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Raj from Embedded Lab posted a new PIC project which is about building a mono color LED matrix marquee that consists of 320 LEDs in total that are arranged in 8 rows and 40 columns. The project uses PIC16F1847 microcontroller which receives the display data from a PC through a serial interface, and display it on the LED matrix scrolling from right to left.
LED Matrix Scrolling Marquee using PIC MCU and Shift Registers - [Link]
Here’s an interesting project by Steve of Tangent Audio the AZIZ project, a microcontroller-based LED microscope illuminator:
AZIZ is an LED microscope illuminator that I designed and built from scratch. It is designed around a Texas Instruments TLC59116 constant-current PWM LED driver chip, and an Atmel ATTiny1634 8-bit microcontroller.
[via]
AZIZ: DIY LED microscope illuminator - [Link]
Well-proven graphic displays Bolymin BG series represent a very suitable and cost-effective choice for applications, where we need not only character- but also graphic output.
Series BG from company Bolymin belongs to a group of universal displays with an excellent price / performance ratio. Each type contains some of standard LCD controllers, that´s why it is relatively simple to control them.
Graphic displays naturally provide an advantage of possibility to display any characters and symbols. BG series displays are suitable mainly for applications, where a display serves as an informative interface for example with various values about the status of a measured parameter, including pictograms and other graphic symbols. As these displays don´t comprise powerful graphic processors, they feature a relatively very low power consumption. To a low power consumption also contributes the built-in LED backlight (white or color depending on a type).
Detailed information can be found in datasheets at particular types. In case of interest in any Bolymin product, please contact us at info@soselectronic.com.
Spice it with graphics! – [Link]
Olympia, WA, April 29, 2013, Olympia Circuits introduces the Arno Shield to expand their line of products for new Arduino users. The Arno Shield contains all the components necessary to learn Arduino programming when plugged into an Arduino compatible board without any messy wires. The original Arno Learning Kit was introduced last year and received a great response as an innovative approach to learning the basics of electronics and Arduino. The shield provides another way for new users to dive into the world of Arduino and breaks down barriers to learning about microcontrollers.
The Arno Shield will be available for purchase at olympiacircuits.com on May 2nd.
The Arno Shield shares the same features of the Arno, but in a familiar shield form factor. Bring your own Arduino compatible board, drop in the shield and start learning to write sketches.
The Arno Shield comes with the well regarded book “Learn Arduino with the Arno” which gives step-by-step instructions for more than forty projects. All the components for the projects are built into the Arno Shield, so no wiring is necessary, just plug and play. The Arno shield, like the original Arno, is fully compatible with the Arduino programming language and integrated development environment.
To allow for a wide range of learning projects, the shield includes the following devices:
- Four green LEDs
- One RGB LED
- One infrared LED
- Two momentary pushbutton switches for digital inputs
- One thumbwheel potentiometer to introduce analog measurements and controls
- One piezo element to create tones and measure vibrations
- One phototransistor to detect infrared and visible light
- An I2C digital temperature sensor to introduce between-device digital communication
Users of the Arno have enjoyed the ability to dive right in to programming without messing with wires and small parts. Like the original Arno, the Arno Shield and an Arduino compatible board make a good travel kit that wonʼt get you hung up in security. For more information see the product page at http://www.olympiacircuits.com/arno-shield.html and contact info@olympiacircuits.com.
Olympia Circuits announces the Arno Shield - [Link]
Drawing only microamps (other than load current), this circuit switches in accordance with ambient light levels. Raju Baddi writes:
You can use an LED as a photoelectric sensor. A previous Design Idea shows that such a switch is highly power-efficient, consuming almost no power (Reference 1). However, you cannot adjust that configuration to switch at the desired light intensity. You can adjust the circuit in this Design Idea to any threshold level of light intensity necessary to maintain the on state of the photoelectric switch while retaining almost the same power efficiency of the original circuit
Adjust power-efficient LED switch to any light intensity – [Link]
Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Washington University in St. Louis developed ultrathin, flexible optoelectronic devices – including LEDs the size of individual neurons – that are lighting the way for neuroscientists in the field of optogenetics and beyond.
Optogenetics is the process by which genetically-programmed neurons or other cells can be activated by subjecting them to light. Among other things, the technology helps scientists understand how the brain works, which could in turn lead to new treatments for brain disorders. Presently, fiber optic cables must be wired into the brains of test animals in order to deliver light to the desired regions. That may be about to change, however, as scientists have created tiny LEDs that can be injected into the brain. [via]
Tiny Injectable LEDs Help Neuroscientists Study the Brain - [Link]
Plessey has released samples of their new gallium nitride (GaN) on silicon LEDs. These entry level products, fabricated on 6-inch wafers, are the first LEDs manufactured using GaN on silicon technology to be commercially available anywhere in the world.
Manufactured using Plessy’s proprietary large diameter GaN on silicon process technology, the LEDs are fabricated on a 6-inch line at Plessy’s facility in Plymouth, England. According to Plessey, the combination of standard semiconductor manufacturing processing and the 6-inch fab line provides yields of greater than 95% and fast turnaround , creating significant cost advantage over sapphire and silicon carbide based solutions for LEDs of similar quality. [via]
First GaN on Silicon LEDs Now Available - [Link]
Switch-on, switch-off, change-over, change polarity,… all this is possible with 2-pole push-buttons switches of Unimec series.
If we design a device with push buttons, it is usually advantageous when we can use the same push-buttons, independently on whether we use them for switch-on, switch-off, change-over,… Moreover, at a modification of a given device, a possibility to change the function of a given push-button without its exchange is often highly welcome. Unimec series push-buttons easily meet these requirements for versatility, what probably was a reason why a word „Uni“ is also in the name of this series. The quality of the Unimec series is also guaranteed by the fact that company MEC from Denmark already for 75 years develops and produces top quality push-buttons.
Unimec push-buttons can be used by up to eight ways, as illustrated in the attached diagram. Unimec are available as momentary or latching and also in a standard or a high-temperature version (for operation at up to +160°C). Unimec are also available with silver-plated conacts (for currents from 0.5 mA) and also with gold-plated contacts, for currents already from 0.5 uA. Maximum current of 250mA (up to 500mA in a steady state) allows a universal usage, including a direct switching of many components, like for example latching relays. High-quality plastics, inner parts made of stainless-steel and an IP54 protection give a presumption of a long lifetime of these push-buttons.
Unimec series can be used with various key-caps without or with indication LEDs. Moreover, with the 16.250 adapter it is possible to use a wide spectrum of key-caps from the Multimec series. Detailed information will provide you the Unimec datasheet.
Selected types we keep in stock, upon request we´re able to provide you any other types of the Unimec series. In case of interest, please contact us at info@soselectronic.com.
Switches MEC Unimec switch in up to eight ways - [Link]
Richard Comerford writes:
The solid-state lighting (SSL) surge has created a concomitant boom market for electronics to drive LEDs in various different applications, ranging from incandescent-replacement light bulbs to architectural lighting to streetlights and more. These new driver ICs and modules do more than simply provide power in the form needed by LEDs. Some devices can perform additional functions that engineers want in designing full-featured lighting system, such as dimming control and thermal regulation. In this article, we will examine some of the latest driver ICs and modules for LEDs, and the choices they offer the designer.
The Latest LED driving ICs and Modules - [Link]
Here is a great application note from Maxim describing the process of designing a high voltage LED driver. The guide goes step by step so it’s easy to follow it.
This application note details a step-by-step design process for the MAX16833 high-voltage high-brightness LED driver. This process can speed up prototyping and increase the chance for first-pass success. A typical design scenario is presented, along with example calculations based on the design constraints. Component selection trade-offs are discussed. A spreadsheet calculator is included to help calculate external component values. This application note focuses on the boost converter topology. However, the same process can be applied to other topologies as long as the underlying equations are understood.
Step-by-Step Design Process for the MAX16833 High-Voltage High-Brightness LED Driver - [Link]
