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Interactive LED Dining Table Circuit

Interactive LED Dining table

Today we're releasing the circuit diagram for the Interactive LED Dining Table (aka our kitchen table).



We're releasing this as a free (and fully unsupported) project design, so... "Have fun, kids!"

The circuit consists of 16 individual analog computer nodes that are connected together in a 1-D chain.


Each node has this circuit diagram, driven by a quad op-amp chip, taking input from a photodiode, and storing the result in an analog variable (integrator). You can also download a PDF of this circuit diagram.


See also our original article, and download the PDF booklet about building this monster of a circuit here (5.5 MB PDF).

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Here's what others have to say about 'Interactive LED Dining Table Circuit':
Mind to Have A LED Dining Table at Your Home? - CircuitGeek
Tracked on Thursday, July 17 2008 @ 01:11 PM PDT
Interactive LED Dining Table Circuit | 26 comments | Create New Account
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Thankyou!
From: Anonymous on Wednesday, June 25 2008 @ 07:45 AM PDT
Wow that's wonderful! Thanks so much for sharing your design. Happy Birthday indeed :-)
Thanks!!!
From: Anonymous on Wednesday, June 25 2008 @ 08:34 AM PDT
Fantastic! Thanks, EMSL! Now I finally know how the table works - it's been bugging me for a while.

I should remind everyone that their kits are still priced very competitively; it would cost around 80-90 per board if one were to have their own design made by a board house, which is about what these kits cost - and the kits include all the other parts, too!
Which Design?
From: Anonymous on Wednesday, June 25 2008 @ 08:42 AM PDT
Is this the schematic for the old design (obfuscated blinking pattern) or the new design (trail of lights pattern)?
Interactive LED Dining Table Circuit
From: Matt on Wednesday, June 25 2008 @ 03:40 PM PDT
LOL! I love the circuit diagram. It has --class-- :D
Interactive LED Dining Table Circuit
From: Anonymous on Wednesday, June 25 2008 @ 08:01 PM PDT
thank you so much for this gift. I've been fascinated with your design since I first saw it at the make blog. cheers!
Interactive LED Dining Table Circuit
From: Anonymous on Wednesday, June 25 2008 @ 10:15 PM PDT
Thanks and Happy Birthday! I was hoping that you might do this to celebrate!
Interactive LED Dining Table Circuit
From: Anonymous on Wednesday, June 25 2008 @ 10:21 PM PDT
Are they actually 22M ohm resistors ? Or should they be 2M2 ?
power
From: Anonymous on Wednesday, June 25 2008 @ 11:52 PM PDT
Have you an indication about the power comsumption of your invention?
The LED's are not lit at the same time, I am guessing.
  • power - From: Windell on Thursday, June 26 2008 @ 12:08 AM PDT
Interactive LED Dining Table Circuit
From: Anonymous on Thursday, June 26 2008 @ 05:06 PM PDT
Excellent work!

So if the overall table has a 1D network topology, why the two neighbour outputs and inputs? Could you connect each node to more than one neighbour?
Interactive LED Dining Table Circuit
From: Anonymous on Thursday, June 26 2008 @ 09:15 PM PDT
Thanks
Interactive LED Dining Table Circuit
From: Anonymous on Friday, June 27 2008 @ 03:50 PM PDT
Thanks a bunch! Really appreciate ya'll doing this. Looking forward to tinkering with this circuit.
Interactive LED Dining Table Circuit
From: Anonymous on Monday, June 30 2008 @ 11:53 AM PDT
I'm intrigued by this circuit, and would love to see it in action. Does a video of it operating exist?

Because it uses photodiodes, how does it work in low/no light? Does it shimmer slightly like the other tables you've made?

Cheers,
Steve
Interactive LED Dining Table Circuit
From: Anonymous on Tuesday, July 01 2008 @ 12:00 PM PDT
Any recommendations on what kind of photodiode works best? Wavelength? Current ratings?
Interactive LED Dining Table Circuit
From: Anonymous on Thursday, July 10 2008 @ 07:13 AM PDT
This Circuit does not want to work! Both strings of led's stay on, and the output of the opamp integrator circuit is not oscillating. I have created the circuit 4 times, all with different components from different suppliers with the same result. Also I have tried using 2 different circuit simulator programs. I am not normally one to ask for help, but this is really bugging me! What could be causing this result? All components are the same as listed, I have used poly caps and green caps, +9,-9 volts, and +12,-12 volts, what voltage did you supply to the opamps?
Do you need to have anything attached to the Neighbor in and out if it is a single node?