Difference between revisions of "Beacon4"

From Hackstrich
(x86 power :()
(Somehow I was doubling the power draw per metre for the LEDs.)
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** Ladder rungs: 8 * 4 * 1.5ft = 36ft
 
** Ladder rungs: 8 * 4 * 1.5ft = 36ft
 
** '''Total: 170ft''' (plus probably want a bit extra just in case, so 11 strips or 180ft)
 
** '''Total: 170ft''' (plus probably want a bit extra just in case, so 11 strips or 180ft)
** That's 1760 LEDs and 1.1kW peak!
+
** That's 1760 LEDs and 550W peak!
  
 
[[Category:Current Projects]]
 
[[Category:Current Projects]]

Revision as of 19:14, 25 April 2012

Beacon4 will be the fourth incarnation of the flagpole beacon, for Burning Man 2012. This year the plan is to take a different approach, and light the entire scaffold tower rather than just a beacon on top of the flagpole.

Project Status

  • 2012-04-24: Permission received!
  • 2012-04-23: Requested permission from NeonBunny to attach LEDs to the tower.
  • 2012-04-22: Started putting together idea.

Outstanding Issues

  • Software we were thinking of using was QLC (but it only supports 4 universes) or MagicQ (but it's x86-only which means more power draw)
    • If we go x86, the fit-PC might be a good choice, it's a 6-8W x86 box in a small metal enclosure

Ideas/Plans

  • Main idea is to cover most of the scaffold tower in addressable LED strips, driven by one or more StrichLux modules
  • Art-Net will be used between the controller and the StrichLux box
    • Backup plan is to have a USB hub and one OpenDMX USB interface per universe, driving the StrichLux boxes via IO-DMX input modules
    • IO-DMX input module could be brought along either way and swapped in if someone wants to manually control the "display"
  • BeagleBone is being looked at to control the whole display
    • <1W idle, 1.75W full load
    • Comes with onboard Ethernet
  • Need to find a fanless very low power 4 or 5 port Ethernet switch
    • Allied Telesis AT-FS705LE V5 might work, it's rugged, low power, and cheap

System Components

  • BeagleBone (controller)
  • 4-port fanless Ethernet switch
  • 1 or 2 StrichLux boxes (transform engine/protocol converter)
  • Many LED strips (need to work out dimensions)
  • Power setup (need to work out power details)
  • Debugging terminal (XO-1?)

Power Details

  • Power requirements (peak)
    • BeagleBone - 1.75W
    • Ethernet Switch - 1.7W (assuming AT-FS705LE V5)
    • StrichLux box(es) - ???
    • LEDs - 10W/m (need to measure to confirm)

LED Details

  • Length required (very roughly until I get real numbers from Skibit)
    • Main vertical bars: 4 * 20ft = 80ft
    • Ladder vertical bars: 10 * 3ft = 30ft (but 2 of those are near ground level)
    • Rigid guys: 4 * 6ft = 24ft
    • Ladder rungs: 8 * 4 * 1.5ft = 36ft
    • Total: 170ft (plus probably want a bit extra just in case, so 11 strips or 180ft)
    • That's 1760 LEDs and 550W peak!