, I'll get you some better pictures later today. It's essentially a robot that plays a "game" which is changed every year. We have 6 weeks to design and build it (our team actually builds two), before we have to stop for competitions. If you want, go google "FRC 2013 Intro Video." I think that should get you to the clip that gives an overview of what is entailed this year.
 
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