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Starting with Bling

Spartronics has two projects for introducing Arduino development using bling.

  • Intro to Arduino is a simple introduction with step by step demonstration of adding new functionality.
  • Bling Demo uses Adafruit NeoPixel strip and ring components to enable students with a sandbox environment for experimentation.

Important: If this is your first time diving into Arduino, make sure to walk through Ladyada's Learn Arduino Tutorials. Also, there are many good tutorials on YouTube, such as this one

Bling Demo

Introduction to bling development uses Adafruit NeoPixel strip and ring components. Demo board also has a potentiometer for demonstrating sensor interaction.

Setup

For sketch code and hardware requirements see BlingDemoSystem Repo

Learning Path

Also see Arduino Tutorial for reference.

  • Introduce Arduino Uno board, how to connect to power and computer, and general layout of the pins
  • Give an overview of Arduino IDE (how to compile, upload, configure IDE, ...) and introduce the term sketch which is an Arduino program
  • Review how sketch code is mapped to Arduino board and bling hardware: pins, NeoPixel configuration.
  • Discuss Arduino sketch code structure: setup() and loop() functions.
  • Introduce data types, variables, functions
  • Introduce operators, control statements and loops
  • Introduce simple debugging with println()
  • Show how potentiometer sensor is read and how NeoPixel is controlled. Also discuss Arduino I/O functions: pinMode(), digitalWrite() and analogRead() functions.

Exercises and Code Experiments

  • Understand RGB and pixel numbering by changing the setup() code on how the strip/ring is initialized. Experiment with online RGB colors and see how they perform on the NeoPixel.
  • Write new functions for different blink patterns:
    • rainbow
    • use potentiometer to change intensity of the leds without changing the blink pattern
    • use potentiometer to control the number of pixels change color on the strip: 0 everything off to 255 all pixels are on
  • Change blink rates and experiment with using light on/off as a communication tool.

Adafruit NeoPixel Documentation

See Adafruit NeoPixel Uberguide for documentation on how to use the library.

Key sections:

  • Include library: #include <Adafruit_Neopixel.h>
  • Specify LED_PIN and LED_COUNT
  • Declare Adafruit_NeoPixel object -- can be a ring or a strip
// Example for NeoPixel strip
#define STRIP_PIN       4       // i.e. LED_PIN
#define STRIP_PIXELS    30      // i.e. LED_COUNT
// *strip* is the Adafruit_NeoPixel object
Adafruit_NeoPixel strip = Adafruit_NeoPixel(STRIP_PIXELS, STRIP_PIN, NEO_GRB + NEO_KHZ800);
  • When using the NeoPixel function, make sure to specify the Adafruit_NeoPixel object
  • In setup() function call begin() to prepare data pin NeoPixel output
void setup(void)
{
    // Configure the serial terminal for debug output and user input
    Serial.begin(9600);

    // Initialize the pixels to get them ready for use
    strip.begin();
}
  • Common commands -- don't forget to specify the NeoPixel object in the command strip.clear()

    • LED pixels numbered along the strip starting from 0 closest to the Arduino board

    • setting pixel colors:

      • setPixelColor(pixel_number, R, G, B) and RGB brightness levels -- 0 is dimmest (off) and 255 max brightest
      • setPixelColor(pixel_number, color) where color is a 32-bit type that represents RGB
      // Set up a rainbow pattern on the strip
strip.setPixelColor(0, Adafruit_NeoPixel::Color(32, 0, 0));
strip.setPixelColor(1, Adafruit_NeoPixel::Color(32, 32, 0));
strip.setPixelColor(2, Adafruit_NeoPixel::Color(0, 32, 0));
strip.setPixelColor(3, Adafruit_NeoPixel::Color(0, 32, 32));
strip.setPixelColor(4, Adafruit_NeoPixel::Color(0, 0, 32));
strip.setPixelColor(5, Adafruit_NeoPixel::Color(32, 0, 32));
strip.setPixelColor(6, Adafruit_NeoPixel::Color(32, 32, 32));
strip.show();

// Setup a magenta color
uint32_t magenta = strip_object.Color(255, 0, 255)
      • fill() function to set same color to multiple pixels
      • clear() function to turn off all pixels to 0 brightness
      • getPixelColor() to query existing pixel value
      • setBrightness() to specify brightness level of all pixels
  • show() to push the color data to the NeoPixel object, otherwise color changes will not be displayed

Bling Code Samples