BlinkyPendant

redxethredxeth
in BlinkyPendant
Any chance to get a forum up for BlinkyPendant up soon? Wondering how I can store more than one image besides having to hack it. Seems I can only replace the 8th image on the Pendant.

Comments

  • Matt MetsMatt Mets
    Good idea! Just created it and moved your comment here.
  • Matt MetsMatt Mets
    Also, to answer your question- for the moment, the only way to store more than one image is to hack it. I'm working on adding support for all the images, and hope to have an automated way to do so very soon. The biggest issue hurdle is adding support to PatternPaint to handle more than one image at a time.
  • redxethredxeth
    Thanks! Also capability to have pattern paint support round template would be good. That way I can use for circular project images.
  • Matt MetsMatt Mets
    Oh, that's a great idea! We're experimenting with templates for some other light configurations, too.
  • 3DCentral3DCentral
    Hey guys! Just got back from the Open Hardware Summit, and had a great time! I love the BlinkyPendant, and can't wait to hack around on it. In particular, I'm trying to mod it to fit in the spokes of a bike tire, so it will display some text or an image while cycling.

    The only catch is, the accelerometer seems to lose track once the bike is in motion, and the blinking stops. I think the easiest solution will be to turn off accelerometer control, so it's always blinking once it's turned on. This seems like it should be an easy hack - just looking for the best way to get started on this!

    Once I get this figured out, I'll be designing an 3D printed enclosure to snap it to the spokes! Any help would be greatly appreciated :).

    Thanks!
    -Chris
  • techiechristechiechris
    Hey Matt! The BlinkyPendants arrived just fine and are GREAT! I'm having fun experimenting with them, and loving the potential! Just one problem so far - when plugged into my Mac and using the 1.8 PatternPaint, I tried to upload a new image, and now the BP is totally unresponsive. It won't show as connected, only shows the Bootloader in my USB device tree. I haven't been able to write any patterns to it, and the BP won't interact with PatternPaint. Is there a reset procedure for BP? Thanks so much!
  • Matt MetsMatt Mets
    @3DCentral: Cool! Apologies for the slow response. You are correct that it loses tracking when it's in rotational mode- any help there would be appreciated! Right now the firmware looks for a specific back and forth motion to display the image. I think for rotational motion like that, a constant speed playback would be the simplest, and I'm not totally sure how stable an accelerometer-based one would work (it might need a gyro, or simpler a magnet/reed switch to count rotations). There's a new forum post here about getting started programming it:
    http://forums.blinkinlabs.com/index.php?p=/discussion/227/blinkypendant-bare-metal-programming#latest
  • Matt MetsMatt Mets
    @techiechris: Aah, I think I know what happened- we sent you a newer pendant than PatternPaint supports, then when a new pattern was uploaded, it messed up the firmware. Are you on OS X, Windows, or Linux? I'll make up a tutorial on restoring the firmware (use DFU to load it again)
  • techiechristechiechris
    I'm on OS X - thanks for getting back to me!!
  • Matt MetsMatt Mets
    Ok, here's a little utility to restore it to the firmware that works with PatternPaint

    1. Download and unzip this restore script:
    https://www.dropbox.com/s/uxmzjn6srrc5ws7/firmware-restore-osx.zip?dl=0
    2. Turn off and unplug the BlinkyPendant from the computer (if it was plugged in)
    3. Hold down the pattern switch button and plug into the computer while continuing to hold down the button (this forces the BlinkyPendant to stay in bootloader mode).
    4. Once the usb is plugged in, you can let go of the button.
    5. Double-click on the restore-firmware script to launch the dfu utility and restore the firmware from the Open Hardware Summit.

    This firmware has a slot for one custom image, which shows at the end of the patterns. An updated version of PatternPaint is in the works to support overwriting all the patterns.
  • techiechristechiechris
    That worked like a charm!! Thanks so much Matt! Looking forward to getting back to playing with these! :) Cheers!!
  • Matt MetsMatt Mets
    Excellent!
  • bigtrav261bigtrav261
    Um, yeah. I just got mine today and I'm having the same issue. Can you post a solution for Win 8 users?

    Is PatternPaint going to be updated to support the newer pendants? I'm very, very, very beginner as it pertains to programming. With BlinkyTape, I can tinker with it a little through Aruino. But, since BlinkyPendant uses a diff. programing lang., I envisioned just using PatternPaint for it.
  • Matt MetsMatt Mets
    @bigtrav261 - apologies there, I'll get a Windows version of the above out to you tomorrow. The PatternPaint release has been a little slow since we are adding a new mode to support matrix screens, however I'll try to get a beta version out in the next few days that supports the upgraded BlinkyPendant version as well.
  • bigtrav261bigtrav261
    Hey, forgot to check back. Yeah, I'd really appreciate if you could post a firmware restore. Right now, the bottom five LEDs light steady, and the top five flash about every half sec. That's it.
  • bigtrav261bigtrav261
    Hi Matt,

    I'm still waiting. I've had my BlinkyPendant for 18 days, now, and I've been able to use mine for all of 20 minutes. Not trying to be a pain, just kinda want to be able to do something with it other than just turning it on and/or plugging it up, and hoping that it will start working. :(

    -Travis M
  • bigtrav261bigtrav261
    edited November 2015
    -
  • bigtrav261bigtrav261
    Here's a quick vid of what mine is doing...
  • Matt MetsMatt Mets
    edited November 2015
    Hi Travis, apologies for the wait, and thanks for sticking with us. PM me and we'll send you a second one as an apology. We're putting the wraps on a new version of PatternPaint that will support loading multiple images to the pendant.

    There's a preview version here:
    https://github.com/Blinkinlabs/PatternPaint/releases/tag/2.0.0

    And I finished up a second preview last night which will go up today.

    I'll also get that Windows updater for you.
  • bigtrav261bigtrav261
    Hey Matt,

    Just an idea, when you get the Windows updater done you could add it and the OS X version to the BlinkyPendant page. That way it will be easy to find if someone needs to restore their pendant.

    -Trav
  • Matt MetsMatt Mets
    Great idea! By the way, the latest preview version of pattern paint:
    https://github.com/Blinkinlabs/PatternPaint/releases/tag/2.0.1

    Should support the new blinkypendant firmware.
  • MauiMacManMauiMacMan
    Hi Matt, The BlinkyPendant came in the mail today! Now that I see you've published HOW TO RESET firmware, I feel more liberated to try and use Pattern Paint to personalize. Keep up the Creativity! Re: swinging on a lanyard. What about a "kill switch" to keep the timing by get the accelerometer out of the circuit?

    It is at all possible to use Arduino IDE to impart text or images since on the Blinkytape, you could program and have multiple "Algorithmic light patterns" (not images -YET, if ever? ;-)?

    Aloha from Maui
  • techiechristechiechris

    Hi Blinky People! I was just wondering if there has been any progress on getting the Blinky Pendant to function like the Blinky Tape ie. without the need to be shaken or in motion? Thanks so much!

  • Matt MetsMatt Mets

    @techiechris: Unfortunately, there hasn't- it's simple to implement in the firmware, however it's a little more tough to integrate into PatternPaint. An updated version is still on the radar, though.

  • SparrowhawkSparrowhawk

    Just got my Pendant at Maker Faire Bay Area 2017! Is there a way to remove any of the images preloaded on the Pendant? I see how to make new ones in Pattern Paint and upload them, but I didn't see how to remove ones already there (so I don't need to scroll through them to get to my new images).

  • SparrowhawkSparrowhawk

    @Sparrowhawk said:
    Just got my Pendant at Maker Faire Bay Area 2017! Is there a way to remove any of the images preloaded on the Pendant? I see how to make new ones in Pattern Paint and upload them, but I didn't see how to remove ones already there (so I don't need to scroll through them to get to my new images).

    Nevermind! I figured out later that if I deleted the images in Pattern Paint, the next time I clicked the Save to Blinky, it removed the other images and only kept the ones I had in the sidebar.

    Thanks!

  • Matt MetsMatt Mets

    Ok, great! Was just about to chime in to suggest that :-)

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