20240514 Lighting for the AndersFP Blaster Pt.03 - Piscean Works

Um, yeah, I just created version 4.0…
It’s not what I’d normally do but with the 3D print in my hand, I did more and more measurements and modified the board further. This time, I have decided not to implement any sensors if the trigger was pulled halfway. It is fun but figuring out the optical or micro-switch is not fun and for the time being, I am not going to print out the Blaster just for that. So, it’s just direct lighting with some brief effect sans user interaction.

Re-inventing the Wheel

Lighting for the Blaster has been already in existence since the infancy of the Internet. And they’re always the same coin cell battery powering the 5 red LEDs, and maybe even the pair of green LEDs. So, why am I doing this? To be honest, I am not too ready with the answer, not comfortable with it: Nowadays, I just want to do it for the sake of doing it.

Call it a Bucket List if you like. Ever since I’ve seen that blaster in the Forums, I wanted one. But as time passes by, I realised the reason for my wants is just to flick open the bullet chambers and also, to see it lighted up. But as time goes by, it rattled down to just wanting to scratch that itch of seeing the LEDs lit up inside the clip.

The problem with PWM

One way to dim the brightness of a LED is to use the current limiting resistor. However, if there are a lot of LEDs, the amount of resistors would be quite significant and affects the size of the PCB. In some cases where the said board is sealed inside a model, there is also the worry about increased temperatures which after some time, will affect the plastic. The other alternative is to use Pulse Width Modulation (PWM), a technicque where the LED is flashed on and off very quickly. This method works because it fools our eye’s persistence of vision, making the LED look dim or bright.

The advantage of PWM also allows the control of the LED’s brightness which is something a fixed resistance cannot do. Still, despite all these advantages, for a digital device, whose shutter rates are different, they will still register as random flickering. But even with a normal eye, if you know where to look, the flicker is still there. Maybe this is one of the few projects I will try to attempt to overcome this.