Summary of SmartMatrix project
Craig Lindley released final versions of AnimatedGIF and Light Appliance sketches with updated modes including general, Christmas, Halloween, Valentine's, and 4th of July. Pup05 successfully mounted a SmartMatrix panel in an 8x8 black shadow box from Michaels, using card stock shims, white printer paper for diffusion, and magnetic feet. The enclosure accommodates the Teensy board, wiring, SD card, and has a notch for cables.
Parts used in the Light Appliance and SmartMatrix Project:
- SmartMatrix panel
- Teensy board
- SmartMatrix board
- Wiring
- SD card
- 8x8 black shadow box from Michaels
- Folded card stock (shims)
- White printer paper
- Magnetic feet from Adafruit
- Power cord
- USB cable
- IR receiver
Hello,
I’ve now reworked the AnimatedGIF and Light Appliance sketches into hopefully their final form and I will stop spamming this list so often. If you go to craigandheather.net/misc you will find the following files:
Lindley_Animated_GIFs_Collection.zip which is a collection of GIFs used by both AnimatedGIF and LightAppliance sketches.
Lindley_AnimatedGIFS_V1.2.zip which is the new version of the AnimatedGIFs sketch
Lindley_LightAppliance_V1.1.zip which is the new version of the LightAppliance sketch.
The Light Appliance now has a general animations mode in addition to a Christmas mode, a Halloween mode, a Valentines mode and a 4th of July mode.
For anyone interested in more detail about the Light Appliance, I’m writing an article for (I believe) the Oct issue of Nuts and Volts magazine which will detail the hardware and software necessary to recreate the Light Appliance.
Hope you find this helpful. Cheers,
Craig Lindley
by Pup05 » Fri Jul 04, 2014 11:22 am
I finally got my SmartMatrix mounted nicely.
I picked up a 8″x8″ black shadow box from Michaels.
The panel fits perfectly, just had to shim it with a little bit of folded card stock on each side. There’s plenty of room for the Teensy and SmartMatrix board, wiring, SD card, etc. I cut out a piece of white printer paper to size, and placed it between the panel and the glass for a bit of diffusion. The magnetic feet that came with my panel from Adafruit fit perfectly, and keep the panel pushed against the paper and glass. I cut a notch in the bottom of the back, just big enough for the power cord, USB cable, and IR receiver.
For more detail: SmartMatrix project
- What animation modes does the Light Appliance support?
The Light Appliance supports general animations, Christmas, Halloween, Valentines, and 4th of July modes. - Where can I download the latest AnimatedGIF and LightAppliance sketches?
You can find them at craigandheather.net/misc as Lindley_Animated_GIFs_Collection.zip, Lindley_AnimatedGIFS_V1.2.zip, and Lindley_LightAppliance_V1.1.zip. - What type of enclosure was used for the SmartMatrix project?
An 8x8 black shadow box from Michaels was used as the enclosure. - How was the SmartMatrix panel secured inside the shadow box?
The panel was shimmed with folded card stock on each side and held against the paper and glass using magnetic feet from Adafruit. - What material was used to diffuse light behind the SmartMatrix panel?
A piece of white printer paper cut to size was placed between the panel and the glass for diffusion. - How were the power and data cables managed in the SmartMatrix build?
A notch was cut in the bottom of the shadow box back to fit the power cord, USB cable, and IR receiver. - Is there a detailed guide available for recreating the Light Appliance?
Yes, Craig Lindley is writing an article for the October issue of Nuts and Volts magazine detailing the hardware and software. - What components fit inside the SmartMatrix shadow box enclosure?
The Teensy, SmartMatrix board, wiring, SD card, and other necessary electronics fit inside the box.
