pay.c "out of office"... ;)

[pay_c]

Hi there!

I got a little rare in the last time, but that all got a reason: Actually I'm trying to get into AVR Atmega's programming (similar to the PICs, just a little "easier" in my opinion as I learnt in the meantime) and I am about to make some of my own apps (in inspiration by the GODFATHER TK  ;) ).

Also, I am moving again at the moment (I got a new job and now moving from Regensburg to Erlangen in Germany) and so time's flying away... again. Right NOW I do have time because I fused my only one Atmega32 IC to sleep (it does not react to anything, I can't reprogram it and I need additional pieces to wake it up again - ordered that just half an hour ago). Because of that I just wanna let you know whats up. The advantage for you guys in some time could be the following:

Planned applications:

- just some beginner's stuff to get in (wtf, some counters, LCD-stuff and other toooootally boring stuff)

- Gimmick: New kind of audio scope: Using some RGB-LEDs for that (blue = hi, yellow = mid, red = lo) and switching through them so some diagramm of the audio signal is rendered.

- Getting into that LED-touch-switch thing. Perhaps some module will come out of that ?!? LED-DIN?!?!? Dunno up to now.

- Getting the most synth-like stuff possible out of the Atmega32 (also just for trying out & playing around with the AVR routines, not really some interesting app as FPGA's are a LOT LOT LOT better at that)

- Low cost electronic oscilloscope (that's my favourite!!!) - it looks like it will feature up to 200 kSamples/second (so no MHZ stuff to look at - but audio is shown perfectly) on a 128x64 LCD. But THIS app is like hard programming and will take it's time.

So, I hope you guys don't kick my ass because I'm not around to much anymore, but no you at least know what's up and perhaps even can look forward for some more stuff to build. ;)

Greetz!

[audiocommander]

Quite interesting stuff you're working on  ;D

I'd like to get my hands on that LED-Input thingy, too... but unfortunately I'm to busy with other things right now. Controlling RGB LEDs seems to be one of my favorites, too :)

At least you're getting nearer, so if you're dropping out totally from this community, I can give you a real kick ;D ;D

Greetings from Nürnberg*,

Michael

* about 15 driving minutes from Erlangen ;D

[stryd_one]

Here, here, bring on the LED matrix...

Didn't the guy developing that end up needing about 8 cores or something though?

Anyway glad you're having fun pay_c  :D

[pay_c]

;D

Thnx to all. I'll keep that kick in mind, audiocommander! ;)

Yeah, that guy really needed that much... BUT: 8 cores for a 8x8 matrix (8 LEDs possible per core). AAAAND: He used Bascom (!!!!). You know what that means?!? Holy s**** Bascom is sooo slow. So I really think that with a good multiplexing (like 74HC4051 or similar) those probs should not come up to fast and more LED´s per core should be possible. The physical problems like to much light around you are more breaking up my mind (perhaps you will not be able to use those LED-buttons in the sunlight... :P ... wouldn´t like those babies being trapped in some dark room).

Yeah, ok, whatever. Things will get started and then let´s see. :)

Til then greetz!

[TK.]

The biggest problem is the high power consumption - too much for the Micro, therefore a 4051 (transmission gate) won't help, some FF or SR would be better, and I guess that you can easily service 200 or more multicolour LEDs from a single core with an update rate of less than 1 mS (and I guess that such a high update rate is not really required)

Best Regards, Thorsten.

[pay_c]

Hi TK! Cool that you switch in for that.

Am I wrong with following? I thought SR´s are always one-way (serial to parallel or vice versa SR´s). You will need both directions for that LED-thingy (as you load the LED´s up just like caps and in the next step measure the curve of their discharge (via ADC) to say it very basically). So SR´s are out of the discussion, or not?

Aaaaand: What are FF´s?  ???

[TK.]

FFs are Flip Flops...

Seems that I mixed the RGB idea with the LED touch detection. However, here you can use shift registers as well, so long they can be switched into high impedance state (e.g. 74HC595: OE# pin). This will require a second chain of input registers (e.g. 74HC165) - a lot of hardware, but still less expensive than multiple microcontrollers. Also speed is no issue, since the LED capacitance is discharged very slowly (according to the basic example > 1 mS)

Best Regards, Thorsten.

[pay_c]

:O

Yeah! That´s an idea! I didn´t think about combining 165´s *and* 595´s! Coooool! Thanx TK! Always good to have someone else look over the idea when you´re yourself sitting 5 mm in front of it and not seeing the obvious solutions! THNX!

[stryd_one]

Doesn't hurt that TK has a freakishly large brain dedicated to playing with these things and blessed by the Gods to make ground-breaking DIY projects  ;D heheh

I've often said that these things could be very very useful just as a single line as opposed to a grid matrix (as in, a slider, not an X-Y pad) if you could do that without using a shedload of IC's I'd be really interested!

Is there some single website that's a good source of info on this LED sensor thing? I found a few sites with bits and peices but nothing really solid you know...

5mm? hehehe Obviously it's the first small measurement that popped into mind to make the joke with... I wonder how such a measurement might have been burned into your brain...or maybe your retina ;D

[audiocommander]

led's as touch sensors

http://www.midibox.org/forum/index.php?topic=5709.0

LEDs as optical detectors

http://www.sensorsynergy.com/helpfulhints.htm

LED Touch Sensing

http://mrl.nyu.edu/~jhan/ledtouch/index.html

justDIY » LED Sensors

http://projects.dimension-x.net/archives/35

LED Sensor Array

http://forums.linear1.org/index.php/topic,469.15.html

Keep in mind, that these LED faders would also return the Z-index, so they could be used for a lot more than just fading (eg. choose and confirm, level+modulation and so on...)

:)

[stryd_one]

Yeh I thought those links might be the whole lot, but hoped that I'd missed one ;) Thanks tho man!

Well yeh, I actually never intended upon using them as faders, that was just a way to clarify what I was talking about :) I have a more...ahhh...elaborate plan in mind  ;D