ISS Overhead

The ISS Overhead is an ambient display that glows whenever the International Space Station is flying overhead.

It is designed to act as an occasional reminder that there are people living and working in space!

This project should take you somewhere between 2 hours to an afternoon to complete. It assumes you know how to solder, and are somewhat familiar with Electric Imp. If you haven’t worked with Electric Imp before, I recommend you get a basic familiarity by working through Electric Imp’s Getting Started Guide before completing this project.

ISS Overhead

Let’s get started!

Step 1: Tools & Components

Components:

For this project, you are going to need the following components:

Total Cost: About $85 + Shipping

Tools:

You are also going to need the following tools and supplies:

Step 2: Inlay the Clear ISS Insert

The first thing we’re going to do is inlay the clear acrylic ISS:

  1. Pop the ISS out of the black acrylic front piece.
  2. Use a hobby knife (or other fine object) so carefully push the clear ISS out of the acrylic*
  3. Lay the clear ISS into the black front piece, and spread some glue around the edges.

* The ISS pieces are somewhat breakable, so be gentle. If you break the first one, don’t worry – that’s why we printed two of them!

Step 3: Place and Solder the Electronics

The next thing we’re going to do is place our electronic components and solder them! Don’t worry, there isn’t anything too tricky in here.

DC Barrel Jack:

  1. Screw the DC barrel jack on the back piece of the enblosure
  2. Solder two red wires to the lead connected to the back piece of the DC barrel jack
  3. Solder two black wires to the other two leads, then solder those two leads together.

Placing the imp:

  1. Add a piece of double sided foam tape to the back of the April Board.
  2. Use the side panel with a slot in it to guide where the April board should be placed
  3. Remove the other side of the double sided tape, and affix the April Board.

 

 

For more detail: ISS Overhead


About The Author

Ibrar Ayyub

I am an experienced technical writer holding a Master's degree in computer science from BZU Multan, Pakistan University. With a background spanning various industries, particularly in home automation and engineering, I have honed my skills in crafting clear and concise content. Proficient in leveraging infographics and diagrams, I strive to simplify complex concepts for readers. My strength lies in thorough research and presenting information in a structured and logical format.

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