LED Weather Mapper

 We decided last minute to change the project to an LED rain tracker instead because the Arduino API does not allow for location tracking of tweets. This uses the same logic and hardware but has been tweaked slightly to take the data from the open weather map. Our poster and potential lab script will be on the LED Rain Mapper instead. 

  This is the last week dedicated to working on the project properly,  as next week is the bench inspection week where supervisors will look at our project, poster, blog etc.  This week the usual group meetings were met and as usual good progress was made. this weeks notes and progress: 1. the casing prototype was printed and delivered. An image of the prototype is shown below: 2. the wifi module for the Arduino arrived but it doesn't work with any software 3. the wrong pcb was delivered, it has the right chip but wrong pcb, so a new one has been ordered.  4. The  random number generator works to find each display depending on the output, there was an issue. with lighting the number the LED correlates to within each display but this has been sorted out now. An issue getting the ESP where codes can be compiled but cannot be uploaded was encountered.  We realised that using an Arduino and separate WiF module was quite difficult to program. This combined with ...

This week 2 meetings were held and the group made more progress on the project. The first draft of the lab script was started on and posters from previous years were looked at for ideas on what our poster should look like and ideally consist of. The program for retrieving twitter data is still being developed (it is going well) and some useful Arduino libraries for working with twitter API were found. A random number generator was programmed in the Arduino environment so its outputs affect the LEDs display and although the outputs aren't affecting the LED displays yet, the number generator itself is working. The Arduino can provide enough power for all 8 displays and drivers to run and the individual LEDs within the displays can be manipulated like shown. in the picture below: Next week we hope to have finalised the project with all the codes and LED displays working perfectly with the Arduino and the lab script and poster finished.  

This week the group had 3 meetings and made progress on the Tweet Mapper.  This weeks progress: 1. The LEDs were powered and and a code was developed to light up specific LEDs.  2. The code that interfaces with the twitter API was developed and we were able to successfully get locations based off tweets from a keyword.  3. The casing of the project, with the map of the UK included, was made using Fusion360  4. A plan for the lab script was made.   A program was made to count through every LED of a cascaded strip of 4 matrices. The Arduino can only process one loop at a time because it uses a single threaded processor so it requires a programming technique called 'protothreading'.  Picture of casing: Picture of lit LED powered by Arduino:  Tasks for next week: 1. Begin first draft of lab script  2. Get casing printed and lasered  3. Begin PCB design  4. Integrate the code with the circuit and have functioning prototype. 

This week the group had four meetings (one with a supervisor) to discuss the beginning stages and basic ideas for the project. Our initial plan was to make a satellite tracker using LED matrix to track the satellites passing over the England (and Ireland) but we encountered a problem as the RGB LED Matrix we had was too complex for  the drivers we ordered. So we consulted with our supervisor and decided to change the project to an LED Tweet Mapper. The aim of this project is to allow users search up a keyword, for example football, on a keyboard or hashtag and the LED Tweet Mapper will find any tweets with said keyword on twitter and show on the map where these tweets were made. Below is a sketch of the basic circuit diagram: We also decided upon our roles during one of our meetings this week which are: Project manager - Skye Designer - Charley Implementer - Aaron Technical writer - Ayanfe   Some limitations to this project may be:  1. How ma...