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Show HN: I Built a GitHub Activity Display with an Arduino and LED Matrix

40 points by doctoboggan 13y ago

doctoboggan 13y ago
Let me know if anyone has any questions, this was a fun project to tackle. The electric imp was interesting to work with, however the cost of the Imp + breakout board was more than a raspberry pi + wifi dongle. The Pi also does much more than just wifi, and I don't have to program it in squirrel.
- aray 13y ago
  I was gonna ask about that. Also could you just drive the TiM with the rPi? I have a TiM board lying around and this looks like a great project to throw up for decoration and motivation. Thanks!
  - doctoboggan 13y ago
    The TiM board needs very precise timing to control, I do not think this would be possible with a Raspberry Pi.
thebiglebrewski 13y ago
Hey, great work! This is awesome! If you're looking to display weather and stock information too, you might want to check out my project here: https://github.com/zachfeldman/digi-lcd-server https://github.com/zachfeldman/digi-lcd-server. Isn't hardware fun!?1
- doctoboggan 13y ago
  Thanks! Yeah, I love working with hardware. I will definitely check out your project.
brickcap 13y ago
Nice work. I don't know much about hardware programming but if I manage to recreate it I am going to use it on Christmas :) How much did it cost you?
- doctoboggan 13y ago
  Well I actually got everything for free, so $0 ;) But if you need to purchase everything here are the prices: * Arduino: $25 * TiM Board: $45 * Electric Imp + Breakout: $42 Total: $112 Yikes, that more than I expected... This is why you need to make friends with people who give away hardware!
ChikkaChiChi 13y ago
I've got a similar art project I'm working on for my company. I plan on setting up a light array where each light represents a user currently on our website and the color/activity represents an action or location. It's all part of my desire to make our server room 'feel' more interactive than it is right now. Thanks to co-location I've got three big glass windows and only one physical rack on location :)
createaccount0 13y ago
Alternative: 10 inch Android tablet for 70$.
kfury 13y ago
Though there's no Neopixel library at the level of the current one for Arduino, you could drive the whole system off of the Imp. Mozilla built two RGB LED tickers, driven by an Imp, and installed them on their blimp: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sz3fEYFDl2o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sz3fEYFDl2o

40 points by doctoboggan 13y ago

Let me know if anyone has any questions, this was a fun project to tackle. The electric imp was interesting to work with, however the cost of the Imp + breakout board was more than a raspberry pi + wifi dongle. The Pi also does much more than just wifi, and I don't have to program it in squirrel.

aray 13y ago
I was gonna ask about that. Also could you just drive the TiM with the rPi? I have a TiM board lying around and this looks like a great project to throw up for decoration and motivation. Thanks!
- doctoboggan 13y ago
  The TiM board needs very precise timing to control, I do not think this would be possible with a Raspberry Pi.

thebiglebrewski 13y ago

Hey, great work! This is awesome! If you're looking to display weather and stock information too, you might want to check out my project here: https://github.com/zachfeldman/digi-lcd-server https://github.com/zachfeldman/digi-lcd-server. Isn't hardware fun!?1

doctoboggan 13y ago
Thanks! Yeah, I love working with hardware. I will definitely check out your project.

brickcap 13y ago

Nice work. I don't know much about hardware programming but if I manage to recreate it I am going to use it on Christmas :) How much did it cost you?

doctoboggan 13y ago
Well I actually got everything for free, so $0 ;) But if you need to purchase everything here are the prices: * Arduino: $25 * TiM Board: $45 * Electric Imp + Breakout: $42 Total: $112 Yikes, that more than I expected... This is why you need to make friends with people who give away hardware!

ChikkaChiChi 13y ago

I've got a similar art project I'm working on for my company. I plan on setting up a light array where each light represents a user currently on our website and the color/activity represents an action or location. It's all part of my desire to make our server room 'feel' more interactive than it is right now. Thanks to co-location I've got three big glass windows and only one physical rack on location :)

createaccount0 13y ago

Alternative: 10 inch Android tablet for 70$.

kfury 13y ago

Though there's no Neopixel library at the level of the current one for Arduino, you could drive the whole system off of the Imp. Mozilla built two RGB LED tickers, driven by an Imp, and installed them on their blimp: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sz3fEYFDl2o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sz3fEYFDl2o