syndilights/PoC/README

This is the Proof of Concept code for the 4x5 Windows mock-up.
With a 4-7Segment Display on top

It is a static mockup that should be used to make a Video and show off the theory of the project.

Current structure:

PoC/
-> patternplayer
= This plays pre-defined patterns
-> life
= Game of Life
-> leap
= Leap motion controller demo
-> cheap_random
= dirty hack to show random windows
-> 7seg
= 7 segment tester
-> VdL_demo
= Main Demo Folder for the final VdL Demo
-> shiftout1
= Shift register test code
-> shiftout2
= Shift register test code
-> shiftout3
= Shift register test code
-> testcolors
= Test the 16x32 RGB Panel

Leap motion Python issues: under OS-X make sure you use the stock Python interpreter (/usr/bin/python)

The shift Array code is from this Tutorial page:

http://arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/ShiftOut

General information about shift registers: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shift_register

The one used for driving the 7 segment LED is a standard (SN)74HC595 which is an 8bit Shift register.
Datasheet: http://www.nxp.com/documents/data_sheet/74HC_HCT595.pdf

The used module is a 16 segment element with one decimal dot (http://www.adafruit.com/datasheets/BL-S80A-13.PDF)
UHR (Ultra High Red) version

We used a single in-line i(SIL) resistor to make our lives easy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resistor
The LED Panel is a 16x32 panel. It is to be used vertically.


^ UP

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We flipped it 90 degrees ClockWise (CW)
> UP
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The Library of course uses the regular orientation. Consider this:

matrix.drawRect(x,y, sizeX, sizeY, matrix.Color888(255,255,255));

x,y are the starting co-ordinates starting from top-left

sizeX, sizeY will be the size of the rectangle we want to draw.

Everything is in pixel (px) logically 1px == 1LED

The ColorXXX() functions are used to define the color "spectrum"

Color333() - 3bit color representation
Color444() - 4bit color representation
Color888() - 8bit color representation

To simulate a grayscale is pretty difficult and needs some hacking:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/256colour.png

We have 20 windows at our disposal.

I chose the cheapeast and dirties path possible for the PoC and the following map gives you an overview of the addressing of the windows on the mock-up:

> UP
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|X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X|
|X       X       X       X      |
|X  W    X  W    X  W    X  W   |
|X       X       X       X      |
|X    1  X    6  X   11  X   16 |
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|X  W    X  W    X  W    X  W   |
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|X    2  X    7  X   12  X   17 |
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|X    3  X    8  X   13  X   18 |
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|X    5  X   10  X   15  X   20 |
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