2023-10-10 LED Controller Sync

Owned by Neel Patel
Last updated: 2023-10-11
2 min read

Attendees

Directors:

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Mechanical:

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Electrical:

  • @Neel Patel

  • @Parker Lawrence-Valeriani

  • @Mena Azab

Flight Test

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Embedded Flight Software

Autonomy

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Proposed Solution:

Constraints:

  • Visible at night and daytime (very bright)

  • Controllable through Ardupilot software

    • Autonomously without pilot input

  • Well integrated

  • Each light must be visible from 120 degrees,

    need to go on ends of motor mounts and below/above arms?

  • 4 LEDs (red, potentially blinking) one on each corner is the absolute minimum control requirement.

    • realism for airplane:

      • white strobe light (pulsing?), visible 360

      • beacon light, visible from 360 around. red.

      • red on left, green on right, white on BACK. static.

        • ‘don’t need white on back probably'

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navigation_light#/media/File:Propmec50.PNG

  • maybe: green, red, yellow, one on each corner, based on movement.

  • yellow on back motors while slowing? not requirement for realism…

  • green LEDs on PAX aboard - if still conops req

 

  • also need to decide reflectors - these can be picked in tandem with LEDs, as adding reflectors may eliminate the need for a stronger LED, etc.

 

  • EE global constraint should be weight

    • save weight instead of add more brightness (if the tradeoff is reasonable)

Initial Layout Drawing

 

Things to Research

  • How will we connect to LEDs (Connector/Solder/Headers)

  • Need for input for Pax??

  • Where are we getting power from(Usually 12V) (search through architecture doc)

  • Ways to achieve Strobing/Blinking (555 Timers) (Parkers on this!)

Potentially ruling out neopixels

  • we don’t need to change colour

  • having too many connected to pixhawk → not great

Suitable LED strip lights should be chosen via similar setup to Decision: Type of Rangefinder for Obstacle Detection page. Can include neopixels if desired, but please compare individual part numbers.

Project Owner Availability:

@Neel Patel : 10-15h hours a week

@Parker Lawrence-Valeriani 5-10h a week - better idea of availability after midterms.

Agreed upon timelines:

  1. Architecture plans for next week. (research and decisions)

  2. Order components first week of November.

  3. Full working prototype for end of November.