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*HyperLightBRONZE Member
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]


Posted:
I just finished soldering up my 'Hyperlights'. Red, Green, and Blue Luxeon PIC Uber poi cool






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More images with the Luxeons running here

Cake or Death?


Mr ChutneySILVER Member
Tosser
1,712 posts
Location: Bristol,UK


Posted:
I can spell BTW- I just wanted to post the message before running off for a pee.... thus my typing got a bit eratic wink

VixenSILVER Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,276 posts
Location: Oxfordshire/Wiltshire, United Kingdom


Posted:
Im sure that if these are as good as they look then people wont mind paying a little more if they know they are getting good quality.

my only worry would be something that ran on a battery that wasnt that easy to get hold of. xxx

tHeReS gOoD aNd EvIl iN EaCh InDiViDuAl fIrE, iDeNtIfIeS nEeDs AnD fEeDs OuR dEsIrEs.


*HyperLightBRONZE Member
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]


Posted:
After speaking to lots of people (yourselves included) it seems that AA's are far more popular than Li-Ions, so I suspect that's the way I'll go. In the mean time, check out some more images I got over the weekend:


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In order, you can see:
1) The white strobe heading into the smooth raibow fade
2) Red, Green and Blue strobing (50% on/off)
3) Some more of the suttuerfade I came up with - one of my favourites biggrin

Cake or Death?


Spacecow00xSILVER Member
Member
170 posts
Location: Ft. Myers, Florida, USA


Posted:
*grabs them and runs away*

sell them to me

You've got the wings of a fallen angel
You offer peace if they praise your name
You live your life taking everything you can get
Look down, time to fly!


pineapple peteSILVER Member
water based
5,125 posts
Location: melbourne, Australia


Posted:
me too

*dribble*

"you know there are no trophys for doing silly things in real life yeah pete?" said ant "you wont get a 'listened to ride of the valkyries all the way to vietnam' trophy"

*proud owner of the very cute fire_spinning_angel, birgit and neon shaolin*


Spacecow00xSILVER Member
Member
170 posts
Location: Ft. Myers, Florida, USA


Posted:
go ahead and start work on new ones so i can have those please biggrin biggrin biggrin

You've got the wings of a fallen angel
You offer peace if they praise your name
You live your life taking everything you can get
Look down, time to fly!


*HyperLightBRONZE Member
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]


Posted:
*Follows Spacecow00x guided by the flashing lights that can be seen for miles around*

Now come on, hand it back! wink

Unfortunately, there's only one of these things in exsistance - the prototype. I'm waiting for a couple of Prolight emitters to arrive before I build a second unit. I think I may build a few so I can directly compare different ways of powering the things, dimensions, materials etc. etc.

So much to do, so little time to do it in frown

Cake or Death?


Spacecow00xSILVER Member
Member
170 posts
Location: Ft. Myers, Florida, USA


Posted:
haha well hey if u ever want to sell the prototype i wouldnt mind being in the runnings for buying it, it looks amazing, that or construction instructions, and ill just build them withm my dad helping me on parts im confused on haha

by the way, is it easy to program? how does this work, plug it into a computer or is it more complicated than that?

those are seriously the most bad ass things ive seen since i saw the illuminati,

You've got the wings of a fallen angel
You offer peace if they praise your name
You live your life taking everything you can get
Look down, time to fly!


*HyperLightBRONZE Member
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]


Posted:
illuminati?

I may well sell a batch of prototypes to get some feedback on ways to improve the things. I shall add your name to the (growing) list smile

To program the things right now, you need a PIC programmer. I use kit 128 from kitsrus.com to re-program the chip that forms the core of my HyperLights. I'm hoping to (eventually) build into these things some way to program them via USB or Infrared. As well as that, maybe something to setup basic programs via some sequence of tapping like the Aerotechs...

Cake or Death?


pineapple peteSILVER Member
water based
5,125 posts
Location: melbourne, Australia


Posted:
*waves hand about maniacly*

me to me toooo

incoming PM

"you know there are no trophys for doing silly things in real life yeah pete?" said ant "you wont get a 'listened to ride of the valkyries all the way to vietnam' trophy"

*proud owner of the very cute fire_spinning_angel, birgit and neon shaolin*


Spacecow00xSILVER Member
Member
170 posts
Location: Ft. Myers, Florida, USA


Posted:
i long for the day that i will be able to spin them *drools*

You've got the wings of a fallen angel
You offer peace if they praise your name
You live your life taking everything you can get
Look down, time to fly!


*HyperLightBRONZE Member
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]


Posted:
I had a little time this evening and finally got round to having a look at the accelerometers. They're pretty fiddly, but I now have one soldered up and set in aryldite. Once that's set, i'll be able to plug it in and start programming the PIC to read from it.

There's still a fair amount to look into, but it looks like I will soon have a way to sync these beasties smile

Cake or Death?


Spacecow00xSILVER Member
Member
170 posts
Location: Ft. Myers, Florida, USA


Posted:
those will make some fine additions to those poi, post video if those work?

You've got the wings of a fallen angel
You offer peace if they praise your name
You live your life taking everything you can get
Look down, time to fly!


*HyperLightBRONZE Member
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]


Posted:
I shall do - or at least a few piccies smile

Cake or Death?


polaritySILVER Member
veteran
1,228 posts
Location: on the wrong planet, United Kingdom


Posted:
OMG!? Ever heard of the 100th monkey? I'd been planning on putting together a set of RGB LED poi since I started back in 1999, and now I've got some spare cash (and can't spin fire at the Glade festival thanks to fire regs.) I was searching for parts to make something a bit special (got as far as these LEDs and a 16F88 PIC), when I stumbled across this forum, and **** me but you haven't just got almost exactly the same thing as I've been planning for the last five years or so working, but you're also living just a couple of miles away!

How about hooking up to share ideas and do some spinning?

I'll be working on my own prototype as soon as I get the parts, to test out some of my own ideas. Hopefully I should be progressing pretty quickly, seeing as I've got nothing else to do until we sell our house, and I get a big enough room to set up all the computers I bought to start an open source internet cafe.

I'm more of a programmer than an EE, but I'm happy taking a soldering iron to my Laptop PC and adding things that weren't supposed to go in it wink

Warranty? (undoes every screw in computer) What warranty?

You aren't thinking or really existing unless you're willing to risk even your own sanity in the judgment of your existence.

Green peppers, lime pickle and whole-grain mustard = best sandwich filling.


*HyperLightBRONZE Member
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]


Posted:
I've not heard of the 100th monkey, although it sounds like a fluke to me smile

Upton's pretty close alright - I'd be up for a bit of a meet. I should have some more Luxeons back at my flat by now (been away with work for the last week or so) so I can finally make a second one up. Yay!

Good to hear there are others out there working on similar stuff - I think there's a lot to be gained from some collaborative LED poi development.

Open source internet cafe eh? Interesting! I'm suprised there's enough people after that sort of thing in Upton though.. ? I only ever really pass through the place on my way to see my g/f in Bristol though, so tbh I've no idea wink

I'm more of a software guy too - I've just found lots of hardware people and started lots of really stupid questions... of course they're getting less stupid all the time!

Warranties are for girls (no offence ladies)... undoing screws?! My computer is water-cooled eek

Cake or Death?


polaritySILVER Member
veteran
1,228 posts
Location: on the wrong planet, United Kingdom


Posted:
100th monkey is more of a Jungian psychology thing, while Freud's version is a lot simpler, and more widely accepted. "You want to make love to your mother, and kill your father" just the kind of thing you'd expect frome a coke addict.

I get the impression there's little to the circuit other than the PIC, the LEDs and the current limiting resistors, so I shouldn't be too stuck due to my inexperience with electronics. (my last major project was GCSE, when I made an electronic speed control for a radio controlled car, same kind of thing with PWM but much higher currents.)

I've ordered 10 RGB LEDs (I'll be putting them on 5 faces of a cube to give all round spread, seeing as they're 130° ones). I'll order the PIC programmer, PICs and some prototyping stuff tomorrow, and while I'm waiting read the PIC books I found online as .pdfs.

I probably won't have a prototype for a long time, as it'll all be on breadboard testing code for the fades.

We're supposed to be moving to Malvern when we sell this place. Which can't happen too soon as far as I'm concerned, as I'm in a 8' x 10' room with loads of book shelves, 6 computers on the desk, and another 10 under the bed. Then I start work on the internet cafe when I've got space to set up about 20 computers. There definately isn't space to do it in my room at the moment, as the main server is a Sun E450. If I bring that in I won't be able to open and close the door.

What degree are you doing? I started a couple of computing degrees, but got sick of covering GCSE CS stuff for the first year and dropped out to teach myself stuff at my own level instead.

I'm not your avervage geek by any means, while I was very scientific in my outlook until about age 20, I've experienced several things since that have forced me to find a scientific explaination for a lot of things not normally associated with geeks. Like I read tarot cards and have a very good understanding of astrology, and if anyone could sit through it I'd be happy to explain why I don't have a problem with this seeming paradox.

Oh, and I've got Aspergers syndrome, so I can seem a bit wierd to people who don't understand autism, (most people). It's mostly a communication disorder. Explains why I write so much wink

My main computer is a Shuttle XPC with an extra fan hole cut in the side. Of course there's no point in it being so small when it's hooked up to 3 17" monitors.

You aren't thinking or really existing unless you're willing to risk even your own sanity in the judgment of your existence.

Green peppers, lime pickle and whole-grain mustard = best sandwich filling.


*HyperLightBRONZE Member
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]


Posted:
You're right about there being little else to the circuit at the moment. It's literally just the PIC, current limiting resistors, FETs and some capacitors. It's going to get more complicated soon though biggrin



Sounds like you're ready to push forward - has your stuff arrived yet?



I'd suggest you do yourself a favour; Get the prototype running on breadboard, then move it to veraboard (sp?). That way you can start swinging stuff around - I found it often looks very different once you start moving things smile



I did a degree in computer systems engineering (basically, maths, electronics and computer science rolled into a single degree).



I think my cousin has a similar problem... although to be honest, I think he just comes across as very chatty and curious about everything smile



I made some more progress last night. I've now got tables of data to work so I can use the full range of intensities. I must've been tired last night - I had set it up running through some patterns and couldn't work out why it had suddenly become much dimmer. I just realised I was missing the top 55 values - oops!
EDITED_BY: *HyperLight (1116925071)

Cake or Death?


polaritySILVER Member
veteran
1,228 posts
Location: on the wrong planet, United Kingdom


Posted:
I can't see things getting too complicated with the circuit, just another pic and ft232 usb chip, which should keep things really small with a 2 sided SMD set up.

I'm not going to be running such high wattage light sources, but I'm still worried about heat from switching transistors when I get more LEDs hooked up, as everything's going to be encased in silicone while running. I'll have to find something that can switch without dumping the power out as heat (which also runs the batteries down faster).

I'll probably use most of the I/Os for selecting patterns, using dip switches, the 16f88 seems to have a pretty big program memory, so I should be able to fill it with a series of tables for transitions between colors, and a second set of tables to string them together into cycles.

I'm making things really hard for myself by using assembler, but I think I'll be able to pack more onto the chip in the long run. Also it helps if you can code assembler if you want to do some other pic related things down the road, like firmware hacking.

My progress is being hampered by my inability to get the chip to do anything. I think it's just a matter of getting the internal oscillator to run. I'm using examples for a 16f84 to get me started, as there's plenty of them, but those chips don't have the internal osc.

I'll be setting up a wiki for the project on my home web server to document progress, just as soon as I get round to installing mysql and php;)

You aren't thinking or really existing unless you're willing to risk even your own sanity in the judgment of your existence.

Green peppers, lime pickle and whole-grain mustard = best sandwich filling.


*HyperLightBRONZE Member
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]


Posted:
Again, right on complexity.. my beasties will be a little less simple though. I need to add in the circuitry for the Accelerometers, the three current sources, probably a voltage reference to get the current sources working right and finally, some more circuitry so that it can all be re-programmed without the need for seperate programming hardware / software!



I'm using assembler for precisely the same reason smile



I also had issues getting things going in the first place. Turned out my oscillator circuitry wasn't right. I use the internal oscillator now though to reduce the component count (and besides, I don't need the code running that fast!).

Cake or Death?


*HyperLightBRONZE Member
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]


Posted:
I've finally gotten around to adding an accelerometer (the bit highlighted in reed) to my HyperLights:




Non-Https Image Link




No software to do any sync'ing yet, but the hardware's there now biggrin
EDITED_BY: *HyperLight (1117278369)

Cake or Death?


pineapple peteSILVER Member
water based
5,125 posts
Location: melbourne, Australia


Posted:
very nice.

Luxeons are a bit high tech for me, so i rekon im gona try and make some high brightness color fade LED poi. I have no idea how im gona do it yet, but i plan to work on it this holidays. any ideas?

where can you recomend getting high brightness (but not luxeon) LEDs? i found www.besthongkong.com but havent tried them yet.

How many mcds should i be looking at.

cheers, pete biggrin

"you know there are no trophys for doing silly things in real life yeah pete?" said ant "you wont get a 'listened to ride of the valkyries all the way to vietnam' trophy"

*proud owner of the very cute fire_spinning_angel, birgit and neon shaolin*


polaritySILVER Member
veteran
1,228 posts
Location: on the wrong planet, United Kingdom


Posted:
I've finally got my PIC doing something. Turned out the one chip had fried config fuses, so I couldn't turn the oscillator on. Gonna buy a few more PICs just in case.

The wiki where I'll be documenting my progress is online at https://nautilus.homeunix.org/ledpoi/.
If anyone else feels like adding to it go ahead.

I'll try and make it as complete a resource as possible on how to make these things.

--------

pineapple pete

As you're not going for Luxeons you could get dedicated RGB LEDs.They're better suited to mixing colors than individual LEDs, where you have to pick the right brightnesses and wavelengths to get a nice smooth fade.

https://shop.dotlight.de/
ship worldwide, have a good range of LEDs, and have pretty good prices (the prices on the site can also be switched between most major currencies).

They only do two RGB LEDs, one has 25° viewing angle, the other has a very wide 130° v.a., but is only half as bright within that (huge) angle. You can get 360° viewing angle from just 4 LEDs. You may find higher brighness single LEDs, but they usually only have 30° or 15° degree v.a.'s, so you'd have to diffuse the light to see it from a wider angle, reducing the brightness from any one direction, or get a whole load of them and cover the surface of your poi. Of course if you're doing sock poi the light only needs to shine towards your hands, but may still need some diffusion to light up the bottom of the poi properly.

Unless you're going for something you can see in daylight, ordinary high brightness LEDs should be fine. If you look at the specs for those RGB LEDs you should be able to get an idea of wavelengths and brighness ratios to use for single LEDs.

You aren't thinking or really existing unless you're willing to risk even your own sanity in the judgment of your existence.

Green peppers, lime pickle and whole-grain mustard = best sandwich filling.


pineapple peteSILVER Member
water based
5,125 posts
Location: melbourne, Australia


Posted:
have decided against RGB fade until i learn more about them and how to do it. what i need to know is how to rig it all up. i know next to nothing about RGB LEDs.
in the mean time, im going to try and get some really bright single color poi working first. after looking at the website you recomended, and doing a bit of a search, i went to ebay. results they're more powerful than the ones you recomended, and are cheaper. Ive also found some 18500mcd red LEDs in my junk box. Probably put 2 in each poi head. all i want these to do is turn on and off, but i may decide to put something extra in like on/off strobe.

incoming PM polarity

cheers, pete biggrin

"you know there are no trophys for doing silly things in real life yeah pete?" said ant "you wont get a 'listened to ride of the valkyries all the way to vietnam' trophy"

*proud owner of the very cute fire_spinning_angel, birgit and neon shaolin*


mo-sephenthusiast
523 posts
Location: Edinburgh, UK


Posted:
Quick warning about mcd brightnesses - they are max luminous flux per unit area, so a 18500mcd led with a 10 degree viewing angle will produce about half the total light output of a 9000mcd led with a 20 degree angle.

The brightest and most cost effective non-luxeons I've found are the superflux leds. (goodwillsales on ebay has them for about 25p a shot)

I got some RGB leds from besthongkong, and they were fine to deal with, but I haven't had time to build anything with them yet...

monkeys ate my brain


pineapple peteSILVER Member
water based
5,125 posts
Location: melbourne, Australia


Posted:
after much thinking, ive decided to dump the regular LED poi. if im gona go to all the trouble, i might as well make luxeon poi. Im going to make them Li-ion powered, and rechargeable without having to be taken out.

i plan to make it mostly resin encased, inside some polcarb tubing with sanded insides for light refraction, possibly coated in something like silicon for softness.

not sure how im going to make it recharge yet, am searching, but not getting too far.

cheers, pete biggrin

"you know there are no trophys for doing silly things in real life yeah pete?" said ant "you wont get a 'listened to ride of the valkyries all the way to vietnam' trophy"

*proud owner of the very cute fire_spinning_angel, birgit and neon shaolin*


polaritySILVER Member
veteran
1,228 posts
Location: on the wrong planet, United Kingdom


Posted:
There's a big problem with Li-ion batteries, that makes sealing them in a bad idea.

If you keep a Li-ion cell fully charged it gradually eats away at the plates inside, and after a while they go completely dead. Happens a lot with laptop computers when the batteries are left in all the time. The only way to stop it happening is to discharge them to about 40%, disconnect them and store them somewhere cool.

They're OK in mobile phones where they're either being charged or discharged all the time, but no good for storage.

Decent rechargeables also need an intelligent charger, or you just end up ruining them.

You aren't thinking or really existing unless you're willing to risk even your own sanity in the judgment of your existence.

Green peppers, lime pickle and whole-grain mustard = best sandwich filling.


pineapple peteSILVER Member
water based
5,125 posts
Location: melbourne, Australia


Posted:
when you say 'decent rechargables' does that mean all batteries, or just li-ion

am probably looking at using 2 x C batteries

cheers, pete biggrin

"you know there are no trophys for doing silly things in real life yeah pete?" said ant "you wont get a 'listened to ride of the valkyries all the way to vietnam' trophy"

*proud owner of the very cute fire_spinning_angel, birgit and neon shaolin*


*HyperLightBRONZE Member
old hand
1,174 posts
Location: Great Malvern [UK]


Posted:
All rechargeables to be honest. I think it will be more obvious if you have a battery with a longer life. IIRC you knock percentages off battery life when you damage them, so larger capacities will be more obviously damaged.

Cake or Death?


pricklyleafSILVER Member
with added berries
1,365 posts
Location: Manchester, England (UK)


Posted:
wow! and I mean WOW! i was playing around with the idea of getting some superbright LED ketrings then making them into poi in some way, but I am humbled by your technological supireority (yes i know i can't spell!).

I may stick to the fabrics now however.

But put me on the list! thse poi are amazing, i'd love to get my hands on something.

By the way, what i do knw about is arty materials- you could use clear silicon (not the bath sealent stuff). Its quite sft and squeezy (so probably not very painful, and offers a lot of shock absorbancy), but it is however, very heavey. Resins, as you probably know are a lot harder, but i don't know how they compare weight wise. But maybe you should try silicon and experiment- ask your nearest art supplier? you mix the base with the accelarent and then pour it into a mould. I'm sure you knew all this anyway, but it makes me feel better! rolleyes

Live like there is no tomorrow,
dance like nobody is watching
and hula hoop like wiggling will save the world.

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson


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