Month: November 2023

This week’s assignment drew inspiration from a familiar scenario: those late-night kitchen escapades for sneaky snacks. At home, the kitchen lights, being downlighters, don’t just instantly switch on. Instead, there’s a gradual shift when we turn the knob. This unique characteristic prompted me to recreate this experience in my circuit. The analog representation was brought to life through the potentiometer, mirroring the gradual adjustment of the kitchen lights, while the digital side found expression in the toggle switch.

To bring my circuit to life, I gathered a few key components: a potentiometer, a toggle switch, jumper cables, two 10k ohm resistors, one 330-ohm resistor, and two LEDs. The interplay of these elements resulted in the creation of a circuit, visually captured in the image below.

In the process of setting up the circuit, I encountered challenges associated with ensuring the correct placement of components, whether they operated in the digital or analog realm. Despite these hurdles, I noticed a significant improvement in my ability to assemble the circuit compared to my initial attempts. This project underscored the importance of understanding the specific pins corresponding to digital and analog features on the Arduino Uno board. Aligning the code with the appropriate pin modes became crucial for a seamless execution.

Here’s a snippet of the code that brought my project to life:

void loop() {
  int sensorValue= analogRead(A1);
  int buttonState = digitalRead(A2);
  Serial.println(sensorValue);


 analogWrite(led, sensorValue/4);

 delay(30);

 if (buttonState == LOW) {

digitalWrite(13, LOW);

} else {

digitalWrite(13, HIGH);

}
}

Below is the video representation of my assignment.

IMG_4150

Reflecting on the project, I recognize its conceptual completeness, yet I aspire to enhance its creative aspect. While the current iteration captures the assignment’s essence, I envision experimenting with diverse LED blinking patterns, moving beyond the conventional blink. Additionally, exploring the possibility of using the potentiometer to control multiple LEDs could add a layer of complexity and creativity to the project, elevating it beyond its current simplicity.

Concept
In the realm of electronics, my pursuit led me to create an LDR-controlled LED system using Arduino. The concept is rooted in a personal connection—recalling my younger self’s dependence on a night light for a good night’s sleep. This assignment aims to offer a modern solution by integrating an LDR-controlled LED system, bridging the gap between past comforts and present technology.

Required Hardware
• Arduino UNO
• Light sensor
• LED’s
• Resistor (330 ohms)
• Jumper wires
• Breadboard
• USB cable
• Computer with Arduino IDE installed

Light Sensor  

Circuit Diagram
The circuit diagram was created using Tinker CAD and includes the Light sensor, LED’s, resistor, Arduino UNO, and breadboard.

Setting Up the Components

The first step was assembling the components. The LDR was connected to the analog pin A0 on the Arduino, and a resistor was added to create a voltage divider for accurate readings. One LED was directly connected to pin 7, while the second LED was attached to pin 8 through a push button.

Coding the Logic

The Arduino code was crafted to read the analog value from the LDR and determine whether the ambient light was above or below a predefined threshold. If the light level fell below the threshold, both LEDs would illuminate, creating an aesthetically pleasing effect.

int ldrPin = A0;
int led1 = 7;
int led2 = 8;  // New LED pin
int threshold = 70;

void setup()
{
  Serial.begin(9600);
  pinMode(led1, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(led2, OUTPUT);  // Set the new LED pin as OUTPUT
}

void loop()
{
  int data = analogRead(ldrPin);
  Serial.println("");
  Serial.print("Light Sensor ");
  Serial.print("Value = ");
  Serial.print(data);

  if (data <= threshold)
  {
    digitalWrite(led1, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(led2, HIGH);  // Turn on the second LED
  }
  else
  {
    digitalWrite(led1, LOW);
    digitalWrite(led2, LOW);  // Turn off the second LED
  }
}

Hardware Implementation

Video Illustration

https://youtu.be/EFwwim9_fBc

Working Explanation and Conclusion:

Experimenting using electronics enables the combination of technology and creativity. With this assignment, I investigated the dynamic control of two LEDs using an Arduino, an LDR, and a button. This is an example of the limitless possibilities that exist when imagination and technology are combined, whether it is used as an instructional tool or as a decorative lighting solution. Also, it can be used as a dark sensor if anyone want to sleep in a very light like small bulb.

Making Interactive Art: Set the Stage, Then Shut Up and Listen

In this class, it’s easy to present our artworks as static pieces with instructions for the participants and a statement of how we want them to interpret it. The author of this piece, however, believes that this defeats the purpose of interactive art. He wants interactive artists to think of their artwork as a performance rather than a painting; you don’t go about narrating the plot to the audience in a performance – you let the audience perceive the performance through their own senses and interpretation. In the same way, we shouldn’t present our interactive artworks on a canvas with instructions and interpretations – we give them the basic context so they know what they’re getting into, and then we let them explore for themselves. We have to trust our audience to discover their interpretation through a ‘conversation’ with our artwork with merely a suggestion of what their course of action should be – unaided by our own directives – because only in this way can we offer an authentic emotional experience to our audience.

 

Physical Computing’s Biggest Hits (and misses)

This one was just a list of some of the most common project themes in interactive artwork projects. It’s funny because a lot of us will be revisiting these themes many times ourselves for our own artworks, but I don’t think there’s something deeply wrong with that. I think finding our own twist on things that have widely been done before is still our own thing. After all, it is easy to feel like everything worth doing has already been done. Not that that’s true, but I think we may just come closer to originality by stumbling upon an idea no one’s heard of before while first doing stuff that has been done, countless times over.

For this assignment i attempted to make  temperature sensor readings using the TMP 36 , and controlling a set of LED’s with a potentiometer.

Temperature sensor components :

• Four LED’s : blue, green, yellow, and red.
• Temperature sensor TMP 36
• Ten jumper wires
• Four 330 ohm resistors

concept:
The TMP 36 is at first measuring the temperature of the room at the moment, the LED lights light up according to how warm or cool the environment is, as you can see from the video below, before placing my finger on the TMP 36 the temperature was ranging from 23 degrees to 24 degrees (yellow LED), after placing my finger on the sensor the temperature was reading a range of 26 degrees to 27 degrees Celsius (red LED).

Code :

const int sensorPin = A0;
const float baselineTemp = 18.5;


void setup() {
  // put your setup code here, to run once:

Serial.begin(9600);
for ( int pinNumber = 2; pinNumber < 6; pinNumber++)
{
  pinMode(pinNumber, OUTPUT);
  digitalWrite(pinNumber, LOW);
}


}

void loop() {
  // put your main code here, to run repeatedly:

int sensorVal = analogRead(sensorPin);

Serial.print("Sensor Value: ");
Serial.println(sensorVal);


float voltage = (sensorVal / 1024.0) * 5.0;

Serial.print(", Volts: ");
Serial.print(voltage);

Serial.print("' degrees C: ");
float temperature = (voltage - 0.5) * 100;
Serial.println(temperature);


if (temperature < baselineTemp + 1.5)
{
  digitalWrite(2, LOW);
  digitalWrite(3, LOW);
  digitalWrite(4, LOW);
  digitalWrite(5, LOW);
  
}


 else if (temperature >= baselineTemp + 1.5 && temperature < baselineTemp + 3)
 {
  digitalWrite(2, HIGH);
  digitalWrite(3, LOW);
  digitalWrite(4, LOW);
  digitalWrite(5, LOW);
 }


 else if (temperature >= baselineTemp + 3 && temperature < baselineTemp + 4.5)
 {
  digitalWrite(2, LOW);
  digitalWrite(3, HIGH);
  digitalWrite(4, LOW);
  digitalWrite(5, LOW);
 }


 else if (temperature >= baselineTemp + 4.5 && temperature < baselineTemp + 6)
 {
  digitalWrite(2, LOW);
  digitalWrite(3, LOW);
  digitalWrite(4, HIGH);
  digitalWrite(5, LOW);
 }

 else if (temperature >= baselineTemp + 6)
 {
  digitalWrite(2, LOW);
  digitalWrite(3, LOW);
  digitalWrite(4, LOW);
  digitalWrite(5, HIGH);
 }


delay(1);




}

Explanation :

As you can see above , i set the baseline temperature at 18.5 degrees . Every time the temperature increases by 1.5 degrees that determines which color amongst the four LED’s lights up, 2 (blue) the coolest, 3(green), 4(yellow), and 5 (red) the warmest.

 

Difficulties :

I had some issues with setting up the baseline temperature, where at first it did not work, i kept on changing the LOW’s and HIGH’s until it worked how it supposed to.

 

Potentiometer sensor components :

• potentiometer sensor
• Four LED’s
• eleven jumper wires
• Four 330 ohm resistors

 

Concept:
Using the potentiometer, it controlled how many LED’s light up starting from the first blue LED until the last red LED , using voltage as the A5 pin im using reads the voltage   from 0 to 1023 volts.

Readings:

Code :

int potPin = A5 ;
int led1Pin = 2 ;
int led2Pin = 3 ;
int led3Pin = 4 ;
int led4Pin = 5 ;





void setup() {
  // put your setup code here, to run once:

pinMode(potPin, INPUT);
pinMode(led1Pin, OUTPUT);
pinMode(led2Pin, OUTPUT);
pinMode(led3Pin, OUTPUT);
pinMode(led4Pin, OUTPUT);
Serial.begin(9600);

}

void loop() {
  // put your main code here, to run repeatedly:

int potMeasure = analogRead(A5);
Serial.println(potMeasure);

if (potMeasure < 256 )
{
  digitalWrite(led1Pin, HIGH);
  digitalWrite(led2Pin, LOW);
  digitalWrite(led3Pin, LOW);
  digitalWrite(led4Pin, LOW);
}

else if (potMeasure < 512)
{
 digitalWrite(led1Pin, HIGH);
  digitalWrite(led2Pin, HIGH);
  digitalWrite(led3Pin, LOW);
  digitalWrite(led4Pin, LOW); 
}


else if (potMeasure < 768)
{
 digitalWrite(led1Pin, HIGH);
  digitalWrite(led2Pin, HIGH);
  digitalWrite(led3Pin, HIGH);
  digitalWrite(led4Pin, LOW); 
}



else if (potMeasure < 1024)
{
 digitalWrite(led1Pin, HIGH);
  digitalWrite(led2Pin, HIGH);
  digitalWrite(led3Pin, HIGH);
  digitalWrite(led4Pin, HIGH); 
}
}

Explanation :

Starting at a low range of 256 volts, if pot measure is less than this measure LED 1 pin will turn on therefore, every time this range increases by 256 the other LED’s will turn on respectively until the last LED which stops at a range of 1024 volts.

 

Thoughts :

I enjoyed creating this assignment, but i would like to create something more creative and complex in the coming up assignments.