The Arduino is HERE!!!!!!!!!111oneoneone11

So it is finally here! The micro-controller that will be controlling all the LEDs in my head. The good news is that it is small, smaller than I thought it would be! The guy who sold it to me (eBay) sent it to me all connected to a LCD display which is pretty cool! I get to see how an Arduino can work. I am still doing lots of research on how the thing works and how to program it because right now I am afraid of it. So many wires and so many things about it I don't know. Either way, it is fun to watch! Oh, and by the way, the guy sent me more than I paid for. I got 5 extra LEDs and a extra button. This way when I blow a couple up I have extras! Just kidding!

Enjoy the unboxing video!

WorldOfLEDs.blogspot.com
SR_G@m3r

The LED mau5head Project

So today I am going to be explaining my first project I am going to be working on. I am going to be building a mau5head like the one Deadmau5 wears. Lots of people make mau5heads.... there is tutorials all over the web on how to make them. But they are his original head. The one with the white smiling mouth and 2 bulging eyes. As far as I know, no one is attempting what I am going to attempt. I am going to make a mau5head that can create designs like how his does. Through the research I have, I have concluded that Arduinos (http://www.arduino.cc/) are usable to create LED grids, thus allowing pretty designs. The Arduino will be using an Arduino Mega, which has a lot more outputs than a normal one, and it has more flash memory available too. Unfortunately, it is the old version, so it only has 128kb of memory, instead of 256kb, and I am really hoping it is enough. My goal is to have a minimum of an 18X18 array grid of LEDs. Normally, this would be semi easy if you multiplex them. (http://lmgtfy.com/?q=LED+multiplexing) Well, I am not using normal LEDs, I want to be able to have many, many colors available so I am using RGB LEDs. These LEDs have 4 pins, 1 pin for each color and a common cathode pin. Thus making it so I will have to deal with a lot more wire that I originally wanted. I will give the specifics and math in a later post. For now, just think of it at a very low quality TV on a sphere. I haven't gotten the Arduino yet, and until I do, I am just going to be working on concepts and theories. That's about it for now, stay tuned for more!

SR_G@m3r
WorldOfLEDs.blogspot.com

Welcome to the New Sister Site

So I have decided to create a new blog aimed specifically focused on LEDs and my learning thereof. I will try to document everything I can on the progress I make learning how to program and create LED designs. I have created this blog for 2 main reasons:

1. So I can show anyone how I do the stuff I do and maybe learn how to do something (or how NOT to do something) using the information I provide.
2. For my own reference. I would love to be able to go back and see how I used to do things and look at all my old designs and look at my old research.

A little bit of background....
I have always loved LEDs... well.... colorful lights. I used to have all kinds of disco style lights all over my room looking of so pretty. (4 lava lights, 3 disco balls, black-lights, strobe-lights, etc.) I really started falling on love with LEDs when I saw the LED Pyramid that Daft Punk used for their Alive 2007 concert. They could pretty much use it as a TV because there were so many "Pixels." However, It wasn't until I saw Deadmau5's LED mau5head that my LED wanting mind took off. After I saw it, I had to know how it worked, I had to know what allowed it to be so awesome. Then, after I learned there is no way I can recreate it the way he did it, I sought to learn my own way of creating my own masterpiece! The details of what and how I am creating this thing will be told in a later blog post. As for right now, I am researching how I am going to accomplish this insane task.

This is all I am releasing for right now.... stay tuned...

SR_G@m3r
WorldOfLEDs.blogspot.com



P.S.

DeadMau5's LED display and head :)