Once I tested the connection with the board, it was time for me hook up the Christmas lights I was going to put on my Christmas tree. The final result was simply one of the most satisfyingly geeky things I have ever done. For most of December, I left my Raspberry Pi connected to my Christmas tree. With a simple SSH client on my phone, I could easily start/stop the show any time I wanted.
Making a musical light show with the Raspberry Pi | Opensource.com
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This project involves using a Raspberry Pi to drive 8 AC outlets which are connected to Christmas Tree light sets. The AC lights are simple one color strands of lights, but to give a more dynamic range to the light show there is also a 25 programmable RGB LED star. One of the benefits of using the Raspberry Pi instead of an Arduino controller is that I can drive the audio out of the Raspberry Pi to have the lights timed with music (not to mention the benefit having a WiFi connection to work on the software remotely).
Now connect one of the cut up extension cords from the previous step. In my case I have an enclosure with a 1.5" diameter hole for all the cords to flow out, so highlighted in green is one of the cords with one end connected to the distribution block and the other to the output end of the SSR module. To complete the circuit we need a much shorter wire (shown in blue) that connects the other distribution block to the SSR module. Trim and staple to keep everything as neat as possible. Not only does the staple keep things neat but it also serves a strain relief so that any tugging and pulling when connecting the lights to the tree will not pull the connections out of components. Needless to say, when stapling do not have the staple pierce the wire or insulation.
I used Lightshowpi, a sophisticated application designed specifically for Sound & Light shows. This specific package is for Raspberry Pi (written largely in Python) and lets you choose your music to blast your neighbors with thumping lights.
Incandescent strands do not have the same issue with rectification as LED strands have, and when used with a solid-state relay, they are still dimmable using PWM. The one largest drawback of incandescent strands is the power requirements. With incandescent lights, you may need to consider using a more industrial-grade solid-state relay for longer runs, making sure to not exceed the current limitation of the strands themselves. If you plan on using a combination of both on/off and PWM configurations, you may also consider a mix and match to help lower your energy costs.
To decorate your home for the holidays, or to simply add some lighting features to your yard, you can execute this project as an easy and inexpensive alternative to the purchase of commercially available decorative lighting options. With the numerous configuration options and the ability to swap out different strands of lights on a whim, the only thing you need to add to this project is a little of your own flair to awe your neighbors with your amazing display. If you've built something like this before or followed our project guide, drop us a line and maybe even share a short video on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, or Google+ to show us what you've made. Happy holidays!
Me and my colleagues are starting a computer company and we are making our first prototype with a raspberry pi! Slim,Sleek, and just plain awesome! Boy, Will this be interesting! Of course it is just a prototype and speed doesn't matter in this case. Stay tuned here and [##raspberrypilaptop.tk here]! Edit: Disabled the link for it redirects to an ad page! 2ff7e9595c
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