In this project, I learned how to code and incorporate a NeoPixel ring into a simple circuit using a microcontroller. In this project I aimed to be able to create complex and visually interesting designs for the ring while using relatively simple code, and to learn how to incorporate the NeoPixel ring into larger projects. In the end, I did just that, making a small light show and coming out of the project with the expertise needed to use the ring and other NeoPixel products in versatile ways. 

Initially, I started with learning how it fit into a circuit. Its wiring is relatively simple, and well labeled, but there was one pin I couldn't figure out a purpose for. In the end, I discovered that it could be used to daisy chain multiple NeoPixel devices together and code them as one entity. After learning how to put them into a circuit, I delved into coding it. The coding for NeoPixel products is unique in the way it corresponds to its devices. It uses lists to split the devices up into pixels, and allows you to manually manipulate each individual pixel using unique commands. These commands were sometimes hard to find, but were essential in operating the lights. For example, at first I was not aware of the .write() command, which sends the instructions to the NeoPixel, but it is impossible to do anything with the NeoPixel without it. 

In the end, I gained skills beyond just those of using the NeoPixel. I learned how to teach myself how to use a piece of technology foreign to me, and how to teach myself to code in ways I hadn't before. These skills will undoubtedly help me in the future, as I learn and master new technologies and coding strategies or languages.