I am a novice so please be patient. I bought the ADAFRUIT LIS3DH based on a past contact response with respect to the lighted sneakers. I wanted to just be able to light a LED from the VELOSTAT . My questions are :
1) What size LED do I need to get ( the brighter the better )
2) I have the small battery case which holds 3 AAA 1.5 volt batteries, where on the LIS3DH board do I connect them?
3) After running the steel thread on the VELOSTAT where to I connect the 2 ends on the LIS3DH board?
4) Where do I connect the LED to on the LIS3DH board?
Basically I want to use the LIS3DH to detect when a heavy item pinches the velostat sending a single to light up an LED. However I am not sure what pins to use in order to test my project. I also noticed processor remarks throughout the documentation, do I need to connect a PC to the LIS3DH board to activiate it ?
Adafruit LIS3DH
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- adafruit_support_mike
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Re: Adafruit LIS3DH
The LIS3DH won't do what you want. It's just an acceleration sensor, and can't detect things like someone pressing on Velostat.kevinbrandt wrote:Basically I want to use the LIS3DH to detect when a heavy item pinches the velostat sending a single to light up an LED.
What you need is a microcontroller.. that would be the Flora in a set of FireWalkers.
For something as simple as lighting an LED, you could use a Gemma:
https://www.adafruit.com/product/1222
But that might not be the eaisest board to learn to use if you're just getting started with programmable hardware. The most popular board for beginners is the Arduino Uno:
https://www.adafruit.com/product/50
We have a whole series of tutorials that show how to use one of those:
https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-ard ... on-1-blink
Including reading analog input, which you'd need to detect changes in the resistance of Velostat.
- kevinbrandt
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Re: Adafruit LIS3DH
Sorry for the additional questions, but from a previous request I was told the LIS3DH could detect the resistance change on the VELOSTAT material and light up an LED. Are you saying now that this is not possible?
If I need a new electronic device, which is the cheapest one that would meet my needs. My project is simple, when any weight or impact is detected on the VELOSTAT I want it to be able to light and LED. Would the GEMMA do this ?
If I need a new electronic device, which is the cheapest one that would meet my needs. My project is simple, when any weight or impact is detected on the VELOSTAT I want it to be able to light and LED. Would the GEMMA do this ?
- adafruit_support_mike
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Re: Adafruit LIS3DH
I think the information you got was more incomplete than incorrect.kevinbrandt wrote:Sorry for the additional questions, but from a previous request I was told the LIS3DH could detect the resistance change on the VELOSTAT material and light up an LED. Are you saying now that this is not possible?
The LIS3DH has three Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) pins that could be used to measure the kind of voltage change a Velostat sensor would produce, but the LIS3DH doesn't do anything by itself. You need a microcontroller to tell it what to do, including reading the voltages on its ADC pins.
Most microcontrollers also have ADC pins, so adding an LIS3DH isn't necessary.
Yes, a Gemma has an ADC pin (A0) that you could use to read a Velostat sensor, and digital pins that can light an LED. The code to do both is simple, so the Gemma can handle it easily.kevinbrandt wrote:If I need a new electronic device, which is the cheapest one that would meet my needs. My project is simple, when any weight or impact is detected on the VELOSTAT I want it to be able to light and LED. Would the GEMMA do this ?
- kevinbrandt
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Re: Adafruit LIS3DH
I just ordered the GEMMAv2 miniature boards. Can you tell me or direct me to a schematic that shows me where to connect the VELOSTAT sensor wires (2), the LED light and the battery supply? Also what voltage is recommended.
- kevinbrandt
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- Joined: Wed Apr 05, 2017 12:07 pm
Re: Adafruit LIS3DH
I really need some help. I am new at this and have looked at the videos and on line help and I am not having much luck. Please provide me with some help to the following questions.
1) I have a GemmaV2 and I need to know where to connect the velostat leads to which I/O points on the Gemma ( D0/1/2, Vout, 3Vo )
2) Which points on the Gemma do I connect the LED light to so the resistance change from the velostsat lights the LED ( like the firewalker shoes )
3) I downloaded the driver as told by the video, however when I connect the Gemma using the USB cord I purchased from Adafruit, I get unknown device and no software comes up to run or set the sensitivity of the velostat resistance.
Please help with some simple details, let me know what I have also missed, and how to get the software to run and what part of the software do I make the changes to.
1) I have a GemmaV2 and I need to know where to connect the velostat leads to which I/O points on the Gemma ( D0/1/2, Vout, 3Vo )
2) Which points on the Gemma do I connect the LED light to so the resistance change from the velostsat lights the LED ( like the firewalker shoes )
3) I downloaded the driver as told by the video, however when I connect the Gemma using the USB cord I purchased from Adafruit, I get unknown device and no software comes up to run or set the sensitivity of the velostat resistance.
Please help with some simple details, let me know what I have also missed, and how to get the software to run and what part of the software do I make the changes to.
- adafruit_support_mike
- Posts: 67485
- Joined: Thu Feb 11, 2010 2:51 pm
Re: Adafruit LIS3DH
This tutorial shows how to use a Velostat sensor with a Gemma:
https://learn.adafruit.com/serial-debug ... a/overview
The main focus is on debugging with a USB-to-Serial cable, but the connections and code for the Velostat will work.
A Gemma doesn't have any real USB hardware, its bootloader just emulates a USB connection long enough to upload firmware. See the Gemma tutorial for more information:
https://learn.adafruit.com/introducing- ... troduction
There are also a ton of projects in the Learning System that use LEDs and NeoPixels with a Gemma. Any of those will show you the connections and code you need.
https://learn.adafruit.com/serial-debug ... a/overview
The main focus is on debugging with a USB-to-Serial cable, but the connections and code for the Velostat will work.
A Gemma doesn't have any real USB hardware, its bootloader just emulates a USB connection long enough to upload firmware. See the Gemma tutorial for more information:
https://learn.adafruit.com/introducing- ... troduction
There are also a ton of projects in the Learning System that use LEDs and NeoPixels with a Gemma. Any of those will show you the connections and code you need.
- kevinbrandt
- Posts: 8
- Joined: Wed Apr 05, 2017 12:07 pm
Re: Adafruit LIS3DH
Does the GemmaV2 have default sensor values or must they be loaded onto it.
- adafruit_support_mike
- Posts: 67485
- Joined: Thu Feb 11, 2010 2:51 pm
Re: Adafruit LIS3DH
No, there are no defaults. You'll have to set those when you program the Gemma.
Please be positive and constructive with your questions and comments.