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/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
()()()()()()()()()()()()( <[ icy- row toy ]> )()()()()()()()()()()()()
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
A little exploration in to persistence of vision using just one kind of
component - seven LEDs. We grabbed an 8-long header pin, added a little
piece of stripboard as a spacer (optional!), soldered the LEDs in place
each facing the same direction, and stuck it in an Arduino.
Some crafty code and careful datasheet reading brought these lights to
life, dancing with interesting patterns. That's enough pixels to write
little messages in the air, draw hearts, and make patterns. Not bad for
less than a dollar in components*!
....##..##......##......##..##..##......##........######..######......##
..##..##..##....####..####..##..##......##........##......##....##..##..
..##......##....##..##..##....##........##........####....##....##..##..
....##..##......##......##....##........##........##......##....##....##
....##..##......##......##....##........##........##......##....##..##..
......##........##......##....##........########..######..######......##
*seriously now, who doesn't have an Arduino laying around somewhere?
-=-=- Down and Dirty -=-=-
The gasps could be heard from miles around - LEDs driven with no single
resist resistor? How outrageous! Here's the beans and I'm about to spill
'em.
Look at any LEDs datasheet at all, and you'll see a 'peak current'. It's
usually *at*least*double* the normal maximum - often five times more!
These datasheets also specify a maximum duty cycle and duration, generally:
If you run your LED for one tenth of the time, you can power it with
five times the normal current, leaving you half as bright.
Half as good? Sounds pretty rubbish, but think about it? When you start
multiplexing LEDs together, you're never going to have them on for more
than half the time anyway - so you save on power and components without
a downside. Pretty excellent!
There's just one niggling thing - a bug in your code could make the
chip freeze up, leaving some LEDs on full strength for far too long!
Best be careful - no guarantees on this one. Still, LEDs are cheap. :)
---<3
Jenna
<o> Parts
o= Strip of 8 Pin Headers <1>
o= Seven LEDs of any variety <2>
o= Stripboard is helpful if using surface mount LEDs <3>
<1> http://www.icy.com.au/shop/product/sku/ph/
<2> http://www.icy.com.au/shop/browse/categories/leds-and-lighting/
<3> http://shop.ebay.com.au/i.html?_nkw=stripboard