WOW! Someone finally found a use for the CD-ROM transport besides a CNC pen scribbling program! Nice adaption...
As mentioned by bionicbenjy, you might want to look at the million projects on YouTube that use two CD-ROMS to give a full XYZ table. Go to YouTube and search for "Arduino pen plotter". For example
1) Assuming that this is indeed USB bus powered , how many milliamps are you pulling from the bus powering the camera and the LEDs ?
2) You do not control LED brightness this way. The way you have done it gives you very little control. You need to control the input voltage to them by using a PWM input signal. You can use a simple 555 to give a fixed frequency variable duty cycle waveform to adjust the brightness.This can also reduce the amount of current draw on the USB bus..
The ideia here is to keep it simple and (almost) free, I dont see why to put an Arduino, this is like a cannon shot in a fly. Ins_rakesh, nice work bro, your project can be done without spending a single penny but still a marvelous science device for who cant buy one.
The issue about the power and the LED brightness is a real question. 1. Make sure you is not drawing too much current from the USB port (just measure it). 2. Maybe try another way to dimm the LEDs, but a simple way, not Arduino.
Ohm's law states that the Induced current through a conductor between two points is directly proportional to the Electromotive force across the two points, and is inversely proportional to the Resistance. That's the way George Ohm said it.
The best way to control led brightness is to power it with a current source. led brightness is controlled by the current flowing through it. A current source is not hard. You simply put a resistor in series with the load, and use a voltage regulator to control the voltage across the resistor. I=E/R
Super , im glad I can help.. Whatever you do , dont forget , enjoy it!
Just a an idea for you , an Arduino will do the PWM for you , and then you can also control the focus motor as well , as its a stepper motor i believe.. That would be a good upgrade for you!
I caution builders to make sure your old webcam works with your OS first. I have an old webcam (Logitech V-UM14) that won't work beyond Windows 7. I hate to have someone build this only find out there aren't any drivers for it.
Other than that I think your instructable is pretty concise... I built one somewhat like this for a USB Microscope, but I used a wood frame.
What If... you had 2 drives... mounted the camera head on the second drive mech, you could have an all singing X Y Z moveable scope, save fiddling with the slide to move another area into view... still a good idea in first place
21 Comments
4 years ago
WOW! Someone finally found a use for the CD-ROM transport besides a CNC pen scribbling program! Nice adaption...
As mentioned by bionicbenjy, you might want to look at the million projects on YouTube that use two CD-ROMS to give a full XYZ table. Go to YouTube and search for "Arduino pen plotter". For example
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sT3qlGAV_U&t=207s,
or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUdAwUOaPX0
Reply 4 years ago
thank you sir...its my first instructable...wil try my best on next...nd i also made Arduino control CNC plotter using Old DVD stepper motor
4 years ago
Nice attempt , but I have 2 observations here.
1) Assuming that this is indeed USB bus powered , how many milliamps are you pulling from the bus powering the camera and the LEDs ?
2) You do not control LED brightness this way. The way you have done it gives you very little control. You need to control the input voltage to them by using a PWM input signal. You can use a simple 555 to give a fixed frequency variable duty cycle waveform to adjust the brightness.This can also reduce the amount of current draw on the USB bus..
Good Job!
Reply 4 years ago
The ideia here is to keep it simple and (almost) free, I dont see why to put an Arduino, this is like a cannon shot in a fly.
Ins_rakesh, nice work bro, your project can be done without spending a single penny but still a marvelous science device for who cant buy one.
The issue about the power and the LED brightness is a real question.
1. Make sure you is not drawing too much current from the USB port (just measure it).
2. Maybe try another way to dimm the LEDs, but a simple way, not Arduino.
Reply 4 years ago
Ohm's law states that the Induced current through a conductor between two points is directly proportional to the Electromotive force across the two points, and is inversely proportional to the Resistance. That's the way George Ohm said it.
Reply 4 years ago
The best way to control led brightness is to power it with a current source. led brightness is controlled by the current flowing through it. A current source is not hard. You simply put a resistor in series with the load, and use a voltage regulator to control the voltage across the resistor. I=E/R
Reply 4 years ago
thank you so much sir...your commt wil help me to make this project improve...i'm beginner here nd its my first instructable...
Reply 4 years ago
Super , im glad I can help.. Whatever you do , dont forget , enjoy it!
Just a an idea for you , an Arduino will do the PWM for you , and then you can also control the focus motor as well , as its a stepper motor i believe.. That would be a good upgrade for you!
4 years ago
Nicely done. Can you put up some image or video captures from the Camera?
Reply 4 years ago
find attachment
4 years ago
Great idea! Thanks for sharing.
4 years ago
I caution builders to make sure your old webcam works with your OS first. I have an old webcam (Logitech V-UM14) that won't work beyond Windows 7. I hate to have someone build this only find out there aren't any drivers for it.
Other than that I think your instructable is pretty concise... I built one somewhat like this for a USB Microscope, but I used a wood frame.
Reply 4 years ago
go for driver updates on device manager...hope it wil work
Reply 4 years ago
thank u
4 years ago
Very nice project! As you said, "don't throw any electronic device away." Great ingenuity here and nicely carried out. Good luck in the contest
Reply 4 years ago
pls vote for me
Reply 4 years ago
...thank you
4 years ago
Very interesting project - and a great 'creative misuse' idea. Good luck in the contest! :)
Reply 4 years ago
thank you...pls vote for me
4 years ago
What If... you had 2 drives... mounted the camera head on the second drive mech, you could have an all singing X Y Z moveable scope, save fiddling with the slide to move another area into view... still a good idea in first place