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2024-03-27 5:35 pm
Hi Bill, I have been trying to do a little project to control some light WS2812B light strings for a couple Vivarium. I discovered (the hard way) that it requires 2 arduino type devices. I had seen the video you did about the GIGA and bought one but the docs were, at best (as you know) sketchy. I decided before I went ahead and did a bunch of soldering and wrapping (something you might want to cover also) I would take one more look for info re using both processors, lo and behold I found Hen's Teeth!! It's from Jan this year so... It's pretty much what I needed but couldn't find. My suggestion would be a simple project using the display (covered), the VRTC, and using the M4 to trigger the M7( I think I got that right). I want to do a slow ramp up to simulate a sunrise/set for the frogs. (If you know of any code that will let a guy do that in a linear(?) method..) This will just be a start at (0,0,0) and over 20 min ramp up to (255,255,255). Your demo could show how to integrate it as a wake up routine for smart lighting. As someone who lived here in good ol' Edmonchuk you know what a 6 hr day is. This may already be on your radar, just thought I would throw it out. I am going to try to dig into this myself and see if I can accomplish it, if not at least I know where to go for answers.
Thanks!
2024-03-27 9:23 pm
@wild_bill I don't know why you think you need 2 processors for some WS2812B lights, I have mine working with a cheap clone UNO.
As far as 'ramping up, a for loop with a delay sounds like what you need.
If you want to synch the display to the ever changing daylight hours, just add in some code to get daily sun rise and sun set times. I don't KNOW a source of the top of my head, but I would look at a free version of open weather, or the web site date and time, or some government source.
First computer 1959. Retired from my own computer company 2004.
Hardware - Expert in 1401, and 360, fairly knowledge in PC plus numerous MPU's and MCU's
Major Languages - Machine language, 360 Macro Assembler, Intel Assembler, PL/I and PL1, Pascal, Basic, C plus numerous job control and scripting languages.
Sure you can learn to be a programmer, it will take the same amount of time for me to learn to be a Doctor.
2024-03-28 12:52 am
An even better way is to use an RP2040 and its PIO, which handles the timing of the WS2812B much better than an Uno can. Great for complex patterns. Covered it in my Raspberry Pi 10-year video.I have mine working with a cheap clone UNO.
It's interesting, but I'd have to use different hardware (like the aforementioned RP2040). The Giga is expensive; two of them are twice as expensive, well beyond the budget of most of my viewers.
As for Edmontonchuck, I used to work in the Terrace Building for the Alberta Government on the Legislature grounds. It was an odd building in that it was built on the side of a hill, so the front entrance was actually on the third floor. My office was on the second floor, on the side facing into the hill, so we had no windows. In winter, I'd arrive at 8 AM in the pitch black and leave at 4:30 PM, also in pitch black; if I didn't leave at lunch, I could go days without seeing the Sun.
Bottom line - as a suggestion, I might incorporate some of this, but with cheaper hardware and a more general purpose. Something activated by a weather service or a daylight sensor, perhaps.
😎
Bill
"Never trust a computer you can’t throw out a window." — Steve Wozniak
Topic starter
2024-03-28 9:10 pm
@dronebot-workshop OK I will look into the vid. I was looking at it from a point of view that if one GIGA processor is monitoring your house/garage/chicken coop... the second could be utilized to run more complex routines, the display would then be used to monitor and change parameters. I did try a code to do what I want but it locked up due to the delay cycle. Finally gave up and went with just full on or full off. Near as I can tell reading the clock, displaying the time, and a delay loop to cycle the LEDs messes it all up. I tried a couple different approaches and same result. Hence dual processors. I am trying a build with 2 Xiao or ESP,(now I will look at the RP2040) not sure yet which will be better. The idea is to use a DS3231 as the clock so that sunrise and sunset are at the same time every day regardless of Daylight savings or external ambient light level with about a 20min ramp time.
As to the office, I was in trades. I can recall being inside a plant many times where you had to go for a smoke break in order to get to daylight, even after quitting smoking... and the construction offices (aka Chateau ATCO) rarely had windows unless you had a Beaver Tail stamp or got a salary. Or it was the opposite... -30 and not a building other than the lunch trailer and wash car. Most people don't realize that Edmonton is one of the largest cities in the world north of 50. Great in the summer, not so much in January.
Thanks!
This post was modified 4 weeks ago by Wild_Bill
Topic starter
2024-03-31 10:18 pm
@zander I've discovered where there may have been a few issues with V1 of my project. RAM being primary. I am trying to drive enough of them that it may have become an issue. Power may have been the next, I didn't use a buck to step down and provide the watts. As a pipefitter one of the first things I look at is how am I going to add to this and solve that before I start.
2024-03-31 10:51 pm
@wild_bill I haven't seen any RAM issues so far with any MPU/MCU type situations but I suppose there could be a first.
I am super confused by your step down remark. The only reason you would need one is if your power supply was too many volts for the MCU/MPU. I used to live in an RV so I had a huge 12V supply and I used a buck to drop it to about 7 then a LDO linear to drop it to 5.1V. Really confused by your Watts comment. Watts is Volts X Amps. Your device requires a specific voltage, commonly 5 or 3.3 and it will draw a certain number of amps. The product is Watts or more precisely VA (Volt Amps). Watts and VA are the same in DC circuits, but in AC can be different depending on the circuit. If it has a reactive component, then trigonometry is needed to determine the Watts from the VA.
My WS2812B setup has TWO power supplies. A normal 5V wall wart to power the UNO, and another to power the WS2812B lights (if you have a LOT of lights, then that power supply will need to be bigger, but it has NO effect on the UNO or whatever MCU/MPU you use)
First computer 1959. Retired from my own computer company 2004.
Hardware - Expert in 1401, and 360, fairly knowledge in PC plus numerous MPU's and MCU's
Major Languages - Machine language, 360 Macro Assembler, Intel Assembler, PL/I and PL1, Pascal, Basic, C plus numerous job control and scripting languages.
Sure you can learn to be a programmer, it will take the same amount of time for me to learn to be a Doctor.
Inst-Tech reacted
2024-04-01 7:17 pm
I loaded micropython on M7. How do I run micropython on M7 and Arduino on M4.
Topic starter
2024-04-01 10:53 pm
@zander Too many things to go into on this page. I am going to try and get it to work over the next coupe days. If I fail I will post and ask for advice in the other area. The 1st attempt was with a NANO...
2024-04-01 11:00 pm
@scsiraidguru You are posting on someone else's Topic.
First computer 1959. Retired from my own computer company 2004.
Hardware - Expert in 1401, and 360, fairly knowledge in PC plus numerous MPU's and MCU's
Major Languages - Machine language, 360 Macro Assembler, Intel Assembler, PL/I and PL1, Pascal, Basic, C plus numerous job control and scripting languages.
Sure you can learn to be a programmer, it will take the same amount of time for me to learn to be a Doctor.