A Low Cost Approach to Graphical Waterfall

stevethatsmyname:
Hi there! It is too bad that you abandoned this! I was about to suggest getting a BRIGHT backlight for the waterfall, possibly combined with food coloring as others suggested. This gives you a large amount of CONTRAST between the water and whatever is the 'background'... this is what makes an image great is the contrast.

Also once you get your light all setup, try testing it at night... wow that would be COOL!

Get some fluorescein and lots of UV LEDs: http://www.ebay.com/itm/310503714340

how can you efficiently color the water???

This time i am making proper hardware and hope it will be success. I just completed 16valves electronics controller for solenoids. These modules will be added as solenoid valve increases.

I just need help in above posted arduino code. I want to make a communication protocol so that no waste byte affect the overall design.
Lets say The computer program send
X Byte Z
First byte is "X" this means data coming. Get the BYTE and check "Z" this mean the data end.
Now see next Byte.....
next,,....
Anybody help?

Circuit can be used to very good advice.

Okay guys here is a brief update:
1- Handshake protocol is one of the difficult thing as the Picture converted into every type of EXTENDED CHARACTERS. So making protocol was a bit difficult task however the software is now working great:
Protocol is like:

XYZ%

= Start of byte
XYZ = three bytes i.e. 8x3= Solenoid valves
% = end of byte and send to shift register

We have all sort of ASCII characters incoming in serial port from VisualBasic to Arduino. We have to make a protocol so that we know that the bytes that are coming having START OF LINE > and END OF LINE% character as per protocol defined above. We have to precisely pick the two bytes between > and %. for example
Lets see a simple protocol:

XX%

Now there is a chance we get the data like:

%% or
%>%
or
a%%
or any combination.
but we have to pick the two middle values.. and we know its a serial data, some time computer through garbage values especially when the device is connecting or very fast data..and the data is coming like >>>%>aa%>we%%%%.......
However, the above job was done proffessionally Took lot of coffee and few nights..

2- Prepared the electronics and tested with the software and its performing brilliantly.
3- One of my friend sent me the waterfall pre-fabricated and now its in washroom for test purpose. it has 8 valves only will be very less resolution but i hope this time we will succeed.

20131122_202729.jpg

The waterfall has crude hardware setup. Tomorrow i will test it with my totally changed Arduino sketch and modified software.

Total success...Here is the video. Unfortunately, the mobile camera was laying horizontal throughout the video. This video has small clips in which i am manipulating and optimizing my software for better results. The first clip showing arrow fall. In the subsequent videos various testing to optimize setting.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/s00hajwkppfw37n/20131123_192521_MPEG_.mpg
Unfortunately 8 valves gives bad resolution. i sent the video to fountain guy and he was amazed to see the results. He started fabricating 40 valves waterfall. Moreover i told him to add strong LED lighting just at each valve so that visibility come clear.
Few improvements he will do , i am sharing so that anybody interested can get it right for the first time.
1- Waterfall must have atleast 24 solenoid valves
2- Waterfall height must be 8ft or bigger
3- LED lights on each valve will make the falling water visible and beautify the look of falls.
4- Add black curtain behind.
5- I am doing no more testing as my software and hardware prooved themselves. I am going to empty my

Here is improved software interface.

Finally a success...We have tested 64 solenoid valves waterfall all day long in our FunFair community show for charity fund raising. Lightning and background still needs improvement however technically we have a very good response from the computer-electronics-hardware communication. The handshake protocol worked flawlessly.
Here is the video. The header is at atmospheric pressure and outlet of solenoid valve is 6mm.

That is absolutely 110% cool!

Hi Khalid.

Thank you for sharing results with us. It is huge amount of work for hobby project.
I'm also in waterfall area since 2009. My work was conroller, firmware, PC software and power logic. Processor was ATmega324(not arduino based system) and pictures stored in flash memory card.
Last summer we launched it in full power - 256 solenoids. Of course it was commercial project :).
Some notes on my system(in Russian) with pictures you can download here:

Video:

Sorry for poor quality, made on phone camera and backlight not very bright.

Excellent work. I wonder, how two different approaches were meet to make such a graphical waterfall. I don't know why you have used sliders (scroll bars) for delay.
Thanks for sharing:)

Delay scroll bars:

Dimmer delay - impacts on backlight. Program scans image and for each horizontal line produces color and intensity of backlight. At the end of image there could be black pixels. So backlight will be flashing. For that reason backlight dimms smoothly from current intensity to zero. And this slider sets speed of dimming.
Jet calibration sliders. Valves have mechanical variations and speed of their reaction will be different. This group of sliders helps to slow down too fast valves and slightly compensate their variations. Because of limited AVR 8-bit processor perfomance this feature was realized on PC side. The payment is ten times larger files. But user can disable this feature and save space on memory card.

Youtube is banned in my country, i shall check how you manage the lighting. :)... Nice to see the similar thing you have done with totally different approach. May be i have done the same on most economical way :wink:

Let me know if you still have troubles with youtube. I can place it on other hosting.

Here some older pictures made during tuning one of sections(32 valves).

wat02.jpg

wat03.jpg

Hi,
Thats very good. What solenoid valves you have used and what is the estimated price of your 256 solenoid valve waterfall. Is it running continuously. Can you fall the time?... Can you host the video on Dropbox etc?

It was joint work with one guy from advertising agency. He worked on all mechanics(including valves) and I worked on electronics.
Valves are custom design and based on 12V miniature relays. I dont know final price.
Windings are controlled by voltage signals(0/+12V). Current control could enhance frequency responce but it is more complex and expensive.

Waterfall controller has its own RTC chip(ds1307) and can show time in o'clock mode or just insert time between pictures on playlist.

Videos are placed here:

wow..i liked the videos but the videos are in fast forward mode. You are genius:) .. Your work is great. I created my waterfall all-alone. I believe if you have commitment and you know how to combine Electronics+programming+mechanical you can do anything you imagine.
Thanks for sharing the videos.

I have found HQ video on my HDD.

Download it to see in full quality.

Thats look great. Can you please tell us the distance between the outlet of solenoid valves. Can you post the picture of solenoid valves.