Getting Started

Thank you for purchasing a Tech-Box.io product! We are so happy to welcome you to the Maker community! If you have any questions or issues while assembling your kit, please reach out to Support@tech-box.io and our support team will be happy to assist you!

This guide provides step-by-step instructions to build and program the Tech-Box.io Laser Stem Matrix kit, purchasable in the Tech-Box.io Shop (Shop Now). Source code and the required libraries and drivers are also available for download within this guide, making it easier than ever to complete your Arduino inspired project!

Below and on the following pages you will find sections for the downloads, electrical wiring, programming, and housing assembly. Be sure to read each part and step fully and carefully as you continue through the guide! Throughout this guide, there will be keywords with highlighted links that you can click to learn more about a particular component or phrase.

Hint: Click HERE to open the above image in a new window for quick and easy reference throughout this guide!

• (A) Two-Tone Acrylic Housing -- This is used to build the case that houses all of the electronics. (Note: A breakdown of individual housing components as Parts A-1 through A-11 is shown in the image below)
  
  
  
  
  
  
• (B) 64 Clear Acrylic Stems -- These are inserted into the Acrylic Housing to create fiber-optic like illumination from the 8x8 LED Matrix (Note: These parts are shown in the image above as Part B)
  
  
• (C) Nano Board Arduino Compatible Microcontroller -- This is the "brain" of the kit and is known as a microcontroller. It controls all of the other components/parts through its inputs and outputs and is where the code for the project is uploaded to
  
  Note: The reset (RST) button on this microcontroller RESTARTS the program from its first line of code, it does NOT completely reset the entire controller.
  
  
• (D) 8x8 LED Matrix -- This is an 8-by-8 matrix of individually controllable LED's (Light Emitting Diodes) that operate on the RGB (Red-Green-Blue) color scheme. This means that each LED on the matrix can display Red, Green, and Blue, and will display various combinations of these colors to create each color of the rainbow
  
  
• (E) 30-Pin Breadboard -- This is the base where all of the kit's components will be placed or connected and is the foundation for electronics prototyping
  
  
• (F) 5V Push Button -- This component is a simple push button that acts as a "contact closure" which closes the circuit it is placed in when the button is pushed. For this kit, closing the circuit will allow the input to the Nano Board to rise to 5 Volts and be read as "HIGH". When the circuit is opened again (when the button is no longer pressed), the input signal will be "pulled down" through the 12kOhm resistor and be read as "LOW" by the Nano Board. The push button comes with two breadboard jumper wires attached, which have exposed metal pins on their ends that can be inserted into the breadboard to connect the push button to the kit's circuit
  
  
• (G) Mini USB Cable -- This cable will act as both the programming cable (when connected to the Nano Board and your computer) and as the power cable (when connected to the Nano Board and US Wall Plug) for this kit
  
  
• (H) US Wall Plug (Only included if selected at time of purchase) -- This is an AC-to-DC power adapter (like the ones used for cell phone chargers) and converts the power from your wall outlet to power that can be used by the Nano Board and other components in this kit
  
  
• (I) Male-to-Female (M-F) Breadboard Jumper Wires -- (Qty. - x3) -- These wires have an exposed metal pin on one end of the wire and a plastic slot on the other end into which another metal pin can be inserted. These wires can be inserted into the breadboard holes to connect other components with exposed pins. The wires may come attached to each other, but can also be easily separated as shown in the image below
  
  
  
  
  Note: The colors of the wires provided in your kit are randomized. Therefore, the colors used in this guide do NOT matter and your wiring does NOT have to match the color scheme used in the following photos. You are free to use whichever colors you prefer when wiring this kit.
  
  
• (J) 330Ohm Resistor -- This piece introduces electrical resistance to the circuit it is placed in. For this kit, it is used as a "current limiting" resistor which is meant to limit the current or power being drawn from the Nano Board by the LED Matrix. If the current draw was not limited, it could damage the Nano Board over time. This resistor will keep the power draw at a safe level for both the Nano Board and LED Matrix components
  
  
• (K) 12kOhm Resistor -- This piece introduces electrical resistance to the circuit it is placed in. For this kit, it is used as a "pull-down" resistor which is meant to keep the input signal to the Nano Board from "floating" or having an indeterminate value. When no voltage is applied to the input signal, any excess charge still in the circuit will be "pulled-down" through this resistor to the ground voltage
  
  
• (L) 470uF (micro-Farad) 10-Volt Capacitor -- This piece introduces electrical capacitance to the circuit it is placed in. For this kit, it is used to create a small reserve of energy for the LED Matrix to pull from during its maximum power draw. Thus, this piece "smooths" the power drawn by the LED Matrix to flatten the peaks of the current drawn and to provide more consistent illumination from the LEDs
  
  

Downloads

The required download for this kit is linked below. This list is only for reference, and you do not need to download it at this time. You will be able to download the file when it is used later in the guide.

1. Tech-BoxIO_Laser_Stem_Matrix.ino

Electrical Assembly

The first step when assembling this kit is to start assembling all of the electrical components. The following instructions will walk you through the assembly process, with step-by-step images provided underneath each step:

1. Begin by locating the bottom of the Laser Stem Matrix housing (Part A-1) and position it with the black side facing up. Peel the protective backing off of the Breadboard (Part E) to expose the adhesive tape and place the breadboard (Part E) onto the bottom of the housing (Part A-1) exactly as shown in the image below, making sure to align the corners of the breadboard (Part E) with the "L" shaped alignment cutouts on the bottom of the housing (Part A-1). The orientation and position of the breadboard (Part E) are very important, so be cautious when completing this step. DO NOT attempt to remove the breadboard (Part E) from the bottom of the housing after it is adhered or the breadboard will become damaged.
   
   Note: The bottom of the housing is NOT shown in the following steps for greater clarity!
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Remove the Nano Board (Part C) from its packaging and insert it into the Breadboard (Part E) as shown, ensuring that Pin D12 on the Nano Board (Part C) is inserted into pin position C16 on the breadboard (Part E). It is important to ensure that the Nano Board (Part C) is pushed all the way into the breadboard so that the pins are securely connected. To do this, ensure the pins are properly lined up with the holes in the breadboard to avoid damaging them, and then push firmly until the Nano Board rests against the breadboard. The Nano Board (Part C) will control the LED Matrix (Part D) and receive inputs from the Push Button (Part F) which will both be installed later!
   
   Note: The wiring for this kit is VERY important. Be sure to double-check each connection and make sure that the location is correct and matches each image shown before moving onto the next step or your kit may not work correctly!
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Insert the 470uF 10V Electrolytic Capacitor (Part L) into pin locations J2 and J3 on the breadboard (Part E), with the negative (grey) side of the capacitor (Part L) placed in pin location J3, as highlighted by the arrow in the image below. This capacitor (Part L) will smooth the power supplied to the LED matrix (Part D) for a more consistent image.
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Place the 330 Ohm Resistor (Part J) on the breadboard (Part E) with its leads (or exposed wires) inserted into pin locations A11 and A19, as shown in the image below, bending the leads as needed to route them correctly. Since two resistor values are used in this kit, note the colors of the bands on the resistor (Part J) in the image below to determine which is the correct resistor. Additionally, the orientation of the resistor does not matter, as resistors are inherently bi-directional (or can pass electrical current and signals in both directions). This resistor (Part J) will limit the current passing from the output pin of the Nano Board (Part C) into the LED matrix’s (Part D) input pin.
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. Place the 12k Ohm Resistor (Part K) on the breadboard (Part E) with its leads inserted into pin locations H3 and H16, as shown in the image below. Since two resistor values are used in this kit, note the colors of the bands on the resistor (Part K) in the image below to determine which is the correct resistor. Again, the orientation of the resistor does not matter, as resistors are inherently bi-directional. This resistor (Part K) will act as the pull-down resistor for the push button (Part F) signal so that the signal does not float when the push button (Part F) is in the ‘Off’ state.
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. Connect the three Male-Female Breadboard Jumper Wires (Part I) to pin locations I2, I3, and B19 on the breadboard (Part E). Then connect these wires to the V+, V-, and IN pins of the LED matrix (Part D) (I2 – V+, I3 – V-, B19 – IN), as shown in the image below. (Note: Remember, you can separate the wires if needed by gently tearing them apart.)
   
   The colors of the wires provided in your kit are randomized. Therefore, the colors used in this guide do NOT matter and your wiring does NOT have to match the color scheme used in the following photos. You are free to use whichever colors you prefer when wiring this kit.
   
   
   
   
   
   
7. Locate the left side of the housing (Part A-2) and the pre-soldered momentary Push Button (Part F). Remove the nut completely from the push button and pre-soldered wires (Part F) by unscrewing the nut in a counter-clockwise direction and passing the pre-soldered wires through the nut (The nut is highlighted by the blue arrow in the inset image below). Then insert the push button into the left side of the housing (Part A-2) passing the wires through the hole first, as shown in the image below. Then, pass the pre-soldered wires through the nut and screw on the nut in a clockwise direction until finger-tight to hold the push button (Part F) to the housing side (Part A-2), again as highlighted by the blue arrow below.
   
   
   
   
   
   
8. Connect the two pre-soldered breadboard wires from the  push button (Part F) to pin locations J5 and J16 on the breadboard (Part E), as shown in the image below. It does NOT matter which side of the push button (Part F) is connected to which slot on the breadboard (Part E). The push button (Part F) only closes the circuit, like a light-switch in your home, so orientation of the wires does not matter. This connects the push button (Part F) to the Nano Board (Part C) and allows the Laser Stem Matrix mode to be changed.
   
   
   
   
   
   

Congratulations, you have completed the wiring of your Laser Stem Matrix! Continue to the next page and follow the steps in that section to assemble the exterior housing of the project.

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