LED Orb 2.0

[gordon130]

Hey

Do you still have this if so have you done any upgrades. Do you have any build tips or anything you would do different if you were to build one again

 

[FireMyLaser]

I switched to using an arduino to control the motors, but it still works the same. I'd hopefully use a 3D printer if I would try this again. I have made another, much larger one, still using wood, and that is not that nice to work with without a workshop.

 

[tuskiomi]

could you replace the LEDs with 5mw diodes?
I'd assume that with the speed at which it spins, it couldn't cause much harm.

 

[FireMyLaser]

It would probably work, but I haven't tried it.

 

[gordon130]

Are you using 3 pot's with the aurdino to control the motor speeds with pwm output

 

[gordon130]

also do you have any pics or vids other bigger one

 

[gordon130]

if I left my email. Would you be able to send me the aurdino code to look at

 

[FireMyLaser]

I have some video of it, I'll see tomorrow. I did not get your email, but here is the code. I just copied it off google, originally made for RGB led strips or similar.
Just a quick solution, but it works equally well controlling the speed of DC motors. You'll find additional info in the commented link in the code.

//http://rouvelle.com/rai_fa_12/

// Init the Pins used for PWM
const int redPin = 9;
const int greenPin = 10;
const int bluePin = 11;

// Init the Pins used for 10K pots
const int redPotPin = 0;
const int greenPotPin = 1;
const int bluePotPin = 2;

// Init our Vars
int currentColorValueRed;
int currentColorValueGreen;
int currentColorValueBlue;

void setup()
{
  pinMode(redPin, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(greenPin, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(bluePin, OUTPUT);
}

void loop()
{
// Read the voltage on each analog pin then scale down to 0-255, for common cathode LEDs

  
  currentColorValueRed = (map( analogRead(redPotPin), 0, 1024, 0, 255 ) ); 
  currentColorValueBlue = (map( analogRead(bluePotPin), 0, 1024, 0, 255 ) );
  currentColorValueGreen = (map( analogRead(greenPotPin), 0, 1024, 0, 255 ) );


 Serial.print("red value =    ");
 Serial.println(currentColorValueRed);
 
 Serial.print("green value =    ");
 Serial.println(currentColorValueGreen);


 Serial.print("blue value =    ");
 Serial.println(currentColorValueBlue);

 Serial.println("  ");
 Serial.println("  ");

/*

// Read the voltage on each analog pin then scale down to 0-255 and inverting the value for common anode
  currentColorValueRed = (255 - map( analogRead(redPotPin), 0, 1024, 0, 255 ) ); 
  currentColorValueBlue = (255 - map( analogRead(bluePotPin), 0, 1024, 0, 255 ) );
  currentColorValueGreen = (255 - map( analogRead(greenPotPin), 0, 1024, 0, 255 ) );

*/


// Write the color to each pin using PWM and the value gathered above
  analogWrite(redPin, currentColorValueRed);
  analogWrite(bluePin, currentColorValueBlue);
  analogWrite(greenPin, currentColorValueGreen);

}

 

[gordon130]

thanks that's awesome. Now all I want to do. Is make it displays motor speeds from 0 to 255 on a screen and if it's forward or reverse

 

[tuskiomi]

I'm having a hard time swallowing this. I want to make one myself.
so your path of current is:

Supply>Motor Y > commutator 1>Motor X>Commutator 2> Motor Z>Commutatuor 3> LEDs?

 

[FireMyLaser]

Here are videos of the large version. This is only two axes, but it is about the size of a soccer ball.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oR5GoaaBrlM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHMrJzVXAAc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXhUsok1Ddw

I'm having a hard time swallowing this. I want to make one myself.
so your path of current is:

Supply>Motor Y > commutator 1>Motor X>Commutator 2> Motor Z>Commutatuor 3> LEDs?

There is one common commutator at each axis, and one separate commutator for each motor + LEDs. This cascades through the axes and branching off for the motors, and finally to the LEDs.

 

[gordon130]

That's awesome man thanks. I think I have everything now to give this a try

 

[mcdjacesean]

very cool, i was thinking to make some thing like that for the kids, one of my sons asked if i could make some like that for him, i seed i would have a good go at it, next project under way,
i have al ready done a project , it a sort of copy some there along thous lines, some on there bulied a 360 deguee laser spirograph, but my iphone is crap st taking video the laser was hit and miss,

 

[diachi]

some on there bulied a 360 deguee laser spirograph, but my iphone is crap st taking video the laser was hit and miss,

Yes, it was FireMyLaser, the same person on this post that built the Laser Orb.

Also, this thread is over a year old, you should avoid digging up old threads unless you are furthering the discussion. Juts an FYI, you're new, that's OK.

 

[mcdjacesean]

To diachi I know you meen well, but I have been trying to get hold of Fiermylaser on YouTube, also under a different name, and now I would have to use a different approach, now I will unsubscribe from this site,

 

[FireMyLaser]

Mcdjacesean, be cool. He meant well. The problem is that I published this on this forum, and not on some other dedicated site instead. I was not aware at the time that this would be so popular and be linked across numerous sites (look below).
This is why this thread gets a new random post from time to time, even though this should perhaps count as an old and lost thread, by this forum's standard. People who don't spend time here don't always notice that.
So you did nothing wrong, and Diachi just wanted to let you know.