Animated Christmas LED Snowflake project

(Project added 20th November 2008)

Introduction

The snowflake is about 38cm across and designed to be displayed indoors in a window.

This is is a follow-on from my Christmas Star project. This year I decided to only use white LEDs for a different effect.

It uses a smaller, inexpensive PIC18F1330 which is my current favourite general purpose microcontroller.

Files/Firmware

You will need a programmer compatible with the PIC18F1330 microcontroller such as the Microchip "PICkit 2" or other similar programmers.

I shall update the file version here as features are added/bugs fixed etc.

This firmware version displays about 30 different patterns. It can now also be switched on/off at set times if you connect it to the serial data output from my Christmas Star project.

If two or more Snowflakes are connected to a Star, they "should" randomly sync together (although I can't test it yet as I have only built one Snowflake.)

Please check back here for firmware updates

The Latest version of the Snowflake HEX file (v0.2) (01/12/2008) (right-click then "Save As")

(Note. This is a beta software - still being developed)

I do not release the ASM source code for this project.

Detailed instructions, templates diagrams etc. are all in the manual below:

Snowflake construction manual(v1.1) (PDF file)

---

Project Updates

v0.2 (1st December 2008) (Added more patterns and the serial link to allow on/off control by a Star )

v0.1 (20th November 2008) (first release)

To Do List

Add more patterns.

---

Disclaimer

This project (including software) is provided on an "AS-IS" basis for NON-COMMERCIAL, personal use only and WITHOUT WARRANTY of any kind, either express or implied.
I shall NOT BE LIABLE in any way to you or to any other person, firm or corporation whatsoever for any loss, liability, damage (whether direct or consequential), personal injury or expense of any nature whatsoever arising from inaccuracies, errors in, or the use or inability to use the hardware and/or software here.


This project page was last updated Friday 26th of June 2009