What kind of sensors do they use to track the proximity? Can you use IR sensors for this?
What kind of sensors work through milky (plexi) glass?
Is it easier to program a touch sensor or a proximity sensor?
And another nooby question: Is it possible (and if, how?) to connect about 4 different shields with each one LED on it to the Arduino and control each LED on its own in colour and fade?
What kind of sensors do they use to track the proximity? Can you use IR sensors for this?
Pause the video 9 seconds in. Yes, that is exactly what they used.
Is it easier to program a touch sensor or a proximity sensor?
No. The code is different, but one is not necessarily easier than the other.
Is it possible (and if, how?) to connect about 4 different shields with each one LED on it to the Arduino
I can't image designing a shield that has just one LED on it, but, if you do, and you use the appropriate headers, then, yes, you can stack several of them.
control each LED on its own in colour and fade?
An LED has a color, based on it's manufacturing process. You can not change that color in code. An RGB LED has 3 LEDs in one housing. Changing the intensity of the 3 independent LEDs in the one housing changes the combined color of the RGB LED. How well the individual LEDs in the one housing blend together depends on what kind of diffusion technique you use. Milky plastic, as in the video, is a great diffuser.
Different Arduinos have different numbers of PWM pins, which are what you use to control intensity of the LED. For 4 RGB LEDs you need 12 PWM pins, or you need to use multiplexing.
Using multiplexing will cut down on the overall brightness of the LEDs.
Hi,
thanks for your reply. I want to have 4 RGB LEDs, which can be all operated on their own. They shall be distanced for about 20 cm, thats why i need different shields for each LED. So, if your saying i need 12 PWM Pins, the Arduino Uno isnt usable, right? Can i use the Arduino Mega 2560? Is that one as easy to understand as the Uno?
Thanks
Is it possible (and if, how?) to connect about 4 different shields with each one LED on it to the Arduino
I can't image designing a shield that has just one LED on it, but, if you do, and you use the appropriate headers, then, yes, you can stack several of them.
control each LED on its own in colour and fade?
An LED has a color, based on it's manufacturing process. You can not change that color in code. An RGB LED has 3 LEDs in one housing. Changing the intensity of the 3 independent LEDs in the one housing changes the combined color of the RGB LED. How well the individual LEDs in the one housing blend together depends on what kind of diffusion technique you use. Milky plastic, as in the video, is a great diffuser.
Different Arduinos have different numbers of PWM pins, which are what you use to control intensity of the LED. For 4 RGB LEDs you need 12 PWM pins, or you need to use multiplexing.
Using multiplexing will cut down on the overall brightness of the LEDs.
They shall be distanced for about 20 cm, thats why i need different shields for each LED.
Radio Shack, and lots of other places, have this neat stuff called wire...
So, if your saying i need 12 PWM Pins, the Arduino Uno isnt usable, right?
Unless you want to learn about multiplexing, no, it isn't.
Can i use the Arduino Mega 2560?
Yes, it has 14 PWM pins.
Is that one as easy to understand as the Uno?
Yes and no. Sometimes the UNO (or any other computer, for that matter) is not easy to understand. The Mega is no harder to program for/use than the UNO.
I'm not from the USA, so i probably dont know any place you are thinking about
But i know wires 8)
And i changed my mind, for the beginning, i want to build 4 blue LEDs, all wired together and just operated with the proximity sensor, so they will turn on and smooth dim on, if something is near the sensor and dim off if this thing leaves the sensor. I hope this won't be that hard.
That is a good way to get started. You don't need to build your perfect lamp as your first lamp project. Make sure you connect some current limiting resistor to the LEDs. Otherwise your arduino will get damaged. First off, try proximity sensor with mo lamp cover, then try different covers to see what type of cover will still work (transparently enough for IR).
