LED chart project

[PeterGR]

Have you ever seen the light up charts (for home/ club display!).
I think they are absolutely fantastic.
Light Charts - Latitude Kinsale

I was thinking of making one to donate to our local club and keep me busy during lockdown.
Zero fun just ordering and buying one online.
Minus fun that they cost many many money!

Has anyone ever tried to make one?
I reckon I could make a very reasonable effort but would be weak when it comes to organising how to properly set light sequences etc.
No doubt there is circuit board wizardy and drivers involved.
Maybe somebody could help with that.
Plan B - a solid or random flashing light up chart will still look amazing (the OCD of wrong flashing sequence will just need to take a deep breath!).

Anyone interested in doing their own light-up chart project over the coming weeks we could share ideas and learn the process together + keep the cabin-fever at bay until we can go sailing again!

TIA

 

[lustyd]

I've often thought about trying this, it would be great to have an easy example of how to make the flashing LEDs!

 

[rogerthebodger]

it would be great to have an easy example of how to make the flashing LEDs!

Making LED's flash is easy but where you have combination flashing makes it more complicated but the use of an Arduino could make the programming easier.

blinking leds arduino - Google Search

 

[Kinsale373]

Yep, Arduino is a nice way to do it. You can easily program any flash sequence you want. Have a look at Tinkercad in the link below and on utube. I think its an amazing piece of free software.
You can select a virtual breadboard, drag in an arduino and a huge array of components , draw wires to make the connections, write the code and simulate your project within the program without ever buying a any components. It would make a great Lockdown Project.
Kinsale 373


Tinkercad | From mind to design in minutes

 

[gregcope]

@PeterGR are ypu planning the layered contor depths?

If so, how are you getting the charts printed?

 

[AntarcticPilot]

@PeterGR are ypu planning the layered contor depths?

If so, how are you getting the charts printed?

You could do it by sticking the chart to something like polystyrene sheet, card or hardboard and cutting round the contours. With care, one chart would do everything. If you were feeling like being accurate, you could use thick card and use 1 layer per metre, as contour intervals on charts aren't at a constant interval.

 

[PeterGR]

Yep, Arduino is a nice way to do it. You can easily program any flash sequence you want. Have a look at Tinkercad in the link below and on utube. I think its an amazing piece of free software.
You can select a virtual breadboard, drag in an arduino and a huge array of components , draw wires to make the connections, write the code and simulate your project within the program without ever buying a any components. It would make a great Lockdown Project.
Kinsale 373


Tinkercad | From mind to design in minutes

That's really helpful thanks

 

[PeterGR]

@PeterGR are ypu planning the layered contor depths?

If so, how are you getting the charts printed?

Not initially.
However if this one turns out OK would definitely consider doing a 3D contoured one.
Again I would hate to pay someone to do it. There's no sense of achievement in that.

I have very good scans (Admiralty office approved) of my local charts my architect friend was able to do for me.
So thinking aloud (I know there is probably a better way), I would print up the full size chart I wanted.
Cut out by hand each contour so you're left with 4/5 segments.
Trace these segments onto a slim (maybe 2mm/3mm) plysheet.
Spend time cutting and detailing these sheets and then sticking the cut out chart segments onto that.

The best aesthetic way would probably be to find a suitable laser printing company - and I'm sure there's x10 other options along that route.
But again that's a bit of a shit way to do a DIY project!

 

[Spirit (of Glenans)]

The Lattitude LED charts and the relief contour charts are two separate series.
For longevity in the presence of UV light, the former could be made from an original chart, but consideration of the type of paper used would be required for the latter..
IMHO the high prices charged by Latitude are a reflection of the physical intricacy and electronic complexity of their products.

 

[Keith 66]

We have a Chart of the Thames Estuary on the wall of our club bar, it was made by the late Jack Phillips back in 1984, all buoys & jetties etc flash with correct sequences & it has always attracted much attention. It was repaired about 25 years ago & rebuilt by my son Nick last year, The electronics of the day were somewhat bulky & today an arduino or similar would be the way to go.

 

[PeterGR]

We have a Chart of the Thames Estuary on the wall of our club bar, it was made by the late Jack Phillips back in 1984, all buoys & jetties etc flash with correct sequences & it has always attracted much attention. It was repaired about 25 years ago & rebuilt by my son Nick last year, The electronics of the day were somewhat bulky & today an arduino or similar would be the way to go.

I have spent the last few days playing with Arduino and it's brilliant.
I am afraid to leave it for a day or two and I'll get lost!
Making great progress though and it's very interesting.
If possible I would be very grateful if your son Nick could send me a sample of the coding he used.

I have been able to sequence many buoys already, however still learning and everything is in one loop.
ie. it lights one buoy, then the next, then the next, etc. one at a time.
Obviously I need to figure out how to run each sequence simultaneously.

 

[KompetentKrew]

Hardway Sailing Club have one in their clubhouse - not sure how much of the Solent it covers.

 

[DinghyMan]

To make lots of leds appear to work simultaneously have a look at multiplexing with an Arduino:

Analog-Digital Multiplexers - Arduino Reference
Multiplexing With Arduino and the 74HC595
Using a multiplexer with Arduino • AranaCorp
Tutorial – 74HC4067 16-Channel Analog Multiplexer Demultiplexer
How do I control several hundred individual leds with Arduino(s)?

As well as
Blink Multiple Leds at Different Rates, 1 Function, No Delay
Control 40 leds with different delays and timings: Controlling +40 LEDs with different delays and timings
Using addressable RGB leds: Arduino and Addressable LED

Run each led separately but fast enough that they appear to all be working at the same time

Its been a while since I did any serious Arduino work but they are good fun

 

[Keith 66]

In answer to Peter, Im pretty sure that Jacks chart board was analogue, If i can prise Nick out of his new linux gaming rig for a while i will put you in touch!

 

[MikeCC]

For a 3D contour chart, I guess it's possible to use a vector file to drive a digital cutter. Judging by the number of electronic charting products over the years, getting access to files can't be too tricky. As said earlier, takes some of the craft out of it but this is from someone who can't reliably use a pair of scissors!

I expect the model railway fraternity could tell you a thing or two about addressable light systems.

 

[DinghyMan]

MultiBlink – Simplifying concurrent LED patterns looks like something that does what you need: set the pattern sequence and timings and handles multiple leds

 

[AntarcticPilot]

For a 3D contour chart, I guess it's possible to use a vector file to drive a digital cutter. Judging by the number of electronic charting products over the years, getting access to files can't be too tricky. As said earlier, takes some of the craft out of it but this is from someone who can't reliably use a pair of scissors!

I expect the model railway fraternity could tell you a thing or two about addressable light systems.

We've done that, but the problem is that the width of the cutter tends to make peaks more pointy than in reality, and valleys more rounded. Not a problem in much of SE England, but definitely an issue in the West! 3D printing works better, but you need an industrial-sized machine with a very large bed. We had some done using such machinery - I think it was some sort of powder deposition system - and that allowed colours to be embedded in the 3D model as it was laid down - very effective, but probably beyond the scope of a DIY project,

 

[TernVI]

You can use the Arduino 'IDE', ie the program on your PC etc, to program other cheaper microprocessor chips.
Some of which might be in the Sub-£1 arena.
So having one micro per buoy might not be ridiculous. If you can get cheap micros with a few digital outputs, it might be a way forwards?
Could be easier to wire up than having a few big demuxes.

 

[PeterGR]

MultiBlink – Simplifying concurrent LED patterns looks like something that does what you need: set the pattern sequence and timings and handles multiple leds

I saw that yes it sounds like what we need.
At the moment though it looks Chinese to me!
Still need to practice my skills to be able to interpret and adapt that unless someone is able to break it down simple-stupid.

 

[PeterGR]

You can use the Arduino 'IDE', ie the program on your PC etc, to program other cheaper microprocessor chips.
Some of which might be in the Sub-£1 arena.
So having one micro per buoy might not be ridiculous. If you can get cheap micros with a few digital outputs, it might be a way forwards?
Could be easier to wire up than having a few big demuxes.

I downloaded that, and there's another great simulator one online - tinkercad.
It's excellent.

One of my mates mentioned doing that individual micro chips way too.
I don't have much experience to know which is more suitable but I have the Arduino bits so that's what I'll use for now I think.
Version 2 I might try that way and see which is better!