PERSONAL PROJECTS
DMX NONDIM CONTROLLER
I created a rack mount device to control the power to downstream light fixtures via DMX. I made this device because I noticed light fixtures in installed situations were being powered 24/7. My device will help the longevity of the existing lights by controlling how long they are power on. This device is convenient for the environment because the lighting console that communicates with the light fixtures also communicates with this. Now you don't have to unplug lights or flip breakers. I learned many lessons throughout this project. I enhanced my 3D design and assembly skills. After 5 iterations of circuit boards, I finally had a working system. I learned multiple lessons from every failure along the way.
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This project has been a year and a half of learning experiences. The DMX NonDim Controller will help cut back nonessential electricity usage in theaters by 100% if used correctly. Instead of every light fixture running idle at 10 Watts all day long, the resident lighting designer can cut power to the fixtures from the board when he is finished for the day. This function can easily be executed via a quick macro.
INTELLIGENT CAR
This project was created as a demo for the Arduino Mega microcontroller. I wanted to create a usable device with numerous peripherals to display the capability of the microcontroller. This project includes GPS, SIM card, Data Logging, 3 relays, 4 user-programmable buttons, a fader, a touchscreen, an interior and exterior temperature/humidity sensor, RGB strips, and high-power LED dimming. The biggest lesson learned from this project was the use of linear voltage regulators in parallel. Never use linear voltage regulators in parallel unless they are designed to be. My thought was to achieve more current, I would put my sources in parallel. Right theory, wrong implementation. To overcome my input power issue, I used a buck converter.
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This Intelligent Car project has been ongoing for over a year now. I have working firmware and hardware. Now I need to work on creating the mechanical housing and installing the project in my car. The Intelligent Car system is priceless to me because it will allow the integration of many different subsystems all in one user interface. I have spent well over 100 hours on this project with design, testing, and code development.
HIGH-POWERED RGBW LED
This is my most recent project. I want to create my own light fixture so the first step is the LED itself. This project focuses on testing four different LED driving circuits. All driving circuits have a buck converter topology to drop the voltage down to the LED voltage. In this project, I've learned that simulations are hugely beneficial in helping debug a circuit. Having a perfect model to compare to is valuable.
