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07.00 - Introduction

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Overview

Students present the results of their first sustained experimental electronics investigation. Students self assess their progress, success, and misteps of the past weeks of working towards a final goal. Halfway through the semester serves as a reasonable stopping point to conclude first projects and begin investigations and planning for subsequent projects. Lessons learned and skills gained from the first project will inform the planning and execution of the next project.

RGB LEDs are everywhere. From cell phones to huge building sized displays, RGBs power the digital world. Since RGB LEDs use three colors, red, green, and blue, they can produce nearly infinite colors. Some RGB LEDs are small through hole components and others are large assemblies of LEDs, often referred to as pixels. The color of RGB LEDs is controlled by the amount of current that is sent to each of the colors. By varying the amount supplied the color changes. A special type of RGB LED is called an addressable LED. Each of these LEDs has its own microcontroller chip that accepts data. This allows each LED to be controlled individually and allows for limitless creativity.

Learning Objectives

  • Wire a through hole RGB LED to a breadboard
  • Set RGB LED to a specific color
  • Use a function to cycle through all colors
  • Wire addressable LEDs to a power supply and an Arduino
  • Control individually addressable LEDs in a creative pattern

Keywords

  • RGB
  • Mosfet
  • Transistor
  • Buck Converter
  • Addressable LED
  • Signal
  • Clock
  • Protocol
  • Cathode (-)
  • Anode (+)
  • LED Pixel