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[LightningLion]

Lion's electronics corner
As you might know, I'm a bit into electronics, and decided to publish all my projects on one thread.

I'm not a very inventive person, so any ideas you have or something you'd like to see built I'd love to hear an attempt them. Also if you need help with anything, I can help you too.


Displays

Recently I got an OLED display and I've been playing with some ideas. My main goal would be to integrate it on a rangefinder stalk.
For these I'm using a cheap 128x64 display, with Adafruit SSD1306 libraries.
Important note: I have yet to make a lot of tests, but for some reason these very simple interfaces consume A LOT of Arduino's memory.

TRAMP copycat

Like I said, I'm not very creative. TRAMP display is what made me interested on these little screens and so my project was to replicate it.

X-Wing instrument panel display

Not entirely happy with it, movement should be smoother.

Blaster ammo counter and light kit

I think this might be a cool project for all those converted nerf guns. Would be even better if it had sound. I'll work on that.

Rangefinder display screen

Decorative display for the rangefinder of my future Mandalorian helmet. Bit useless 'cause it's too close to my face and my eyes can't focus the screen properly. The distance indicator needs a lot of work to look realistic.

LED effects

Jynn Erso's NERF gun sequence

Copied the Jynn Erso's NERF gun light effect (referene here). When shooting, theres a light sequence moving forward along the barrel of the blaster. I don't know what it does when you press the trigger multiple times, but what I wanted to do was to concatenate shots and be able to shift multiple lights.

Same concept, but with a WS2812 LED strip.

LED Ammo counter

An ammo counter, (4 green, 2 yellow and 2 red LEDs) idea by Hik'aari Kelborn.

Wireless Rangefinder controller

This is a Boba/Jango Fett rangefinder, controlled wirelessly by two buttons: one up, and one down. It can achieve 3 positions:
Vertical (starting point). Facing backwards, as Jango Fett does. Facing forward, with custom blink sequence (I have no clue on which sequence is the correct one, so I made one I like).

Transmitter has a "power saving" mode, it's on stad by until you push one of the buttons. Next thing would be add that for the receiver too. And then a channel selector so one Mando control doesn't move other Mandos rangefinders .

*Mod Edit to remove external sales link*

[LightningLion]

Small improvement. Added a "loading" animation when it's switched on, and moved the remaining shots counter a bit to the bottom. Now I think it needs more Aurebesh, but that might be difficult to implement on the counter.

[Wompet]

Next thing would be add that for the receiver too. And then a channel selector so one Mando control doesn't move other Mandos rangefinders .

But imagine the reactions when everyone's rangefinders activate at the same time! 

[LightningLion]

Mmm, if I ever mass-produce them I'll leave a backdoor in the code so I have a ahve a masterkey to control al servos mwahahaha.

I wonder if that ever happened, but I try to be ten steps ahead.

[LightningLion]

Decorative display for the rangefinder of my future Mandalorian helmet. Bit useless 'cause it's too close to my eye to focus on the screen correctly. The distance indicator needs a lot of work to look realistic.

[Gol Nazyne Vizsla]

Sooo cool!!!

[MadCelt]

SHUT UP AND TAKE MY CREDITS!!!

The rangefinder screen and ammo counter are brilliant!
I see upgrades incoming...

[LightningLion]

Thanks! Any ideas you have, I'd love to hear them.

[Tycho Kymeri]

What are you using to program these?

[LightningLion]

What are you using to program these?

Arduino IDE, Adafruit SSD1306 libraries, Arduino Nano and a cheap 128x64 OLED display.

[Tycho Kymeri]

So the display is designed by IDE and the SSD1306 Libraries? Or do you use something like Illustrator?

[LightningLion]

So the display is designed by IDE and the SSD1306 Libraries? Or do you use something like Illustrator?

Ah, no. I draw the interface with MS Paint and convert it to an array of bytes with LCDAssistant. Then you can put it on your Arduino memory and draw the bitmap with one of the commands of the SSD library.

[aforklikeutensil]

   Looks great.  Nice work, vod.

[Daxar Arkada]

I'm so in on this, my credits you shall have.

[LightningLion]

First time using PORT manipulation instructions with an Arduino. Copied the Jynn Erso's NERF gun light effect (referene here). When shooting, theres a light sequence moving forward along the barrel of the blaster. I don't know what it does when you press the trigger multiple time, but I wanted to do was to concatenate shots and be able to shift multiple lights.

I'm so in on this, my credits you shall have.

Thanks for the interest. I'd really like to "monetize" some of my ideas so I could have some extra money to invest on my Mando/Arduino builds, but I haven't figured a "fair" way to do it yet.

[Hik'aari]

Have you given any consideration to using things like WS2812B LED strips? Could then adjust the colour through the pulse and completely controllable via arduino.

If interested I shall share some work I did with them earlier in the year.

[LightningLion]

For this last idea, or in general terms? In any case, I didn't even think on them  so I'll read about it. Thanks!

EDIT: Ok, I've read a bit and they seem easy to use, will get some.

[Hik'aari]

Just in general terms. They are really easy to use and would be perfect for the scrolling light.

I used them to create "stars" for a friend who was making a dress with a "stars" theme. We put them into the dress so they randomly lit up a random number of lights for a random amount of time behind the fabric. 300 LEDs being driven from a  Nano Arduino clone. Arduino is powered from a 9V battery and the two strings of LEDs from 2x USB power bricks

[LightningLion]

3D printed the Boba Fett rangefinder to continue working on the display. As you can see, it fits inside of what should be the perspex block. Will probably use a small Li-ion battery to power everything because 4 wires are a bit too much.

[LightningLion]

Have you given any consideration to using things like WS2812B LED strips?

Finally received my strip of WS2812 LEDs for testing. They're cheap, apparently easy to use and offer tons of possibilities. Thanks for the suggestion!

[Hik'aari]

Glad to see you like them

With a bar like that you could do something like


[Green]
[Green]
[Green]
[Green]
[Yellow]
[Yellow]
[Yellow]
[Red]
[Red]


Then as you click the "trigger" every X clicks turns off a light (top to bottom) to simulate an energy pack depleting. Then with a secondary button (perhaps at the bottom of the stock) it refills as if reloaded.

This has been on my list of things to try, and I really should order some more LEDs.... hmm I think I know what my next project will be come payday

[jc27]

Lion, I would love to know how you did the rangefinder display, do you have any info or tutorials on how it works? I know a bit about using arduino, but stuff like your rangefinder display is new to me.

[LightningLion]

How good are you at coding?

I use and OLED display (128x64 pixels resolution, I2C protocol) and an Arduino Pro Mini.

For programming, the Adafruit SSD1306 library (I think). Download, read examples and read how the library works internally. Then find some tutorials on your language. And read how to use LCAssistant. There are basically a bunch of commands to learn if you use Adafruit's library.

The thing is, Arduino's memory is really low. You'll need to be creative to  make everything fit and work.

[LightningLion]

Then as you click the "trigger" every X clicks turns off a light (top to bottom) to simulate an energy pack depleting. Then with a secondary button (perhaps at the bottom of the stock) it refills as if reloaded.

Something like this you mean? 
Sorry for the aweful quality, was the only way I could get the camera to "see" the LEDs.

[Hik'aari]

Exactly something like that
I actually ordered up my LED strip the other day after posting it to do this very endevour