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Hey guys,
i've been having a little tinker and play with some code, but im not sure im thinking in the right dimensions.
The intended use of the LED grid will involve individual LEDs doing various patterns dependant on the artwork that is overlaid on to the board, so I think I need to be attempting to control the LEDs in a much more individual fashion rather than by row or by column.
Is it possible to access the array in a more coordinate based style? such as being able to do something like;
(2,2)
rgb [i] = 255;
rgb [i++] = 255;
rgb [i++] = 255;So this in a grid of say 4x4, would select the LED thats the third across and third down (assuming that 0,0 would be top corner?) and set it to white.
I also have a question, having looked at the code ive currently been working with, it seems that say I wanted to update 1 LED from green to blue, I am not simply selecting that 1 LED, sending it data and then it changes. But what happens is; I update the array by adjusting 3 values within the entire array so for a 4x4 this would be adjusting 3 values in a 48 byte array, I then send out the entire array and every LED is adjusted to the new values (except that in this case only 3 have changed- so only 1 LED changes).
Im thinking that this is due to the way the LED chain operates right? And therefore not something I can change, unless I individually connect each LED to its own data pin? Will this affect the speed of the data being written if say I am adjusting the first and last LED in a 50 LED chain at the same time? would the first change noticably quicker?
I apologise if these seem like really basic questions, I tend to learn by doing and find that books often dont really help with such individual projects; although i have a java book in the post as we speak :) combined with some internet tutorials.
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Hey guys,
The project has made some real progress today, my SMD LED's arrived (although soldering 8 in series was a little horrible, dont think il be making them the same way after this prototype :P ).
I currently have 8 in a chain, so thats the first line of my grid, for the Uint8Array that is in the format (8,5,3) do I simply need to continue the chain? as in will the first LED of the second row be chained from the end of the first row?
Dont want to chain them and find out it wants a different setup :P I'm assuming it will be fine, but rather not make the mistake :D
Also; Gordon,
little confused as to what is occuring within the FOR loops/brackets in what you linked me. Its still simply increasing the values of X and Y? in order to move to the next LED. -
Thanks Gordon :)
I like the idea of the grid Uint8Array, that indeed will be very handy, over the weekend me and a buddy managed to get our heads around it, I hadn't known the ws2811 is a different order to the ws2812, thanks for the tip :) luckily our experiments were more just about the control and not entirely worried about colour at that point.
I think the Uint8Array is something good to stick to, i'll try the graphics lib, but I will mostly be looking to use mathematical functions. Thank you for the tip.
Created some fancy knightrider effects after we got the standard version going. Have now ordered a nice amount of surface mount LED's, so hopefully should have the grid to play test in a week or so :)
Thanks for the input guys and i'll keep the progress updated.
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I am currently now trying to do a little mini project to get my brain into the right gear before I work on my overall project.
so a Knightrider loop (classic and imaginative i know);
What im thinking, is instead of a Uint8Array I could use simply a variable. So for say 5 LED's;
[0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,]
Then within the loop i'd need;- something that increments by 3 each time (so I can move from Red LED to Red LED each time)
- Then using the above which goes 0,3,6,9,12 I can tell it to modify the position within my 5 LED variable.
- I'd then also need something to reset the previous so? modify i-3 to 0.
- SPI2.send4bit.....
- Delay
So what im doing is creating a blanket 5 LED strip of 'off' LED's in a variable, then each time the loop goes round using the 0,3,6,9,12 I can modify the value of the Red LED within that variable and resend the entire thing.
im sure that's rather inelegant but I can come up with more creative ways later ;)
- something that increments by 3 each time (so I can move from Red LED to Red LED each time)
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A software lamp?
Surprisingly I am also currently designing a RGB LED lamp (like an actual physical lamp - if a software lamp is not physical?); although only intending to use about 5 LED's in the strip.I don't know what the graphical library is but I will look into it :) and command prompt is not a bad idea, although I have found the web IDE pretty decent. I just had it all plugged up at once and just reset() when i want to try something else.
I went and spoke to a coder in my department and tbh that was a good way of gwtting more info about the uint8array and i think I get it now :)
I also had a look at your code, so now im assuming a software lamp is literally drawing on a computer screen (based off your use of x,y co-ordinates it must be some sort of display).
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Hey guys,
basically im a young electronics engineer who has a passion for arty farty things and this is a project ive been brewing for sometime.
Overview:
The actual end product is probaby best described as this; Its an A3 sized sheet of clear/slightly misted plastic that has a grid of RGB LED's laid behind it, which are controlled by the Espruino.I then produce black and white artwork onto sheets of clear acetate (causing it be black and clear artwork). This artwork is then overlaid/pinned to the item described previously. What this hopes to achieve is that it provides me with a piece of black and white artwork (sorta comic style) in which I am able to control the flow of colour within the 'white or clear' areas.
Think like what doctors pin their x-rays to, except it looks like your bones are taking a funky acid trip :)
Problem:
Currently not having any issues with the physical build, but I am having issues with the coding and general understanding of the control of the LEDs. I have little coding experience, i get what a unit array is and a for loop, and the need to define, then call a function etc.. but nothing beyond very basic work.I was hoping someone could help me dissect the code from the RGB LED tutorial on here (this is the tutorial:http://www.espruino.com/Individually+AddÂressable+LEDs)
var rgb = new Uint8Array(25*3); function getPattern() { for (var i=0;i<rgb.length;i+=3) { rgb[i ] = i*10; rgb[i+1] = i*10; rgb[i+2] = i*10; } }
So;
for (var i=0;i<rgb.length;i+=3)
That is the three conditions within the for loop correct? first being; var i is set to 0, the loop ends when i =25? - as thats how many rows are in my array (ie LEDs), and on each loop 3 is added to the var i?rgb[i ] = i*10;
rgb[i+1] = i*10;
rgb[i+2] = i*10;What is this doing? I assume its setting a value of 10 to the first RGB LED, so [10,10,10]? then the next LED would be set to [20,20,20] once the loop is completed?
Basically, id like help understanding how I am controlling the lights with relation to this Unit8Array
Haha! yeh I had a feeling the data would be too quick to notice. Which is a good thing :)
The graphics class i will definitely look into then.
Thank you for the tips guys and Gordon :) I really appreciate it.
I have built a prototype out of cardboard (its a total bodge but I simply needed a working version), I will post pictures once the first non-cardboard prototype is done!