Anamatronics circuit builders?

[Gigatrix]

I see absolutely what you say, but if I mounted the servo on the right and the con rod to the prong on the far left side I only gain a couple of mm to expand the servo and I still have quite a bit of unused space on the left side. I still have to but 3 super beefy $$$ servos for not to much gain. The one servo doesn't have the lifting force to move the prong. it does need the help of the 2nd servo. Pardon my stubbornness but I have done the math and you get more lifting power able to be put in the space if you do it 2 micros rather than 1 slightly larger on. I may if I can expand my budget get some heavy duty metal geared micros for robotics but again this is the cheapest way atm. sorry but I always wondered if you can run the two off the same command but if not no biggie.

 

[xl97]

You have been told before..

no you can not run both off the same 'command'..

you add 3 more servos.. thats 3 more pins.. and 3 more power consumptions....etc

metal geared servos are not that much more expensive either... but thats up to you decide.

still not clear on the RGB leds you want to use.. is this a neopixel stip? a dot start led strip? high powered 1-3Watt leds (which I would advise against... otherwsie you need to worry about making a constant current driver for it as well)

I would suggest you work on one aspect/feature at a time.. and implement new things as you move forward.


@modeljag -

heeeeeyy.... Wisconsin! (thats where I'm located too)

 

[Gixxerfool]

@Gigatrix there is a ton of info in this thread to get you started. It seems as if you're direction is a rudderless ship. You really need to implement a strict plan. Even with all my planning and simplifying I'm still hitting road blocks. I can only imagine what they would be like with little planning.

EDIT:

Here is a great write up on putting a sketch together. I am going through this one now since my sketch is all over the place

http://forum.arduino.cc/index.php?topic=261445.0

This is a great series of videos starting with the basics. They build with each video.

http://youtu.be/09zfRaLEasY

 

[Gigatrix]

You are right but this is all still in its early stages. This discussion all makes a strict plan at the end. I accept that I am saying is a bit wishy washy but in truth I know what I want to happen but don't know how to make it happen and that's where you guys come in. To give you an idea at where I am at. I have the Arduino and ready to play. I have bought the servos and I shopping for the LED's and solenoid and the motor is on my whish list. I still have no clue about what the LED's I'm buying. I would love some kind of recommendation about what would work like Voltages, Amperes or what you guys have used in the past. I know I would like to have the LED's in a rose like formation to fit within a 17mm hole and I want 3 of them but that's all I can specify. Being as this discussion is talking about this project in its early stages I still have some ideas that aren't set in concreate, like using the motor shield for the Arduino and the separate circuit for the solenoid but IDK if that's the right thing to do as I am a noob and probably in way over my head. I have started accumulating all the materials for the physical project and will start building in the next little while so I have time to work this out.

Thank you guys for sticking with me this far. You have been a great help, even if I haven't.

 

[Gixxerfool]

I would check superbrightleds.com. 17mm is huge. I used 3mm LEDs and they're bright. Keep in mind your source voltage. If you have a 5 volt source and your led is rated at 3.5v. You need to shunt that difference with a resistor. You want to minimize that as much as possible since that will convert to heat if overdone. Unlikely to happen, since I was using a 12v source for some items I could use that for my LEDs and put them a series-parallel formation to help. So instead of putting one led and one resistor, I put a few LEDs to help shed the voltage. I then put them in parallel to boost efficiency. Then I scrapped the whole board and moved to an Arduino.

I've seen the gun you're building and it will be amazing when done.

 

[Gigatrix]

Just to let you know I didn't mean 17mm leds I meant a 17mm rose of about 7 or so leds but if they all come on a board themselves with power wires attached would I be right in putting a resistor on them to 1 supply the correct voltage and 2 make the circuit draw current to stop the circuit from breaking? but thank you again for the link, ill have a look around and try and find something that will work. this is a great help.

 

[xl97]

I suggest you start playing with what you have now.

Arduino and servos'.. and add in the leds.. and finally your solenoid stuff...(later)

the leds resistor, power consumption and configuration all 'depends'...

 

[Gigatrix]

I have stumbled upon this:https://tkkrlab.nl/wiki/Arduino_KY-009_3-color_full-color_LED_SMD_modules, what do you think? but yes I will play with what I have.

 

[xl97]

Thats nothing more than a normal RGB in a SMD package (SMD = surface mount design).. that is placed in a PCB for breadboard use/easy connection.

a 5050 (packaged) LED actually has 3 led diodes inside of it... sometimes all the same color.. sometimes an RGB diode...


(in reality nothing different than a 4-pin 5mm sized led)

ie same as a single one of these:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/50-Pcs-LED-...600261?hash=item280b610805:g:RUgAAOSwl8NVYxyY

 

[Gigatrix]

Ok, so with that how would I go about soldering them together and connecting to the Arduino? I would want a cluster of 7 so could I solder all the same colour pins together and solder a wire to each having four wires that I connect to the Arduino with a resistor on the non colour leg? Or is that a load of BS and I'm talking out my butt.

 

[xl97]

Ok, so with that how would I go about soldering them together and connecting to the Arduino? I would want a cluster of 7 so could I solder all the same colour pins together and solder a wire to each having four wires that I connect to the Arduino with a resistor on the non colour leg? Or is that a load of BS and I'm talking out my butt.

the 'thing' with Arduinos is..each individual pin can only provide roughly 20-40mA *(most people say 20mA.. 40mA is what some people say is MAX).

that means you can only 'really' drive 1- maybe 2 leds per pin., possibly '3' if you wanted to under drive them a bit, which might be ok to do.. and still have them be bright enough).

but again.. thats only for 1 x RGB led now..

1 pin for red
1 pin for blue
1 pin for green.

if you need more leds, and hence more current than the Arduino can provide.. you need to power them from an external power source (like the one that is powering the Arduino itself)..

and then use an Arduino pin to 'control/toggle' fading/mixing behavior. (same principle as the servos more or less.. as they require more voltage and current than the Arduino can supply.. and hence only uses 1 pin to send out the 'control signal'


There are solutions like Neopixels..and Dot Stars (and maybe other solutions/options). that allow you run a strip of RGB leds (similar to the ones you linked to).. using only 1 or 2 pins from the Arduino.. and powered from a +5v power source (with enough current to drive however many leds you have)..

the problem with Neopixels are that they require very specific timing to use.. (which the library takes care of for you.... BUT.. leaves it MUCH MUCH harder to implement other features/behavior because the Arduino resources are tied up running these Neopixels.)

I have read that the Dot Stars (which are similar to the Neopixels) do not have this requirement and are easier to use... however I have NOT used these myself.. so I dont have any personal experience to comment from.

Also most ALWAYS.. (although the specific set up always mandates what is what).. you need 1 resistor to 1 led.

 

[Gigatrix]

I think it best if I had a separate power source to the Arduino. I had a look on the neopixle and they are all a bit big, I have dug up another treasure I think might be better: http://www.ledlightinghut.com/round-3-ws2812-5050-digital-rgb-led-board.html this its all the size requirements and is an rgb so that's ok, but is it ok for power. mind if I buy this I will have 3 wired together, and could I run them all of the same pins because they all are carbon copies using an external power source just to command them?

 

[xl97]

?? big how? that are the exact same size (5050) led that you posted a link to? ONLY difference is that the Neopixel ones has a tiny microchip inside of it.. (that you dont see anyways)

The link you posted is (in reality) a Neopixel RING (or cluster...whatever).. the point is.. this is a Neopixel.. and has the same requirements as mentioned previously above.

If you go this route, you need to code in a special way as to leave some room for other actions to happen.. which may or may not be possible using these RGB Neopixel leds and the things you want to do..

maybe they have dot stars in the same configuration?

 

[Gigatrix]

I only said big because there is nothing that will fit in a 17mm hole on the neo website and the one I posted does. so what your saying is they are more or less the same (but the neo had a microchip) so... could I use the one I linked because it would fit? how much does the microchip matter/ what does it do?

 

[Gigatrix]

Gixxerfool Can you tell me the dimensions for the prongs you have used, I want to check them against mine because I have reliable intel that they are the same size and I'm worried that mine is a little small.

 

[Gixxerfool]

@Gixxerfool Can you tell me the dimensions for the prongs you have used, I want to check them against mine because I have reliable intel that they are the same size and I'm worried that mine is a little small.

I haven't gotten that far into my build. I do have measurements at home I can post if you'd like.

 

[Gigatrix]

thank you so much, where did you get them? just screen shots or measurements from plans or models?

 

[Gixxerfool]

thank you so much, where did you get them? just screen shots or measurements from plans or models?

I scaled them from blueprints I found.

 

[xl97]

I only said big because there is nothing that will fit in a 17mm hole on the neo website and the one I posted does. so what your saying is they are more or less the same (but the neo had a microchip) so... could I use the one I linked because it would fit? how much does the microchip matter/ what does it do?

From what I understand those ARE Neopixels.. there is no difference. Anything with a WS281 chip in it.. (IMHO) is a Neopixel.
The chip matters.. in the case of running/driving more than 1 or 2 leds..... this takes care of things for you.

ie: you can drive/run change color on a whole strip of 144 Neopixel LEDS.. using only +5v source (with enough current) and 1 Arduino I/O pin. (plus power of course)

If it didnt have the 'chip'.. it wold be a regular old RGB led.. needing 3 I/O pins (plus power pins of course)

Outside of some have been added to a PCB for easier mounting I guess?

The 'problem' with Neopixels, as mentioned above, is that they require special timing to 'run'... (the library/code takes care of this for you)..

This means the Arduino is pretty busy running/driving the Neopixels.. and doesnt leave a lot of room for other behavior to happen. You need to approach your code in a specific way to allow for behavior to happen (even simple button presses wont be picked up unless you code in a specific way)..

Just ask Gixxerfool


That is why I mentioned possibly using Dot Stars (from Adafruit or wherever)... as I have read they do NOT have such requirement problems. (although I havent used them myself for anything)

 

[Gixxerfool]

It's true. That's why I recommend starting with basics. I wish it were as easy as just replacing one function with another, but it's not.

Simply put, you have two options:
delay or millis.

Delay will stop all other functions until the current call is complete (useless in a loop for multitasking). Millis runs a timer that each call looks to through the loop to see if it's needs to do anything. So instead of trying to have the entire call run as the loop runs, it will increment each call one step at a time through the loop. It happens so fast it looks to be multitasking but it isn't.

Did I explain that about right xl97 ?