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Analog LED Table

by iminthebathroom on September 19, 2010 Table of Contents Analog LED Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Intro: Analog LED Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 1: Supplies, supplies, supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 2: Building the panel frame - Get out the gorilla glue! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 3: Power! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 4: Circuits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 5: Laying it out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 3 4 6 7 9

Step 6: Drilling holes & installing pods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Step 7: Wirring the pods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Step 8: Power ups and initial testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Step 9: Power plant goes online . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Step 10: Test run, curses... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Step 11: Final assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

http://www.instructables.com/id/Analog-LED-Table/

Author:iminthebathroom
I have many jobs, but what I do is create. Creating keeps one sane, in a world bent on destroying. See some of my work here and as always accepting orders for custom design and fabrication

Intro: Analog LED Table

This is my instructable on building a simple LED table that works and responds in an analog manner.? It was to be built of individual pods with 4 LED's with there own photo-transistor to detect movement, or rather a disturbance in the light/wave patterns above them.? It seemed simple at first, hook up a couple LED's & a resistor to a power source that is interrupted by a photo-transistor to act as a switch and voila, right? place foot in mouth here. Please rate me, it just takes a click. Thanks! Weeks later of googling, and reading forum after forum I came up with a circuit that I was happy with.? Realistically this would have been easier using a micro controller but I was rich on time "or so i thought" and low on cash.? Total cost of this panel including the wood frame has been around 35$? Now of course I did have to scrounge, look for freebies and of course use eBay.? I live in a quite remote section of Northern British Columbia, so sadly there was no quick run to an electronics supply store.? This table was to go to my best friend for a Christmas present but sadly, I ran out of time.? He got an radiant ceiling mounted heater for his garage instead. ? So the LED pods I built, sat in bin being bounced around for a year and a half. They looked so sad and neglected, all they need was a home, some 12V juice and a little love, See what they needed for a happy home on the next pages ADDITION:? 1. I forgot to mention, this table was built as a panel.? That is why the power is on the side.? The panel can easily be moved about, it can be placed on my coffee table, kitchen table or even the wall as interactive wall art.? I believe this is important as my family likes to be able to mix up our furniture arrangement and may not always want such as large piece to be hard to move around .? In pictures and videos the table is sitting on top of my living room coffee table.? It would be simple to add permanent legs or even cheat a little and pick up a cheap used table and buck the legs to the desired height 2. I have added a new circuit diagram in step 4, feel free to comment, give advice and poke holes - its how we all learn, and I have a lot of learning to do! 3. Added the write-up on building the frame, guess I didn't save it properly when I wrote it the first time. Live and learn... 4. See step 11 for some pictures with a paper diffuser added! This optional but it does soften the look. This is fire resistant paper, the kind used for lamp shades, I thought this prudent as the power source could potentially spark or heat up 5. Wife's friend they sell similar tables to parents with children with sensory seeking Autism. Before building this table, remember your are using dangerous power tools, exposing yourself to potentially lethal doses of electricity, cutting yourself with broken glass, burning yourself with solder, dealing with nasty paint fumes and in general annoying the crap out of those you live with, and danger unto its own!? So be warned! ?

http://www.instructables.com/id/Analog-LED-Table/

Step 1: Supplies, supplies, supplies

Supplies needed Panel *Most of the panel supplies can be skipped if you all ready have a ready built glass table with enough space below to contain the electronics. One 48"x30" sheet of tempered or laminated safety glass Two eight foot 2"x4"s Four eight foot 1"x4"s or 2 eight foot 1"x1"s if you can find them cheap Two 1/4" thick pieces of wood paneling/plywood one being 48"x30", other one 49"x31" Wood screws, 3/4", 1-1/2", 3-1/2 Gorilla Glue Stain & corresponding sealant or paint Electronics 240 Leds 300 12v 470 ohm resistors 60 22k resistors 60 3 leg photo transistors 120 transistors (2N 3904 -J05) Spool of bailing wire Small spool of thin non stranded copper wire Ethernet cable or equivalent Simple SPST switch 12v DC bulb and holder Converted computer power supply Electronics grade solder Hot glue Electrical tape or shrink tubing Thins sheets of semi flexible clear plastic, I used the replaceable plastic face inserts from a face guard I no longer had the base for, "waste not want not" black silicone tubing, similar to kind used for fishing gear, or sling-shots Tools used Table saw Circular saw Drill Router Hand held power planer Soldering iron Other tools used for the wood frame are up to you, its just matter or preference or budget.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Analog-LED-Table/

Step 2: Building the panel frame - Get out the gorilla glue!
Whooooops, for some reason I forgot the write-up for this section. So here goes! My glass was 30" by 48", so this dictates the size of the table. I used safety glass as this is what a friend gave me. If it was plate or Plexiglas, I would probably choose to make it a little thinner, say 22" by 48". Safety glass is strong stuff, to layers of glass laminated with a layer of plastic in between. If it breaks it stays intact, but is tricky to cut. Whatever type of glass you use, don't try to cut tempered glass! unless you like playing 1000000 piece-o-glass pickup! Its impossible to cut once it has been tempered, sometimes it will have a mark letting you know its tempered on the edge, sometimes not - BE CAREFUL! Enough on what type of glass, on to the frame. One of the easiest ways to start is to simply lay your glass on a level floor or work surface, lay down some padding of some kind to protect the glass, a beach towel would work fine. lay your wood around the glass in the shape of frame and mark it off with a pencil. The key here is to allow a 2 mm gap between the wood and the glass so later the glass can be made to slip in and out. Once you have measured and checked to make sure everything is kosher cut your wood. You should have 4 pieces, two 2x4's at 84 cm long and two 2x4's at122 cm long. My trick for connecting them is simple. First pre-drill through holes for wood screws to hold it together. Then apply gorilla glue to the edges being joined "make sure to dampen the edges with water first" then I simple screw them together. The screws provide the temporary clamping pressure. Wait a couple of hours for the glue to set up hard, "full cure is in 24 hours though". Once setup you can remove the ugly screws and use a 3/8 drill bit to re-drill the holes. Go through the one board into the other just like the wood screws to the depth of about 4 inches. Blow out any sawdust and get your dowel ready. I simple had a bucket of water that I dipped the tip the end of the 3/8 dowel in to pre-wet it. Put about a tablespoon worth of gorilla glue in a disposable container and use it for your glue source instead of the bottle to prevent any contamination of your bottle of gorilla glue. Dip a stick or small brush into the glue and paint the tip of the dowel with gorilla glue. push it into the hole and with a small saw cut it off flush. Repeat for the rest of the holes. Once dry, this joint is rock solid! I made mine a little out of order as I also fitted it with framing members at the same time I built the basic frame. This made the setup a little harder, far better to build the basic frame first. I then chose which side would be the bottom and routered out a edge on the inside of the frame to accept the bottom panel. This isnt really needed if you choose to use battens on the inside instead. I used some leftover wood paneling we ripped out of a house renovation. If you use stronger plywood you could get away with not adding the framing members at the sides and in the middle, but I'm cheap so I needed them for the flimsy paneling. I attached the framing members the same way as the frame. Pre-drill, gorilla glue, screw, wait to dry, remove screws and bore out the holes to 3/8 and insert glue covered 3/8 dowel. Whew- run on sentences! Once the frame is dry re-measure your opening and cut your bottom board to fit nice and snug. When you know it fits, remove it an apply gorilla glue to all the edges and re-fit the board. I used drywall screws to lock it in place while the glue dries. The screws can then be removed or left in place as they won't be seen. I removed them just in case they might scratch what ever I was going to place the panel on after. Next add 3/4" spacers "see picture labeled gorilla glue swelling" running onto the bottom panel inside the frame. When you put your next panel in with the circuitry this 3/4 gap will be holding all the wiring from view. Cutting that panel is rather simple, you can measure the glass or simply trace glass right onto your panel. The glass and panel should be the exact same size to allow easy removal later. Before staining or painting the wood determine where your holes need to be cut for the power supply cord and switch. Cut these out before applying your chosen finish. I used a mahogany stain/varnish combo. I am still torn if I like the finish or not, everyone else seems to like it though.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Analog-LED-Table/

Image Notes 1. frame layed out

Image Notes 1. Cross member 2. 1"x1" reinforcing strips 3. Car stereo fit into an ikea shelving unit, also run off a computer power supply

Image Notes 1. You can see the routered edge, the bottom panel fits in here, gives it a bit more strength.

Image Notes 1. Gorilla glue, this stuff is strong!

Image Notes 1. DIY clamps, hey they worked for Jackie Chan

http://www.instructables.com/id/Analog-LED-Table/

Image Notes 1. See the gorilla glue foam and oooooze! 2. 3/4" spacer that the next panel will rest on, this 3/4 gap gives your your clearance for the wires

Image Notes 1. pretty much every step I double check to make sure the glass still fits, one good whack and it could throw out the alignment.

Image Notes 1. Sanded and stained, not to sure if I like it though, may get sanded again in the future.

Image Notes 1. This was golden before, I stained it with a weak ink, the can was like 30 years old, it was called flow-easy

Step 3: Power!
I am not going to go into this too deeply, as a bunch of instructables describe building lab power supplies from computer power supplies all ready. But here is a basic run down. One more thing, be very careful, there is enough residual juice in this things capacitors to fry you!!!! 1. Find your smallest power supply you can use, as your space is limited. In the first pic the one on the left is from a dell, "pain in the ass to work with anyway". The non descript one on the left is smaller, that's what we want. This one drove a mechanical fish robot for a month at our local museum, a couple LEDs will be no problem. 2. I wanted the guts exposed so for this one I'm taking the cover off, and removing some of the side metal to increase my clearance. 3. The fan I later replaced for a smaller one as this one was wider the the 2x4 4. The wires we are concerned about keeping are the yellow ones - 12V, the black ones - ground, 1 red wire - 5V, One green wire - for the on switch and the fan wires of course. 5. I divided the yellow wires into 5 bunches, as I will have 5 rows of led pods. I also separated the ground wires, 5 for the pod rows, and one for the green and red wire. 6. The green and black wire are hooked up to the SPST switch, this turns the unit on and off 7. The red and black 5V wire goes to the 12V DC automotive light bulb - this acts as a heavy resistor to provide a small load for the power supply. 8. The remaining yellow 12V wires and ground wires I tied off and readied to be attached to the LEDs. All other wires were trimmed short, soldered and capped with electrical tape.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Analog-LED-Table/

Image Notes 1. dell, eeeeeewy 2. open source, yummy?

Image Notes 1. thats alot of crap in there, blow it out first!

Image Notes 1. Killer capacitors, beware! 2. This fan is to big, found a smaller one 3. To be trimmed 4. trim trim trim

Step 4: Circuits
Ah yes, its pod building time! Now you will have to bare with me as I built the actual circuits over a year and a half ago. Little embarrassed to say that I never properly learned how to draw a circuit diagram and it is next on my list. So I have included my bizarre 3d representation of the circuit picture #8 along with many photos. ADDITION: I have added a slightly proper circuit diagram, hopefully this makes sense! Please feel free to comment, add advice, or poke holes, its how we all learn. Thanks! 1. Cut your bailing wire into sections about 16 inches long. Bend the middle of it into a circle about the diameter of a tennis ball, this does not have to be precise. Where the extra wire bisects bend them down at a 90 angle. After and inch bend it up 90 degrees and after another inch bend it down 90 degrees more. Do this 60 times. Look at the pictures! 2. Take your LED's and your small resistors 470 ohm. Most places you buy LED's from will supply you with the matching resistors, you just tell them the power source. I asked for ones to run them off a 12V circuit. The Blue LED's are 3.2v, the green ones were a little less. Twist one resistor around the cathode (shorter wire) and solder in place. Repeat 240 times. 3. Cut your plastic into 60 strips about 1 inch by 5 inches. Drill holes to look like picture #7 4. Trim off the 3 leg of the photo transistor, see diagram. Or if you have 2 legged ones, your done 60 more steps. 5. From the picture, insert the 2 transistors and the photo-transistors into the hole you made and solder as per the diagram. 6. Next insert the 22k resistor and solder to the base of the one transistor and tie it to the emitter of the other transistor. The other end is soldered to a 470ohm resistor which is soldered to the photo transistor. The other leg goes to the base of the second transistor. Finally off the emitter of the first transistor you solder a wire that will be soldered to the bailing wire ring. Do 60 times 7. get out your hot glue, because the plastic base is so thin the heat of the glue enables you to bend the plastic around the bailing wire, attaching it. Yep 60 times. 8. finally solder the anodes of the LED's to the bailing wire circle, look at the pics! 9. Strip your Ethernet cable, you will have 3-4 sets of wire. Each set will usually have one colored wire, and one white wire, cut off a 3 foot section for each LED pod. Solder these on as per the photos. 10. Repeat until complete! 11. Patience, I will get around to learning how to write a proper diagram.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Analog-LED-Table/

Image Notes 1. ring shape

http://www.instructables.com/id/Analog-LED-Table/

Image Notes 1. Hole pattern

Step 5: Laying it out

This is a simple matter of laying out the LED's in a pleasing manner, mine was 5 rows of 9. 1. Once the pattern was marked, I simply drilled a small hole for the wire to feed through, and 2 holes for the bailing wire base. 2. Then the bailing wires were bent, locking the pod in place.

Image Notes

Image Notes

http://www.instructables.com/id/Analog-LED-Table/

1. 60 pods

1. pod jungle

Image Notes 1. pattern I drew, not really needed 2. bucket-o-pods

Step 6: Drilling holes & installing pods

Once again drilling holes, attaching pods, feeding the wires.

Image Notes 1. dremel is quick

Image Notes 1. Half done

http://www.instructables.com/id/Analog-LED-Table/

Image Notes 1. aw, one got squished under foot, but it lived, bent the wires back and it was good to go!

Image Notes 1. wires bent in place

Image Notes 1. done

http://www.instructables.com/id/Analog-LED-Table/

Step 7: Wirring the pods

1. All wires fed through the holes 2. Bundle the wires into groups 3. Secure and neat, ready for test run!

Image Notes 1. aaaaaaaaah

Image Notes 1. bundled and neat

Step 8: Power ups and initial testing

1. Hook the negative leads to the ground. 2. Hook the positive leads to the 12V 3. Turn on - success

http://www.instructables.com/id/Analog-LED-Table/

Image Notes 1. oooooh blinky reactive light pods

Image Notes 1. wow, thats really bright

Step 9: Power plant goes online

1. 2. 3. 4. Here we have put the power supply in place Chiseled out a hole for the fan Drilled the hole for the switch and drilled a crappy hole for the power cord, covered my error up with an ugly shower ring adapter, whoops

Image Notes 1. power station and switch in place

Image Notes 1. Chiseled hole for the fan

http://www.instructables.com/id/Analog-LED-Table/

Image Notes 1. power plug in place, switch is good

Step 10: Test run, curses...

So, got a little cocky but luckily I caught my self. One of the pods stayed lit all the time. It took me an hour to figure out what was wrong, I had soldered in one of the transistors backwards. I had a few spare boards so I popped it apart and put in a new one, its all good!

Image Notes 1. Bottom one is backwards

Image Notes 1. and fixed

Step 11: Final assembly

All is well, final assembly Fitted the board into the table Hook up all the wires Install the fan And screw in the 1"x1"boards to support the glass All is not so well! Discover that the photo transistors are too sensitive indoors AAAAAAH Super simple fix, cut 1/2 cm lengths of black silicone tubing used for fishing gear, these slip over the heads of the photo transistors preventing stray darkness from entering from the sides and triggering the LED's in low light situations, nice! 9. I recently added a paper diffuser under the glass, this softens the leds intensity on the eyes! If your end intent is to do this, you could skip the steps on hidding the wires as it would not be seen. Kinda miss seeing the circuits though. The beauty of using the paper is it can be removed if you change your mind! 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Analog-LED-Table/

http://www.instructables.com/id/Analog-LED-Table/

Image Notes 1. almost done!

Image Notes 1. ah, kinda pretty

Image Notes 1. Paul buffing the glass 2. sleeping dachshund

Image Notes 1. Paul relaxing after buffing the glass

Image Notes 1. glow time

http://www.instructables.com/id/Analog-LED-Table/

Image Notes 1. leds nicely diffused, kinda miss seeing the circuit though

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Comments
49 comments Add Comment

ay01 says:

Jan 7, 2011. 1:48 PM REPLY I cant make it work :( . . . . . .. has any one tried working with just a single POD not the whole table ? I wanna try with one working POD and then when it works wanna continue with the project. I am using a L14g3 transistor some one please tell me what lights will trigger it ? IR didnt work and no ordinary bulbs neither fluorescent one :S I just soldered the components on a board as shown on the circuit diagram and supplied it with 12v but no LED are now lighting up at all

iminthebathroom says:

Mar 6, 2011. 8:29 PM REPLY are you using a 3 leg photo transistor? I would try it with a simple photo diode, had a hell of a time with the 3 leg photo transistor. Only reason i used it was it was super cheap to buy a bulk amount of those. I was getting help from the group at evil mad scientists as they are the primo experts on responsive LED tables. They blow my stuff out of the water Jan 7, 2011. 10:30 PM REPLY i'll try to tackle it later tonight or tomorrow, just got off a night shift... The l14g3 is the photo transistor right. Trying to think off the top of my head. The way how I engineered the circuit it would run off voltage from 5 to 12 volts with no noticeable difference. And I did it the same way for sure, make sure the single pod works before continuing. The first time I made it it had no board at all, just the components soldered end to end in a wire like pom-pom. its hard to tell the orientation of your components from the pictures though Im afraid. Could it be something as silly as the leds polarity is reversed? My photo transistor had 3 legs, on of which I knicked off as only 2 were needed. Maybe check to make sure its the right one one removed. Where in the world are you located? no big deal to drop an envelope with a couple stamps on it containing most of the parts I used, as i do have extra. Just in case i would maybe test your LEDs, its easy to blow them if wired wrong, but it does look like your using the right resistors. May have some spare pods lying around in my bins, I'll take a look

iminthebathroom says:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Analog-LED-Table/

iminthebathroom says:
Message me a shipping address, Ill see what I can dig up and post mark something out monday.

Jan 7, 2011. 11:01 PM REPLY

krzysztof21 says:
Witam przyda?o by si? te? jeszcze p?ynne wygaszanie przy zastosowaniu kondensatora np 50 uf

Mar 6, 2011. 2:55 PM REPLY

iminthebathroom says:
is that Polish?, saying - Hi przydaBo that is the | more pBynne decay eg using a capacitor 50 uf?

Mar 6, 2011. 8:25 PM REPLY

iminthebathroom says:
um? not sure of the language, sorry

Mar 6, 2011. 4:54 PM REPLY

ay01 says:

Jan 3, 2011. 3:07 AM REPLY Can some one please tell me if I can use a L14g3 transistor in this project and what would be the changes I would need to do to make it work if any ?, and the light source which it will work ? Because I am using it made just a single POD to see how will it work supplying 12v voltage to it the LEDs to operate but there is no change in their working (Blinking etc)

iminthebathroom says:
looks like it should work, still post a pic. perhaps I can spot something slightly askew.

Jan 3, 2011. 5:35 AM REPLY

iminthebathroom says:

Jan 3, 2011. 5:31 AM REPLY can you take a couple pictures and post it here of your completed pod. Also remember fluorescent lights will not work to trigger it. Meanwhile i'll look up the transistor you used.

ay01 says:
But I guess your project works on fluorescent lights ?

Jan 4, 2011. 10:28 AM REPLY

iminthebathroom says:

Jan 4, 2011. 11:07 AM REPLY No, not at all. When I was doing the project in my living room the circuit worked just fine. Mine you my living room is overhead halogen lighting. I then was working in another room, and suddenly the gazillion pods I made wouldn't work - aagh, discovered it was the Eco-friendly fluorescent lights over head. Fluorescent lights do not trigger photo-transistors. A lit cigarette in the room affects it more. Also, as these take in light from a lot of different angles the addition of a about 1/4" of black silicon tubing over the top of each sensor dialed in the sensitivity nicely. Each of these diodes though is built for different light levels so the height of the tubing will need experimenting with.

solis365 says:

Dec 20, 2010. 3:34 PM REPLY why are you driving 4 LEDs in parallel? forward voltage on blue LEDs is ~3v, and you have 12V supply. You could probably do one series combination of 3 LEDs or 2 series combinations of 2LEDs in parallel if you really wanted 4 LEDs. Seems a bit wasteful of power, and even if you don't care about that, its a less elegant solution, which is what we analog people care about anyway =P

iminthebathroom says:

Dec 20, 2010. 7:06 PM REPLY Forward voltage for the blue LED's was slightly different then the forward voltage of the green LED's, the green and blue LED's had there own specific resistor ratings, thought the simplest way to run the two different voltages was to run them in parallel being that they had there own resistor values. By all means though, I love objective criticism, its how I'm learning. I think i have learned more from peoples comments then my limited exposure at school. Read through some of the other comments, you will see many other discrepancies pointed out, the beauty of these comments, is that they will be helpful to others wishing to build something like this. One day I would like to redo this tables electronics as there is so much that I would do differently. For now, I'm happy with it as it work, as it was cheap to produce, was simple if not time consuming to put together and amazingly on my limited knowledge base it works for its intended purpose if albeit, through a round about manner.

harthoppy says:

Oct 20, 2010. 7:59 PM REPLY Would it be hard to put in a delay type switch ? I dont know how to explain it other then when you move some thing across the table it leaves a "Trail " for a few seconds? Very nice by the way .

iminthebathroom says:

Oct 21, 2010. 10:05 AM REPLY Oh yes, this is what I wanted to do, just couldn't get the parts in time. First what should be done is to add a small diode to each led pods positive power supply lead. That way you isolate each pod, sometimes I get feed back when one pod is triggered to light, the whole string can be set off from electrical feed back. Second for that sweeping effect, you simply need a small capacitor per pod, this would be soldered on to one of the power supply leads. Depending on the size capacitor used will give you the desired effect. It might be advantageous to build a single pod on a bread board and try it with various sized capacitors. You should also read down through all the posts made from other people, they have some excellent ideas as to how to refine this project. Most people have seen the awesome led tables they have at "evil mad scientist". They use capacitors to get the sweeping look you looking for. Feel free to ask for more info or what have you!

http://www.instructables.com/id/Analog-LED-Table/

doubleshockz says:

Oct 1, 2010. 1:18 PM REPLY thanks. i feel like a dummy. this is really cool i could never do this i suck with electrictronics. last time i tried something like this i burned of my fingerprints

Opsenica says:
hihi u just need some1 to show u, its easier than finding google page on internet =)

Oct 2, 2010. 8:38 AM REPLY

iminthebathroom says:

Oct 1, 2010. 9:28 PM REPLY Hey, I fumbled through this, I got so much help through this website! Trust me, their be many solder burns on my body! The circuit is quite simple, its figuring out exactly what you need that's the hard part. If you ever wish to try I'd be more then happy to look up all the exact item numbers I used, then just plunk those numbers into ebay or bring to an electronics store. They'll set you up!

Opsenica says:

Oct 1, 2010. 7:15 AM REPLY i did same thing few years ago, bit less complex..... there is no need for photo transistor, in my town, it is cheaper to buy photo diode, and connect it between collector and base of transistor.... anyways nice job =) set of 4 diodes can be made with one resistor =)

iminthebathroom says:

Oct 1, 2010. 8:03 AM REPLY Odd I wrote a huge comment, and hit publish, and it just re-wrote a comment I put in for someone else. Anyway, at the time photo transistors were all I could get. 300 for 99 cents and free shipping. Radio shack had photo diodes for 4.99 for a 3-pack. How do you make 4 diodes with on transistor, I thought the purpose of using a diode was to act as a "one way valve" for electricity. Thought if I put one diode on either the pos' or neg' lead to each LED pod it would stop any feedback going to its neighboring pod. Appreciate any input, as I am slightly "electro-illiterate!"

Opsenica says:

Oct 1, 2010. 9:20 AM REPLY o ye, i tought so, but i commented that mostly for others so they can see photo transistor is not only way.. actually photo transistor is just normal transistor with photo diode inside, did not mean anything bad =) and then i dont get it why did u use another transistor when you could have connected collector of photo transistor onto base of inverting transistor? :P transistor what turns on transistor is like having switch for switch for light =) if all led's are same, and in paralell, they have same voltage drop, and total current is euqal to all currents together. so taking one resistor 4x value of one single led will work just fine =)

iminthebathroom says:

Oct 1, 2010. 9:35 AM REPLY yep, originally I was going to use a photo-diode so had assembled most of the circuits prior to getting the Photo-transistors. I kinda over did it, due to lack of knowledge. I've learned a lot from this build and other peoples comments. And no worries on me thinking your comments were bad. This is the best way to learn sometimes, trial - error and advice! Truly appreciate it. What do you think about the addition of diodes, Sometimes when the light is dim in the room running your hand over one pod will trigger all the other LED pods to come on, this dissipates with the addition of more light in the room. Its that sudden burst that seems to trigger all the other pods. Is it silly thinking that if I put a diode on each pod it will isolate it from the neighboring pods?

Opsenica says:

Oct 1, 2010. 9:57 AM REPLY that triggering of diodes is because strength of light is on critical point between turning one set on or off, and when you trigger just one, voltage jumps a bit, just enough to change state of transistor from conducting to not conducting and all just turn on.... i'd fix this by adding source of light direct over the table, im not sure ( gonna check it up ) if photo transistor is sensitive to IR light. so idea is to put IR light high above desk ( on ceiling ) and they act as light for transistors to keep them on current state, and it wouldnt bother you because we cant see IR light =) tough it might bother your tv, because with more IR light in room ( sun radiates IR so when its sunny, remote control from tv doesnt work so good) signal will be weaker, but that again can be solved with good positioning IR leds so they dont shine around room... hope i helped =)

iminthebathroom says:

Oct 1, 2010. 10:50 AM REPLY Very interesting, In the picture below I have since added a simple piece of white paper, this cuts down on the intensity of the leds, "gets a little hard on the eyes sometimes with bare leds". One way we used to isolate the intensity of the photo-transistors was by fitting them with a 1/4" piece of black silicone tubing. Its a perfect fit as the i.d. is ever so slightly smaller then the o.d. of the photo transistor. this cuts down on the amount of light reflecting from below and entering from the sides. I tried shinning a IR led at it and it dimmed slightly. I then tried several TV remotes at it and it they would lightly flicker. Either way the IR source only effected it when held and inch or two away from each individual pod. Fluorescent lighting provides zero effect, it might as well be a pitch dark room. I am lucky to have recessed halogen lighting on a dimmer in that room though.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Analog-LED-Table/

Opsenica says:

Oct 1, 2010. 11:19 AM REPLY i used tape what is used to protect door frame or window frame and just sticked it over leds, and i had flat leds so it was more dispersed light rather than bright focused light from round leds. eh i tought it would work with IR leds... =) one question... how much hours of work did you spend on that table? remote controler sends impulses to tv so it is supposed to flicker =) light sensitivity can be modified by changing resistor value on photo transistor and resistors on switch transistor, but it would be perfect if you used capacitive or inductive sensor. inductive sensor has short range, but you dont even need some wide sensitivity and they are quite easy to build, especially if you need their sensitivity to be on 1cm range

Opsenica says:

Oct 1, 2010. 11:59 AM REPLY and i have one tought... you could make analog LED table_updated, with new photos, new solutions, new videos, put your new toughts into it, maybe take some my advice and perhaps change electronic scheme, btw that trick with using one resistor instead of 4, works only for exactly same leds, every color and brightness led has its diferent current, so you would have first class instructable. =) Oct 1, 2010. 11:55 AM REPLY cool, how much time... The circuits were soldered together over two weeks on coffee breaks and lunch hours at work. Drove my cubicle friends crazy with smell of fresh solder in the air. Then the project sat shelved for a year as it was going to be a present for a friend who then had to move suddenly. Inspiration for the project struck when I saw the LED contest 4 days before it was due! So between work & family duties about 18 hours total, another 4 hours writing up the instructable - "slow upload speeds from my geographical region". Could have cut the time in half with friends helping with soldering and more commitment. The project slows down a lot when its stop-&-go due to other duties of life.

iminthebathroom says:

Opsenica says:

Oct 1, 2010. 12:03 PM REPLY i watched video with sound for first time minute ago and i feel bad for pointing out things you mentioned in it =)

Opsenica says:

Oct 1, 2010. 10:03 AM REPLY and i see in video, pods are not turning off perfectly when you hide light from them, that could be solved by higher positioning photo transistors or making shelter with opening up so light what comes from sides wont affect single pod =)

Opsenica says:
ofcourse, it can be and it doesnt have to be... i mean no harm by these comments and please do not be offended =)

Oct 1, 2010. 9:29 AM REPLY

DIY-Guy says:

Sep 25, 2010. 11:38 PM REPLY Thank you for making something which is really "open source." This interactive LED table is something anyone can make without buying an overpriced kit from a profit-monger. Your work deserves to be praised!

iminthebathroom says:

Sep 26, 2010. 3:10 PM REPLY Thanks, that was the intent. Too many times I get excited about things like this, on this and other websites and then discover what i would have to shell out. Don't get me wrong, those others put a lot of work into their items and they are probably just trying to make a living like everyone else. But, for now their is something like this. It was cheap to make, but it does does take a while to produce as its NOT a kit. Anyway, thanks again, I appreciate it.

doubleshockz says:
is this for the gorilla glue contest

Sep 30, 2010. 1:38 PM REPLY

iminthebathroom says:
write up has been added!

Oct 1, 2010. 10:24 AM REPLY

iminthebathroom says:

Oct 1, 2010. 8:22 AM REPLY Whoops, for some reason I had published the "frame step" with out the write up, just the pics! No wonder you had to ask if this was for the gorilla glue contest. I'll edit this shortly and include the write-up! If you look in some of the pics, you can see the bottle of gorilla glue. Oct 1, 2010. 7:51 AM REPLY Don't get me wrong, I'm sure other entries are more valid then this one. But the frame was built by gorilla gluing it together with doweling. So I threw it in the competition. Figured why not, I wasn't even a finalist in the LED contest.

iminthebathroom says:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Analog-LED-Table/

Frag says:

Sep 23, 2010. 7:03 PM REPLY hmmmm.... frosted plexiglass instead of clear safety glass may help with the sensitivity problem. ill give it a try if i get around to making this AWESOME table.

iminthebathroom says:

Sep 23, 2010. 7:40 PM REPLY yes, we all ready tried putting a sheet of rice paper down over the circuit, then replaced the glass and it works so much better! But,... I really wanted to see the circuits. Just never happy...

mary candy says:

:)

Sep 22, 2010. 8:16 PM REPLY

sweetcantelope says:
K this thing is pretty cool.

Sep 21, 2010. 1:34 PM REPLY

iminthebathroom says:
Thanks!

Sep 21, 2010. 2:38 PM REPLY

drbill says:
With a relay this could be used to turn 'on' and 'off' all kinds of cool stuff just like in the space movies !

Sep 20, 2010. 9:15 AM REPLY

iminthebathroom says:

Sep 20, 2010. 10:10 AM REPLY For sure, the circuit is surprisingly simple. To fine tune the sensitivity we used black silicon tubing. This tubing is perfect as it has a slightly smaller I.D. then the O.D. of the photo transistor. You just cut your length and slip it over the end of the photo transistor. It locks on well yet if you give it a twist it comes off with little fight. It can be found at most hardware stores and fishing stores. We only need lengths about 1/4 inch long, but you can achieve interesting results from longer strands. They also sell it in a translucent cream color, if you were to have strands 4-5 inches long so could mount these in a hall way for Halloween. As people brushed past them, they would pinch off the light and flip the circuit! oooh the possibilities.

iminthebathroom says:

Sep 20, 2010. 10:03 AM REPLY "I forgot to mention, this table was built as a panel. That is why the power is on the side. The panel can easily be moved about, it can be placed on my coffee table, kitchen table or even the wall as interactive wall art. I believe this is important as my family likes to be able to mix up our furniture arrangement and may not always want such as large piece to be hard to move around . In pictures and videos the table is sitting on top of my living room coffee table. It would be simple to add permanent legs or even cheat a little and pick up a cheap used table and buck the legs to the desired height"

iminthebathroom says:
Video has finally been embedded. Thanks for everyone help with this little glitch!

Sep 20, 2010. 9:08 AM REPLY

iminthebathroom says:
This would be better if the video would embed, for mean while here is a youtube link for the video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brvqgpBtCr8&feature=channel

Sep 19, 2010. 3:56 PM REPLY

depotdevoid says:
Very nice project, and I love the selection of green and blue for colors, that's definitely the way I would go too.

Sep 19, 2010. 9:14 AM REPLY

iminthebathroom says:
awesome, thanks!

Sep 19, 2010. 3:21 PM REPLY

http://www.instructables.com/id/Analog-LED-Table/