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LCD with Arduino

I was able to have my Arduino UNO communicate with a 128x64 LCD
I'm pleased with these initial results but still have a ways to go before I finish my primary programs to control the pumps and use this display to make changes on the fly.



TECHNICAL NOTES
(things I needed to look up before I could get everything up and running)

LCD + Arduino purchased from eBay
http://bit.ly/mat6Vv


Datasheets (from CD) downloaded to:
C:\Users\globalloonan\Desktop\Data\Arduino with 12864 LCD


PINOUTs (from readme.txt)
ATmega168/328  uses configuration file: ks0108_Arduino.h
LCD ARDUINO
CSEL1 14 // CS1 Bit   // swap with CSEL2 if left/right is reversed
CSEL2 15 // CS2 Bit
R_W 16 // R/W Bit
D_I 17 // D/I Bit
EN 18 // EN Bit

LCD data 0-3 8-11
LCD data 4-7 4-7


Arduino LCD playground | KS0108 Graphics LCD library
http://www.arduino.cc/playground/Code/GLCDks0108
I have Pinout B

1. Read Me from CD
UNO Arduino

2. http://www.arduino.cc/playground/Code/GLCDks0108
I have Pinout B

3. Use this schematic but default to text (#2)
http://www.arduino.cc/playground/uploads/Code/KS0108_wiring.jpg

4. REMOVE the RESET (otherwise code wont load).  Just leave it dangle

5. This LCD board is KS0108-type and a GLCD (Graphical LCD) as opposed to textual (Character Mode)
http://www.instructables.com/id/ST7565-LCDs-Graphical-LCDs/#step1

Playa Gifting

I'd like to use my circular peg loom as a gift for the playa by making a few different products for my camp makes.  First I need to perfect the technique and then place an order (along with my Chasing El).  These are some rough ideas as well as approx materials needed

PEG LOOM
Hole		60	cm
Peg Diameter		13	mm
Distance between Pegs		10	mm
Peg Circumference		4.08	cm
Every other Peg Circum		11.31	cm
Number of Pegs		26
1 lap around every peg		1.66	cm
1 lap around every other		2.07	cm

PRESENTS
		Belt	Sheet	Creative
	Width	2	6	3
	Length	1	1	4
Total (meters) of El Wire
	Every Peg	3.32	9.97	19.94
	Every Other	4.14	12.42	24.84
MATERIALS
	12 presents	14.93	44.79	89.57
	(2x of each)
Total El Wire (in meters)		149.28	meters
	Total Inverters
	small	4
	large	8

Sequencer Working !

As a corollary to the Liquid Jacket ... the El Wire Jacket came to be (at least in theory)
The trade off for air/water flowing through the schlauch would either be sequenced El Wire (dividing the jacket into 8 or 16 sections) or Chasing El Wire. I finally got my hardware, time to play with it and got everything up and running in less than a night (thanks largely to Make)




A couple things I need to remember are:
Arduino Program
Tools -> Board -> Lilypad Arduino w/ ATmega328
Tools -> Serial Port -> COM13

Sequencier Board
Computer -> USB -> FTDI -> Sequencier
Flip Switch -> USB

MultiStrand El Wire Jacket

My new super great source for El Wire has 'chasing El Wire' too.  I'm thinking of picking up a few strings, my biggest questions are:

1. How do I want it sequenced? (with an 8 or 16 port sequencer)
2. Do I want to use Chasing El?
3. Who do I want to weave it?
• Evens with Chasing El, Odds being 'normal El' and Sequenced?
• The whole jacket in Chasing El plus every other loop being  'normal El' and Sequenced
• JUST every other one being  'normal El' and Sequenced

Air Compressor - Test 2

I bought this cheap/portable Air Compressor

Its powered with 12Volts, has an operating pressure of 7 bar but can max out up to 10 (compared to my pump which is 3).

Fun Facts:

1. It only uses 3 bar empty 20m of 5mm inner diameter tubing
2. 20m of 5mm tubing holds around 400ml of liquid
3. If you dont secure the output hose, the pump can spray blue dyed water over 3 meters high on the ceiling and over 6 meters across to the opposite wall

Air Compressor - Test 1

Its been a busy week ... supplies have finally started arriving (all at the same time) but another post on my newest toys soon to follow.  Included in my bag of goodies was an air compressor.  I've been playing around with using an aircompressor INSTEAD of a pump because they have much more power (10 bar instead of 3 bar/45psi for the pump).  HOWEVER, in order to use JUST an air compressor, at least part if the system would need to be pressurized and for the life of me, I can figure out how the return works.

1. I understand how to make a pressurized source which will push the liquid through the tubes
2. However how does fluid return?
• In an open reservoir to release the air pressure (but how to bring the fluid from the returned reservoir back to the source reservoir)
• If I make the source and return reservoir one in the same, wouldnt the air pressure be the same all the way around, thus water would NOT flow
• Ive thought about pressure release valves but that will effectively lower the entire systems pressure, not just one section

ANYWAY ... until I figure out how a closed system works, I'll keep playing around with my open systems.  As it stands right now, Ill use my pump to push the water and my air compressor to push the air (and the water behind it).

So the first conclusions involving the pump vs air compressor involving 20 meters of 5mm inner (9mm outter) schlauch are:

• Pump needs 14 seconds to fill the schlauch
• Pump needs 50 seconds to empty the schlauch
• Air Compressor needs 7 seconds to empty the schlauch !!!

Schlauch + El Wire Jacket

While wating for 205 meters more schlauch to arrive

• to see its performance
• see how it works with the loom
• determine how to make the straps
• to build the last 2x custom circular peg looms

I got the idea to play around with some El Wire.  You see, the original plan was to use blacklight LEDs to backlight tonic water (which highlighters soaked in overnight).  However it appears that literally NO ONE makes blacklight rope lights so I'd have to make my own blacklight LED vest (for my schlauch jacket).  However it appears that LEDs dont really do the blacklight spectrum very well (you can find some at 380 nm however they are very directional (20 degree view angle).

Thus I was hoping El Wire (intertwined with the schlauch) could provid the lighting necessary to see the air/water going through the tubes.  Next thing I know ... I've found a really cheap source of inverters/el wire/sequencers and am thinking about making some El Wire 'jackets' too. (that and my first bike in Berlin wannas to be playa-fied! )






The above video is from 20 meters of 3mm inner diameter schlauch (4mm outter diameter).  The El Wire was woven in every other loom (too much?  not enough?) At first we used the 4 meters of orange El Wire (2.2mm) but quickly went through that so we added another 4 meters of blue El too.

Its interesting to note how much more tall our structure is with using the thinner schlauch (the 20 meters of 3mm schlauch is nearly 60 cm tall while 4mm schlauch is only 25cm tall).

My first batch of EL WIRE I bought from "Thats Cool Wire".  Its a great website with great video tutorials on how to use the stuff.  However this time around, I'm going straight to the manufacturer (greater savings, when based in Europe and/or ordering large quantities).  Regardless, to give you a better idea of the EL WIRE I'm looking at:

Picture of Colors of El Wire
http://www.thatscoolwire.com/articleDetail.asp?articleID=21

Picture of Thickness of El Wire
http://www.thatscoolwire.com/articleDetail.asp?articleID=18

Names of Colors
http://www.thatscoolwire.com/store/item.asp?Category=168&SubCategoryID=106&GroupID=&SKU=S7-2%2E2-SPL-165

Knitting Win v1.2 (5mm)

I now have 2 'tube center pieces'
The first one I did yesterday was 20m of 4mm inner diameter (6mm outer)
I could tell it was pushing the limits of the pump so I decided to make another new one today: 20m of 5mm inner diameter (9mm outer).

The thickness of the tubing (9mm outer) made it VERY hard to knit with (the pegs only had 15mm spacing thus you couldnt have 2 tubes next to each other) however with the help of Sylwia we managed.  The 5mm inner made it MUCH easier on the pump.

Convinced enough of the tubing and technique I placed another order for tubes (4mm inner/6 outer and 5mm inner/7mm outer).  I'm hoping to get away with making a jacket using only 50 meters.  

Outstanding topics to work out include:

• open back or completely circular
• whether to add sleeves
• how to finish the ends
• how to add straps

Knitting Win v1.1 (4mm)

SUCCESS !
We (Andrea & I) successfully knitted a full 20 meters of 4mm using a double peg method (each loop went around 2 pegs) ! It seems as though were already pushing the pump to its limit with these loops (of this diameter) at 20 meters.

The good news is, originally I had estimated it would take about 100 meters to make a jacket however with the large loop size (due to the double peg) it looks like I'll be able to get away with less than 50m.

Now if only I can have Sylwia show me how to tie the knit off so I can try with the thicker tubing

Knitting Fail v1.0 (single peg stitch)

In the first 'test' we had the tubing 'wrapped' around the loom. This time we decided to actually KNITTED it using a basic looming techniques found on YouTube.

After knitting approx 3meters of the 4mm inner tubing we decided to see how it works. Keep in mind, we figure we need about 100m to make a full jacket so were only 3% of the way 'done'.

Unfortunately things did NOT work out. There were too many kinks restricting the flow causing the output to be all but a dribble however the air bubbles looked nice :S

We'll have to try a different technique or tubing or loom ...

The beginning

The 20m x 5mm (inner dimension) works great

so does the 20m x 4mm.

However the 3mm (inner dimension, 0.5mm wall) will kink too easy (same goes for the 2mm x 0.5mm and 1.5mm x 0.3mm wall).

Upon making our (shout out to Sylwia) first braid ... first observation (when using the 4mm inner x 6mm outter) is that the spacing on our prototype loom is too small (currently 14 mm, needs to be bigger ... perhaps around 18mm). Also ... each peg height is 5.5cm ... if it were longer (approx 8cm) the tubes would stay on easier

Final Facts:

5mm inner (@20m) took 40 seconds to empty

4mm inner (@20m) took 55 seconds to empty and 20 seconds to fill