Loading...
Answers
MenuWhat is the best best approach for dynamically setting the blink frequency of a multi-led arduino driven strob light?
I am building a multi-light strobe. I need to drive each of the LED's separately and want to be able to dynamically change the frequency (flash rate) of each individual light on the fly. For example, I'd like to be able to send a command to the device from my laptop to change the frequencies. This will ultimately enable me to store pre-designed sequences that could be fed into the LED strobe system. I have code to drive the individual lights now (http://123d.circuits.io/circuits/138205-multi-led-strobe/) and am curious on the approach I should take. Any help or resources is much appreciated!
Answers
It really depends on what use case you want to achieve. Will there be multiple devices controlled from a single laptop ? Do you want to remote control them ? Do you need to build a user Interface on your laptop or is command line ok ? Etc.
With respect to communication, you can simply go serial (via USB), which can be easily 'upgraded' to bluetooth using a Bluetooth serial module (search for HC-06), they are really easy to integrate with arduino.
As for the software side on the laptop, you can use pretty much anything as long as it can talk over the serial port. I personally enjoy Python for these kind of things.
Finally, you must decide on the 'protocol' you are going to use to communicate with your device. it would be simple strings that you parse, a custom binary protocol that you design, or you may want to use a serialization library that provides you with greater flexibility. I like using 'nanopb' in my arduino projects. It is a lightweight implementation of Google 'protobuffers'.
As I wrote, lots of design choices in there, feel free to plan a call if you want to discuss.
Related Questions
-
Who can best help my programmer and I come up with an actual completion date for our website?
Planning software projects — especially estimating timelines — is a consistent challenge for developers. When I ran an agency, I constantly struggled with my team's ability to hit deadlines until I figured out how to plan more effectively. I've written up my approach here: http://lengstorf.com/effective-project-planning/ The short version is: 1. Make every task a yes/no question. If there's room for interpretation, it's not clear enough. 2. Keep the goals visible and track progress in a central location (somewhere you can both see). 3. Break tasks into single-day efforts whenever possible. So instead of "build home page", it's "A) style navigation; B) create opt-in; C) add testimonials section; etc." — the goal is to create momentum with a daily deadline that can absolutely be completed. It takes a little more effort up front, but it pays dividends in the long run. I used this strategy with my team to decrease our average turnaround times by nearly half, and my consulting clients have used this strategy to similar effect. I'd be happy to help you create a concrete plan using these techniques. Schedule a call or send me a message and we'll get started. Good luck!JL
-
Can I make money freelancing while learning how to program JavaScript?
Most jobs in the marketplace are going to require more skill and experience than you have currently. One avenue that may allow you to make some money while expanding your skills would be to bid on projects through the platform upwork.com. This is a platform designed to help people find freelancers to assist with various projects. Upwork.com has a constant stream of web development project of all shapes and sizes. You may be able to find some projects there that fit within your skillset and bid to complete them. Another unpaid opportunity could be to begin writing free/open source scripts, utilities, or tools and post them for public use. This would allow you to expand your capabilities while also building a body of work that you could show potential clients or employers as your skills improve and you begin seeking employment. Look for common problems and find ways to solve them. Even if there are other solutions out there you can exploit your limited knowledge to create simple straight-forward solutions for other beginners like yourself who can often be overwhelmed by some of the more complex solutions and frameworks common in the marketplace.RS
-
What is the best way to do a permissions system for a low traffic administration system, PHP preferred, but general suggestion is also valuable.
Hi, I have been a PHP developer for 13 years and have experience building enterprise applications. What framework are you using? Most PHP frameworks have a built in authentication and authorization mechanism. For example, Yii has a builtin RBAC system that allow you to define a hierarchical permission system. If you're not using a framework or you just want to implement your own system for whatever reason then you can utilize Object Oriented Design and implement a Base controller (if MVC) that checks the permission for each request. That won't use a lot of if statements. Probably need more info, to give definitive guidance. Hope that helps.AP
-
Best way to fund my app for a startup? The programming phase is a lot of money.
Hi, check outmy response to another question similar to yours. I hope it helps. Overall what you need to do is grow your community of users, or depending on the app generate enough sales or interest typically before any investors considering joining you. Not impossible to get investors early on, but your best bet is through kickstarted if anything. My responses tend to get UpVoted by other experts. Check it out https://clarity.fm/a/8032HV
-
What is the best programming language for building multi-platform mobile software that is scalable?
I've been involved in several projects that hinged upon this question (generally start-ups or web+mobile apps), and it's not a clean or easy answer unfortunately! Plus every developer you talk to is going to try to sell you their services, but what you need is simply the truth! I'd suggest that you consider shifting your focus away from finding a best language. That sort of premise can eliminate options that are actually quite valid solutions. Keep in mind that any mobile app will require multiple languages working in harmony - all while used in a commercially consistent and standards-based manner. That's the part that determines your technical scalability! Almost every programming language can achieve this functionality with an experienced developer on your team. The best advice I can give you, is to consult with at least two people on this, and three if your app is os-specific. The most important insight will come from a "full stack" developer. One who's got a variety of enterprise experience, and can code at all levels of the stack. This person needs to have experience in leading a team of other developers, which forces the strategy of which technologies to use and why onto their plates daily. Secondly, you'll want to consult with a "front end" developer, who can tell you what's possible using advanced OOP JavaScript techniques (like Google's angular.js), because in an absurdly fast change over the past 3 years, much of the formerly back-end work has made it's way to the front-end, and is driven by JavaScript, predominantly JSON data, and awesome API's. The game has changed and the front-enders are the poor souls dealing with this rapid shift daily. To do this, they're also fantastic JavaScript programmers, which is a language that runs on all mobile devices and all browsers, too. Love it or hate it JavaScript is the most commonly used language in the world. Finally, if your app is OS-specific, you'll want to consult with a developer who works predominantly with the OS your app is built for. This person lets you know what's possible from the device POV, should know what stacks and JavaScript approaches can and can't be done on that OS, and how to leverage the resources of the device for your app as well as extend it's functionality. BONUS - loop back to the full stack developer to double-check the claims of the front-ender and the mobile developers. Always double check with your most senior programmer ;) All of these consults together in addition to your own research and due diligence will get you comfortable and allow you to navigate on this rather daunting but deeply important journey. There aren't any turn-key options. Instead it's a series of inter-connected modules driven by different languages, and all working in tandem. Every solution will have bugs, and no one group of technologies can do everything without proper developers. If you'd like to go further down the rabbit hole, then we should definitely set-up some time to speak. Otherwise, I wish you great luck in research and encourage you to learn as much as you can! :) It's going to seem hard, and might give you a headache here or there, but learn everything you can about how different technologies "talk" to each other, and then you will be able to build a map for keeping your app and business scalable regardless of the changing tides of technology!MM
the startups.com platform
Copyright © 2025 Startups.com. All rights reserved.