The proposed final project is a set of dorm-room lamps (or whatever illuminated environment) that will network among them so you can modify all or each of the lamps in the set through any of the lamps on the set. Other desirable feature of the set is that all the user interactions with the lamp set will be through a touchpad interface.
The project can be devided in the next modules that can be approached independently:
I friend recommended me to look at this Nrf24l01 module, which has a mesh networking library writen to Arduino, thus compatible with our AVR menu.
So, I'll start checking each of the project's parts to define which microcontroller I need.
First, to communicate the lamps I'll use the Nrf24L01 module, whatever way needed, in the worst case escenario I'll still be able to communicate at least 2 lamps.. This module uses 6 pins: GND, VCC (3.3V), SCK (goes to Arduino pin 13), MOSI (goes to Arduino pin 11), MISO (goes to Arduino pin 12), CE (Chip Enable, goes to Arduino pin 7), CSN (SPI Chip Select, goes to Arduino pin 8) and IRQ. More details in this link.
To move some part of the lamp I'll need 1 servo motor, which needs
only one PWM pin.
To handle the light intensity I'll need other PWM pin.
To read the touch control I need one pin per button
(as described in Matt
Blackshaw's input devices assignment). I plan to have one
long column to set the light intensity and two(?) touch buttons
to modify behaviour (controlling through the mesh network).
Those would be at least 3 more pins (VERIFY IF SOME SPECIAL KIND
IS REQUIRED). Finally I simplified the networking
scheme, there will be only two lamps so the lamp's interface
will consist of two touchpad buttons, one to control the light
intensity and the second to transmit the commands to the other
lamp.
Most of the electronics I'll use are part of the Fab Academy inventory, except for the nRF24l01 module (6USD on a local reseller). I'll also need wooden boards to mill the lamp and acrilic to cover the electronics, all of the available on neighbour stores.
The costs of the materials needed to be bought are:
The lamp structure will be milled on wood and I'll laser cut a cover. On the electronics side, I'm building the light intensity control system and the touchpad system. The networking system works over a library for the nRF24l01 module.
The processes are: laser cutting, CNC milling, electronics design and embeded programming.
As I started working on the project I realzed that most of the work depends on the electronics design, so I started by gathering references and testing the different parts to then integrate all the hardware on the electronics (I'm leaving the programming to the end, but being sure that I have all I need to make the board work). After the PCB design I need to manufacture it to verify it and then, with this confirmed, work on the lamps CAD model to mill.
Why I'm doing this? What is life about? How will I use all this to grow as a person? It is raining outѕide?
My original plan was:
The project's goal is to have 2 lamps that can: