Requirements of the final project

Your project should:

• incorporate 2D and 3D design
• additive and subtractive fabrication processes
• electronics design and production
• microcontroller interfacing and programming
• system integration and packaging

Where possible, you should make rather than buy the parts of your project.

Summary of the week

In discussion with the questions assigned, I utilized the Design Process Model created by CAVI, Aarhus University. The model covers the phases of Research, Creation, and Staging, involving: Design Brief, Field Study, Idaetion, Fabrication, Argumentation, and Reflection. Using the model, I organized the questions assigned and furthermore, the whole final project. I had already constructed the list of processes covered and the components fabricated on my documentation. However, this week task made it more comprehensive and gave some time for considering and reflecting on the final project. Moreover, it will be interesting to see the Bill of Materials when it is finished.

Here I propose my Final Project that integrates the range of units covered:

Field studies and Ideation

What will it do?

In addition to current temperature, many times it is interesting to see, how the temperature has varied locally during the day and also during the night - how warm or cold has it been. Therefore, my final project is a temperature LED screen presenting the current temperaure outside (varying between -21 ... +21 degrees) as well as a few days temperature history with NeoPixel strip graphic.

The NeoPixels will be assigned separately. There will be 15 rows and 10 columns of LEDs. Each of the NeoPixels is assigned for and will present three Celsius degrees value, so if the temperature is between the range set on certain NeoPixel, that NeoPixel wil light up in the color set on that temperature range. The colors set on each temperature range vary from dark blue (very cold) to white (zero degrees) and further, to red (heat).

Who's done what beforehand?

During the Field Studies I noticed that there has been done a variety of temperature meters and LED screens for different purposes done beforehand, such as Temperature Visualization on Adafruit NeoPixel by The MathWorks, Indoor NeoPixel Thermometer by Jonathan Eskow, NeoPixel Temperature Display by MobileWill, FLORAbrella by Leslie Birch, and NeoPixel Temperature Stair Lights. However, I couldn't find anything exactly similar what I had in my mind. I had quite clear idea of what I would like to make and how I would like my screen function and look like, so I designed the screen from the scratch. Moreover, there is some codes that I can have a look and get an idea what should I do to program my LED screen.

Done by me so far:

I have designed and cut the front screen and the outer structure on clear acrylic to see the electronics and idea of the screen through it. The inner edges and the bottom structure I have designed and cut on white acrylic to soften the background and the white Neopixels strip attached on it, and to give the maximum focus on the NeoPixels.

• Week 3 // Designing the cable holders for the NeoPixel strip cables.
• Week 5 // Reproducing an in-circuit AVR ISP programmer FabTinyISP for programming the boards on the final project.
• Week 12 // Designing and producing all the boards for the final project.
• Week 12 // Working with temperature sensor aimed at measure the outside temperature, and the light sensor for adjusting the brightness being the inputs of my LED graph screen.
• Week 13 // Working with the NeoPixels and tested the very initial coloring of my temperature meter colors for the LED screen.
• Week 15 // Working on establishing a network between the boards and programming the functions of each, one bridge and two node boards.
• Week 18 // Fabricating the aluminium frame of my temperature meter LED screen using a water jet cutter.

What will you design?

• What materials and components will be used?
• Where will come from?
• How much will they cost?

MATERIALS AND COMPONENTS OF THE SCREEN STRUCTURE

MATERIALS AND COMPONENTS	DETAILS	QUANTITY	COMES FROM	UNIT PRICE	TOTAL COST
Acrylic	Clear 3 mm	600 x 400 mm	Nettilasi.com	37.50 €/m2 = 9.00 €	10,50 $
Acrylic	White 3 mm	400 x 400 mm	Nettilasi.com	43.50 €/m2 = 6.96 €	8.11 $
Aluminium	2 mm	500 x 400 mm	Machineshop, University of Oulu	7.00 €/kg, 1000 x 2000 mm = 11 kg	8.16 $
Filament	PLA	6m/ 18g/ 24,3 cm3	Fab Lab Inventory	Refill filament 700g for 3Dwox 49.99 $	1.29 $
Adafruit NeoPixel Strip	WS2812B White	5m (30 per one meter)	Stock87	15.90 €	18.54 $
NeoPixel Strip Connectors	In between every cut	29	Fab Lab Inventory	4.00 €	4.66 $
Heat Shriking Tubing	Flexible 3/64in x 4ft Black	22,4 cm	Digi-Key	1.05 $/ 4ft	1.19 $
Flat Microphone Cable	Stereo Cable	7 m	SP Elektroniikka	1,50 €/ m	12.36 $
Bolts, Nuts, ans Washers	3 mm	4x each	Fab Lab Inventory	1.00 €	1.17 $
Sanding Paper	Of grit size: 80	10 cm	Machineshop, University of Oulu	0.10 €	0.12 $
Smooth-On Smooth-Cast® 305 Liquid Plastic	Silicone Mold Making Rubber	1	eBay	32.95 $/ pack	1.53 $
Smooth-On OOMOO™ 30 Silicone Rubber	Silicone Mold Making Rubber	1	eBay	24.99 $/ pack	2.00 $
External Power Supply	DC 5V 2 Amp	1		9.90 €	11.58 $
			ALL TOGETHER		80,21 $

COMPONENTS OF THE MICROCONTROLLER BOARDS

COMPONENT	DETAILS	QUANTITY	FOR	COMES FROM	UNIT PRICE	TOTAL COST
PCB FR-1	Single side circuit board stock (phenolic paper)	1	A Sheet to mill the boards	Fab Lab Inventory // USA	1.40 $	1.40 $
ATmega328 microcontroller	ATmega328P-AU	1	Bridge board	Fab Lab Inventory // South Korea	2.87 $	2.87 $
ATtiny45 microcontroller	ATtiny45	2	Temperature Sensor, Light sensor (+FabTinyISP)		1.23 $	2.46 $
Capacitor	1 nF 250V X7R 1206-	1	Temperature sensor board	Fab Lab Inventory // Mexico	0.05 $	0.05 $
Capacitor	100 nF 250V X7R 1206-	1	ATmega328	Fab Lab Inventory // Mexico	0.12 $	0.12 $
Capacitor	1 uF 50V X7R 10% 1206-	4	ATmega328, Sensor boards	Fab Lab Inventory // Japan	0.07 $	0.28 $
Resonator	16 MHz	1	ATmega328P	Fab Lab Inventory	0.45 $	0.45 $
Resistor	499 Ω 1-4W 1% 1206 SMD-	3	Green LEDs on each board	Fab Lab Inventory // China	0.01 $	0.03 $
Resistor	1 kΩ 1-4W 1% 1206 SMD-	3	Red LEDs on each board	Fab Lab Inventory // China	0.01 $	0.03 $
Resistor	2 kΩ	1	ATmega328		0.01 $	0.02 $
Resistor	10 kΩ 1-4W 1% 1206 SMD	6	ATmega328, Sensor boards	Fab Lab Inventory // China	0.01 $	0.06 $
Resistor	0 kΩ 1-4W 5% 1206 SMD-	5	ATmega328	Fab Lab Inventory // China	0.00 $	0.00 $
Inductor	10 uH	2	ATmega328, Temperature sensor board	Fab Lab Inventory	0.23 $	0.46 $
LED	Red Clear 1206 SMD	3	Indicating that the board is powered	Fab Lab Inventory // Taiwan	0.13 $	0.39 $
LED	Green Clear 1206 SMD	3	Indicating that microcontroller is receiving a program	Fab Lab Inventory // Taiwan	0.15 $	0.45 $
NTC Thermistor	10 kΩ 10% 1206-	2	Temperature sensor board	Fab Lab Inventory // Japan	2.50 $	5.00 $
Photodarlington NPN	Clear PLCC-2	1	Light sensor board	Fab Lab Inventory // Taiwan	0.15 $	0.15 $
FTDI header 1x6		1	Powering Bridge board (programming phase)	Fab Lab Inventory	0.60 $	0.60 $
Pin header 2x3		4	NeoPixel strip, Programmer	Fab Lab Inventory	0.60 $	2.40 $
Pin header 2x2		6	Bridge, Temperature Sensor x2, Light Sensor	Fab Lab Inventory	0.66 $	3.96 $
Micro-USB	Connector for external power supply	1	Powering ATmega328P board, boards on the network, NeoPixels	Fab Lab Inventory	0.32 $	0.32 $
			ALL TOGETHER			23,50 $
			ALL MATERIALS AND COMPONENTS TOGETHER			103,71 $

Fabrication

• What parts and systems will be made?
• What processes will be used?

FABRICATED PART	PROCESS	MACHINE AND TOOLS	SOFTWARE
Frame	2D Designing and Water Jet Cutting	Water Jet Cutter	Autodesk AutoCAD, IGEMS 9
Screen structure	2D Designing and Laser Cutting	Laser Cutter	Inkscape
User Information Sticker	2D Designing and Vinyl Cutting	Vinyl Cuter	Autodesk Illustrator, Cut Studio
Cable holders	3D Designing and 3D Printing	3D Printer	Autodesk Inventor, Stratasys Insight
FabTinyISP -programmer (ATtiny45)	Electronics Production	Milling Machine, Soldering station	Roland VPanel for SRM-20
Bridge board (ATmega328P)	Electronics Design, Embedded Programming, Networking	Milling Machine, Soldering station	Autodesk EAGLE, Roland VPanel for SRM-20, Arduino IDE
Silicone rubber cover	Molding and Casting	Milling Machine, Vacuum Former	Autodesk Inventor, MODELA Player 4, Roland VPanel for SRM-20
Temperature sensor, light sensor (ATtiny45)	Input Devices	Milling Machine, Soldering station	Autodesk EAGLE, Roland VPanel for SRM-20, Arduino IDE
NeoPixel graph	Output Devices	Soldering station	Autodesk EAGLE, Roland VPanel for SRM-20, Arduino IDE

(Argumentation and Reflection)

What tasks need to be completed?

TO DO:

• Finish 3D printing the cable holders
• Cut the NeoPixel strip into pieces of 10 LEDs, and solder the connectors to strip pads.
• Assemble the NeoPixel strip into a acrylic screen structure.
• Figure out programming the temperature history table storing the temperature values.
• Program the bridge and sensor boards for networking: making request and transmitting the requested data, and showing the value the bridge receives into the temperature LED screen.
• Finish documentation, and create a slide and a video presenting the project.

What questions need to be answered?

In addition to measuring and presenting the current outside temperature:

• How to create history table for nine temperature values to store the current temperature value and update and present it in nine history spots (e.g. in every fourth hour).
• How to assign each of the 150 LEDs in the NeoPixel strip to light up when the current temperature or the history temperature on the scale requests some certain LED.
• Furthermore, I will try to consider, how to create an option to add bluetooth module for further development (for downloading the data and presenting it also via some smartphone application.
• What will be the limit of current and voltage for powering the boards and NeoPixels?

What is the schedule?

The two weeks schedule for finishing the final project will be as follows:

DONE	SCHEDULE	TASK
28.5.2018	28.-30.5.2018	3D print rest of the cable holders (2 out of 4)
28.5.2018	28.-30.5.2018	Cut the 5 meter NeoPixels strip into 15 pieces (10 NeoPixels in each) and solder the connectors on every end of them
30.5.2018	28.-31.5.2018	Design and make a small PCD board, connectors for NeoPixel strips attached on it, that comes on the ends of NeoPixels and connects the strips together
30.5.2018	30.5.-1.6.2018	Attach NeoPixel strip pieces on the bottom layer of the screen structure and connect the connectors
8.6.2018	30.5.-6.6.2018	Design and make a small silicone cover for outside temperature sensor board
31.5.2018	31.5.-6.6.2018	Work on programming: Bridge board networking with the sensor boards and lightning up NeoPixels according to that
7.6.2018	1.-7.6.2018	Work on programming: Temperature history table
13.6.2018	1.6.-12.6.2018	Preparing for presentation, creating a slide and video, finishing the final project documentation
13.6.2018	13.6.2018	Presenting the final project

How will it be evaluated?

The aim of the project is reached when the following aims are realized:

• The temperature LED screen shows the current outside temperature value on the 15-value scale (values between -21 ... +21 Celsius degrees, one LED equals to 3 Celsius Degrees).
• The color of the LED is varying based on the temperature.
• The screen shows temperature history of nine past temperature values (updates the screen e.g. every fourth hour).