uart.net » 8-bit http://uart.net universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter Sat, 06 Nov 2010 05:11:45 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.3 Quick Bling http://uart.net/2008/06/12/quick-bling/ http://uart.net/2008/06/12/quick-bling/#comments Fri, 13 Jun 2008 03:37:23 +0000 ned http://uart.net/?p=31 So two Saturdays ago I tried to make a some simple LED “bling” as fast as I could (from scratch). All told it took about 4hrs from start to finish (including firmware and soldering). The result is 3 LEDs (red, green and yellow) controlled by a PIC12F675 and running from a 3V lithium coin cell (CR1620). The LEDs brightness follows a sine wave with a period of ~ 1 second, and with each LED offset from the other by 1/3 of a period. As a result the LEDs seem to chase each other, only with a much nicer effect then your normal on/off chase. Here as one fades out, another is fading in, and the third is at nearly full brightness.

The whole board runs for about 24hrs w/o issue. If I disabled the brown-out detector, I think it would run for more like 48hrs, though the last 12 might not be that great. With the brown-out detector enabled, the LEDs start to flicker. This is because the voltage drops under load, so the detector trips, reseting the PIC. This causes the load to become less, so the voltage rises, the brown-out detector release the PIC from reset and then the whole processes repeats.

The back of the board is covered in static-free bubble wrap. I have been starting to cover my boards in the bubble wrap every since I put a board down on a pair of metal pliers and shorted a bunch of traces, frying the board. I just use the static-free bubble wrap that parts I order come with. Its also a nice way to reuse the material (instead of recycling it).

 

You can download the source code for the firmware (also contains a compiled binary). It’s written for HI-TIDE and PICC-lite, both by HI-TECH.

 

Front of Bling Board

Back of Bling Board

]]> http://uart.net/2008/06/12/quick-bling/feed/ 0 Paper and Glue Microcontrollers http://uart.net/2008/04/06/paper-and-glue-microcontrollers/ http://uart.net/2008/04/06/paper-and-glue-microcontrollers/#comments Sun, 06 Apr 2008 21:57:14 +0000 ned http://uart.net/?p=12 Last night I made a simple LED PWM circuit using the conductive glue from the other day. It uses the super cheap and robust PIC12F675 to do two channels of software pulse width modulation (PWM). The PIC runs at 4MHz and uses Timer0 for the PWM and Timer1 to move in new “frames”. The “video” is stored in EEPROM. You can download the source code as well as HI-TIDE PICC project files and compiled binaries: Paper Circuit 2 Source (1930). Below you will find some pictures of the circuit through out the construction process, as well as some video of its final operation at 3.0V with no wires and at 4.5V with wires added.

Testing the PWM software on the PIC12F675 before gluing it to the circuit. Initial placement of the PIC and sketch of circuit layout. PIC has been glued down and the inital traces to its pins have been added. LEDs have been added, and the resistors (82ohm) are in position. The finished circuit (still drying) before the addition of any wires. The finished circuit after wires had been added to improve the trace quality. The circuit is being power by 4.5V.

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