The code was actually the portion that took longer than I assumed it might. Making the whole series of LEDs do something was simple enough with a for loop, but trying to do any sort of pattern proved a little more counter intuitive. Using the fade code from Monday’s class I was able to add some variety to that simple sequence of LEDs turning on into something different for the “waking up” function of the box.

Instead you using multiple separate LEDS I used a single RGB LED, I assumed that the methods for fading and flashing would be almost identical to single LEDS and I was mistaken. I learned that different colors are activated and are visible in different amount and trying to arrive at a single suitable color combination proved to be interesting.I thought it would be simple to come up with switches for transitioning between “moods” but the potentiometer I used is quite finicky. Instead of moving smoothly between each mood it is hard to determine how to be in specific sections of fading,flashing A and flashing B.

What was difficult was “perfecting” the project. Putting ‘for’ loops inside the else, else if statements — and timing the pauses between the states accurately.

Taking arduino to the ‘next’ level jumped me to understanding a bit more. There was an additional satisfaction in making a complete project. Also, the several ways our code can be written was also seen.

I hadn’t ever seen Arduino as an art medium previously: I’d always only concentrated on just trying to make the code work.

#include //This is in the Arduino library
#include // IR remote control library

const int irReceivePin = 14; // pin connected to IR detector output
IRrecv irrecv(irReceivePin); // create the IR library
decode_results results; // IR data goes here

int blinkdelay = 75; //This basically controls brightness. Lower is dimmer
int runspeed = 20; //smaller = faster

int pin13 =13;
int pin12 =12;
int pin11 =11;
int pin10 =10;
int pin09 =9;
int pin08 =8;
int pin07 =7;
int pin06 =6;
int pin05 =5;
int pin04 =4;
int pin03 =3;
int pin02 =2;

int x=1;
int y=0;

const int pins[] = {
pin13,pin12,pin11,pin10,pin09,pin08,pin07,pin06,pin05,pin04,pin03,pin02};

const int ledMap[126][2] ={
{pin13, pin05},{pin13, pin06},{pin13, pin07},{pin13, pin08},{pin13, pin09},{pin13, pin10},{pin13, pin11},{pin13, pin12},{pin13, pin04},{pin04, pin13},{pin13, pin03},{pin03, pin13},{pin13, pin02},{pin02, pin13},
{pin12, pin05},{pin12, pin06},{pin12, pin07},{pin12, pin08},{pin12, pin09},{pin12, pin10},{pin12, pin11},{pin12, pin13},{pin12, pin04},{pin04, pin12},{pin12, pin03},{pin03, pin12},{pin12, pin02},{pin02, pin12},
{pin11, pin05},{pin11, pin06},{pin11, pin07},{pin11, pin08},{pin11, pin09},{pin11, pin10},{pin11, pin12},{pin11, pin13},{pin11, pin04},{pin04, pin11},{pin11, pin03},{pin03, pin11},{pin11, pin02},{pin02, pin11},
{pin10, pin05},{pin10, pin06},{pin10, pin07},{pin10, pin08},{pin10, pin09},{pin10, pin11},{pin10, pin12},{pin10, pin13},{pin10, pin04},{pin04, pin10},{pin10, pin03},{pin03, pin10},{pin10, pin02},{pin02, pin10},
{pin09, pin05},{pin09, pin06},{pin09, pin07},{pin09, pin08},{pin09, pin10},{pin09, pin11},{pin09, pin12},{pin09, pin13},{pin09, pin04},{pin04, pin09},{pin09, pin03},{pin03, pin09},{pin09, pin02},{pin02, pin09},
{pin08, pin05},{pin08, pin06},{pin08, pin07},{pin08, pin09},{pin08, pin10},{pin08, pin11},{pin08, pin12},{pin08, pin13},{pin08, pin04},{pin04, pin08},{pin08, pin03},{pin03, pin08},{pin08, pin02},{pin02, pin08},
{pin07, pin05},{pin07, pin06},{pin07, pin08},{pin07, pin09},{pin07, pin10},{pin07, pin11},{pin07, pin12},{pin07, pin13},{pin07, pin04},{pin04, pin07},{pin07, pin03},{pin03, pin07},{pin07, pin02},{pin02, pin07},
{pin06, pin05},{pin06, pin07},{pin06, pin08},{pin06, pin09},{pin06, pin10},{pin06, pin11},{pin06, pin12},{pin06, pin13},{pin06, pin04},{pin04, pin06},{pin06, pin03},{pin03, pin06},{pin06, pin02},{pin02, pin06},
{pin05, pin06},{pin05, pin07},{pin05, pin08},{pin05, pin09},{pin05, pin10},{pin05, pin11},{pin05, pin12},{pin05, pin13},{pin05, pin04},{pin04, pin05},{pin05, pin03},{pin03, pin05},{pin05, pin02},{pin02, pin05}
};

uint16_t BitMap[][9] PROGMEM = {
{0,0,0,0,2048,5120,2048,0,0},
{0,0,0,10752,2048,13824,2048,10752,0},
{0,13696,8320,2560,13696,2560,8320,13696,0},
{4352,9344,2624,4352,9344,2560,9408,12672,6912},
{4352,9344,2624,4352,8320,15232,8384,12672,6912 },
{1024,1536,1280,1152,1088,16352,4224,3840,0},
{1024,1536,17921920,1024,16320,4224,3860,16383},
{1024,1536,1792,1920,1024,16320,4224,3882,16383},
{512,768,896,960,512,8160,2112,6037,16383},
{256,384,448,480,256,4080,1056,5098,16383},
{128,192,224,240,128,2040,528,4586,16383},
{64,96,112,120,64,1020,8456,13562,16383},
{32,48,56,60,32,8702,12420,14457,16383},
{32,48,56,60,8224,12798,14468,15482,16383},
{16,24,8220,30,12304,14591,15426,15934,16383},
{8,8204,12302,8207,8200,15487,15905,16286,16383},
{4,1229,14343,8199,8196,12351,15888,16271,16383},
{2,6147,15363,12291,12290,14367,16136,16327,16383},
{1,7169,15873,14849,14337,15375,15876,16355,16383},
{0,7680,16128,14592,14336,14343,15362,16129,16383},
{16128,16256,16320,14528,12352,12291,12289,14336,16383},
{7680,16256,16320,16352,15456,14369,14336,14336,16383},
{1920,8128,16352,16352,15920,15520,15456,15872,16383},
{0,1984,4064,7952,15952,16016,15968,16128,16383},
{0,448,2016,4080,7952,16208,16160,16256,16383},
{0,0,960,2016,3984,7984,16256,16376,16383},
{0,0,0,960,1824,4000,8128,16380,16383},
{0,0,0,384,960,2016,4088,16382,16383},
{0,0,0,192,480,1008,2040,16383,16383},
{0,0,0,0,192,480,1008,2040,16383},
{0,0,0,192,0,192,480,1008,2040},
{0,0,192,0,0,192,480,1008,2040},
{0,288,0,192,0,192,480,1008,2040},
{0,816,192,0,0,192,480,1008,2040},
{0,816,1032,192,0,192,480,1008,2040},
{0,816,1032,192,0,192,480,1008,2040},
{0,528,1224,1032,0,192,480,1008,2040},
{0,560,1032,1032,528,192,480,1008,2040},
{0,560,1224,1032,528,480,480,1008,2040},
{0,560,1224,1032,528,288,480,1008,2040},
{0,560,1224,1032,528,288,192,1008,2040},
{0,560,2040,1752,528,816,480,192,0},
{0,560,1224,1032,0,528,288,192,0},
{0,560,1224,1032,4092,528,288,192,0},
{0,560,2040,1752,4092,816,0,0,0},
{0,512,1920,1728,3968,768,0,0,0},
{1792,3712,4032,7872,8064,3968,1792,0,8},
{0,1536,1984,1664,3968,768,0,8,28},
{0,1536,3968,3840,7424,1536,8,28,28},
{0,1536,3968,3840,7424,1544,28,28,28},
{0,1536,3968,3840,7448,1564,28,28,62},
{0,1536,3968,3848,7452,1564,28,62,127},
{0,1536,3976,3868,7452,1564,62,127,93},
{0,1544,3996,3868,7452,1598,127,93,8},
{0,1032,3612,3612,1052,62,127,93,8},
{4096,14336,4192,192,2018,4095,2034,192,96},
{4096,14336,4288,384,4066,8183,4066,384,192},
{10240,4096,11264,6144,15873,16251,15889,6144,3072},
{4096,14336,6144,12288,15364,16094,15364,12288,6144},
{10240,4096,14336,8192,14340,16094,14340,8192,12288},
{0,4096,8192,0,12292,15070,12292,0,8192},
{4096,14336,4096,0,8196,14046,8196,0,0},
{4096,14336,4096,0,66,11759,66,0,0},
{0,0,0,0,0,11759,0,0,0},
{18000}
};

// BitMap[9]
uint16_t grid[] = {
0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
};

void up(){
Serial.println(“moveUP();”);

if(y > 0){
y= y -1;
}
}

void down(){
Serial.println(“moveDOWN();”);
if(y < 8){
y= y +1;
}
}

void right(){
Serial.println("moveRIGHT();");
if(x 1) {
x /= 2;
}
}

void menu(){
Serial.println(“menu();”);
x=1;
y= 0;
}

void play(){
Serial.println(“play();”);
blinkall(33);
}

void setup() {
blinkall(2); // useful for testing
Serial.begin(9600);
pinMode(irReceivePin, INPUT);
irrecv.enableIRIn(); // Start the IR receiver
Serial.println(“Press a remote key”);
}

void turnon(int led) {
int pospin = ledMap[led][0];
int negpin = ledMap[led][1];
pinMode (pospin, OUTPUT);
pinMode (negpin, OUTPUT);
digitalWrite (pospin, HIGH);
digitalWrite (negpin, LOW);
}

void alloff() {
DDRD = B00000010;
DDRB = B00000000;
}

void loop() {
byte line = 0;
unsigned long data;
if (irrecv.decode(&results)) {
// here if data is received
irrecv.resume();
if(results.value == 2011255018){
up();
}else if(results.value == 2011246826){
down();
}else if(results.value == 2011259114){
right();
}else if(results.value == 2011271402){
left();
}else if(results.value == 2011283690){
menu();
}else if(results.value == 2011275498){
play();
}
}
if (x == 2048 && y == 5) {
DisplayBitMap();
y = 0;
}
for(line = 0; line < 9; line++){
if(line == y){
grid[line]= x;
}else{
grid[line]= 0;
}
}
for(int i = 0; i < runspeed; i++) {
for(line = 0; line < 9; line++) {
data= grid[line];
for (byte led=0; led<14; ++led) {
if (data & (1<<led)) {
turnon((line*14)+led);
delayMicroseconds(blinkdelay);
alloff();
}
else {
delayMicroseconds(blinkdelay);
}
}
}
}
}

void blinkall(int numblink) {
alloff();
for(int n = 0;n < numblink;n++) {
if (irrecv.decode(&results)) { // need to call the IR read
// here if data is received
irrecv.resume();
if(results.value == 2011283690){ // this makes the menu button reset if it is stuck on the play loop
return;
}
}
for(int i = 0; i < runspeed; i++) {
for(int j = 0; j < 126; j++) {
turnon(j);
delayMicroseconds(blinkdelay);
alloff();
}
}
delay(500);
}
}

void sequenceon() {
for(int i = 0; i < 126; i++) {
turnon(i);
delay(800);
alloff();
delay(800);
}
}

void DisplayBitMap()
{
boolean run=true;
byte frame = 0;
byte line = 0;
unsigned long data;
while(run == true) {
for(int i = 0; i < runspeed; i++) {
for(line = 0; line < 9; line++) {
data = pgm_read_word_near (&BitMap[frame][line]); // fetch data from program memory
if (data==18000){
run=false;
}
else for (byte led=0; led<14; ++led) {
if (data & (1<<led)) {
turnon((line*14)+led);
delayMicroseconds(blinkdelay);
alloff();
}
else {
delayMicroseconds(blinkdelay);
}
}

}

} frame++;
}
}

The most challenging chapters were Determining How Long a Switch is Pressed and Knight Rider. These are not necessarily hard to understand, but more dense than the practical sections I mentioned above. The Knight Rider was not complicated, but it was dense. Understanding arrays makes this section easy, because the use of for loops with the right amount of delay HIGH and LOW patterns is what makes the LED pins blink one at a time. Determining How Long a Switch is Pressed was the most challenging section of the homework because it introduces a counter and functions. I am still having to read it over and over again, to try to understand exactly what it’s doing.

Switch statements can be difficult, but overall the concept is well embedded into my mind. I understand the importance of using breaks within a switch command but kind of miss the logic of setting it up with what seem to be all the arguments wrapped between the switch (I guess from the purpose of switching). Is it comparable to an array ? Who knows…I guess I have to re-read it.

-josef

And the other one that is interesting is 2.16 on the ‘switch’ logical command which I never know before. It function can be written with a long list of if statement but switch can be really handy on another person (or yourself) to read and understand the code much easier.

● The most difficult would also be the 5.4, the switch timer, since the first homework assignment is to tweak this one to make it blink. So I have to know this code inside out to be able to tweak it. In it, I have to apply the concept of custom function that count the time and return the data back to the main loop (the concept from 2.10 the function block), It’s like a wrap up of all exercises.

Another thing that I find most difficult is Array (2.4). Even we have saw some of them on the example we work on. But to read and understand all of the concept and remember the syntax so that I can think and make it to work in the way I want is still hard. Because you’ll have to use a for loop to run the arrays all the time. But I think I understand it much more now.

a) The first code I found to be very useful was the case / break code. It was really interesting to get input from the serial monitor and make the LED blink.
if(Serial.available()){
char ch = Serial.read();
switch(ch){
case ’1′:
Serial.println(“blink once!”);
for(int i = 0; i<4; i++){
myBlink(i,70);
}

Using default, we can set the default input and by using the switch case, we can use any key on the keyboard to create an input and make, for example, an LED blink sequence. Just by using the case '1':, case '2':, etc. we can determine how many different types of sequences we want.

b) The second code I found very useful were using logical operators such as and (&&), or (||), and not (!). By using logical operators, we can determine diverse situations such as if both switches are pressed, both the switch and the tilt sensor are sending input, either the first button or the last button is pressed, etc. By including logical operators, there can be so many different types of situations with just four buttons. Instead of making one button do one thing, we can make a combination of one, two, three, or four buttons to something else. The logical operators are also good for setting up boundaries or giving certain conditions to inputs.

2.Which two exercises or code did you find most difficult or confusing from the reading? Be as specific as possible.

a) The first code that was really difficult to understand was calculating the amount of time using the switchTime() function. It was really hard to understand because whenever I tried it, the counter would increase rapidly or even decrease to a high negative number. I want to try using the "long" and "millis()" more so that I can understand its concept better. Because we used pullup resistors inside the Arduino, the HIGH and LOW was also a bit confusing to understand. The state should be inverted when using different resistors.

long switchTime(){
static unsigned long startTime = 0;
static boolean state;

if(digitalRead(inPin) != state){
state =! state;
startTime = millis();
}
if(state == LOW){
return millis() – startTime;
}
else{
return 0;
}
}

b) Related with the switchTime() function is the debounce code. It took me a long time to understand the debounce code by using booleans of state and previousState. I think it was especially hard to understand because the debounce does not actually give direct feedback. Switch codes worked without having to use the debounce code and therefore it was at first hard to understand what "debouncing" actually did to my code. Later did I find out it was just a check for a few milliseconds to see if the button was stable enough to input and output information. It was a comparison between the current state and previousState and to see if they were equal.

I found very easy the functions reading and exercise. The first exercise about blinking and delay was very familiar to sketches we’ve done in class.

I found challenging the logical operators and logical comparisons and I definitely get confused when we get to compare strings. I was not able to do that assignment.

I had some difficulty with arrays, as I feel like I completely get them structurally, but whenever I try to implement them I always seem to mess up the for loops associated with counting through them. I’m also having a bit of trouble digesting 2.16 “Switch”, and figuring out when to use these vs if/else statements. Is there a specific number of inputs before it’s best to use SwitchCase?

Conditional section show diverse conditional options. But I wish the conditional section has more sample codes.

Difficult exercise:

There are some samples of using arrays. I played with Arrays, and wish there are more samples to look up. I found the book is helpful, but it seems it doesn’t have depth details.

I really like what While and For Loop do, and wish there are more exercise to help a stater to understand the concepts and samples.

Essentially they create a problem set starting with basic switch functions… helping build the code ground up for recognizing change in state and output controls. Towards the end they give you a series of problems involving a Bike company that needs help programming a new lighting system. The various stages of the prompt test your abilities and end with the creation of a light system which has 4-5 separate modes activated by the button. This piecemeal way of learning was personally very helpful.

There were a number of other tutorials that I found helpful, one of which explained the use of millis() instead of delay(). By using millis() as a timer instead of delay(), one is able to nest other functionality within conditionals that otherwise would not be able to run with delay() since delay() stops all processes within the Arduino. A notable example would be having one LED blink 500ms after another has started blinking, creating a sort of Lag effect. Using delay() would prevent you from activating another LED while the former is being delayed. Another use of millis() was creating a stopwatch which blinks as a timer begins… the push of a button turns the timer off, the start and end times are calculated as Serial.println spits out the time.