LIGHT DISPLAY PROJECT

Overview

You now have all the skills you need to complete your first custom project. In this project, you will design and build a creative display that uses colored lights passing through etched clear plastic to illuminate an image. The image will be etched on clear acrylic. The box that supports the acyrlic and contains all of the electroncis can be made from wood, acrylic or metal. The electronics must be made entirely from basic components (i.e. no Arduino boards). It also must include a microcontroller and have software that is able to illuminate the image in a way that changes color and over time or in response to an external sensor.

Project Draft

Project Draft: The first step this project is to make a draft of your project in your notebook. The draft should include a drawing for your acrylic display design and your box/base. In addition, the draft should also include a description of what your project will do. For example, my design might include an image of Superman and the display might increase in brightness as you approach it.

Project Timeline

Project Timeline: The next step in this project is to create a project timeline for completing this project. The project timeline will be created in a spreadsheet that includes a column for tasks and columns for everyday of the project. Your job is to break down this project into a set of discrete tasks and then determine when each of these tasks will be completed.

  1. Open new spreadsheet in Googlesheets

  2. Name your spreadsheet something appropriate

  3. Enter “Tasks” at the top of the first column

  4. Add dates

    1. Enter the first date of the project at the top of the second column.

    2. Using the Format dropdown, set the format to month/day i.e. 12/5

    3. Enter the formula “=b1+1” at the top of the third column. This will add one day to the date.

    4. Select the date at the top of the third column and drag across the tops of the next 21 columns.

    5. Type CTRL-R. This will copy the formula into all of these columns. The dates should increment by one day per column.

    6. Select all of the date columns, right click and select Resize columns. Set the size to 40.

  5. Select the top row and set it to bold.

  6. Use a color to mark the columns that fall on weekend dates.

  7. Select view and freeze the first row.

  8. Make a list of tasks required to complete the project in the Tasks column.

  9. Using color, indicate the dates for working on each task.

Project Criteria

  1. Panel: The plastic panel will be made from clear 1/8” acrylic. The overall size of material is limited to 64 square inches. The panel must fit neatly and firmly in the box (i.e. no wobble).

  2. Base: The base may be constructed from wood, metal or plastic. The overall external surface area is limited to 100 square inches. Any edge joints should be smooth and seamless. The box must include access to the internal electronics.

  3. External: All inputs such as buttons or sensors should be neatly mounted to face of the base. All external parts on the box should be clearly labeled with rasterized graphics. The base should include an externally accessible USB mount for power.

  4. LEDS: You may use a maximum of 8 LEDs. You may use either an LED strip or individual LEDs. The LEDs or strip must be mounted securely inside of the box.

  5. Circuit: The circuit must be made on an etched circuit board. The base must include mounting hardware or brackets for the circuit board. The circuit must include two headers for power and ground and two headers for RX and TX, so that it can be reprogrammed in circuit.

  6. Software: The color of the lights must change based on an internal timing routine or external factors such as temperature or proximity.

  7. Minimize the use of bolts. Panels should be glued together where they don’t need to be removed.

  8. Do not use any of the mounting brackets in the shop. Instead, make and print your own brackets.

  9. Do not use any parts designed for breadboards. Instead use only parts designed for PCBs. This includes jump wires.

  10. Your design should have only one sensor. Select from the following list.

  11. All PCB designs should be able to be reprogrammed.

  12. Determine size of standoff to use with PCB.

  13. Use crimp connectors for disconnecting wires. Use solid core 22g for potentiometers. Use stranded for crimping.

  14. Learn to use guide to find hole sizes.

  15. keep holes not directly next to edge

#. place all components centered on grid if possible. # make sure to use one-sided board not copper on both sides #. Hot glue secure all connector pins on your circuit board. #. crimp to stranded not solid core wire. #. use right angle pins. #. hot glue all pins.

  1. Troubleshoot board.

    1. Five volts between pins 6 and 7

    2. Five volts on pin one

    3. Pin one not connected to ground

    4. Resonator pins conneted

    5. Switch shorted.

    6. Middle resonator pin must be attached to ground