Arduino Demos

Hardware

• Arduino UNO, ATmega328

Software

• OS: Ubuntu 20.04
• Arduino v1.8.9
• microcom
• python (for external control)

Compile & upload any demo

arduino --upload clock_to_RGB/clock_to_RGB.ino --port /dev/ttyACM0

Serial port

microcom -s 115200 -p /dev/ttyACM0

Demos

Clock to RGB

clock_to_RGB/clock_to_RGB.ino is based on arduino-1.8.9/libraries/RTClib/examples/pcf8523/pcf8523.ino . For later version, clone RTClib in arduino-1.8.13/libraries/.

• Use ADAfruit DataLogger Shield
• Use a RGB LED on PWM pins solder on top of the shield
• Turn red during night
• Turn green during day

Compile has 2 steps:

• uncomment the following line to init the RTC with compile time: // rtc.adjust(DateTime(F(__DATE__), F(__TIME__))); then compile & upload
• comment the same line, compile & upload, so that RTC isn't adjust on every next startup

Use microcom to debug read time. RTC may drift overtime and needs to be re-adjuted.

Serial to RGB

Control manually from python script:

pip install pyserial
./serial_to_RGB/color_to_serial 100 0 0
./serial_to_RGB/color_to_serial

Control with MIDI controller like the Kork nanoKontrol2

pip install pygame #tested with 1.9.6
python ./serial_to_RGB/midi_to_serial.py

Troubleshoot: Had to prepend: LD_PRELOAD=/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/alsa-lib/libasound_module_conf_pulse.so

Neopixel

Install Adafruit NeoPixel in <arduino_dir>/libraries. This site proposes a good examples of strip FX.

Xmas

Autonomous (no control) strip fx.

Serial control

arduino_client/server.py require python3 and pyserial. serial_to_color_fx.ino was designed to be integrated in a puppet parts. It supports color FX like: wave, fire, meteor, plain, flashes.

MIDI control

midi_to_color_wave.ino turns MIDI commands into color wave along the [Neopixel strip]((//www.adafruit.com/product/1376?length=1). It also report the status of button_pin 2 by sending MIDI messages back.

For MIDI control, Arduino UNO microcontroller doesn't have USB capability, thus doesn't support MIDI natively. Arduino-MIDI library can still be used but only with serial port as transport. And a MIDI-over-serial-bridge like ttymidi must be installed on the host PC. Execute start_midi.sh to launch that bridge and the Kork-to-Arduino bridge. Note that, using the sliders may saturate the data path, and buttons are prefered.