LEDs blink/fade with music?

[CodilX 0]

Hi there,

 

I've stumbled across a video (

) and I really want to make something similar, but small scale for now with a handful of LEDs. I have no experience in electronics, but have played around with my MSP430 with a 16x2 LCD display.

 

Right now I have like 10 or so LEDs, and I want to know how to connect them to the board?.. I've seen articles how to connect 3 or so LEDs so that they could be controlled individualy, but how do I connect them so I can control them as one? Do I need resistors or any other electronic component apart from a breadboard that has a 3.3v or 5v supply? In terms of connecting them, and having them work (electricaly) to me is unknown. I hope someone could help me out..

In terms of having the LEDs blink/fade with the music, how would you suggest doing that? Thanks.

[tingo 22]

input: microphone of some sort, connected to and ADC on the MCU. Digital filtering (code in the MCU) to get the signal to drive the LEDs.

HTH

[GeekDoc 226]

Looks like it might be hooked to the subwoofer channel.

 

subwoofer --> voltage protection/matching --> ADC input on microcontroller (MSP430) --> PWM output --> appropriate transistor for load (T)

 

external power with appropriate voltage/current capability --> transistor (T) --> LEDs arranged for proper current usage.

 

You could substitute an appropriate LED driver chip for (T).

 

IANAEE - Don't blame me if you let out the Magic Blue Smoke (MBS).

[jpnorair 340]

You have no experience in electronics, but what is your experience in signal processing software?  For example, if you can write an algorithm in Matlab that does what you want, that would be a great start.

[CodilX 0]

I've thought of making it software based, and sending the value of led brightness to the msp430 via serial, I guess that would be easy and doable for me. But then I thought I'd rather like a standalone system. So my first question would be, how do I add a microphone to the MSP430? Is it actually possible with Energia to use it, find some values and blink the onboard LED (first step) in regards to the music level or frequency or something I just haven't figured out how this should be done... Does Energia and/or the MSP430 have support for realtime audio analysis?

[abecedarian 330]

Adding a mic is easy- it'll connect to one of your ADC capable pins.

There are several 'spectrum' analyzer projects on 43oh.

Lighting up external LEDs will require some processing on the MCU based upon some criteria no one has defined.

 

It's highly probable that someone here has done something relative to what you want.

 

Search.

[CodilX 0]

Adding a mic is easy- it'll connect to one of your ADC capable pins.

There are several 'spectrum' analyzer projects on 43oh.

Lighting up external LEDs will require some processing on the MCU based upon some criteria no one has defined.

 

It's highly probable that someone here has done something relative to what you want.

 

Search.

I'm sorry for all the newbie questions.. It's because I am one So I can just take apart a mic and "plug" in the wires to the headers and it will work??

[abecedarian 330]

I'm 'newb' myself, relatively speaking.

 

As for attaching a mic... not exactly. It may require some input signal conditioning, or may not. Hence why I said there are spectrum analyzer projects on this site- those will help you figure out how to get the signal to the MSP and how to process it. Figuring out how those process the signals might help you come up with how you want the lights to respond to sound. You can use volume levels and frequencies, and combinations of both.

[CodilX 0]

Well I guess I'm in to deep .. The stuff I find is incomprehensible to me .. Thanks to all of you anyway, need to learn more and come back to this project

[abecedarian 330]

@@CodilX - Don't give up.

 

Look at some of the projects others have done and try to determine what elements of others' projects could help you achieve your goals. And ask questions.

It's not likely someone will do all of the work for your, but many here will help guide you. Some might be so kind as to design 'basic' circuits to help you.

 

Good luck on your travels. ;-)

[jpnorair 340]

Well I guess I'm in to deep .. The stuff I find is incomprehensible to me .. Thanks to all of you anyway, need to learn more and come back to this project

The only way out of newb-ness is to do a project.  

[simpleavr 399]

 Does Energia and/or the MSP430 have support for realtime audio analysis?

 

I did a microphone front-end a few months ago. It is VERY simple, a easy to find op-amp + a few resistors, capacitors.

 

http://forum.43oh.com/topic/3950-educational-boosterpack-8-bit-fft-spectrum-analyzer-attempt/

 

From the video, the project you want to reference just act on amplitude, more like a VU meter, you can just continuously read the ADC values from the mic front-end and pwm drive your leds, you will need to find a circuit to drive your leds though.

 

I can answer questions you may have regarding the microphone front-end.

[larsie 121]

If you just want a sound-level thing, only need a microphone board like this: https://www.sparkfun.com/products/9868 or http://www.seeedstudio.com/depot/grove-sound-sensor-p-752.html?cPath=25_27

 

Connect the microphone board to an analog input of the MSP430 and use for example Energia to read the sound level. Go in a loop and read the sound level, then use the digital output of your MSP430s. Set more LEDs if the sound level is high. Then connect an LED (and a series resistor to ground) to each digital output. If you have large LEDs and want  lots of light, you need transistors or other driving circuits to give more current to your LEDs. 

 

If the above is what you're looking for, I can draw a diagram for you. 

 

If you want an equalizer, you could use this: https://www.sparkfun.com/products/10468 (you need to connect it to a mike board). It's quite a cool chip, and it would give you a more advanced effect. But it's slightly more tricky to use. 

[CodilX 0]

If you just want a sound-level thing, only need a microphone board like this: https://www.sparkfun.com/products/9868 or http://www.seeedstudio.com/depot/grove-sound-sensor-p-752.html?cPath=25_27

 

Connect the microphone board to an analog input of the MSP430 and use for example Energia to read the sound level. Go in a loop and read the sound level, then use the digital output of your MSP430s. Set more LEDs if the sound level is high. Then connect an LED (and a series resistor to ground) to each digital output. If you have large LEDs and want  lots of light, you need transistors or other driving circuits to give more current to your LEDs. 

 

If the above is what you're looking for, I can draw a diagram for you. 

 

If you want an equalizer, you could use this: https://www.sparkfun.com/products/10468 (you need to connect it to a mike board). It's quite a cool chip, and it would give you a more advanced effect. But it's slightly more tricky to use. 

Wow! I already gave up on this idea, but this is awesome!! Thank you!! What I wanted is more of an automated solution - not having to hook up a direct input into the board, with a mic it's just far better.

 

So I think the mic part is easy - just hook it up and read the level. The LEDs are another story, I just .. don't know how to do it..

 

Edit: I'm thinking of also ordering this led strip http://www.seeedstudio.com/depot/blue-led-flexistrip-60-led1m-p-1120.html?cPath=81 do I need to order anything else in order to have all the parts needed to connect it to the MSP430?

[larsie 121]

Yes, I was going to direct you to such a strip, but you could consider an RGB strip instead: http://dx.com/p/12v-54-led-rgb-light-strip-50cm-11304 (they have longer ones also at not much higher price). RGB is even cooler since you can change colour. 

 

If you want to drive just a simple LED, you can do it straight from the port of the MSP, as long as you put a 150 ohm resistor in series. But for these strips and anything bright, you need to have a driver circuit. The simplest driver circuit is a mosfet, but you have to make sure you can drive it with the 3.6V from the launchpad.

 

You also need some regulators etc, since your MSP430 needs 3.6V (or 5V via the USB), but the LED strip needs 12V. 

 

If you are ok with soldering, then you could simply buy some MOSFETs and a prototype-board and connect up stuff. You could also look at some products like this: https://www.sparkfun.com/products/10256 (check that it can be used with a logic voltage as low as 3.6V)