Week 4: Local Server, PHP, and Enclosure Design

This week was very exciting, and I was able to get very far on the project.  I was able to finish getting my Apache server up and running, and early on this week had a PHP script running well.  Since I had this done so early, I decided to move ahead and begin designing my enclosure along with acquiring the parts that I'd need!

Here, you can see a model of what the end product will look like that I threw together in 3DS Max.  Pretty simple, right?  But what does the inside look like?

Well, the cube itself will be semi-transparent once it's built.  But as you can see here, it pulls apart quite easily to reveal the insides.  They are also simple.  This is my first project like this, after all!

Here is a closeup of the arduino board and it's circuit.  Of course there will be holes cut in the enclosure for cables, too.  The connectors on the board will butt right up against the wall of the enclosure, so all I have to cut in the enclosure's wall are squares large enough to allow the cables' heads.

So what's with the stupid box enclosure?  Why do those LED's have four pins stemming from them?  Why does it look like there are two arduino boards in that last picture?!  Relax, I'll explain now.

So what's with the stupid box enclosure?:
The cube itself is going to be an acrylic box which, as you can see, is made up of two pieces with three sides each.  This box was something I found at Hobby Lobby and was originally supposed to be a clear case inside of which you could put six photos (one on each side).  I've purchased some craft paper, which is more like a plastic, which is very diffused, yet light is able to travel through it well.  Basically, I will be covering the inside of each box wall with this plastic so that any light on the inside of the box will dissipate and spread out across all of the walls, making it look much cooler!  But why a box?  Well, to be frank, I think it will look mysterious and ominous.  When you see a random acrylic box serving NO purpose in the corner of a room with an ethernet and power cord sticking out of them, you almost HAVE to ask what it does.  This is exactly the type of gadget I like, and want to have lounging around my apartment/office space.

Why does it look like there are two arduino boards?:
The circuit looks a bit stranger in that last picture because I added a second board.  What this actually is is the Arduino Uno board on the bottom, and an ethernet shield for it on top with the LED's plugged into it.  Since my device will need to be connected to the internet, an ethernet shield will be needed!

Why do those LED's have four pins stemming from them?:
The LED's have four pins because they are actually RGB LED's.  What does that mean?  Well, it basically means that they have the correct chemicals inside to create any color of light within the color spectrum, or at least very close!  There is a pin for powering the LED, along with a pin for Red input, Blue input, and Green input.  It's very cool, and each time I get an email, I plan on lighting them up and having them ambiently moving through the entire RGB color spectrum.  Pretty cool, right?!



Aside from designing the thing, I've also rounded up all of the necessary parts, including solder for the LED's and hot glue for a few of the connections, just to keep them steady.  Hopefully by next week, I can show you how the final product actually looks!