10 X 10 Infinity Mirror
10 X 10 Infinity Mirror
10 X 10 Infinity Mirror
Table of Contents
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Author:ChromationSystems www.chromationsystems.com
Designing electronic creations from microcontrollers, LEDs and anything else I can pull out of a dumpster and make use of. Check my Profile
The kit features a 8 Channel LED Controller v.3 from Chromation Systems, which is used to control 8 channels of LEDs, with up to 5 LEDs in parallel per channel.(100
ma per channel) It utilizes a PIC12F1822 and a TPIC6C596 power logic shift register, with each channel current controlled with a single 0.5w resistor, allowing different
colors of LEDs to be controlled with various currents. The controller runs at 32 Mhz, each channel is 8-bit(256 levels) PWM controlled at 370 hz. It can interface with TTL
serial devices, such as a MAX232 or a USB to TTL Serial Adapter. The software, MonoMotion, can interface with the controller and is used to create, order, and upload
patterns to the device for it to run on its own. Or the outputs can be controlled with live serial data from a computer or other serial device. Perfect for small Infinity Mirrors
or other creations requiring intelligent LED animations on a small versatile, platform.
The finished Infinity Mirror is 9.5" x 9.5" viewable and 13.5" x 13.5" x 2.25" overall, with 32 LEDs, 8 per side.
All the diagrams used in this are available for download in the ZIP below the video.
Kits are Available for Purchase from The Chromation Systems Store
File Downloads
Contact Us if you would like a custom kit with only the parts you need or for Custom Infinity Mirrors and Kits.
Frame:
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Electronics:
*Red, Green, Blue, Yellow, Orange, Cool White, UV, Purple, Pink, Turquoise, Aqua-Green
Or if you are building your own get a 32 pack of Mix-and-Matched Colors of 5mm Diffused LEDs
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Step 2: Front of the Frame
Frame Front: If any glue oozes out, wait til it is dry and scrape it with a razor. Do not try to fix it til it is dry.
Once both halves are dry, which should take a few to several hours.
Masking and Painting: The front is painted first because it makes final painting later easier, and the mask will protect the front while the rest of the kit is assembled.
Wait til the paint is completely dry, the longer the better, otherwise the masking tape could ruin the finish.
Get a piece of paper, that is a bit smaller than the now painted frame front.
Use some painters tape and tape the paper down, making sure to hang some tape over the all edges. The whole front part should be covered.
Flip the front frame over, and use a razor to trim off the excess painters tape.
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Step 3: Inner Walls
If You Purchased A Kit, Skip This Step, the inner walls come drilled, painted, and ready for the LEDs to be installed.
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Step 4: Prepare Inner Walls
Colors and Patterns: Either 1, 2, 4, or 8 colors of LEDs can be used. They can be arranged in a pattern, such as every other, but the pattern has to be the same all the
way around, so the same colors are in the same channels, see "squareLEDdiagram.png"
Mount LEDs: Warm up your hot glue gun for this step.
If you are using a color pattern(blue-green-blue-green ect) figure out how it will be laid out. Mark where the order.
Starting with one inner wall, insert a LED from the black(inside) side.
Hold the LED case tight to the front, and from the back squirt a drop of glue into the hole.
Twist the LED around a full rotation. While holding it flush to the black side. To spread the glue around.
Make sure the flat side on the LED case(also the short lead) is pointed down (towards the pair of blocks that are closer to the center)
Hold it or ensure it stays flush to the black side while the glue hardens.
Install all the LEDs on all four walls this way. It is very important all the LED's flat sides(short leads) are pointed the same way and the LEDs are glued in tight to
the black side. Maintain the correct order, view the diagram for details.
Solder Anode Rail: All the LED's anodes(positive lead) are connected in parallel using solid strand wire. View "inner-walls-diagram.png" in the project files for a clearer
diagram. Focus on the bottom red line.
Layout the inner walls, with LEDs glued in, arranged like they will when they are in the mirror. The blocks on the inner walls are different for the front and rear
mirrors, use those to arrange the inner walls correctly. Then make sure the LEDs flat-side are all facing the same way as well.
Start by stripping a 21" section of the included solid strand wire bare.
Starting at one end of a inner wall, bend over a LED's anode lead so it is parallel to the inner wall, 1/4" up.
Hook the LED lead around the wire and solder.
Work your way down the wall soldering all the LED anodes to the wire.
Position the next inner wall 1" away from the wired one.
Ensure that it is positioned correctly, the blocks that hold the mirror should be the same, as should the position of the LEDs flat-side. See diagram, inner-walls-
diagram.png
Solder the wire to the remainder of the LEDs just like the first inner wall was.
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Step 5: LED Wiring
Wire the LEDs, First(A) Inner Wall:
Lay out the now connected inner wall pair down on your workspace. Figure out which end the controller will be on. And label the LEDs by their channel number.
See "squareLEDdiagram.png"
Start bending the LED cathodes down parallel with the inner wall and pointing towards the end where the controller will be.
Bend all the leads that way for the wall pair. See images.
Take a piece of 8-strand ribbon cable, use a razor to separate all the strands on one end. It is easiest to place the ribbon cable down on the table, push in the tip
of the razor between 2 strands and pull the ribbon cable. Should cut easily and straight.
Strip and solder the first wire to the LED cathode that is farthest away from where the controller will be.
Trim off the excess cathode lead.
Pull the next wire strand down, so it can be soldered up to the next LED, it should seperate from the other strands easily, if it doesn't try starting it with a razor
again.
Trim the strand, strip it and solder it to the LED cathode, trim off the excess cathode lead.
Continue down the inner wall connect all 8 LEDs on that wall.
Wire The LEDs, Second (B) Inner Wall: Connecting the ribbon cable to the LEDs is done a bit differently.
Pull the slack on the anode wire, between the 2 inner walls tight.
Position the ribbon cable next to the next LED cathodes, lay the cable flat.
View the diagram, "inner-walls-diagram.png", for the connection order.
Align the ribbon cable with the LED's cathode, and carefully cut the correct strand(not the ribbon, a single strand, be careful not to cut into other ones) on center
with bent over LED cathode lead. It needs to be on center(or close to) so it will be easier to solder both wires onto the LED lead, it helps if the wires can be
soldered apart from each other, its extremely difficult to solder a wire onto a wire that is soldered onto a lead. So space out the solder joints along the lead and
soldering will be easier.
Strip both ends an 1/8" or so, and solder both ends onto the LED lead, with a small separation between the joints.
Work your way down, separating and cutting strands apart then soldering both ends to the LED cathode leads.
After all 8 LEDs on that wall are wired, there will be 3" - 4" of ribbon cable that hangs off the end.
Mark the LED 1 strand with a marker.
Using a razor separate all 8 strands, about 1" down, then strip off 1/8" of insulation off all of them. These strands will connect to the controller later.
So that should complete one inner wall pair. The other pair is built the same way except the LED channels will be reversed, that does not matter now if using all one color
of LEDs, but if you are making one with a color pattern(such as the one shown in this Instructable) Take care to make sure you have the LEDs in the correct order, please
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view all the diagrams for details.
Image Notes
1. Farthest LED from the controller
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Image Notes Image Notes
1. The excess cathode leads haven't been trimmed yet 1. End wall all done, one more to go for this pair.
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Step 6: Attach the Inner Walls
Note: If you are doing a color pattern(not all the same), test fit the walls and double check the order of the colors, it is difficult to make changes later. If you feel you need
to, you can connect the controller now or use a LED tester and see it all in the correct order.
Attach the Inner Walls: This should not get moved when the glue is setting, so assemble it somewhere it can be left for a few hours.
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Step 7: Attach Outer Walls
Attach Support Ribs: Each side needs 2 bottom support ribs and 2 upper support ribs to make the frame stronger.
Attach The Outer Walls: The glue can ruin the surfaces of the plastic so be very carefully and use small amounts. If it oozes or gets on anything, leave it til it drys, trying
to remove it will only make things worse.
Take the 4 outer wall parts, one of them has 2 holes in it for the button and DC jack.
Position the part with the holes so the holes are in the same corner as the controller. The holes are off center so the side that is farthest from the holes is the side
that will be glued down to the front frame.
Test fit the outer wall, if the mirror was not centered the support ribs may be to long, trim the support rib down with a razor blade and use the outer wall as a
gauge to get it the right length. If it is to short, when you are gluing the outer wall on, remember to position the outer wall flush with the edge and fill in the gap with
glue.
Once its position is figured out and prepared, carefully apply a thin bead of glue down the long side. Not to much or it will ooze and make the seam look bad. If it
does ooze, leave it alone til it drys. And scrape with a razor blade.
Apply a small bead of glue onto the exposed end of the support ribs for that side.
Position the outer wall onto the front frame, and make it flush with the edge.
Slide it down so it is flush with one end, since all the corners are offset.
Repeat the process with the next side, test fit the outer wall, possibly trim off excess support ribs, apply the glue but the rest will also need a bead on the end that
attaches to the next outer wall.
Once all outer walls are attached, and the glue gets tacky, carefully work your way around sliding and pushing the walls so they are flush with the front frame and
also to themselves.
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Step 8: Connect the Controller
Prepare the Controller:
Follow the 8 Channel LED Controller v.3 Instructable to complete the assembly of the controller.
Solder the DC jack onto the controller's power wires, as per the image/diagram.
Trim the buttons perforated board if it is too long.
Open up all of the terminal positions all the way, careful not to go to far and the screw will fall out. This will require a really small flat-point screwdriver, eyeglass
size.
Separate the ribbon cable strands and twist the exposed wire to make it neater and easier to insert. Tin it if you like.
Find the first channel strands, one from each wall pair, and twist them together.
Insert into the terminal block, position 1. Check to make sure no stray strands of wire are sticking out, then screw it in.
Continue with the rest of the ribbon strands, make sure to put them in the correct order.
Use a razor blade and make the hole for the button square, the hole is pretty close so, not that much needs to be cut off.
Apply a big drop of hot glue on the perforated board, on either side of the button, carefully not to get any on the button.
Insert it into the squared hole, hold it in place til the glue hardens.
Remove the bolt and washer from the DC Jack, don't loose them.
Insert the DC jack and attach the washer and nut.
Connect a wire from the LED+ position on the PCB(or the V+ on the DC jack) to the LED anode wires that are on the inner wall pairs.
Either use the anode wire itself if you have slack, or use a scrap of wire to make the connection.
Optionally, connect the inner wall pairs anode wires together in the corner opposite of the controller.
Stuff the controller in, you can cover the bottom with electrical tape if there is a chance it will touch any of the bare wires inside, also if you want to, hot glue it in
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position, but for the most part the wires will keep it in place.
Clean the inside of the two-way mirror, remove all dust and finger prints, a can of compressed air helps to get the dust out.
Clean the rear mirror, get it perfectly clean, you will notice dirt and smudges later.
Place the rear mirror into the frame.
Cut 1" wide sections of aluminum tape, and tape the rear mirror in, try to get the tape on tight.
Image Notes
1. V+
2. V-
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Step 9: Final Touches and Troubleshooting
Picture Wire: If you are not going to hang your mirror, skip this.
Take the included picture wire and loop it around the outside of the inner walls, under the top support ribs.
Where the wire meets, leave a little slack and hook both ends around each other.
Twist the wires around themselves.
Tape with some aluminum tape and squeeze tight.
Vinyl Decal: A round vinyl decal covers up the button making it look a lot nice. Kits include silver and black, but if you would like a different color just ask.
Remove the decal from the paper backing, use the flat end of a pen or other similar and stretch out the center of the dot a little bit
Apply it over the top of the button, the stretching should allow the button to still be pressed to click and still rebound back to off, if it doesn't remove the decal and
stretch it a bit more.
Finish It Up:
Troubleshooting:
1. Ensure that the anode rail is connected to +5v / LED+ on the PCB
2. Ensure the DC jack is wired correctly.
3. Ensure the ICs are seated correctly on the controller PCB
Some LEDs do the same thing or are constantly on, but others work correctly:
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Step 10: Serial Interfacing
The device comes with 8 patterns loaded, so connection and software usage is optional.
The 8 Channel LED Controller v.3, can interface with either the MonoMotion Software or through custom written software. Patterns can be created, ordered, and
uploaded to the device for it to run without a computer. Or the Live Mode can be used to control the output's levels in real time from a computer or other serial device.
This controller requires a RS232 to TTL adapter to communicate with a PC.
Serial Connection:
Connect the 3 pin jumper from the USB to TTL Serial Adapter to the controller, look at the labeled pinout on each PCB and connect them correctly. RX -> TX, TX -
> RX, GND -> GND
The USB Serial Adapter has a male USB end, so it must be plugged in directly to a USB port or through a USB extender(male to female)
The adapter does require drivers, please Visit The Manufacturers Website to obtain a copy. Windows, Mac, and Linux versions available.
Software: The software the device was made for is Chromation Systems - MonoMotion, and is Java based, so your Java must be up to date. There is also some sample
interface code available written in Processing , it can be used to write custom software.
Once the device is connected to the computer through the USB Serial Adapter, start up the software.
Click the Auto connect button in the upper left hand corner, or select the correct COM port.
The device and software will communicate and should display its name and firmware version on the top center.
Please read the MonoMotion Manual for directions on how to use the software.
If the software doesn't connect, or doesn't list the COM port, close the software, remove the USB adapter, and plug it back in. Then restart the software. Read The
Manual for more Troubleshooting.
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Step 11: Finished!
To purchase the kit shown in this Instructable, Please visit The Chromation Systems Web Store
Custom Infinity Mirror Kits And Completed Units Are Available, Contact Us for Details
Thanks For Reading, and Please Visit My Instructables Profile or My Website www.ChromationSystems.com For More Projects.
Look out for future projects including a 18" Round Infinity Mirror Kit and Rainbow RGB Tube Light
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