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TRON Identity Disc by Harford Hackerspace


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#1 Chris Walker

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Posted 13 December 2010 - 10:25 PM

Harford Hackerspace put together a pretty impressive TRON Identity Disc project using a Netduino and a gutted TRON replica disc. Coding4Fun Article (project description, details, source, etc.): http://blogs.msdn.co...3/10104241.aspx Wow. They mentioned that they're going to move over to one of the new Netduino Minis...so that all the components are integrated. That will be pretty awesome. Chris

#2 Eric Burdo

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Posted 13 December 2010 - 10:30 PM

Oooh... now I wonder if I can find one of those toys on eBay! :)
~ Eric D. Burdo ~ http://brick-labs.com/

Today LED's, tomorrow, the world!!! Well, OK, maybe servos.

#3 Thor

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Posted 19 December 2010 - 12:54 PM

Oooh... now I wonder if I can find one of those toys on eBay! :)



LOL...they're all over eBay...because people are just reselling from various Toy Stores or wherever they are getting them in bulk. Prices on ebay are fairly close to what you can get them for in some of the discount stores. Toysrus has them now for $14.99 and they're going for at least that much on eBay.

I remembered seeing this project in my news feed a couple of days ago and went back to look at it again today after seeing the movie. I think I'm going to give this a try for my first Netduino project. Too bad that ring around the outside is blue plastic, I think you could modify the circuit to allow for two different colors (blue and red/orange would be my choice).

#4 Chris Walker

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Posted 19 December 2010 - 03:45 PM

LOL...they're all over eBay...because people are just reselling from various Toy Stores or wherever they are getting them in bulk. Prices on ebay are fairly close to what you can get them for in some of the discount stores. Toysrus has them now for $14.99 and they're going for at least that much on eBay.

I remembered seeing this project in my news feed a couple of days ago and went back to look at it again today after seeing the movie. I think I'm going to give this a try for my first Netduino project. Too bad that ring around the outside is blue plastic, I think you could modify the circuit to allow for two different colors (blue and red/orange would be my choice).


Thor,

Welcome to the Netduino community!

Are you thinking of building a TRON disc with a Netduino...or using a Netduino Mini so everything is completely integrated inside the disc?

Chris

#5 Thor

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Posted 19 December 2010 - 11:32 PM

Thor,

Welcome to the Netduino community!

Are you thinking of building a TRON disc with a Netduino...or using a Netduino Mini so everything is completely integrated inside the disc?

Chris


Thanks!

I haven't decided yet for the first iteration. Trying to make up my mind whether or not to just try to get the concept down in a usable form first (duplicate what they already did), then shrink the size down to something smaller. I think it would be a good learning opportunity, and I'd be left with a Netduino I could use for further fun once I move onto the second iteration. Already have one of those identity discs on the way from Toysrus.com, and another about to be won on eBay. Toysrus is the easier way to go, bidding on cheap ones on ebay quickly gets the price to be equivalent with Toysrus (and shipping frequently isn't as kind).

I'm a .Net programmer by trade, but I started college as an EE major, so I have a pretty good understanding of circuits, and I still have the books from my EE courses. I was kind of looking into the Arduino, but this seems more like a natural extension of the programming I do.

Btw...found this project via the Make Magazine blog feed, and this forum after investigating further.

Edit: I was able to find an old breadboard (similar to this: http://www.sparkfun.com/products/112, but made by Archer) and all my jumper wires I used to use in my computer modding days. So perhaps I can use the Mini instead.

Edit 2: Parts are on order (got the mini). Was thinking also about ways to expand on the idea, for instance adding 4 more LEDs (or possibly up to 10 total added, making for 12 on the inner ring) to the inner ring to make the look of it more complete. I figured out how it would be wired (simple to figure that out based on the diagrams given), but I'm not quite sure how it would affect the electronics. I mean, will they need more power or different resistors or something? Or does the LED driver just take care of all that. I've used LEDs by themselves, but never with a driver before.

I'm also working on a more complete diagram involving all parts of the electronics. Having some trouble with that first diagram though as the resolution on the image is too low to read a lot of it.

#6 Thor

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Posted 28 December 2010 - 10:33 PM

Well let's see, I got all the parts in just before Christmas. I started by messing with the Netduino Mini a bit to figure out how exactly it worked and also how it worked with the code provided. I think I have that down now, so I'm preparing other things in the project now. Thanks to David at Hartford Hackerspace for providing a clearer diagram for the LED/LED Driver/Netduino. Last night I dremeled out the disc, though I have a little cleanup to do tonight on that. I also I think realized a way to improve the design a bit. Namely, the momentary switch to handle changing the animations. I don't see why you can't reuse the existing switch as it's just a simple membrane momentary switch I think should work (just a theory of mine of course). If it works that would eliminate the need for the L bracket and the jury rigging of the new momentary switch. I will be posting a schematic for the mini version of it after I've gotten all the LEDs up and working. Setting up the power is something somewhat new to me. Up until now it's just the Mini, some LEDs and some resistors.

#7 CwbhX

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Posted 05 January 2011 - 03:30 AM

I hope they post their code. I am very curious how they get the the light to move in all those patterns without a lot of manual writing to the leds.
-Cwbh

#8 Chris Walker

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Posted 05 January 2011 - 03:32 AM

I hope they post their code. I am very curious how they get the the light to move in all those patterns without a lot of manual writing to the leds.


From the MSDN Coding4Fun blog post:
Source Code

Does that have what you need?

Chris

#9 Thor

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Posted 16 January 2011 - 04:45 AM

Little update for ya on my progress duplicating this with a mini: My initial try at the LED ring was a failure, the wire I was using was far too thick. I switched from 22 gauge to 26 gauge wire and it works MUCH better. I've assembled the entire LED circuit (yes it completely works powered from a breadboard), I just have to hook up the two halves. The Charging circuit is ready to go with the batteries all hooked up, I just need to find a good connector to go between the two halves. Photo Album of my progress, includes some previous revisions in the LED ring: http://picasaweb.goo...feat=directlink This doesn't include the two inner ring LEDs that they used. I have some ideas to expand on that, but I'm going to get the outer ring completely working first before I tackle the inner ring. Here's the complete circuit with connections between everything that is inside the Disc itself. http://picasaweb.goo...feat=directlink

#10 Omar (OZ)

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Posted 16 January 2011 - 05:08 AM

Photo Album of my progress, includes some previous revisions in the LED ring:
http://picasaweb.goo...feat=directlink


That looks really nice! Its going to look great when you close it up, then you just need a nice EL Wire suit, and a cool looking helmet... then you can walk around and just be awesome like that :D .

#11 Chris Walker

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Posted 16 January 2011 - 06:41 AM

Wow Thor, you're really moving right along here. Very cool. Chris

#12 Thor

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Posted 16 January 2011 - 09:18 AM

Everything was ready for the two halves to go together, except for the actual electrical connections, so I went ahead and did a test fit. I initially had problems with an IC socket I was using for the LED Driver, but I took that out and, well, here's the result:

Posted Image

Can you tell which one is which? One is straight out of the packaging, the other is the one I've been working on. (hint: the two sets of helping hands will help you with this)

edit: Here's your answer: (photo of the backside)
http://picasaweb.goo...feat=directlink

#13 Omar (OZ)

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Posted 16 January 2011 - 03:13 PM

Everything was ready for the two halves to go together, except for the actual electrical connections, so I went ahead and did a test fit. I initially had problems with an IC socket I was using for the LED Driver, but I took that out and, well, here's the result:


looks great. will you make a video of it?

#14 Thor

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Posted 16 January 2011 - 10:30 PM

looks great. will you make a video of it?


Ask and ye shall receive:


Charging dock still needs to be done, but there was some juice in the batteries when I powered it up for the first time. The batteries weren't supposed to come charged, but whatever, it was a nice surprise.

Going to add LEDs to the inner ring. Also contemplating turning the second one into a white version.

#15 Omar (OZ)

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Posted 17 January 2011 - 01:39 AM

Ask and ye shall receive:


Charging dock still needs to be done, but there was some juice in the batteries when I powered it up for the first time. The batteries weren't supposed to come charged, but whatever, it was a nice surprise.

Going to add LEDs to the inner ring. Also contemplating turning the second one into a white version.


looks awesome. I'm not sure how white would work though, its nto too visible. I'd use green or red. I wouldn't be able to resist throwing those around and attacking my brother with it :ph34r: .

I guess this is Tron related so uhm, just a suggestion, when working on these Discs listen to this: it will make everything more epic ;).


#16 Thor

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Posted 17 January 2011 - 03:14 AM

looks awesome. I'm not sure how white would work though, its nto too visible. I'd use green or red. I wouldn't be able to resist throwing those around and attacking my brother with it :ph34r: .

I guess this is Tron related so uhm, just a suggestion, when working on these Discs listen to this: it will make everything more epic ;).


Yeah that's one of the soundtrack songs by Daft Punk. Got the soundtrack from Amazon a while ago.

I brought up the white LEDs because of the work I saw on this:
(embedding is disabled)

The guy used White LEDs instead of blue and got the look of the discs in the movie. He's clearly going for a replica of the movie props, and has the experience and resources to do such a replica. No way I'll do anything like his, but I can at least try to get the color right. I'm going to do some testing first to see how it really looks.

#17 Omar (OZ)

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Posted 17 January 2011 - 03:26 AM

No way I'll do anything like his, but I can at least try to get the color right. I'm going to do some testing first to see how it really looks.


I think you can do it, all you need is the inside LEDs right?

#18 Thor

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Posted 17 January 2011 - 03:52 AM

I think you can do it, all you need is the inside LEDs right?


The same effect, maybe, but it won't be as smooth an animation, he simply has way more LEDs (more than double).

I could if I put my mind to it and had the time (I don't have the time). That involves getting the materials/tools needed to do surface mount soldering, and learning how to do surface mount soldering. All of those LEDs are surface mount, and he did some serious work on the look of the disc itself both inside and out. He has a workshop, I don't, I'm doing all of this stuff on the table right behind my gaming computer in the second bedroom of my apartment. What he's doing is just on an entirely different level. I'd love to be able to do that, and if I had the resources to do it, I probably would, but I definitely don't.

Here's another video of his work, an earlier video showing just the LEDs in action, you can see that it's just a small wall forming the ring, with the surface mount LEDs mounted to it.



My plans for the inner ring will put 16 LEDs in there to get the same effect, but I'm not sure how to do the diffusion yet, the blue LEDs shine through the build in diffuser way too easily. Got some testing to do to figure out the best way.

#19 Omar (OZ)

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Posted 17 January 2011 - 04:05 AM

The same effect, maybe, but it won't be as smooth an animation, he simply has way more LEDs (more than double).

I could if I put my mind to it and had the time (I don't have the time). That involves getting the materials/tools needed to do surface mount soldering, and learning how to do surface mount soldering. All of those LEDs are surface mount, and he did some serious work on the look of the disc itself both inside and out. He has a workshop, I don't, I'm doing all of this stuff on the table right behind my gaming computer in the second bedroom of my apartment. What he's doing is just on an entirely different level. I'd love to be able to do that, and if I had the resources to do it, I probably would, but I definitely don't.

Well its alright, yours is really good. I have work space limitations too, I work on my projects from my computer desk :mellow: its uhm... cluttered to say the least.

anyways keep us updated on your next disc too, I really like your project.

#20 Thor

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Posted 17 January 2011 - 11:16 AM

Replaced the video with a new version. I found a significant error in my wiring of the cathodes for the LEDs...which would have caused some irregularities in the animations in the original video. All fixed now. Added a new startup animation, though I'm still trying to figure out how to get rid of that initial blip of light before the animation.




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