Introduction:
The following projects were created for the second lab assignment for the 2018 Object class at the Atlas institute of university of Colorado. The objective of this lab was to familiarize myself with the Arduino IDE, Build a circuit with digital input and two digital Outputs, and to Laser cut a project enclosure.
Part 1: Digital Input/Output
Materials:
To build this circuit I used pin 2 of my Arduino to read whether the button circuit was connected or not. I then used pins 4 and 8 to connect to my LEDs. See schematic bellow.
After setting up the circuit, I used this code to program the Arduino to switch which light is on when the button is pushed.
Part 2: Laser Cut Enclosure Project
For the second part of the project, I decided to make a hanging lamp.
Materials:
I began this project by dissecting the two flash units so I could use the metal reflectors as lamp shades. I drilled holed through the ball heads and ran two strands of two wires separated from the ribbon cable through these holes to hang the lamp head.
I then soldered the RGB LEDs to the 4 strands of ribbon cable, sticking out at the center of the flash bulb.
I wrapped each led/solder point in electrical tape to be sure it wouldn't short and added back on the collapsible flash reflector.
I then bent the wires so they would fit into the middle of the flash and pulled any excess ribbon cable through the back. I added a spring around the wires to make a more attractive lamp cord. I soldered 330 ohm resistors to the ends of the ribbon cable, being sure to keep ground separate.
I then connected the resistors to the 3, 5, and 6 pins of my Arduino and connected the last wire to ground. I had some trouble keeping the wires straight so I would recommend marking them.
I repeated this process for the second lamp head using pins 9, 10, and 11 to connect to the Arduino.
I then wired my input toggle switch using the 2nd and 4th pins of the Arduino in-order to have three separate input readings (pin 2 high, pin 4 high, and both low). I connected the pins to ground using two 10k resistors. I connected the input switches to the 5v output head so the Arduino could read the current when the switches were connected.
I then wired my input toggle switch using the 2nd and 4th pins of the Arduino in-order to have three separate input readings(pin 2 high, pin 4 high, and both low). I connected the pins to ground using two 10k resistors. I connected the input switches to the 5v output head so the arduino could read the current when the switches were connected.
I used a momentary switch to connect power from my 9 Volt battery to the Arduino, so the Lamp could be turned on and off.
I laser cut plywood for the enclosure using the bellow pattern. I began by generating a 9.5"x 4.5" x 1.5" finger joint box at www.makercase.com. I then added the circles for the toggle switch and the lamp cords to run through. I forgot to add the slot for the on/off switch so I ended up drilling holes and filling them to make the momentary switch fit next to my initials.
I assembled the box with wood glue, leaving the lid unglued so I could add my circuit. I assembled the circuit in my box and threaded the lamp cords through the holes, knotting them at the desired height, so they would stay suspended and not pull out the electrical connections.
I tested the circuit and then uploaded this code to make different colors depending on the state of the toggle switch. I chose to have the RGB LEDs match and create multiple colors when the switch was to the right, turn white when the switch was at the center position, and create complimentary colors when the switch was to the left.
I attached my battery and made sure everything was connected to ground and Voila! A recycled hanging lamp was born.
Conclusion:
I really enjoyed working on this lab as it allowed me to realize and execute this idea of making lamps from these old flash units. I work at a used camera store that specializes in analog equipment. Working there makes me realize how much old electronics are thrown away and wasted. I enjoy finding new purpose for these parts and creating something utterly new along the way. I hope you enjoyed my process!