week of april 10th

Monday notes:
data pin: 5 digital

Links:
http://www.instructables.com/id/A-Very-Quick-NeoPixel-16-Ring-Test-With-Arduino-Un/
https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-neopixel-uberguide/individual-neopixels
https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_NeoPixel
https://www.adafruit.com/product/753
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMu1UjBxOiQ

To do:

• begin developing instructable (at least take pics as working)
• try using a perma board
• determine if feasible in time frame to add individual neopixels

week of february 27th

critique on Monday
wednesday - learned more about Arduino coding :D

week of february 6th

Monday: discussed more about how our noise project will interact, the design

Wednesday: group project critiques

week of february 20th

continued work on noise project

week of february 13th

continued in class work on noise project

week of january 30th

This week we got knee deep in circuit bending. I'll admit I'm still in over my head with all this circuitry but I'm trying to figure it out. I was actually able to get my initial circuit breadboarded pretty quickly thanks to the handy-dandy Fritzing image that Thomas provided us with. From then on I tried changing capacitors and resistors and their placements to create weird wacky noises. I found that I got the best response from having two 10K resistors, and 330uF, 220uF and 1uF capacitors. Even with this, I had to touch one touch point and then add an additional touch point at the same time.

I'm not sure how I want to integrate this into an object yet... we'll see next week.

Also this week my group and I soldered our circuit for a siren. You can see more on this in the project 1 blog post.

week of january 23rd

After the trials of breadboarding this blinky LED circuit, this week we soldered! I got to use my iron for the first time, so that was exciting. Soldering this was SO much easier than using the breadboard. My brain just does not automatically think in the same way a breadboard is diagrammed. The soldering diagram just makes so much more sense. I definitely need a lot more hours using the soldering iron to figure out the perfect amount of time and heat needed for a perfect Hersey's kiss, but I think these look pretty good. 

week of january 16th

This week we pro-typed on breadboards. Admittedly, this task was difficult and nearly took me two hours to complete.  But once completed I was quite proud that it was finally working!

We were told to not use the instructions that came with the kit and instead had to refer to the two diagrams we were given. This was definitely a learning curve to understand how to properly read the diagram and how to relate it to how the breadboard would look like in the physical world.

But after a lot of trial and error, help from Thomas, and collaborating with classmates, my breadboard finally worked! I am honestly not sure if I could replicate this again, but I feel that I have a better understanding of how to read circuit diagrams, just not how to implement them in the physical world. Creating circuits is definitely a time-consuming and detailed process.

week of january 9th

We were introduced to the basics of electricity, components of circuit boards, and discussed Art.

The biggest take-away is RESISTANCE, VOLTAGE, and CURRENT.
Current is measured in amperes (amps) and signified as I.
Resistance is measured in Ohm's (omega symbol) and is signified by R.
Voltage is measured in volts (V) and is signified by V.

I / R * V

These three components are interconnected and depend and change with one another. 

Also, LEDs or light emitting diodes are polar, or a one direction valve for electricity. They also always require a resistor (unless it is a very small voltage). 

The data sheet is very important, as well as being able to read schematics. Always refer back to the data sheet if you are unsure of something. 

Art as a canon is being challenged in our time by the social, democratic nature of our society. With sites like Instructables, "trade secrets" are shared, and art becomes something for everyone.