Brilliant LED Projects: 20 Electronic Designs for Artists, Hobbyists, and Experimenters

Brilliant LED Projects: 20 Electronic Designs for Artists, Hobbyists, and Experimenters

by Nick Dossis
Released April 2012
Publisher(s): McGraw-Hill Education TAB
ISBN: 9780071778237

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Book description

LET YOUR CREATIVE SIDE SHINE WITH THE COMPLETE DIY GUIDE TO MAKING EXCITING LED DEVICES

Brilliant LED Projects presents 20 hands-on, step-by-step projects for you to make using inexpensive, commonly available components. Projects range from simple, functional devices, such as a "green" LED flashlight and a flashing rear bike light, to more complex designs, including color-changing disco lights and persistence-of-vision (POV) gadgets--all featuring easy-to-follow instructions, highlighted with detailed illustrations.

Build with confidence using this book's expert guidance and practical information, including overviews of various LED components, comprehensive listings of tool and supplies, sample clock and driver circuit building blocks, and more. A companion website gives you access to exclusive content, including downloadable assembly codes and programming codes (for the projects powered by the PIC 16F628 microcontroller). Plus, every chapter spotlights key concepts and techniques that make it easy and enjoyable for you to produce eye-catching LED displays.

  • Great for first-timers and expert hobbyists alike
  • All projects can be built with stripboard--no need to translate complicated schematics, or purchase special PCBs
  • Includes extensive guidelines for safe assembly
  • Learn the basic principles of every project component--from LEDs to dot-matrix displays and various integrated circuits
  • Create your own designs using building blocks and assembly techniques from the book's projects

Table of contents

  1. Cover Page
  2. Brilliant LED Projects: 20 Electronic Designs for Artists, Hobbyists, and Experimenters
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Dedication
  5. About the Author
  6. Contents
  7. Acknowledgments
  8. Introduction
  9. 1 Read This Before You Start Any Projects
    1. Working with Stripboard
      1. How to Build Circuits on Stripboard
    2. Soldering Tips and Techniques
      1. Choosing Soldering Equipment
      2. Practicing Your Soldering Techniques
    3. Antistatic Precautions
    4. Working with Breadboard
    5. Programming PIC Microcontrollers
    6. Resistor Color Codes
    7. Circuit Diagrams and Stripboard Layouts
  10. Part One Illumination and Flasher Projects
    1. 2 Basic LED Circuits: How to Make an LED Flashlight
      1. What Are Light-Emitting Diodes?
        1. How to Illuminate an LED
        2. Illuminating Multiple LEDs
      2. Project 1 LED Flashlight
        1. Parts List
        2. How to Make the Flashlight
    2. 3 An Alternative Way to Power an LED: “Green” Pocket LED Flashlight
      1. Capacitors
        1. Using a Capacitor to Power an LED
      2. Project 2 “Green” Pocket LED Flashlight
        1. Safety Features
        2. How the Circuit Works
        3. Parts List
        4. Stripboard Layout
        5. How to Build and Test the Board
        6. Additional Safety Features
        7. Possible Circuit Modifications
    3. 4 Building a Clock Generator: Basic Single-LED Flasher
      1. The 555 Timer
        1. 555 Timer Variants
        2. 555 Astable Timing Formulas
        3. Example 555 Astable Timing Calculations
        4. Source Current and Sink Current
      2. Project 3 Basic Single-LED Flasher
        1. How the Circuit Works
        2. Parts List
        3. Stripboard Layout
        4. How to Build and Test the Board
        5. Experiments to Try on Your Own
    4. 5 Bringing a 555 Timer to Life: LED Bike Flasher
      1. Project 4 LED Bike Flasher
        1. How the Rear LED Flasher Circuit Works
        2. Parts List
        3. Stripboard Layout
        4. How to Build the Board
        5. Front LED Flasher
        6. Enclosure for the LED Bike Flasher
        7. Experimenting to Reduce the Current Consumption
        8. Alternative Circuit
    5. 6 Exploring Multicolor LEDs: Color-Changing Light Box
      1. Multicolor LEDs
        1. Bicolor LEDs
        2. Tricolor LEDs
        3. Red, Green, and Blue (RGB) LEDs
        4. Symbols for Multicolor LEDs
      2. Project 5 Color-Changing Light Box
        1. How the Circuit Works
        2. Parts List
        3. Stripboard Layout
        4. How to Build and Test the Board
        5. Finding an Enclosure
        6. Light Me Up
        7. Possible Circuit Modifications
    6. 7 Using Seven-Segment Displays: Mini Digital Display Scoreboard
      1. Seven-Segment Displays
      2. Project 6 Mini Digital Display Scoreboard
        1. How the Circuit Works
        2. Parts List
        3. Stripboard Layout
        4. How to Build and Test the Board
        5. Mounting the Board in an Enclosure
        6. Future Modifications
  11. Part Two Sequencer Projects
    1. 8 Introducing the 4017 Decade Counter: Experimental LED Sequencer Circuit
      1. The 74HC Range of ICs
      2. Project 7 Experimental LED Sequencer Circuit
        1. How the Circuit Works
        2. Parts List
        3. Stripboard Layout
        4. How to Build and Test the Board
        5. Time to Experiment
        6. Further Modifications
      3. 9 Driving Multiple LEDs from a Single IC Output: Color-Changing Disco Lights
        1. Project 8 Color-Changing Disco Light
        2. How the Circuit Works
        3. Parts List
        4. Deciding Which LED Enclosure to Use
        5. Stripboard Layout
        6. How to Build and Test the Board
        7. How to Build the LED Display
        8. Time to Disco
    2. 10 LED Binary Ripple Counter
      1. The 4060 and 74HC4060 Binary Ripple Counters
      2. Project 9 LED Binary Ripple Counter
        1. How the Circuit Works
        2. Parts List
        3. Stripboard Layout
        4. How to Build and Test the Board
        5. Counting in Binary
    3. 11 Flickering LED Candle
      1. Project 10 Flickering LED Candle
        1. How the Circuit Works
        2. Parts List
        3. Stripboard Layout
        4. How to Build and Test the Board
        5. The LED Candle Enclosure
        6. Experimenting with the Circuit
        7. Alternative IC?
    4. 12 Introducing the PIC16F628-04/P Microcontroller: LED Scanner
      1. The PIC16F628-04/P Microcontroller
      2. Project 11 The LED Scanner
        1. How the Circuit Works
        2. Parts List
        3. Stripboard Layout
        4. How to Build and Test the Board
        5. The PIC Microcontroller Program
    5. 13 LED Light Sword
      1. Project 12 The LED Light Sword
        1. How the Circuit Works
        2. Parts List
        3. How to Make the Enclosure
        4. Stripboard Layout
        5. How to Build and Test the Board
        6. How to Make the LED String
        7. Putting It All Together
        8. The PIC Microcontroller Program
        9. The Final Tests
        10. Time to Play
    6. 14 A Manually Operated Sequencer: Invisible Secret Code Display
      1. Project 13 The Invisible Secret Code Display
        1. How the Circuit Works
        2. Parts List
        3. Stripboard Layout
        4. Preparing the Enclosure
        5. How to Build and Test the Board
        6. Putting It All Together
        7. Send Me a Message
        8. Future Modifications
  12. Part Three POV Projects
    1. 15 Basic LED Matrix and POV Concepts: How to Build a Three-Digit Counter
      1. Persistence of Vision (POV)
      2. LED Multiplexing Circuit Principles
      3. Project 14 Building the Three-Digit Counter
        1. How the Circuit Works
        2. The Display Codes
        3. Parts List
        4. Stripboard Layout
        5. How to Build and Test the Board
        6. The PIC Microcontroller Program
        7. POV in Action
        8. Possible Enhancements
    2. 16 A Multicolor POV LED Circuit: Backpack Illuminator
      1. Project 15 Backpack Illuminator
        1. How the Circuit Works
        2. Parts List
        3. Stripboard Layout
        4. How to Build the Driver Board
        5. How to Build the Display Board
        6. Completing the Enclosure
        7. Test the Boards
        8. The PIC Microcontroller Program
        9. Testing Time
        10. Incorporating the Display into Fabric
        11. Other Ideas
    3. 17 Using a Dot-Matrix Display to Show a Waveform: Digital Oscilloscope Screen
      1. Project 16 Digital Oscilloscope Screen
        1. How the Circuit Works
        2. Parts List
        3. Stripboard Layout
        4. How to Build and Test the Board
        5. The PIC Microcontroller Program
        6. Give Me a Wave
        7. Other Ideas
    4. 18 Light-Dependent LEDs: Experimental Low-Res Shadow Camera
      1. Project 17 Experimental Low-Res Shadow Camera
        1. How the Circuit Works
        2. Parts List
        3. Stripboard Layout
        4. How to Build and Test the Board
        5. The PIC Microcontroller Program
        6. Mount the Board
        7. Seeing a Shadow
        8. Further Ideas
    5. 19 Creating a POV Effect in Mid-Air: Groovy Light Stick
      1. Project 18 Groovy Light Stick
        1. How the Circuit Works
        2. Parts List
        3. Stripboard Layout
        4. How to Build the Board
        5. Build the LED Display
        6. Complete the Enclosure
        7. Test the Board
        8. The PIC Microcontroller Program
        9. Making It Move
        10. Further Modifications
    6. 20 Showing Numbers on a Dot-Matrix Display: Dot-Matrix Counter
      1. Project 19 Dot-Matrix Counter
        1. How the Circuit Works
        2. Parts List
        3. Stripboard Layout
        4. How to Build and Test the Board
        5. The PIC Microcontroller Program
        6. Time to Count
        7. Enclosure and Alternative Uses
    7. 21 Creating Animations and Scrolling Text on a Dot-Matrix Display: Moving Message Destiny Predictor
      1. Project 20 Moving Message Destiny Predictor
        1. How the Circuit Works
        2. Parts List
        3. Stripboard Layout
        4. How to Build and Test the Board
        5. The PIC Microcontroller Program
        6. Construction Details
        7. The Display Card
        8. Discover Your Destiny!
        9. Possible Program Modifications
    8. A Final Word from Me
  13. Appendix: Useful Resources
    1. Electronic Components Suppliers
    2. PIC Microcontroller Reference Books
    3. Electronics Hobbyist Magazines
    4. PIC Microcontrollers
    5. LochMaster 4.0 Stripboard Software
    6. Brilliant LED Projects
  14. Index
  15. Footnote
    1. Chapter 16
      1. ch16fn1a

Product information

  • Title: Brilliant LED Projects: 20 Electronic Designs for Artists, Hobbyists, and Experimenters
  • Author(s): Nick Dossis
  • Release date: April 2012
  • Publisher(s): McGraw-Hill Education TAB
  • ISBN: 9780071778237