Hello, Dimitri1990 from Canada.
I want to make this project, but I am unsure of a few things. I have never worked with microcontrollers before so I will have to do a lot of reading and learning.
a few questions, i would appreciate if someone would answer.
- can you run multiple programs on a microcontroller. NOTE only one at a time.
- can you switch programs with a on/off switch? or some sort of switch that can switch from the three programs. only one program runs at a time.
I mean that there would be 3 simple different programs that would control the same groups of LED's. The programs would not run at the same time. one would run the LED light squence, the other two would be off. Turn switch and next program runs squence. and so forth.
Is that possible? and which microcontroller would one recommend? Could a lilypad do this? or another type model?
these LED firing programs would be simple. LED lights would turn on/off. in a simple repeatable pattern.
For example one program would start with all LED's on, then from top to bottom the LED's would turn off, all LEDs of for a few seconds, then lights turn on starting from bottom. repeat. Can an aruino microcontroller could be used for this project right? but which one would be best? I will be powering a number of LEDs too. I'm not sure how big the program is. i guess i need to find out how many LED's I will be firing. I'm thinking up to 3 groups of 12 LEDs connected together. Maybe fewer. the groups would fire the same squence. IE all groups on, then start turning off from bottom, then all off, then hesitate, then on bottom to top. all on. repeat pattern. they could be wired together. i will have an extended power source. maybe wire them in parallel to reduce the battery weight. Oh Ya, this will be run with DC power. i will have a seprate power source connceted to the microprocessor that in turns runs the LEDs.
The other two programs are simular but one only envolves half of the LED's. the other one is a different firing pattern all together. But the groups will be all running the same program.
The thing is, I was thinking of using a Lilypad for this, but does a Lilypad only run one program at a time? would i need three seprate lilypads and three point switch to turn them on one after another? Is that an idea? i would have the lilypads grouped together with the one power source. make any sense?
I wanted to just have one microcontroller and put three programs in it and just use a three point switch to switch programs. I'm trying to make this as least complicated as I can. I'm afraid I'm new to all of this. I hope this can be done some how.
Any help of helpful suggestions would be appreciated
~Dimitri1990