New piece. Started in last weeks post, but I’m interested in the power of touch. I think it’s our most important sense by far, but usually takes a backseat to other more fashionable senses like sight. Without touch, you might have a hard time eating, but I am guessing you can still eat with your eyes closed. In any case I think that the simple act of reaching out can change everything for the better. It’s not a unique idea and my dogs demonstrate it well. So here’s a new piece that covers the idea of touching, almost.
Before you design a circuit board, you probably want to test out your ideas. There’s a cool way to do this called a breadboard. It allows you to plug wires into it and make connections. Of course this method is going the way of the dinosaurs since most new components are surface mount only. I proudly wear my dinosaur badge and still breadboard almost everything I make. I do this to write my software and make sure everything works before I commit to a board design.
Breadboarded circuit for development
This was my development system and I targeted all the software on it. I’ll keep it intact until I need the board for the next project. Which means this little thing is coming apart soon. Keeping with with my dinosaur theme, I still write a flowchart for every bit of software I write. Sometimes for figuring it all out, but always is helpful two years from now when I try to figure out what I did. Here’s a sample.
This magically turns into working software
Once satisfied, I designed a board to match that breadboard. Here’s how that turns out.
Main board for piece
What’s all this going into you may ask? It’s going into this box.
Warmer, Colder enclosure
And the sensor that works it all out is hidden ( only sort of ) here.
Sensor in the center of the piece
Other fun things were making a diffuser for the LEDs. I used a laser cutter and etched both sides of a clear plate to make that.
Diffuser
The LED board goes under it and it works well. The diffuser is the top line of plastic above the circuit board.
Diffuser on top, board on bottom.
Video next week along with another piece, I’m working on.