UCBeacon

From Hackstrich
Revision as of 01:24, 19 August 2016 by SarahEmm (talk | contribs)

We need a new beacon to identify a campsite in a dark location, so it needs to be more subtle than the previous Burning Man-oriented designs.

Project Status

  • 2016-08-17: Completed schematic checklist, added USB power option, started working on routing the PCB.
  • 2016-08-04: Completed the schematic, pending checklist.
  • 2016-08-03: Completed the charging section, last major section left is the power supply.
  • 2016-08-02: Started putting basic schematic and BOM together.
  • 2016-06-13: Ordered a 12" section of 8" diameter SatinIce acrylic tube to use for the ring.
  • 2016-06-12: Started looking at how to source the acrylic for the LED ring.
  • 2016-06-04: Started talking about a need for this and thinking about designs.

Overview

  • Small portable-ish unit that can sit on top of the trailer at camp.
  • LED ring like on ParkAssist lights, but all RGB
  • Round solar panel inside ring to power it?
  • LT3652 solar charging IC
  • 2x 18500 LiFePo4 cylindrical batteries in parallel?
  • Remote control to go from "subtle help-us-find-camp beacon" to a brighter mode, or disable when not at camp
  • Arduino-compatible, based on ATMega328P
  • On at dusk and off at dawn based on solar panel voltage rather than a separate sensor
  • Need to think about weatherproofing and drainage since it will get rained on and the ring design would otherwise trap water