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Last Visit 2012-11-09 18:06:58 |Start Date 2005-09-01 15:28:14 |Comments 1,246 |Entries 866 |Images 935 |Sounds 4 |Videos 95 |Mobl 173 |Theme |

Category: electronics

09/06/08 08:33 - 63ºF - ID#45595

Microcontrollers Part 4

OK!

I was able to program / animate the LED matrix. Basically, there are 8 pins on each axis, and you scan down one column at a time shifting bits out to off/on states for each LED in the row.

Each LED is only light 1/8th of the time so I need to boost the brightness a bit, see if I can lower the resistors maybe.

Now that I have it working I can get it all permanently soldered into place, and then work on the sensor components.

And of course, come out with some nicer animated faces :)

::Download Flash Video::


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Permalink: Microcontrollers_Part_4.html
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Location: Buffalo, NY


Category: work

09/05/08 03:37 - 81ºF - ID#45588

UB Faculty/Staff LOL!

Finally, finally, took the time to go get my UB Card (need to be prepared for buying CS4 when it comes out in October). Bad hair day, for sure, with the wind. Hard to read, but I am technically in the staff category at UB.

image

The company I work for is just somewhat related to UB, I am not actually teaching or anything crazy.

I am eligible for staff parking on campus though :)

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Permalink: UB_Faculty_Staff_LOL_.html
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Location: Buffalo, NY


Category: electronics

09/04/08 10:05 - 75ºF - ID#45577

Progress

Have the matrix hooked up to the LED driver chip and that to the microcontroller. Will figure out how to program it tomorrow. Mmm, bitshifting.

image
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Permalink: Progress.html
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Location: Buffalo, NY


Category: politics

09/04/08 10:52 - 68ºF - ID#45561

Election

This is a freaking 4 hour news cycle election.

I usually try very hard to stay out of commenting on politics on (e:strip), and confine my anti-religion rants to 2 or 3 per year, but I'm falling under the weight of an urgent need to talk about every little detail of the political season.

Aaargh. 2 more months to go.


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Permalink: Election.html
Words: 57
Location: Buffalo, NY


Category: politics

09/01/08 09:30 - 70ºF - ID#45534

Republicans Flailing

So, after a couple days of revelations about Sarah Palin, the nail in the coffin comes: she was a member of an organization that sought Alaskan sovereign nation status.

Yes, that's right: John McCain choose a secessionist for his running mate, and his slogan is "Country First". Clearly they didn't check Palin out at all. He just sort of panicked, I suppose.

Can you imagine if Obama had belonged to a 3rd party that in any (even minor) way challenged the US's legitimacy?

Alaskan Independence Party. Source:
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Permalink: Republicans_Flailing.html
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Location: Buffalo, NY


Category: electronics

09/01/08 03:18 - 80ºF - ID#45531

Microcontrollers Part 3

I'm building a DIY version of this Tengu thing ( ) for my first full project.

I've got the LEDs for the eyes in and programmable, and have the face matrix assembled but that's not yet programmed. It will eventually be hooked up to sensors to react to the environment as well.

So far this weekend I've spent a lot of time relearning C and especially pointers. Matrix and timings for the rest of the animations will be challenging, too. Trying to fit everything in a few Kb of space brings me back.

::Download Flash Video::



Watching myself on video makes me realize I really need to work on my um's. :(

Here's a video of what it should end up looking like, although mine won't look so polished:



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Permalink: Microcontrollers_Part_3.html
Words: 136
Location: Buffalo, NY


08/25/08 03:03 - 67ºF - ID#45453

How To Break A Window

On a slight tangent from yesterday :)

Don't break a window with a brick and your bare fist. I'm an idiot.

Next time I'll wrap a shirt around my hand! I think taking a photo of my hand afterwards is due to Paul's blogging influence. He's my blogspiration.

image

image

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Permalink: How_To_Break_A_Window.html
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Location: Buffalo, NY


Category: life

08/24/08 04:15 - 80ºF - ID#45439

Sad Day

So, my boss has been on sick leave for 6 weeks or so with cancer. It was actually treatable and I think his prognosis was at least somewhat hopeful. Last night was the first night he was home alone, and today no one could get in touch with him on the phone.

I volunteered to go to his house to check on him, but there was no answer and he is not well enough to drive so eventually I broke in through the window. He'd committed suicide last night and I found him on the floor.

I guess it was better that I found him instead of a family member, but still... not the way you want to last see someone. Too late for me to do anything about, I wish there was more I could do.

He was the best boss I've ever had, and a friend.

Goodbye, Luke.
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Permalink: Sad_Day.html
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Location: Buffalo, NY


Category: electronics

08/23/08 04:14 - 84ºF - ID#45424

Microcontrollers Part II

So, this is just the getting started lesson from this page: although I did deviate in the programming a bit to use functions instead of nested if-blocks. It's supposed to be a bike safety light (although not in a pretty / finished package).

Nothing special, but it is flashy and blinky so I made a video of it working.

::Download Flash Video::



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Permalink: Microcontrollers_Part_II.html
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Location: Buffalo, NY


Category: electronics

08/23/08 11:27 - 76ºF - ID#45421

Microcontrollers

I finished soldering together my microcontroller board and the prototyping shield which fits on top. The microcontroller board you can't see in this photo, it's the first layer.

image

Soldering is a lot of fun, it turns out.

Now, the little switch on top of that board I can read from inside of programs on my computer, like so:

image

Not bad for a first little project.

I'm going to construct some camera triggers, so that I can take pictures from sensors like motion, heat, laser, etc.

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Permalink: Microcontrollers.html
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Location: Buffalo, NY


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