I am an art student who is interested in having a light flash a specific message in morse code for part of a project. I have never coded before and I am very new and unfamiliar with the language of electronics, so I was hoping I could get some help and an answer as to if what I want to do is even possible with the Arduino.
I've read about how to make a light flash morse code if it is connected to your computer and running the code. However, the project will be in a gallery for a month, and so I can't have a computer connected. My questions are as follows:
Are you able to use the software to program something like this onto the Arduino, and then disconnect your laptop and have it run/blink? I guess, can you program it locally (if that's the right word) so that you don't have to have a computer connected for it to work?
I am an art student who is interested in having a light flash a specific message in morse code for part of a project. I have never coded before and I am very new and unfamiliar with the language of electronics, so I was hoping I could get some help and an answer as to if what I want to do is even possible with the Arduino.
I've read about how to make a light flash morse code if it is connected to your computer and running the code. However, the project will be in a gallery for a month, and so I can't have a computer connected. My questions are as follows:
Are you able to use the software to program something like this onto the Arduino, and then disconnect your laptop and have it run/blink? I guess, can you program it locally (if that's the right word) so that you don't have to have a computer connected for it to work?
Awesome! Thank you so much for the response -- I really appreciate it!
If its not too much to ask, would you possibly be able to let me know what I would need to purchase to make that happen? Sorry to ask you to do this labor for me haha, its just that everything I read goes completely over my head and I want to make sure I am purchasing the correct things because I am on a budget for sure!
If thats too much of a hassle thought don't worry about it. Thanks again!
You will need an Arduino, preferably one with a USB port, as they have the programmer built in.
Learn to flash the on board LED, without using the delay() function (as described in one of the tutorials), and then it is just a matter of proper timing to produce Morse code.
Yes you can. Normally, when it is connected to your computer via USB, it gets both power and communication. When you disconnect your PC, you will need to power the Arduino through the barrel plug or use a USB wall transformer and a standard USB cable.
jremington:
You will need an Arduino, preferably one with a USB port, as they have the programmer built in.
Learn to flash the on board LED, without using the delay() function (as described in one of the tutorials), and then it is just a matter of proper timing to produce Morse code.
Use of delay() will not hurt the project. If it is intended to grow then delay() will limit what kind of growth is possible. I expect that even using complete beginner code is going to be a challenge even with help.
Art student... language of electronics, just knowing the terms is not going be enough. There really is a hell of a lot more to it.
artstudent:
If its not too much to ask, would you possibly be able to let me know what I would need to purchase to make that happen? Sorry to ask you to do this labor for me haha, its just that everything I read goes completely over my head and I want to make sure I am purchasing the correct things because I am on a budget for sure!
The short answer - as given - is that this is precisely the sort of thing for which an Arduino is just perfect.
The simplest and most useful Arduino is the Nano. I mention this because the UNO is often recommended but it is in many ways somewhat impractical - unless you wish it to be a part of the artwork display itself, in which case it is quite attractive.
But first, you must know what you want. Probably the very first thing is to know what sort of "light" you imagine. You can have a small LED (and they can be very small) or a small LED "bulb", or perhaps a domestic light globe (again, a LED) or something much bigger. All of these can be controlled by the Arduino, but the means to do that is quite different; the Arduino itself can control a common 5 mm LED requiring just 20 mA, but the larger ones require additional components.
Secondly, who is going to build this? To build it yourself, you require either to purchase everything ready-made, or have ethe skill to assemble electronic parts. Which is it?
As to the programming, there are examples and searching for "Arduino Morse code generator" should be particularly productive (though I haven't tried it just now).
Let's start with these basics and see how we go.
blh64:
When you disconnect your PC, you will need to power the Arduino through the barrel plug or use a USB wall transformer and a standard USB cable.
Let's try and forget the "barrel jack", eh? It tends to cause problems. A "Phone charger" plugged into the USB port is a good start.
With just a simple Arduino Uno or an Arduino Nano (plus a computer, the Arduino IDE and a USB cable) you can create the program you need. Create the program to flash the built in led. Detatch the computer from the Arduino and attach a power source instead and your Arduino will blink Morse code on its own. Attach a led and a resistor to the pin corresponding to the built in led and you have an external led blinking together with the built in led. If the flash light draws more current than what your Arduino pin can provide (max 40 mA), put a transistor inbetween. A simple led is ok for an Arduino. A power led (340 mA) definitely needs a transistor.
Johan_Ha:
If the flash light draws more current than what your Arduino pin can provide (max 40 mA), put a transistor inbetween.
At 40mA the led had better make very short blinks with longer OFF time between.
20mA makes a led very bright, hurt your eyes anywhere close.
A red led with 220 Ohm resistor draws about (5V - 2V) / 220R = 0.0136A = 14mA.
Some red leds have more or less than 2V forward voltage.
When a led gets hot its forward voltage drops and it uses more current which makes it hotter... so don't push the led and btw, regular leds are rated and the max rating is often 25mA. I wonder which dies first, the pin or the led?