Thread: Arduino Uno

Tweet

I am thinking of buying a few Arduno Uno's for some pneumatic props and for lighting. Anyone using this? It will be my first microcontroller.

ive heard of these how exactly do they control them and through what?
culd it be a subsitute for controlling props using a computer but nt dmx or vsa?

Originally Posted by ctarpey

ive heard of these how exactly do they control them and through what?
culd it be a subsitute for controlling props using a computer but nt dmx or vsa?

It is a microcontrroller. You have to program them with a computer. It's like a EFX-TEK prop1 controller. Here are some things you can do with it.

very cool lemme know how you like it when its all set and done if you decide to go with it im looking to control props with a computer but simplier than dmx

From what I've been able to find out about these they work simular to the Pick Ax microcontroller that SteveO is doing a drink and think on at the GOE site. Go to their website and look in the groups section and they have a discussion going on about them thier.

You can use microcontrollers to make props run on their own. Any of the common microcontrollers will do the job...EFX-Tek Prop 1, Arduino, Picaxe.

Think of it this way: A microcontroller gives each prop its own "brain", so the prop can react to people walking up to it. It can jump up, make noise, turn on lights, spray water or air...lots of stuff.

Here's a link to guys I saw demo their stuff, run by Arduinos, at Maker Faire 2009 in San Mateo, CA:
http://sites.google.com/site/spookythings/
There are good pictures of what went inside their props and how the props worked. Plus they've got a parts list of what they used to build their props, and where they got the parts.

There's a lot of info on this site about various microcontrollers, as well as on http://www.hauntforum.com/

I also have a thread there on one project I did last year:
http://www.hauntforum.com/showthread.php?t=24211

I've been working with the Arduino Uno for about a month now. It is incredibly easy to use and since it is so popular there are tons of support sites out there with information on just about any application you have. It uses a simple C-like programming language than anyone can learn in about 20 minutes. The interface sofware you download has a whole bunch of sample programs already written so you see the correct way to do stuff without having to figure it out yourself. There is even software commands built in to move servo motors.

There are also many many plug-in boards (called shields) for various functions like RF communications, motor controls, relays and stuff like that. I bought 2 of the Uno boards and two of the Xbee RF radio modules and I had a simple RF link working in about 10 minutes. I don't know what I am going to do with it yet but it is very cool.

I just orderd an Arduino starter kit off Amazon. I can't wait to get it.

Arduinos are great for props. They can mimic other prop controllers, control servos (the latest Arduino IDE has libraries for controlling a ton of servos and PWM on any pin for LEDs or regular motors) even run from VSA on the built-in USB port. Not bad at all for $20. I love that they are open source software and hardware based, tons of people and projects brewing out there. Easy to program and no need to re-invent any wheels.

I love the Arduino. I like the EFX-Tek also, but for an overall development environment, the Arduino may become the global microcontroller standard. It is inexpensive, open source and very well supported. If works with dozens of not hundreds of different kinds of sensors from switches, to ultrasonic sonar distance detectors, to passive infrared motion sensors, to you name it.

I'm sure a few of us here can help you with any code. Get a breadboard kit if you don't already have one so you can wire up prototypes. Here is my recommendation for a "kit"

Arduino Duemilanove or Uno (identical except for how the USB works basically)
Download Arduino Development Environment (free)
Download Aiko Events library (free)
Buy a Experimentor's Breadboad (experimentor socket)
try Radio Shack 276-175)
buy breadboard wires
buy or find a handful of resistors, leds, transistors, etc
Buy or scrounge a 9 or 12V DC power adapter with a 2.1mm plug (for use later in a stand-alone project since the supplied USB cable will power the device from your computer while you are learning/prototyping)

If you've never programmed in C before, you might have to spend an hour or two looking at the help reference and examining some of the included sample files. It is pretty easy for most projects, but you also have full control of the chip if you want to use the AVR code to go right into it and access the timers, etc. It is really simple and powerful at the same time.

As others have said, most anything you will want to do such as control servos, light leds, run motors, etc are either part of the language, or extended by libraries written by others. To run a servo without having to write all the code to control PWM on the output pins, you simply do an "# include <servo.h>" and then use simple commands to set the servo position.

The other very cool thing is the availability of add-on boards called "shields" to allow you to expand with hardware to do everything from run high current motors to connect to wifi. My favorite board is a "Wave Shield" from ladyada.net. This is both an SD card reader and a wave audio board. Just plug this board on top of the Arduino, include one of the supported libraries, save a few wave files onto the SD card from your computer, and viola, you have all the scary sounds you want to sync with your prop display.

In my list above, I included the Aiko events library because it can be very helpful with prop coding. I have an example tutorial of flashing an LED on one pin whille fading one in and out on another with comparison between the "event driven" method and the timing loop method. This is sort of like patting your head and rubbing your stomach at the same time, Arduino style. Since the Arduino has only two routines, a "setup" routine and then a "loop" routine that handles all your main code, you can have some tedious timing routines in your main loop that interact with each other if you don't use interupts or take advantage of a timer.

With my "blink and fade" routine, you have two different things going at 2 different rates at the same time. You use a "delay" command to pause between each blink and another to pause between steps of a fade routine. If you change the delay in one routine, it affects the timing of the other if you don't use interrupts since it halts your code.

The Aiko library lets you basically run a bunch of different procedures/subroutines that all fire at exact intervals. It is sort of like having timed interrupts that keep you from having to worry about interactions between different things that might be looping at a set rate.

You probably have your Uno now and have gotten started. Keep us posted!

-f