Article
Bio-Light
Plant expresses ‘feelings’ through colours
We have always been in close contact with plants, trees, flowers, shrubberies, grasses, weeds and other vegetation, yet we have never figured out how to communicate with them. They are alive, we know that, but what do they think or how do they feel? Clueless, we created Bio-Light to visualize our green friends’ emotions.Let’s start this article by making it very clear that we do not claim omniscience about the secret emotional life of plants. In fact we don’t even know if they have one. All we know is that plants produce electrical signals and — being electronics engineers — we know everything about electrical signals and what to do with them. Although we have no idea how to interpret the electrical signals produced by plants, we should be able to make them visible with full-colour LEDs. That is what Bio-Light is, a device that visualizes electrical signals (biosignals) generated (we think) by plants.
Gerber file
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PCB
Extra info / Update
* Translates biosignals into coloured light
* Discreet & stylish design
* Battery powered
* Works great with common indoor plants
* Discreet & stylish design
* Battery powered
* Works great with common indoor plants
Component list
From the Store
160325-1: Bare Bio-Light PCB
160325-91: Ready assembled module
Component List
Resistors
All SMD 0805
R14 = 0Ohm
R17 = 10Ohm
R21,R22,R23,R24,R25,R26 = 220Ohm
R2,R6,R8,R9,R10,R15,R16 = 10kOhm
R4,R5 = 15kOhm
R3 = 330kOhm
R7,R11,R12,R13,R18,R19,R20 = 470kOhm
R1 = 15MOhm
Capacitors
Default: SMD 0805
C6,C7,C8,C9,C10 = 100nF
C3 = 150nF
C4,C5 = 1µF
C2 = 3.3µF, SMD 1210
C1 = 10µF, SMD 1206
Semiconductors
IC1 = MCP6004-E/SL
IC2 = TLC271ID
IC3 = PIC16F15325-I/SL, programmed
IC4 = CAT5171TBI-50GT3
T1,T2,T3,T4,T5,T6 = BSS84P
LED1,LED2 = RGB, CC, 5mm
Miscellaneous
K1,K2 = 2-way PCB screw terminal block, 0.2" pitch
K3 = 6-pin pinheader, 0.1” pitch
PCB # 160325-1 (1mm thick)
2 pcs. dressmaker needle or hairclip
Translucent (19cm high, 17cm diameter) LED flowerpot with 66mm diameter battery compartment
160325-1: Bare Bio-Light PCB
160325-91: Ready assembled module
Component List
Resistors
All SMD 0805
R14 = 0Ohm
R17 = 10Ohm
R21,R22,R23,R24,R25,R26 = 220Ohm
R2,R6,R8,R9,R10,R15,R16 = 10kOhm
R4,R5 = 15kOhm
R3 = 330kOhm
R7,R11,R12,R13,R18,R19,R20 = 470kOhm
R1 = 15MOhm
Capacitors
Default: SMD 0805
C6,C7,C8,C9,C10 = 100nF
C3 = 150nF
C4,C5 = 1µF
C2 = 3.3µF, SMD 1210
C1 = 10µF, SMD 1206
Semiconductors
IC1 = MCP6004-E/SL
IC2 = TLC271ID
IC3 = PIC16F15325-I/SL, programmed
IC4 = CAT5171TBI-50GT3
T1,T2,T3,T4,T5,T6 = BSS84P
LED1,LED2 = RGB, CC, 5mm
Miscellaneous
K1,K2 = 2-way PCB screw terminal block, 0.2" pitch
K3 = 6-pin pinheader, 0.1” pitch
PCB # 160325-1 (1mm thick)
2 pcs. dressmaker needle or hairclip
Translucent (19cm high, 17cm diameter) LED flowerpot with 66mm diameter battery compartment
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