20 replies to this topic

[Maxlaam]

A small showcase for all quick builds or other funny findings on the net. Hacks, builds, gimmicks and gadgets!

[Maxlaam]

This is my candy: Overview | LED Gummy Candies | Adafruit Learning System

[Witting]

This is my candy: Overview | LED Gummy Candies | Adafruit Learning System

https://encrypted-tb...Y0DYlRKE8AB4_aQ
these are my chips.

[Snake]

Why did Mr. Ohm marry Mrs. Ohm?



He couldn't resistor!

[Witting]

Watt is the problem with their marriage?

[REXENK]

I suppose this would be the proper place to ask my question...
I want to learn C/C++/Arduino languages, and I am wondering how you guys learned to program and how I should attempt to learn it?

This is what I know about C so far.
-it's a programming language
- it needs to have int main
- all of these symbols = == ! {} () //
So I basically know nothing about C, or any other language of programming.

This is my greatest masterpiece..

#include <stdio.h>

int main()
{
int time;
printf("enter your age");
scanf("%d", &time);
if (time<18) {
printf( "not even an adult yet\n") ;
}
else if (18<time<100) {
printf("you are an oldie\n");
}
else {
printf("the perfect age");
}
return 0
}

As you can see, it is plenty far from being able to automate a roller coaster. I have bought the arduino starter kit with the books of activities. If I do all of the activities, do you think I will be able to automate a coaster, or will I need further education?
Any help is appreciated, thanks

Wait a second, the English language doesn't have a second person plural pronoun! Sorry to be off topic but I just realized that.

[TheSUCKCrew]

I had never written a line of code untill my arduino arrived. You can run some test programs with the built in LED and make a few setups with a breadboard and simple components.
Try to figure out how all those testprograms work, try changing and combining them and that way you will learn. In the end the arduino programming environment is quite a bit different than standard C.
The code you've shown here is indeed in C, but it has little relevance considering what you'll program on your arduino.

[REXENK]

Thanks SUCK, now I won't waste my time learning C. I think I have learned enough about programming now that I should just wait for actual board to come, like you said.

[Terry Hughes]

just because arduino isn't C based doesn't mean don't learn C, to the contrary learn many programming languages. The fundamentals are the same, its a matter of the languages syntax to accomplish the task.

C (and later C++ & C#) it's one off the most versatile languages ever devised. Originally created to program ARPANet and the Unix OS. Anything you can imagine can be done in C.

Programming is controlling logic gates. If then, do until, and, or, nor, xor... all the fundamentals are good to know as you will need then to program chips. So don't skip C, learn it, master it, along with Python and Jscript, Php and SQL, and the myriad of new languages sprouting up every year will be cakewalk to pick up as it's a matter of syntax to get the task done.

You can never learn enough about programming.

[TheSUCKCrew]

My point was that you can learn programming in a fun way using your arduino and the provided environment. Terry, you are right, any experience with programming will help, but with arduino it is not at all required.

[REXENK]

just because arduino isn't C based doesn't mean don't learn C, to the contrary learn many programming languages. The fundamentals are the same, its a matter of the languages syntax to accomplish the task.

C (and later C++ & C#) it's one off the most versatile languages ever devised. Originally created to program ARPANet and the Unix OS. Anything you can imagine can be done in C.

Programming is controlling logic gates. If then, do until, and, or, nor, xor... all the fundamentals are good to know as you will need then to program chips. So don't skip C, learn it, master it, along with Python and Jscript, Php and SQL, and the myriad of new languages sprouting up every year will be cakewalk to pick up as it's a matter of syntax to get the task done.

You can never learn enough about programming.

My point was that you can learn programming in a fun way using your arduino and the provided environment. Terry, you are right, any experience with programming will help, but with arduino it is not at all required.

Thanks, So I can just use arduino to do simple programs,(but flexible according to the website) but learning other languages will allow me to have a broader understanding for programming including the arduino language. I think I will just stick with playing with my arduino,unless/until I become fond of programming. Once I am sure that programming is for me, then I will definetly jump into C and other languages.
Does this sound like a good plan?
Thanks again

[iCoaster44]

How can I connect a servo to k'nex ? I just want the adapter.

[Terry Hughes]

To broad of a question, i can think of a lot of ways with a little dab of glue. Perhaps pic of the servo and what you are trying to accomplish would be of help

[iCoaster44]

I want to stick a snowflake on a servo so the snowflake can rotate.

[Jogumpie]

Servo motors often come with plastic arm-like pieces, which allow screws to be screwed in. A bit of fiddling around should be enough to get a snowflake connector to pivot around the same axis as the servo.

[Terry Hughes]

Be mindful of the weight you are adding onto that servo as well, the more weight the more torque will be needed and depending on the servo it might not take much to overwhelm it.

[timtimlaz]

Anyone know how to fix this?

Spoiler

Edit: Nevermind, figured it out myself.

Edited by timtimlaz, 03 October 2014 - 09:07 PM.

[Maxlaam]

Since Gump and I have a few models that can run continuously without sensors or even the need for an Arduino, it's cheaper to invest in Timer-Relays. We found some great ones from China which do the job just fine. Coming in just below 5USD it's a steal. With the press of a button we can let a model run from 0.13s till anything to 3700s. We'll leave most of them at 58 seconds. Or maybe even half a minute. They are very easy to adjust.

Here's a video of the board hooked up to the broken (currently in repair!) central hub of AIR.:



There is however a slight thing, the way we got it to work is in a slightly glitchy way. Because of this you can hold down the button to keep the motor running indefinitely. Only if the button is de-pressed for at least 1 second after the timer has stopped the timer will reset and start working again when the button is pressed. It's not a problem. It's worse than what happened before where you had to keep the button pressed for the motor to run only to be shut of automatically after the timer ran out. It's weird and hard to describe what was going on. The fix came down to adding an extra wire from the output side of the relay (parallel with the motor) directly back into the input for the button.

Here's an e-bay link for ya'll if you are interested.

http://www.ebay.com/...E:X:AAQ:US:1123

And here is the super silly schematic I quickly drew up to before trying to fix the issue we had. And yes, it works. (Button is Normally Open) (Note that to make this work you actually use the AC (no S5 jumper!) mode! However, do NOT use AC power!)



EDIT: Easy fix for holding down the button. Put the button on the NC contact from the board and add a diode on the line from the NO to the Vcc with the cathode facing the Vcc side.

Edited by Maxlaam, 26 October 2014 - 05:32 AM.

[~stεεlspectrum~]

Since I have an Arduino on my desk at work, I've decided to learn how to use it in my spare time. It will take a while to get familiar with the coding, but I can figure most of that out through the internet. My questions are related to hardware.

What types of motors (stepper, servo, etc.) are best for small motions like station gates or animatronics? How about a lift hill motor? Will I always need a separate power supply, or can I use the Arduino board's built-in one?

[ForgotToGrowUp]

Definitely want to power the motors from a different supply.  Arduino voltage regulator will overheat

 

If you want to just turn them on and off use mosfets if you want to control the speed or reverse them use H Bridges  You can get a nice motor control shield that can control 4 motors with HBridges and Adafruit site has a nice software package that works with them.