Hi guys, I'm out of arduino projects that are useful. - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: Dylon124
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2013, 12:53:48 am
content: I need new arduinp projects, and suggestions?

author: xrunner
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2013, 12:55:39 am
content: Quote from: Dylon124 on October 07, 2013, 12:53:48 amI need a suggestion too. The last project I did with an Arduino was a traffic light simulation for a model railroad. I can't think of anything else to do with the other board I have.

author: Toble_Miner
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2013, 01:06:04 am
content: Hi,have you ever looked atAtmolight? It's an open source alternative toAmbilight. If you often watch videos and movies on your pc this is a really nice project. Atmolight works perfectly with the VLC media player.Tobias

author: timbob
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2013, 03:04:27 am
content: i find a project need a microcontroller, it is a multimeter with a LCR meter and a ESR meter built in. a 3 in one meter

author: Sar
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2013, 03:19:52 am
content: I second the Atmolight projects, they're good for a week of entertainment if you push it. My last rendition of an Atmolight used ShiftBrites and MegaBrites, but I just came upon a glut of bright 16x16 LED panels and think I might try using one one of those instead.If that's not quite your thing you could try (depending on your skill) something having to do with power monitoring with a couple of current clamps and a voltage monitor, though I'd never recommend a mains related project without knowing what you're doing well in advance

author: Avi
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2013, 03:53:49 am
content: useful as in practical? you could try home automation using an ethernet shield, or perhaps a thermostat (atmega328p has a temperature sensor inside it), or even a security system with a gsm shield.

author: Rigby
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2013, 03:03:46 pm
content: Anything with LEDs. Make a sign. Make a clock. Make a Nixie clock. Polar display (spinning LEDs).Control a DDS function generator chip and make a function generator.There's a lot of neat stuff you can do.

author: Avi
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2013, 05:44:20 pm
content: Quote from: Rigby on October 07, 2013, 03:03:46 pmwhy not a spinning POV nixie tube!

author: RMS95
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2013, 05:49:55 pm
content: It all depends on what you call "useful".Like Rigby said, anything with LEDs is nice =)Maybe something within the RC world? Servos and motors are fun to play withOr mix the LEDs and motors? :pI recently interfaced things like hd44780 based character displays and distance sensors which was quite fun. (HC-SR04 is a cheap one, and works 2 to 450 cm with an accuracy of approx. 1cm) Also remember that there are a lot of motion detection ICs.If you mean ACTUALLY useful with "useful", you might want to think about home automatisation, think about internet switches, plug and play network with modules, etc.Hope this helps,

author: Rigby
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2013, 05:51:54 pm
content: Quote from: Avi on October 07, 2013, 05:44:20 pmI saw a spinning 14-segment POV display once. It had a single (perhaps dual for balance) 14-segment display draw the time and various messages as it spun around. I consider it clever.

author: AndyC_772
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2013, 05:52:35 pm
content: If you have the time to spare, why not spend it learning to drive an off-the-shelf microcontroller that's NOT Arduino?Learn MPLAB X, or AVR Studio, or if you're feeling brave, any of the available ARM tool chains. Gain yourself the ability to buy a bare device from a manufacturer and use it in your own circuit rather than relying on a pre-programmed, pre-assembled board that costs money and takes up a lot of space.Break out of the sand box - it's really worth it and you'll never go back.

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2013, 06:15:17 pm
content: I need a suggestion too. The last project I did with an Arduino was a traffic light simulation for a model railroad. I can't think of anything else to do with the other board I have.Playing back sound samples with PWM is always fun, and useful for railroad. But you need true pwm, not that crippled analogwrite()

author: Zbig
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2013, 06:18:55 pm
content: I couldn't agree more with Andy - sounds like a good time to break free from the constraints of the Arduino "ecosystem". Then, instead of asking "What else could I build with these three Lego boxes I just happen to have?", you'll be asking "What would be the best tools to build this great new thing I came up with?".

author: Alana
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2013, 06:42:05 pm
content: Make an electronic clock - but as guys say its better to get rid of arduino board and go for bare micro + USBasp + breadboard, especially for this project!

author: pickle9000
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2013, 07:03:38 pm
content: I'm not a interested in Arduino in particular but here are a couple, maybe they have already been done.First a funrnace/ aircon controller with a little more intelligent than normal. PIR sensors are really cheap.- Sense of presence for a room, does the heat need to be on if no one is there? Make it smart (keep track of presence and turn on heat a few minutes before for comfort).- Check outdoor temp to see if you are in cooling mode.- Keep track of on off cycles so you can cut energy use.RGB light control using a sensor.Use one of these with a lens setuphttp://www.ebay.ca/sch/i.html?_sacat=0&_nkw=arduino+color+sensor&rt=nc&_pppn=r1&LH_FS=1to control a RGB light setup.What for? Mainly fun, point at the sunset to bring the colors inside, point at the TV to enhance the video background. It should be very easy to rig. I have seen the one where it's run through the HDMI on a TV but that's fairly pricey. I'd suggest an IR output to run one of the cheap ebay 12volt strip controllers and perhaps hack in to the controller itself for an output with a faster update (or both).

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2013, 07:24:35 pm
content: QuoteTurning on heat a few minutes before WHAT? before a person's persence is detected?That's not a smart device. That's a telepathic device.

author: AndyC_772
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2013, 07:27:44 pm
content: I'd buy one...

author: walshms
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2013, 07:29:47 pm
content: Actually... I can see this as a possibility. What if it detected the presence of your mobile phone via Wifi?If it sees it, it controls temperature at a comfortable level. When the mobile phone leaves the local network (i.e., you've left the premises) it cuts it back.Should be pretty easy to do...

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2013, 07:34:13 pm
content: QuoteLet's say that your wifi has a range of 100 yards (fat chance!). Let's say that you are a slow walker so it takes you an hour to cover that 100 yards.How much power does it take to heat up a house in an hour?In a minute? You will need a power plant in your basement to do that,

author: pickle9000
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2013, 07:36:36 pm
content: Quote from: dannyf on October 07, 2013, 07:24:35 pmBasically track day of the week usage, including manual turn on and of cycles then try and beat the user to the punch and turn it on 5 minutes early.

author: walshms
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2013, 07:38:28 pm
content: Quote from: dannyf on October 07, 2013, 07:34:13 pmDon't get me wrong -- I'm not suggesting the place would be warmed up by the time you got in, but I can tell you that my house will heat up in much less than one hour and I could certainly tolerate a 6C setback while I was gone.That alone would save enough energy to pay for the project in very short order.Basically, you'd walk in and the heat would be on. If it takes an hour to warm up 6C your system is undersized, I'd venture to guess... but in any case, that seems to be a good idea. I may add that to my list of projects.

author: Zbig
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2013, 07:42:04 pm
content: Quote from: walshms on October 07, 2013, 07:29:47 pmThere's even cooler and more elegant solution if you're using Android smartphone. Part of the system is the LocationManager API. I haven't personally coded anything for Android yet but if I get the documentation (http://developer.android.com/reference/android/location/LocationManager.html) right, you can basically "subscribe" programmatically for an Intent which will fire up your application once you enter the defined perimeter. The area could even be several km in diameter to allow enough time to heat the place. Then your application (I refuse to use the "App" term) could call your internet-facing controller over HTTP or whatever and command it to turn the heat on. With this flexibility, you could even make it learn how long it takes you to get back from work, etc. And no, you don't have to keep the GPS on all the time, LocationManager will fall back to wireless networks-based location provider.

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2013, 07:42:31 pm
content: I use a thermostat for that,Google "nest", by an ex-microsoft guy, I think.

author: walshms
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2013, 07:45:50 pm
content: Sure, the Nest is great, but if your schedule is variable then it's not quite as good as you'd like it to be.I have a programmable setback thermostat, and it's just as good for that purpose.On the Android intent subscription: that's certainly another option, and would enable to you, for example, select a WiFi access point somewhere on your commute that you'd recognize for that purpose. As you drive by, it takes care of it.

author: locoo
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2013, 07:49:12 pm
content: I got one idea.Dc motor driver , with curent limiting ,voltage sensing ,runing igbt/mosfet, otput to pc or lcd .It would be only a driver board no power selecton , like open sorce controler, geting amps data over a shount that would be conected to analaog input .And 5k pot to simulate the trotle input.And we are talking 300A 100v rating , but i have no idea how to masure voltage ??Have a nice day

author: Rellum
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: October 07, 2013, 07:53:29 pm
content: Quote from: Dylon124 on October 07, 2013, 12:53:48 amHave you done any IOT (internet of things) stuff with it ?

author: jancumps
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 07, 2013, 07:57:10 pm
content: Learn to program the processor that's on board. Try to talk to the timers.It makes your code less portable, but it's only for your personal training purposes so that doesn't matter.Looking at the code for the logic analyser by Andrew Gillham helped me:https://github.com/gillham/logic_analyzer

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2013, 08:03:19 pm
content: QuoteHe could have written the unrolled section more elegantly.But think about fast it would have been on a chip with DMA.

author: Zbig
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2013, 08:04:36 pm
content: Quote from: walshms on October 07, 2013, 07:45:50 pmWell, the really cool thing is you don't have to do anything like that. It's already using all the data possible (cell tower triangulation, known WiFi hotspot locations) and abstracts it out under its API layers. Even without GPS it can locate you "automagically" with surprising accuracy. I'm not 100% sure how they do the WiFi-based thing but I suspect that whenever you use the GPS in your smartphone, it takes that opportunity to "take a look around" and note all the WiFi networks in its proximity (possibly using some smart triangulation as well?) and associate their location with the GPS-based precisely acquired one, contributing this data to online database. I think you'd find this deep in some EULA you "agree" upon the first use of the device if you'd be determined enough to actually read itEdit:That's exactly how Remember The Milk for Android works. You can set a reminder to pick something up from the shop at the location you first defined on the map and it alerts you as soon as you get in the proximity.

author: magnus0re
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2013, 08:11:56 pm
content: Here is my two cents:Learn to control stepper motors !. I found it quite satisfying to control a small 220 degree stepper motor. And with that added to your repertoire, you can make more projects.Learn about PID control, and then design (or clone) a system using it (DC controlled pumps can be bough for really cheap)Make something dangerous, like a HV spark gap, controlled by the arduino!check out the books "100 transistor projects" and "30 arduino projects for the evil genius", they are both out there in the matrixOr alarms, inductive proximity sensors, there is always more that is possible to do!

author: jancumps
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 07, 2013, 08:15:56 pm
content: Quote from: dannyf on October 07, 2013, 08:03:19 pmThat was a quick solution to allow higer than 1MHz sampling. At that frequency the procedure calls became too expensive and the functionality had to be unrolled to achieve the performance. He wrote somewhere that he borrowed the idea from someone else.The code is on github. You can write a better implementation. We've worked with Andrew before because we found some issues when using certain Arduinos, and he is very collaborative (see the whole sage atcoderanch).

author: walshms
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2013, 08:16:05 pm
content: Quote from: Zbig on October 07, 2013, 08:04:36 pmMy error -- should have been clearer.One issue with that is that is that you might pass within your defined perimeter even though you're not headed home. In that case, you'd turn on your heat (or AC) when you really didn't want to do that. You'd be better off if you had a defined route and a recognizable access point somewhere to trigger it... better still, two, so that it can tell if you're coming or going.

author: Zbig
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2013, 08:29:28 pm
content: Quote from: walshms on October 07, 2013, 08:16:05 pmAh, ok, now I understand, that's a valid point. But anyway, you still don't have to delve down to the particular single hotspot level. For example, you could first trigger on the perimeter crossing and then, in 5 minutes, check your location again, verify it against your predefined route home and make a decision based on that. With this LocationManager API at your disposal, you could code arbitrarily complex algorithms without really caring that much about the actual underlying implementation. And the beauty of this approach would be that you wouldn't need to worry if some guy somewhere decides to rename his WiFi to "NSA surveillance van"

author: walshms
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2013, 08:33:10 pm
content: Quote from: Zbig on October 07, 2013, 08:29:28 pmNow you're talking. That could be a pretty elegant way of doing it... but you're limited to Android, and there's an awful lot of people running iPhones that would have a fit over that.

author: Zbig
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2013, 08:47:36 pm
content: Quote from: walshms on October 07, 2013, 08:33:10 pmI think Apple has "discovered" this some time ago as well (http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4970) but I don't know (or care) how well it works or if it's exposed to the application developers at allIt seems that Remember The Milk for iThings doesn't support this at the moment (https://www.rememberthemilk.com/help/?ctx=iphone.locations.monitorlocation) but it's not clear to me what the reason is.

author: SAI_Peregrinus
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2013, 08:49:11 pm
content: Quote from: magnus0re on October 07, 2013, 08:11:56 pmMake a synthesizer with a singing tesla coil for a speaker. Do direct digital synthesis on the Arduino, and have it hooked up to a keyboard or other input system to get the note to synthesize.You will need to use assembly to get the code fast enough for reasonable audio quality. For reference, the eChanter is a project I've worked on (I added MIDI output, rewrote the audio code, and quite a bit more I've forgotten at the moment. Not all of my mods have been published, I'm still debugging things.) That project does DDS with an Arduino.http://www.echanter.com/http://forums.bobdunsire.com/forums/showthread.php?t=145403So combine them! Make a synthesizer (not the easiest Arduino project, especially if you aren't just copying the code) and a plasma speaker (High voltage, high frequency, high potential for nasty RF burns if you screw up your shielding) to get something dangerous with a real reason to be Arduino controlled.

author: walshms
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2013, 08:51:16 pm
content: Quote from: Zbig on October 07, 2013, 08:47:36 pmApple maps. Say no more. Anyone need to catch a flight?

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 07, 2013, 10:59:09 pm
content: Quote from: Dylon124 on October 07, 2013, 12:53:48 amArduino spellcheker?

author: allen2688
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: October 08, 2013, 03:50:26 am
content: another cool project would be to make a human interface for games!(Sorry if that's not a reasonably possible idea, I'm not too familiar with Arduino's i have just gotten into this hobby)

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2013, 04:18:44 am
content: Quote from: allen2688 on October 08, 2013, 03:50:26 amA couple of mems sensors and you've got it.

author: kalobg
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: October 08, 2013, 05:36:11 am
content: Quote from: SAI_Peregrinus on October 07, 2013, 08:49:11 pmAlso saw an idea to use NFC to detect when you enter an area and turn on music/tv/climate control to your preference.Maybe an audio sensor as a lock combination for your front door?

author: Rigby
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2013, 02:05:53 pm
content: NFC is too short-range. No one walks through a doorway reliably close to a sensor to make that reliable.Regular old Wi-Fi association would probably do it. When IP address X shows up on the network, that means my phone is in the house, which means I am in the house, which means I like the heat set at 70F and the lighting like this, and the TV turned on and set to channel 284 if it is Saturday between 4pm and 8pm.

author: Ricardodavinci
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2013, 11:21:04 pm
content: I have two suggestions:1. Build an advanced datalogger that stores data to an SD-card from two temperature sensors, two hygrometers, a real time clock, an anemometer and a barometer. Measure in- and out door temperature continuously. Store it in the simple csf-format and make a new file name at midnight every day. The file should be named after the date. Use the micro controller to make weather forecasts, and maybe display the current data (and forecasts) on a TFT-display. Use the logged CSV-files to make nice graphs in excel!2. Develop a motor controller for brushless DC-motors (three phase). The controller should take care of current RPM, the rail voltage, motor currents, and much more. Make some controls for the motor, a potentiometer as speed controller, constant torch etc. It could be very handy in many situations to have a custom built BLDC-motor driver.

author: djacobow
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 13, 2013, 12:57:54 am
content: A few week ago I did a variation of the POV display that I had not seen before and you might find interesting.I made a paper disk with numerals printed on it in concentric circles. Each circle had a relatively prime number of copies of the numeral, spaced evenly. For example, there might be 3 1's, 5 2's, 7 3's, etc all the way up to 9 and then zero.I mounted the disk on a spinning motor that also had a a revolution sensor (actually I used a computer fan) and controlled the speed of the motor in a PID loop running on the Ard.Next, I wired up an ultra bright LED to be driven by one of th Ard timers as well.Finally, I wrote software to control the speed of the motor very precisely, calculate the frequency that would cause one of the concentric numerals to appear stationary, and then flash the LED at that frequency.What you end up with is a ridiculously complex and slightly retro way of having a one digit display.My original plan is to do several numerals this way (multiple spinning disks) and turn the whole thing into a clock, where only a sliver of each disk is visible through a small sector-shaped window. However, once I had proven the concept, I sort of lost interest in the clock. I'm good a tinkering in my shed, not so good at making handsome enclosures.This is somewhat challenging because you need to make full use of two of the Ard's timers, one two count time between revolutions and one to generate the specific flash frequencies. I seem to remember that the pinout of the Ard and the limitations of which timer can be on which pin made this tricky. Also, mathematical precision was important to get the digits to be rock-stable. In fact, I never got it to my satisfaction.Regards,Dave J

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 13, 2013, 02:01:57 am
content: Quote from: Ricardodavinci on October 09, 2013, 11:21:04 pmWhile it could be done with an Arduino or other 8 bit microcontroller, a dsPIC, C2000, or ARM would be a much better choice. There's a good reason why older variable speed Nidec fans use 8 bit PICs while Deltas and newer Nidecs use C2000 and ARM. (The newer Arduinos might be a better fit, I haven't worked with them so I'm not really sure.)I recommend dsPIC since I have done several projects with it. As for how easy it is to get working, my friend Megan Cornner (with basically no prior experience with microcontrollers or motor control) built a working sensorless drive with a dsPIC in about half a semester.As for HVAC, a smart vent that directs the air towards the (occupied) area that actually needs to be heated or cooled can do a lot for saving energy.