070 - Circular Display - Fade Up & Down

Summary: All LED's on circular LED display fade-up and fade-down 3 times based on a fade speed variable (BYTE2)

Syntax:

70 <BYTE2> <BYTE3 ><BYTE4> (decimal format)

Where:

BYTE2: Fade Speed (ms) (default is 100 if 0 is entered)

BYTE3: No Function

BYTE4: 0 = One Shot,

BYTE4: 255 = Continuous

Response from IRCF360:

No Response on serial port (unless command 10 was previously sent to IRCF360 to request an echo of each command)

Circular Display Feedback:

LEDs will fade on and off once unless BYTE4=255

Description:

Will trigger the Circular LED to fade up and down 3 times.

The variable FADE_SPEED needs to be set. Enter 0 for default speed of 100. This effects total time of the fade period. For example, if a value of 1 is entered, then there will be 2500us/BYTE2. for the first two fades. The 3rd fade will be half as long.

To obtain a pulsing 'heartbeat' effect enter 300 as BYTE2 (fade speed).

The command is used to enable the robot controller to give visual feedback for example:

- Debugging
- Indication of robot state
- Visual Effect
- Display of a particular mood or an expression of emotion within a game or swarm / flock (e.g. sleeping, eating, angry, dead)

Technical Features

The eye is very sensitive to difference in light intensity and sees the proportion of time when the LED is on and off over a fixed period of time, as changes of bright intensity. The proportion of the the time the LED is is on or off determines the brightness of the LED.

The fading UP or DOWN an LED is quite simple. Here is BASIC language routine that gives and indication of how the fade speed and duration can effect the speed of the fade routine. It will make and LED fade brighter and then dimmer. The fade_speed determines how quickly the LED is fading up or down by making bigger steps.

Logic for LED Fade Up & Down

FOR X = 1 To 2500 Step FADE_SPEED

OFF_TIME=2500 -X

ON_TIME = X

GOSUB LED_ON

LED_ON:

HIGH B.3 ' Turn on a pin where LED is connected

PAUSE ON_TIME

LOW.B3 ' Turn off a pin where LED is connected

PAUSE OFF_TIME

RETURN

If only simple fade up or down routines are required then try the following alternative commands:

072 SINGLE LED FADE UP & DOWN

073 LEDFADE UP

Example Code:

FADE_LED: SEROUT b.2,T9600_8, (22,25,26,0) ' Send button code 22 and device code 25, once only SERIN 2,T9600_8, button_code, device_code RETURN

SEROUT b.2,T9600_8, (70 0,0,255) ' Fade ALL LED's for default values. Continuous

See the video of this short routine below.

IRCF360 - Demo of command 72 and 70

MAIN:

COMMAND_70_72:

SEROUT b.2,T9600_8, (72, 100 ,0,0) 'Light North LED, for a period of 2500us/<BYTE2>)