Kemper LED Lamps Going Open Source

Kemper LED No Responses »
Aug 102010

Kemper LED Lamp

I’m pleased to announce that the Kemper LED Lamp product is going Open Source!

The Kemper LED Lamp is just way to cool to not have in wide spread use. I’m hoping that by opening the source code to all that the concept will become more widly used and accepted.

The original design was called the “Kemper LED Lamp” and I sold a few lamps to several brave folks through the ph-elec.com web site. However, I’ve come to discover selling small quantities to a few folks is a major pain in the backside. Hand soldering these together and then selling them at $4 bucks each is no way to make money. Continue reading »

Posted by James at 2:21 am Tagged with: ,

KemperLED Control Panel

Kemper LED No Responses »
Mar 022010

Kemper LED Control Panel

The “KemperLED Control Panel” is designed to make it easy to bring up a new string of KemperLED lamps for the first time. The control panel provides a easy way for most of the KemperLED functions to be exercised, quickly, and easily.

This software is a beta version and will continue to be enhanced. So, send us your comments and feedback on the application. We’re always looking for new ideas to make our products better.

Also, the control panel is provided as Open-Source. Open-Source allows you to look under-the-hood, so to speak, to see how to easily drive the LEDs with commands.

Again, give us your feedback.

KemperLED_Control_Panel_App

KemperLED_Control_Panel_Source_Code

 

Posted by James at 1:13 am Tagged with: , ,

The Jimmy Neutron LED Pinewood Derby Car

Kemper LED No Responses »
Feb 272010

Jimmy Nuetron Pinewood Car

You know your in trouble when you have to fix software bugs in your son’s Pinewood Derby car!

This year I decided to give up trying to compete with the “Gear-Heads” in our Cub Scout Pack. There are just too many variables when trying to build a fast car. Plus, the Gear-Heads always seem to get lucky.

The first year we built a really fast car – I think it was just dumb luck. We placed second place overall for speed that first year. That was out of a pack of 50 cars. There is nothing better than winning!

We’ll, with a little taste of success under our belts, we thought we could simple do it again. Wrong! I pulled all the tricks last year and put a ton of time into trying to build the ultimate speeder. The reward for all that work was a car that finished in the bottom third of the pack for speed. Bummer! There is nothing worst than losing! Continue reading »

Posted by James at 12:45 am Tagged with: , ,

Kemper LED Documentation

Kemper LED No Responses »
Dec 092009
Kemper LED Hardware Layout

Kemper LED Hardware Layout

Kemper LED Documentation…

All hardware and software documentation starts on this page.

Brief hardware / software summary: Continue reading »

Posted by James at 1:28 pm

Pan Tilt LED Mount

Kemper LED No Responses »
Dec 082009
Pan Tilt Demo

Pan Tilt Demo

This was an attempt to test how well a Kemper LED Lamp board would work to control RC servo motors. In theory, one Kemper LED Lamp board should be able to control four RC servo motors at the same time. However, in terms of how how well control is achievied, the quick answer is – not so much.

I bought some really cheap servo motors from HobbyPartz. At only $3.50 each, I thought, “what the heck – my boys, and I, can have some fun”. Sure enough, these little motors are fun to play with. Here is a link to the web site where I bought the servos. To control the motor’s position, the motor accepts a pulse width of .5 to 1.5ms, repeated at 50Hz. As an example, a pulse with of 1.0ms would center the motor in the middle of its 180 degree rotation. Continue reading »

Posted by James at 1:38 pm
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