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Completed Project Video
07/18/2021 at 07:03 • 0 commentsMy long-term project, the alarm clock, finally able to demonstrate it, as it is more or less complete!
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Volume control working (sort of)
07/11/2021 at 07:00 • 0 commentsJust adding an old update.
I got the volume control knob working.
The Arduino reads the rotary encoder value, and sends it to the Raspberry PI over I2C bus.
A little bit troublesome, as it needs to continuously poll for volume, but also has to send commands to the Arduino to display stuff on the screen. So I used Python threading with a queue. So that there are no conflicts.
I was quite happy when it started working. Although, there is a delay between when I change the volume, and when volume is actually changed. I think there must be some delays in my code. This issue is still not resolved yet.
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Internet Radio Alarm Clock - Assembled! And Partially Working
07/28/2020 at 13:12 • 0 commentsIt's finally (mostly) assembled! Tonight at Hobart Makers, I put the speakers in, and glued in the top volume control knob.
The speakers went in well. I ordered the extra-long screws from eBay, and they just arrived in time for tonight. I wasn't quite sure how to attach the volume knob, but I just settled on glue gun glue. It should hold for a fair while. It felt pretty sturdy.
I also finally added a simple 5Kohm resistor for the LCD, to adjust the contrast. It was at full contrast before, and it didn't look that nice. Now it is much more readable.
To my amazement, the speakers worked fine! I soldered the wires directly to the Phat DAC board. I also leeched some power from the 5V supply on the Pi. No noise issues, and it worked. Though U have an issue, which is that it seems that there is only one channel showing to the OS. So I only get mono sound (on both speakers) :( I'll have to look into it.
Next, I now have the electronics enthusiast's least favourite part, programming.. It's ok, I have become a decent programmer over the years. I just need some quiet time with my computer 🕯
I'm looking forward to getting it working, I will then just have my alarm clock on my bedside table, and I can move my electronics devices to another place, out of reach in my room. Good for getting to sleep quickly. And I will have my own personal hand-made gadget!