Video 10: Making a Dimmable LED with Two Push Buttons

This tutorial covers the construction of dimmable LED circuits using Raspberry Pi GPIO pins, focusing on achieving smooth brightness control. Paul McQuarter demonstrates the process step-by-step, from circuit setup to coding implementation. In the Raspberry Pi section, he explains how to build the circuit using GPIO pins and push buttons for control, alongside Python coding for PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control. The video explores the nuances of PWM, emphasizing non-linear changes in duty cycle for smoother brightness transitions and addressing synchronization issues between PWM frequency and camera scanning rate. The video introduces the concept of using exponential scale for achieving smooth and precise brightness control. It delves into mathematical concepts like logarithms and exponents, illustrating their application in coding for LED brightness control. Troubleshooting tips are provided for debugging and refining the code to ensure optimal performance.

1. Circuit setup: Explanation and demonstration of building dimmable LED circuits with Raspberry Pi GPIO pins, utilizing push buttons for control.

2. Python coding: Walkthroughs of Python code for implementing PWM control and exponential scale for LED brightness control, respectively.

3. PWM principles: Understanding PWM duty cycle and its application in LED brightness control.

4. Exponential scale: Utilizing exponential scale in coding to achieve smooth and linear brightness control.

5. Logarithmic concept: Applying logarithms to determine the constant required for a specific number of button pushes for brightness adjustment.

6. Non-linear brightness adjustment: Exploring non-linear changes in duty cycle for smoother brightness transitions.

7. Synchronization issues: Addressing synchronization problems between PWM frequency and camera scanning rate.

8. Troubleshooting and refinement: Techniques for debugging code and refining LED dimming functionality for optimal performance.

Video