Harlem Satterfield Capstone

The goal of my “Smart LED Table” is to serve as an easy-to-use platform for development both electrically and mechanically. I wanted to make something so versatile that everyone from the common man to the super nerd can get something out of it.

The LED Matrix is the key part of this project; the entire table is built around it. It serves as a screen for everything the project has to offer. Apart from displaying all of the information that the other features find, I’ve programmed it to show colorful, mesmerizing patterns that aim to entertain the user. For finding the time, I used an RTC (Real-Time Clock) chip. Once the time is set, the chip will automatically count up time from years to seconds and then the time is displayed on the LED matrix in military form (4:40 -> 16:40). I’ve also added a small temperature sensor, which (obviously) senses the temperature and displays it on the matrix . Lastly, the table can play music from an SD card while everything above is going on.

Building this table was a very lengthy and difficult process, which involved lots of prototyping and assembly. All of the pieces I cut were off by fractions of an inch. The table fell apart multiple times and several pieces of code didn’t work as intended. There are so many things I would change and so many other features I’d love to add, but I’m glad everything turned out well.

"Blynk." Docs.blynk.cc. Accessed January 25, 2019. https://docs.blynk.cc/.

Blynk is an app that allows you to connect to a Wifi or Bluetooth device and control it via smartphone. The software really sparked my curiosity and I think I’m able to use it even if I don’t go with the NodeMCU (development board with wifi). I first learned about the app when one of my when I watched a video of one of my favorite creators build a project using it. I then decided to research more about Blynk, even downloading the app, and then I found this website, which explains all of Blynk’s functions in great detail.

"Build a Great Sounding Audio Amplifier (with Bass Boost) from the LM386." Circuit Basics. June 21, 2018. Accessed January 25, 2019. http://www.circuitbasics.com/build-a-great-sounding-audio-amplifier-with-bass-boost-from-the-lm386/.

This article is about using the popular LM386 chip. It explains what the chip is, what it can do, and shows a circuit that allows you to use it as an audio amplifier. It can take input from an audio jack, enhance it, and send it to a speaker. You can even control the signal’s volume and gain. This circuit would be absolutely perfect for the music portion of my table. I know I can properly integrate the circuit because I’ve successfully used it several times.