Week 06# - Journal

First, I prepared the components in Tinkercad and saved this diagram above to follow. I gathered an Arduino, a breadboard, 12 LEDs, 12 resistors, a PIR sensor (since Tinkercad doesn’t have a microwave sensor, I used this as a substitute to test functionality), and a power supply to test the wiring setup before writing any code. 

I first experimented with the LEDs and resistors using the power supply to ensure everything was working correctly. Then, I connected the LEDs to the Arduino on pins 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. I also started writing some code, using specific commands along with comments to keep things organized and avoid confusion. I set the pins to HIGH or LOW and added delays to control the timing. 

I created around 16 different sequences, experimenting with different HIGH and LOW combinations across the pins while adjusting the timing between 80, 70, and 60 milliseconds. Then, I connected another 6 LEDs in series with the existing ones (even though I knew it was incorrect wiring) because I needed to mimic my final project setup. My goal was to create two columns, each containing 6 LEDs, and coding each column individually would have been more complex with code blocks

Then, I connected the PIR sensor (as a substitute for the microwave sensor) and added an if-else command to read the digital pin. I set it up on pin 8 to create a function where the LEDs would light up if I moved around the sensor, and if I moved away, the LEDs would turn off.

I faced a problem with Tinkercad when I started the simulation; it worked perfectly, but as soon as I added the if-else command, it stopped working entirely. Because of this, I simplified the rest of the code to run just one sequence so I could record a video of it.

I tested everything in real life first without the microwave sensor to ensure the LEDs and wiring worked correctly. Then, I added the sensor and tested it again to see if it responded as expected.

Then, I placed the fabricated enclosure over the LEDs to test its functionality and see how the light interacted with the design.

• First, I wanted to connect 12 LEDs in two columns and use the same code for both, but it turned out to be very complicated to program each column separately. So i had to connect them in series so I went to Farida for a solution, even though I knew it might not be the right approach. At that moment, there was no clear solution, but I wanted to mimic my project using only LEDs. I knew that coding for regular LEDs would be different from NeoPixels, but she understood the case

• Second, when I wanted to use a 9V external power supply, I considered using a relay. Farida and Yassin tried to help me, but it turned out to be a complicated approach because the one column has 6 different pins. Meanwhile, the wired setup was working fine without any issues. So, I decided to test it first with an engraved acrylic design to see if it would provide good illumination.

• I faced many problems while fabricating; I talked about them in the previous link above in the final project journal.

• I didn’t have many problems with the circuit; it was fairly easy. The only challenge was the number of sequences, which got a bit confusing and made my eyes feel dazzled at times. 

• However, I did face one issue: my LEDs had low brightness due to the resistors I used. Initially, I applied two 330-ohm resistors by the LED, which reduced the brightness. I considered using an external 9V power supply but wasn’t entirely sure how to connect it properly. I also wondered whether I should use a relay or a motor driver. In the end, I decided to use just one 330-ohm resistor by the LED to prevent it from burning out while minimizing power loss.

• I didn’t actually face any issues while wiring. I just took the time to check everything, testing the resistors and their compatibility with different power levels to make sure nothing would burn out.