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Prototyping w/ 74HC595 Shift Register

A project log for Refreshable Braille Display

Refreshable Braille Display powered by PCB electromagnets

basim-cheema-sabirBasim Cheema-Sabir 04/01/2025 at 22:000 Comments

Unfortunately, I ran into some hiccups with the v4 PCB, and since it mostly involves small SMD components, debugging it proved difficult. Instead, I pivoted to testing some basic shift register logic with a more well document shift register, the 74HC595, with the Arduino Nano. Below is a video of 3x2 braille cell-style array of LEDs flashing through the braille alphabet while being controlled by the shift register.

The Arduino code can be found in braille_flash.ino in the GitHub.

Next Steps:

I will try to control an H-bridge IC with the shift register and hopefully be able to control current flow through the coils. Once that works, I will begin designing the v5 PCB implementing these new shift register/h-bridge ICs.

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