Summary of GRAVITY-DEFYING WATER DROPLET FOUNTAIN GETS AN UPGRADE
This article describes [isaac879]'s upgraded levitating RGB time fountain, replacing the original wooden case with acrylic to prevent water absorption. The project uses strobing RGB LEDs and a pump controlled by a PID loop via an ATTiny85 microcontroller communicating with an Arduino over I2C. A video tutorial covers the entire build process, including circuit design, PCB creation, 3D printing, and assembly.
Parts used in Levitating RGB Time Fountain V2:
- Acrylic case
- New PCB
- Updated circuit
- Strobing RGB LEDs
- Pump motor
- Infrared diode
- ATTiny85 microcontroller
- Arduino
When we last saw [isaac879]’s levitating RGB time fountain, it was made of wood which meant that it would absorb water and didn’t really show off the effect very well. His new version solves this problem with an acrylic case, new PCB and an updated circuit.
Like the original, this project drops water past strobing RGB LEDs creating an illusion of levitating, undulating colored water droplets. The pump at the top creates the droplets, but the timing has a tendency to drift over time. He thus implemented a PID controller to manage the pump’s drip rate, which was done by having the droplets pass by an infrared diode connected to an ATTiny85. The ’85 used the diode and PWM to control the pump motor speed and communicated to the Arduino over I2C.
The video shown below shows the whole process of designing and building the new time fountain. Everything from circuit and PCB design to 3D printing to assembly is shown along with narration describing what’s going on in case you want to build one yourself. If you do, all the files and components required are listed in the info section of the video.
There’s more that [isaac879] wants to do to improve the time fountain, but V2 looks great. It’s sleeker and smaller than the original and solves some of the design issues of the first. For more inspiration, check out some of the other levitating water fountain projects that have been posted over the years.
Source: GRAVITY-DEFYING WATER DROPLET FOUNTAIN GETS AN UPGRADE
- What material was used for the new case?
An acrylic case was used to replace the wood because wood absorbs water. - How does the system manage the drip rate?
A PID controller manages the pump's drip rate using an infrared diode and PWM. - Which microcontroller controls the pump motor speed?
The ATTiny85 uses the diode and PWM to control the pump motor speed. - How does the ATTiny85 communicate with the Arduino?
The ATTiny85 communicates to the Arduino over I2C. - Does the timing of the droplets stay consistent?
The timing has a tendency to drift over time without the PID controller implementation. - What steps are shown in the video tutorial?
The video shows circuit design, PCB design, 3D printing, and assembly. - Where can you find the files and components required?
All files and components are listed in the info section of the video. - Is the new version smaller than the original?
Yes, the V2 version is sleeker and smaller than the original.
