Christmas Star Project

(Updated 02/12/2006)

Making the Star

The display is made with clear 2mm thick Polycarbonate/Acrylic plastic sheet (The type found in DIY stores) !ut a piece "#$"# cm s%uare (&'( $ &'() for the star to easily fit on it Cutting the sheet )ea*e the protecti*e film on the sheet !ut the sheet by *ery carefully scorin+ it with a +ood %uality,hea*y duty DIY knife and metal strai+ht ed+e, takin+ care not to cut your fin+ers.hen sufficiently scored, it should be possible to snap the sheet cleanly /r it can be sawn usin+ a 0i+saw at *ery low speed with a fine toothed blade intended for plastic or metal cuttin+ 1ow print the star templates on the ne$t four pa+es 2 make sure they print at the correct si3e by settin+ the Adobe 4eader print option for 5Pa+e 6calin+( to 51one( Trim e$cess paper at the o*erlappin+ sides (still lea*in+ a small o*erlap) then 0oin sheets with clear tape (7old the sheets to the li+ht to +et best ali+nment of the o*erlapped ed+es before finally tapin+ them) .hen all four sheets are taped to+ether, trim around the outside then tape it centrally onto the plastic sheet

It helps if you first mark the centre points of each ed+e of the plastic and the paper

Top )eft 6ide

Top 4i+ht side

8ottom )eft

8ottom 4i+ht

Drilling the LED holes

9se a sharp point to mark the plastic sheet for the centre of each hole Drill each hole slowly with a :mm metal drill bit (Test the drill hole si3e first on some scrap material so that the );Ds are a firm fit in the holes) You can also now drill two holes in the top corners of the sheet to attach strin+ for han+in+ it in a window And drill a :mm hole in the star centre for the 4<8 led 1ow make a print of the pcb layout and use it as a template to mark and drill mountin+ holes for it centrally below the star =it all );Ds with the flat side (short lead) towards the top of the sheet If any are a loose fit, apply a drop of +eneral purpose clear adhesi*e to the side of the led before pushin+ it into the hole

Picture shows );Ds ready for the ne$t sta+e (wirin+>up)

Wiring the LED Anodes and Cathodes

The dia+rams on the ne$t two pa+es show colour coded +uides to wirin+ the );D anode and cathode connections A cathode connection is the shorter lead ad0acent to the flat side of each led 9sin+ thin, sin+le strand insulated wire ?ake the connections by carefully stripin+ 0ust enou+h insulation to wrap the wire around each led lead without cuttin+ the wire )ea*e plenty of wire free for connectin+ each wire to the pcb which is intended to fit centrally at the base of the star Do not solder the leads closer than about :mm from each );D and trim the surplus lead len+th after makin+ a connection 9se small pieces of p*c tape or sticky labels to mark each 4ow/!olumn wire to make it easier to identify when connectin+ to the P!8 The trimmed );D leads are %uite sharp 2 you may want to co*er them o*er later usin+ another similar si3ed plastic sheet

T/P

4ear @iew

Anodes .irin+ # & 2 A " : ' B

4ow !onnections

T/P

4;A4 @I;.

!athodes wirin+

!olumn

!onnections

<

Matrix Diagram
This dia+ram identifies each );D in the matri$ 2 useful for locatin+ any wirin+ errors or faults

<B

7:

<'

4ear @iew

?atri$ Dia+ram
A#

A& <A A:

A'

!olumns A 8 4 4 < < 8 8 8 ! 4 4 < < 8 8 8 D 4 4 < < 8 8 8 4 ; 4 4 < < 8 8 8 4 = 4 4 < < 8 8 8 4 < 4 4 < < 8 8 8 4 8 8 8 4 < 7 4

;B

;" =' 7#

;& =A

="

8& 82 8A 8"

A2 <"

AA A"

8# D2 !2 !"

D" 72

D&

7" D: !&

7B

# & 4ows2 A " : '

4 4 < < 8 8 8 8

8'

!:

<# <2 8: =2 ;: =& =: =B ;' ;# ;2 =# <& DA AB ;A !A

!#

!'

D#

B
7'

<:

D' DB

PCB Track Layout

The circuit can either be built on stripboard or use this sin+le sided pcb layout P!8 is shown actual si3eC : ' $ " ' cm (2 2 $ & D inches) and is ready for printin+, usin+ the toner transfer method Print this pa+e actual si3e (ensure that print option for 5Pa+e 6calin+( is set to 51one()

Com onent Layout

1ote !apacitors polarity (>*e side is marked)

100 100 56 56 56 56 56 56 100 100 100 100uF PIC18F2620

ULN2803

7805 CT

0,1uF 10K 10K 0,1uF 10uF 1N4001

Circuit Diagram

Parts List
Component !& !2 !A !" D& I!& I!2 I!A 4& 42 4A 4" 4: 4' 4B 4D 4F 4&# 4&& 4&2 4&A 6& 62 Value #,&E= #,&E= &#E= &##E= &1"##2 PI!&D=2'2# 9)12D#A BD#:!T Notes 6mall :#* type 6mall :#* type &' or 2:* workin+ electrolytic 2:* workin+ electrolytic /r &1"##& Plus a 2Dpin # A( socket /r 9)12D#AA 6tandard :@ re+ulator

&D#4 All resistors are # 2:. carbon &##4 &##4 :'4 :'4 :'4 :'4 :'4 :'4 &##4 &##4 &#G &#G 'mm Tactile '$'mm pushbutton 'mm Tactile

8lue );D6 (:mm) 7i+h bri+htness (about '###mcd) H 2: <reen );D6 as abo*e 4ed );D6 as abo*e H &: H 2#

(Three more will be needed to make the multicolour feature for the star centre) or use an 4<8 (" lead) );D

Centre !"B LED

I first tried usin+ separate 4ed,<reen and 8lue );Ds, +lued to+ether to make an 4<8 effect This was impro*ed upon by diffusin+ the clear plastic lenses by rubbin+ each with *ery fine abrasi*e paper (this also widened the *iewin+ an+le) =rom a distance it looked acceptable 2 but I decided to obtain a proper (" lead) :mm 4<8 led instead ?y ori+inal P!8 connector for the 4<8 led/s was intended for common cathode (ne+ati*e) use .hen my 4<8 led arri*ed, I found it had a common anodes (positi*e) instead (there was no mention of this in itIs spec ) Anyway, I ha*e now modified the firmware to allow either type 2 0ust hold the 9P button pressed durin+ power>on to confi+ure it for a common anode type (the new settin+ is then retained in memory) Please see the circuit dia+ram and pcb layout to wire>up the 4<8 led =or common anode );D, please i+nore the #* (<1D) 4<8 led pcb connection and use any J:* track on the pcb instead The pin out connections for 4<8 leds may *ary 2 check your );DIs data sheet before connectin+ it up

Disclaimer
This pro0ect (includin+ software) is pro*ided on an KA6>I6K basis for 1/1>!/??;4!IA), personal use only and .IT7/9T .A44;1TY of any kind, either e$press or implied I shall 1/T 8; )IA8); in any way to you or to any other person, firm or corporation whatsoe*er for any loss, liability, dama+e (whether direct or conse%uential), personal in0ury or e$pense of any nature whatsoe*er arisin+ from inaccuracies, errors in, or the use or inability to use the hardware and/or software here

!opyri+ht L 2##' D Thorpe (www unusualelectronics co uk)