Rage against the dying of the light!
By Andrew Gregory. Posted
This article was originally published as part of HackSpace magazine, which has since been incorporated into Raspberry Pi Official Magazine.
If you’re not blessed with the ability to see in the dark, you’ll appreciate this project from Alex Eames, HackSpace contributor and the man behind RasP.iO.
It’s pretty simple – the kit comprises a PIR sensor, Arduino Nano clone, custom PCB, and all the electrical components you’ll need to fit it all together, plus the case and the connectors you’ll need to mount it to a wall. What makes this offering stand out is the degree of customisability it offers to the dedicated Arduino tinkerer.
There’s an Arduino sketch provided, which you can change to configure any aspect of the way the light functions. Want it to stay on longer? Glow more brightly? Glow a different colour, or change colour when it’s about to go off? Easy – the kit gives you full 8-bit control of the LEDs (0–255).
If you feel like adding extra hardware, you could turn it into a burglar alarm, dog detector, smoke detector (N.B. in addition to your smoke alarm – we strongly recommend that you use properly safety-certified equipment to keep yourself safe).
It comes in kit form, so you’ll need solder, a soldering iron, and a pair of snippers. You’ll also need a computer to put the software on to the Arduino, and a 5 V power source. Oh, and check out that gorgeous PCB design.
From £26 rasp.io/nightlight Delivery: October 2018
Features Editor Andrew trawls the internet for Cool Stuff while keeping the magazine running smoothly.
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