[Background]
Initial Inspiration, something I watched 4 years ago:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szLmAPW39uE
Realistic Inspiration, something I watched last year:
http://hackaday.com/2010/02/26/10x10-led-matrix/
Sometime around Nov 2011 I decided that a nice 20x5 matrix suited for Christmas (landscape form factor is better for scrolling text), would be awesome to put on my roof! I could do all kinds of cool effects like a fireplace, or a bar graph based off of a playing MP3.
I am a Software Engineer (with a minor in Embedded Systems / Hardware), graduated over a year ago, working full time with a kid, this is going to be a challenge to find the time, but I will finish this, eventually. Oh, and its gotta be cheap.. still got student loans to pay.
Feel free to offer suggestions, comments, etc.. Subscribe for updates.
[Master Plan 2013]
[Revised plan 2012]
[Parts List 2012]
[TODO 2012]
[Parts List 2013]
[TODO 2013]
[Build Log 2011]
[Build Log 2012]
Edited by kevinf - 12/17/12 at 6:51am
Initial Inspiration, something I watched 4 years ago:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szLmAPW39uE
Realistic Inspiration, something I watched last year:
http://hackaday.com/2010/02/26/10x10-led-matrix/
Sometime around Nov 2011 I decided that a nice 20x5 matrix suited for Christmas (landscape form factor is better for scrolling text), would be awesome to put on my roof! I could do all kinds of cool effects like a fireplace, or a bar graph based off of a playing MP3.
I am a Software Engineer (with a minor in Embedded Systems / Hardware), graduated over a year ago, working full time with a kid, this is going to be a challenge to find the time, but I will finish this, eventually. Oh, and its gotta be cheap.. still got student loans to pay.
Feel free to offer suggestions, comments, etc.. Subscribe for updates.
[Master Plan 2013]
- 100 pixels, each with 9 LEDs (3 of each colour).
- Sub pixel layout, hopeful to blend well, a thin diffuser plate will also be on top of the matrix.
RGB
GBR
BRG - Isolate each pixel in a wood frame (including blocks on top of the diffuser) to minimize bleeding.
- Beagleboard, for the top level logic, dsp, music control, wireless re-programability (its on the roof after all). I am going to get/create my own ASCII table as 256colour bitmaps, and all animations can process a folder of .bmps
- Atmega chip as dumb relay, to communicate from beagleboard (serial) to TLCs (SPI). Beagleboard doesn't have the correct voltages for easy communication to peripherals.
- TLC5940s to drive the LEDs, they are awesome! EEPROM to store the voltage differential between RGB LEDs. 3 LEDs in series per channel, running off 12V.
- Solid state! Yes, i could have used multiplexers and far fewer controllers, but then I would need far more SMD parts, more PCBs, and potentially have LED flickering.. I do not want to have a 'refresh rate'.
[Revised plan 2012]
- Since my first child ate up the year, I am revising the plan a bit.
- Launchpad MSP340 to control the ENABLE line on 4 TLC5940 LED drivers (R, G, B, Y channels)
- 144 RGBY LEDs lining the edge of my roof, 48 channels x 3 LEDs, 48 = RGB x 4 x 4, perfect for next year matrix prototype... even though I can only control 4 channels with this years design.
- Program basic chase / twinkle light animations
[Parts List 2012]
- Texas Instruments Launchpad MSP340 $FREE SAMPLES
- Texas Instruments TLC5940NT LED driver x 4 (using 12 channels each), $FREE SAMPLES
- NOMA C6 RGBY LED x 35 lights x 4, $20
- Sayal 2.75x3.75" Protoboard $4.5
- Lacie brick PSU, 12V*2.2A + 5V*2A $FREE SALVAGED
- DIP28x0.3" sockets x 4, $1
- project box, $10
- heatshrink, $10
- Fuses and holder, $5
- 200 ft of 4wire telephone cable, $6 (100ft salvaged)
- 200 LED clips for gutters $15
- 74f14 hex inverter $1
- Level converter (3.5 to 5V) x2 $4
- Generic 432 pad protoboard x 2, $1
- Tons of misc parts $?
[TODO 2012]
- Order all parts
- Design a TLC5940 carrier board (with 4 dip sockets) with header for LEDs
- Solder components to TLC5940 carrier board
- Design a Launchpad carrier board with headers for RGBY control lines and 5V
- Solder components to Launchpad carrier board
- Design a 74F14 inverter carrier board with headers for GSCLK / ENABLE x 4
- Solder components to 74F14 inverter carrier board
- Cut up 4 LED strands and extend the cables, solder and heatstrink
- Wire 48 telephone lines to control groups of 3 LEDs. Solder, heatshrink, ziptie
- Engineer some software for the Launchpad to twinkle / chase / toggle lights
- Mount carrier boards in a weatherproof project box
- Mount LED strands on roof ledge and box under the overhang
[Parts List 2013]
- Texas Instruments TLC5940NT LED driver x 20 (using 15 channels each), $FREE SAMPLES
- NOMA C6 RGBY LED x 35 lights x 40, $200
- Frosted lexan diffuser from P&A $?
- Beagleboard C4 (purchased previously for school project) $75
- Atmel Atmega324 $FREE SAMPLES
- Sayal 2.75x3.75" Protoboard x 5 $23
- Wood for frame, $FREE SHIPPING CRATES
- Dell DA-2 200W brick PSU, 12V @ 18A $FREE SALVAGED
- DIP28x0.3" sockets x 20, $3.5
- 12v to 5v linear regulator UA7805CKCT x 2 $FREE SAMPLE
- Box of 480 resistors $10
- Tons of misc parts $?
[TODO 2013]
- Order all parts
- Build 5 TLC5940 carrier boards with headers for LEDs
- Design and build 1 Atmega carrier board with headers for SPI and serial
- Create a power distribution board with 12V input and 2 x 5V output based on 2 x UA7805CKCT, one for beagleboard, one for ICs
- Design and build a wood frame for holding 100 pixels
- Find the best thickness for diffusing the LEDs
- Cut up all the LED strands and extend the cables, solder and heatstrink
- Mount 900 LEDs to wood
- Find a clever and cheap way of connecting 300 control lines to PCBs while still being removable.
- Design a protocol for communicating over serial to Atmega
- Design a protocol for communication over SPI to TLCs
- Engineer some software for the beagleboard to do cool light animations, scrolling text, music processing, etc.
- Figure out how to mount on wall / roof / inside in window frame
[Build Log 2011]
- (December) Purchased all my LEDS on boxing day sale, giving me a total of over 1200 LEDs, of which I need 300 R, 300 G, 300 B, only $200, saving over $360.
[Build Log 2012]
- (June) Ordered tons of samples from TI, Atmel, Microchip, having an alumni school email rocks!
- (November) Late getting work done on the project, scaling back design.
- LED resistor calculation and cable design
- Found amazing electronics dealer, had hard to find 28 pin DIP sockets x 0.3"
- Wire madness
- Carrier board complete
- SOT-23 solder nightmare
- Inverter daughter board, death of a solder iron
- Happy Dance, finally got a working demo (Video)
- The end of 2012, sad news... more pictures
Edited by kevinf - 12/17/12 at 6:51am
Samsung Galaxy S3 SGH-I747M
(10 items) |
OC'in beast, holdin out for HD7800 series
(19 items) |
HTPC
(17 items) |
| CPU | Motherboard | Graphics | RAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMD Phenom II X4 965 | Gigabyte GA-990XA | MSI R4830-T2D1G | Mushkin Enhanced Blackline 4GB (996679) |
| Hard Drive | Hard Drive | Optical Drive | Cooling |
| Western Digital WD10EALS 1TB Blue | Corsair Force Series GT CSSD-F180GBGT-BK 180GB | Sony 20X Sata DVD-RW | Scythe Mugen 2 rev B |
| Cooling | Cooling | Cooling | Cooling |
| (3) Scythe Slip Stream SY1225SL12H-P | Antec Tri-Cool 140mm | Antec Tri-Cool 120mm | Scythe Ultra Kaze DFS123812-3000 |
| OS | Monitor | Keyboard | Power |
| Windows 7 Pro 64bit | ASUS PA248Q 24.1" IPS | Microsoft Internet Keyboard Pro (ps/2) | Corsair VX550 |
| Case | Mouse | Mouse Pad | |
| Antec 300 | Logitech G5 | Steel Series Starcraft 2 Marine | |
| View all | |||
| CPU | Motherboard | Graphics | RAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMD Athlon II X2 240 | Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-US2H | Gigabyte 6450 | Mushkin 4x1gb DRR2-800 HP2-6400 |
| Hard Drive | Hard Drive | Hard Drive | Optical Drive |
| Western Digital WD6400AAKS 640GB Blue | Western Digital 2TB Green | Western Digital WD6401AALS 640GB Black | Samsung SH-B123L |
| Cooling | OS | Monitor | Keyboard |
| OCZ Vendetta 2 | Windows 7 Pro 32bit | Samsung LED UN40C5000 | Logitech MX5500 |
| Power | Case | Mouse | Audio |
| OCZ ModXStream Pro 600W | Thermaltake V4 | Logitech MX5500 | Logitech Z-5500 |
| View all | |||
|
Samsung Galaxy S3 SGH-I747M
(10 items) |
OC'in beast, holdin out for HD7800 series
(19 items) |
HTPC
(17 items) |
| CPU | Motherboard | Graphics | RAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMD Phenom II X4 965 | Gigabyte GA-990XA | MSI R4830-T2D1G | Mushkin Enhanced Blackline 4GB (996679) |
| Hard Drive | Hard Drive | Optical Drive | Cooling |
| Western Digital WD10EALS 1TB Blue | Corsair Force Series GT CSSD-F180GBGT-BK 180GB | Sony 20X Sata DVD-RW | Scythe Mugen 2 rev B |
| Cooling | Cooling | Cooling | Cooling |
| (3) Scythe Slip Stream SY1225SL12H-P | Antec Tri-Cool 140mm | Antec Tri-Cool 120mm | Scythe Ultra Kaze DFS123812-3000 |
| OS | Monitor | Keyboard | Power |
| Windows 7 Pro 64bit | ASUS PA248Q 24.1" IPS | Microsoft Internet Keyboard Pro (ps/2) | Corsair VX550 |
| Case | Mouse | Mouse Pad | |
| Antec 300 | Logitech G5 | Steel Series Starcraft 2 Marine | |
| View all | |||
| CPU | Motherboard | Graphics | RAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMD Athlon II X2 240 | Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-US2H | Gigabyte 6450 | Mushkin 4x1gb DRR2-800 HP2-6400 |
| Hard Drive | Hard Drive | Hard Drive | Optical Drive |
| Western Digital WD6400AAKS 640GB Blue | Western Digital 2TB Green | Western Digital WD6401AALS 640GB Black | Samsung SH-B123L |
| Cooling | OS | Monitor | Keyboard |
| OCZ Vendetta 2 | Windows 7 Pro 32bit | Samsung LED UN40C5000 | Logitech MX5500 |
| Power | Case | Mouse | Audio |
| OCZ ModXStream Pro 600W | Thermaltake V4 | Logitech MX5500 | Logitech Z-5500 |
| View all | |||
I had to visit over 
