Testing the new SmartPixel boards
This is my tested setup for testing the two SmartPixel boards I have:
This test was to see
1) the range of the 12C communications used to send control data to the boards
2) what changes were needed to the existing NaMaLiCS code to work with the boards
3) to see if the boards worked as Rob explained them to me
So...the test was successful on all three counts. Even Rob was surprised the I2C worked over that length of cable. The changes to the codebase made it much simpler and will allow me to easily make changes and add additional SmartPixel boards. And...what Rob designed and delivered, works flawlessly.
Coming Attractions:
I have ordered cables so 4x and 10x extender boards can be plugged into the ports. Next up, How many LEDs can I run off the Arduino driving a single board...then two boards.
-wrtyler-
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I'm still scratching my head about how that I2C worked over all that cable, but that's amazing!
Curious: what's your take on those 4-pin magnetic connectors? Are they too big/tall/wide, or will they fit into your setup well?
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I was going to share my thoughts about the connectors a little later, but since you bring it up...now's a good time
The end of the connectors themselves are large, but I figured I could deal with them. What is a problem are the cables coming off the connectors. They are too stiff to easily place and too thick to easily run through the limited space I have for wires.
Oh, I could make them work, but I was seriously thinking about making custom wires using the two-pin connection wires I have for expansion boards. Hook them up to the terminal blocks on one side and then using two horizontal power connectors (one for power and ground, the other for SCL and SDA) on the other side, to connect sections together.
So, the connection wires I have are fine for the testbed, but for actual use in the National Mall, I would much prefer something a lot thinner and more flexible. Don't know how much that would effect the length of power runs, and how much power thinner wires would handle without problems. (things you know far more about than I)
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WRTyler Thanks for the feedback-- yep, I know those are thick cables. Unfortunately the market is limited in terms of what's available off the shelf, so I thought I'd at least let you try those. Until we get into much higher order quantities, unfortunately we're not able to get anything more custom. :-(