Arduino as timer for strobe light skin#
Arduino as timer for strobe light portable#
Arduino as timer for strobe light plus#

The larger section is the logic board and the smaller is the LED board. The schematic is divided into two sections to correspond to the two boards made to fit the enclosure I selected for a prototype (see photos).

Component parts of the StroboDuino as assembled in a card file box.įIGURE 5. The third harmonic and the color dots overlay each other, adding to gray.įor this section, refer back to the schematic ( Figure 2), Parts List, major components ( Figure 4), and LED board ( Figure 5).įIGURE 4.

At the second harmonic (6,180 FPM), the fan again appears to stop, but the doubling of the color dots gives away that it's the second harmonic.įIGURE 3C. The Arduino 'stops' the boxer fan at 3,090 FPM.įIGURE 3B.

The harmonic behavior is illustrated in Figures 3A, 3B, and 3C.įIGURE 3A. Spending a little time using these buttons will be clearer than this explanation. So, if a certain flash rate freezes a machine and 2x that rate causes two superimposed images, you probably have found the correct rotational rate. They allow the user to check the exact second and half harmonic instantly. The StroboDuino is no different in its behavior, except that its modern Arduino based hardware allows for the easy implementation of two buttons - the “times 2” and “divide by 2” - that were very difficult to include on old analog stroboscopes. If the target is symmetrical, the user should place some sort of a contrasting mark on it to make it visually asymmetrical.) (It is important that the object being viewed looks different at zero and 180 degrees or it can’t be determined that it’s being flashed twice as fast. So, the observer will see the fan “stopped” at zero degrees and 180 degrees for a confused appearance. Continuing the example, at 24,000 FPM (x2, second harmonic), the flashes occur twice each rotation. The eye may or may not be able to see any difference. The flashes will occur at the same rotational position, but every second, third, fourth, or fifth rotation. While it’s easy to see that a 12,000 RPM fan will be “frozen” by a flash at 12,000 FPM (flashes per minute), it may not be obvious that it also can be frozen by flashes at 6,000 FPM, and also at any other integer sub-harmonic such as 4,000 FPM, 3,000 FPM, 2,400 FPM, etc. You can use any of these options.Īll stroboscopes suffer from sub-harmonic uncertainty. While rechargeable batteries are a better choice for daily use, and a 12 VDC 2A wall wart is an even better choice if the StroboDuino doesn’t need to work away from AC power, the AA batteries suit better for occasional use. The StroboDuino as described here uses eight AA cells for its 12V power.

Arduino as timer for strobe light skin#

There are a lot of ways to skin this cat. Once built, it never needs periodic calibrations or other adjustments. Another benefit of using the Arduino is that it’s crystal controlled, making the StroboDuino accurate to within 0.1%. The Arduino sketch (code) is simple and easy to understand, making this project an ideal first Arduino project. The low parts count as seen in the schematic ( Figure 2) is due to the high level of integration of the Arduino and an integrated LCD module. It uses some of the latest very bright LEDs that rival photoflash tubes. The StroboDuino is a non-professional grade stroboscope that can be built for around $50. The drawback is that LEDs just aren’t usually as bright as photoflash tubes.

Arduino as timer for strobe light portable#

It’s now possible to buy a lab-grade LED stroboscope (at a fraction of their previous cost) that is portable and even battery powered. With the advent of inexpensive digital control circuitry and ever-brighter LEDs, some of these problems have been corrected. Their heavy power supplies and regular need for AC power compromised their portability. They used photoflash tubes that - while truly bright - limited their flash rate and required high voltage power supplies. Traditional stroboscopes have been expensive enough so that only a few hobbyists or other non-professionals owned them. The StroboDuino 'stopping' a boxer fan with three color dots applied. They can even be used to freeze the motion of a loudspeaker at a constant tone to look for causes of distortion.įIGURE 1.

Arduino as timer for strobe light plus#

For us occasional handymen, they are useful in examining power tools like drills, saws, and other tools in the shop, plus around the house for fans, kitchen mixers, blenders, and so forth. As a calibrated laboratory instrument, it serves two major purposes: by optically 'freezing' the motion of a rotating or reciprocating machine, it can determine the operating frequency, and also allow critical examination of these machines while in motion ( Figure 1). A stroboscope is a flashing light with a variable flash rate.