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Step 3Design Considerations
Arduino
I chose to use the Arduino rather than a different Atmel AVR microcontroller to make this project accessible. With the Arduino, there is no need to design a custom board and programming and customization is much easier with the Arduino platform. The only downside of the Arduino is that it is big and doesn't fit well into an umbrella. The benefits, however, outweigh the costs.
This project is based on the Arduino Diecimilia but (I think) the pinouts are the same on newer versions. In any case, if you undertake this project, make sure you have a clear understanding of the states and pins of the Arduino model you are using. This will make any changes between what is describe here and what you need to do easy to implement.
MIC2981
The MIC2981 chip from Micrel can power 8 chains of LEDs. This means that the 8 circular rows/rings of ten LEDs going around the umbrella have their anodes linked to the MIC2981 (one pin powering each row/ring) and the LEDs in the chains along the ribs (the columns) have their cathodes linked to a pin on the Arduino. This allows for the possibility that the 10 LEDs in a row/ring are simultaneously on with enough current to uniformly light them.
This chip is currently not used in this project. I have plans to use it to power and brighten the LED rings.
Proto Shield for the Arduino from AdaFruit Industries
I used this protoshield with a tiny breadboard so that I could detach the Arduino from the umbrella for other projects. The tiny breadboard has just enough room for the connections needed for this project.
I chose to use the Arduino rather than a different Atmel AVR microcontroller to make this project accessible. With the Arduino, there is no need to design a custom board and programming and customization is much easier with the Arduino platform. The only downside of the Arduino is that it is big and doesn't fit well into an umbrella. The benefits, however, outweigh the costs.
This project is based on the Arduino Diecimilia but (I think) the pinouts are the same on newer versions. In any case, if you undertake this project, make sure you have a clear understanding of the states and pins of the Arduino model you are using. This will make any changes between what is describe here and what you need to do easy to implement.
MIC2981
The MIC2981 chip from Micrel can power 8 chains of LEDs. This means that the 8 circular rows/rings of ten LEDs going around the umbrella have their anodes linked to the MIC2981 (one pin powering each row/ring) and the LEDs in the chains along the ribs (the columns) have their cathodes linked to a pin on the Arduino. This allows for the possibility that the 10 LEDs in a row/ring are simultaneously on with enough current to uniformly light them.
This chip is currently not used in this project. I have plans to use it to power and brighten the LED rings.
Proto Shield for the Arduino from AdaFruit Industries
I used this protoshield with a tiny breadboard so that I could detach the Arduino from the umbrella for other projects. The tiny breadboard has just enough room for the connections needed for this project.
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