Integrating Adruino and MAX/MSP

Week 4 particularly broadens our creativity with the integration of what we see on the screen with what we can hold and create a circuit from wires and LED. Adruino is an open-source electronic hardware that can be linked to MAX/MSP, which we have learnt 3 weeks ago. This week we learnt on the integration of a software with a hardware.

We are required to study and understand the series of steps that we need to familiarise because we will be repeating the steps whenever we are working with Adruino. The reason is because we may not be getting the same board as we did on previous weeks, therefore the programme may not be uploaded in Adruino thus not being able to load with MAX/MSP. 

Initially, I thought that Adruino would be another integrated software like MAX/MSP whereby we need to create our own programming circuit by linking the objects to form a working structure. In a way or another it does as an hardware which requires a particular source to inform it what it needs to do and by completing the circuit the Adruino could perform it tasks as specified and connected. However, in our introduction with Adruino, we are only taught on integrating MAX/MSP with the hardware and work a simple project with these two integrated software and hardware. A complete PCB board is needed to be connected to Adruino to witness the working circuit.

Once the integration is completed, we work on a simple project to learn how they function with each other. Equipments to complete the circuit on a PCB board are different coloured wires, LED and resistor. The outcome of the circuit would be to turn on the LED upon pressing a button on MAX/MSP. It looks easy but I do have technical difficulties despite of following instructions. I think I need to be careful in terms of the programme and circuit set-up. Sometimes it would not work properly if there are more than one MAX/MSP project working simultaneously, and/or the circuit may not be connected properly. 

 Integrating Adruino and MAX/MSP to a working LED on/off circuit

Video on working LED on/off circuit

We added another circuit, to the previous working one. In addition, we have a photodiode which detects change in intensity of light. The structure in MAX/MSP became tedious but interestingly would be the outcome. Different intensity produces different pitch level. Basically, we are able to produce music when the photodiode is exposed to selective amount of light. 

 The programming structure grew tedious with control points

PCB board with LED and Photodiode

How about different colours of light? Will the outcome be the same, or is it just based on intensity? (The brightness of the light). A question to ask on the following week lessons.