[posted] Polaron DIY drum machine

a_guy_called_tom said:
Hi
The polaron uses WS2812b LEDs. Apparently there are through hole versions of this LED, just google for WS2812b through hole. I have never worked with them so far. If you want to use these, you'd need to create a new PCB, replacing the SMD footprints with throughhole footprints (or a footprint that allows both formats). Before doing so, I'd test the LEDs on a breadboard. The polaron has some other SMD components that you'd also have to replace in the same way.
What is the reason you need everything throughhole?
Tom
Click to expand...

Ok. Those LEDS were the only thing I couldn't find a THT version of, but I will search again. I'm comfortable with making a new pcb.

Regarding THT versus SMD: It's just easier for me to solder THT components, especially since there are a ton of those LEDs. JLCPCB offers to do the SMD soldering for you, except it doesn't have those LEDs available in it's catalog. Therefore, I thought I would see if there was a THT version that I could more easily solder myself. EDIT: JLCPCB does actually have those LEDS. My bad.

I also think a lot more people would try building this unit if it weren't so heavy on the SMD. Not a criticism- you designed it for your own needs, which is totally legit, of course.
 
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Altwolf said:
Ok. Those LEDS were the only thing I couldn't find a THT version of, but I will search again. I'm comfortable with making a new pcb.

Regarding THT versus SMD: It's just easier for me to solder THT components, especially since there are a ton of those LEDs. JLCPCB offers to do the SMD soldering for you, except it doesn't have those LEDs available in it's catalog. Therefore, I thought I would see if there was a THT version that I could more easily solder myself.

I also think a lot more people would try building this unit if it weren't so heavy on the SMD. Not a criticism- you designed it for your own needs, which is totally legit, of course.
Click to expand...

Its a great idea, keep me posted! When i started designing the Polaron, there was no THT version of this kind of addressable RGB LED (afaik), so i went with SMD (and kind of enjoy soldering it by now). But most problems i hear people have building the polaron have to do with the LEDs, i'm sure switching to through hole LEDs would greatly help making the project an easier build for everyone
 
I received emails asking about use of Polaron on Teensy 4.1.

It should be possible to use PT8211 for audio output rather than the built in DACs of Teensy 3.6. I've created a fork on github with (so far untested) code to do this.

github.com

GitHub - PaulStoffregen/Polaron: A DIY drum machine for the teensy microcontroller (hardware / software)

A DIY drum machine for the teensy microcontroller (hardware / software) - GitHub - PaulStoffregen/Polaron: A DIY drum machine for the teensy microcontroller (hardware / software)
github.com github.com

If anyone actually builds a Polaron board with Teensy 4.1 and the PT8211 kit (soldered on top of Teensy 4.1), please reply here with feedback whether this actually works.
 
hello everyone. I ask you for help with my polaron build. I made and assembled everything. I think I have some problem with the LEDs that do not all light up but I think it is only a soldering problem also because the audio works more or less well. the biggest doubt is that I am using a teensy 3.5 and I can not compile the code, the ide obviously gives me an error due to the difference between the code 3.6 and the hardware 3.5. can someone kindly help me understand how to modify the code to adapt it to the 3.5? thank you infinitely I have been stuck with the build for 2 months and I still can not make it work perfectly
 
Not knowing exactly what errors you are seeing (posting the output from your build would be beneficial), I thought I'd give this a shot (I have no prior experience with T3.5/T3.6, as I usually use T4.x). I started by downloading the source from the link provided in p#29, selected "Serial + MIDI" as the USB Type:, selected T3.6 as the Board:, & built, giving the following output (note that the "#progma message:" reports are merely for information, and do not indicate a problem . . . the final program storage space & memory usage report indicates success...note that I am using Arduino IDE 1.8.19 + TD 1.60b4):

Code: 
In file included from C:\Users\mjcul\Documents\Arduino\MJCsource\Polaron\Polaron.ino:27:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Arduino\hardware\teensy\avr\libraries\FastLED\src/FastLED.h:14:21: note: '#pragma message: FastLED version 3.004.000'
   14 | #    pragma message "FastLED version 3.004.000"
      |                     ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In file included from C:\Users\mjcul\Documents\Arduino\MJCsource\Polaron\SequencerStep.h:26,
                 from C:\Users\mjcul\Documents\Arduino\MJCsource\Polaron\SequencerPattern.h:27,
                 from C:\Users\mjcul\Documents\Arduino\MJCsource\Polaron\SequencerPattern.cpp:23:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Arduino\hardware\teensy\avr\libraries\FastLED\src/FastLED.h:14:21: note: '#pragma message: FastLED version 3.004.000'
   14 | #    pragma message "FastLED version 3.004.000"
      |                     ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In file included from C:\Users\mjcul\Documents\Arduino\MJCsource\Polaron\SequencerStep.h:26,
                 from C:\Users\mjcul\Documents\Arduino\MJCsource\Polaron\SequencerStep.cpp:23:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Arduino\hardware\teensy\avr\libraries\FastLED\src/FastLED.h:14:21: note: '#pragma message: FastLED version 3.004.000'
   14 | #    pragma message "FastLED version 3.004.000"
      |                     ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In file included from C:\Users\mjcul\Documents\Arduino\MJCsource\Polaron\SequencerStep.h:26,
                 from C:\Users\mjcul\Documents\Arduino\MJCsource\Polaron\SequencerPattern.h:27,
                 from C:\Users\mjcul\Documents\Arduino\MJCsource\Polaron\SequencerTrack.h:29,
                 from C:\Users\mjcul\Documents\Arduino\MJCsource\Polaron\SequencerTrack.cpp:23:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Arduino\hardware\teensy\avr\libraries\FastLED\src/FastLED.h:14:21: note: '#pragma message: FastLED version 3.004.000'
   14 | #    pragma message "FastLED version 3.004.000"
      |                     ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In file included from C:\Users\mjcul\Documents\Arduino\MJCsource\Polaron\Sequencer.h:30,
                 from C:\Users\mjcul\Documents\Arduino\MJCsource\Polaron\ProjectPersistence.cpp:4:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Arduino\hardware\teensy\avr\libraries\FastLED\src/FastLED.h:14:21: note: '#pragma message: FastLED version 3.004.000'
   14 | #    pragma message "FastLED version 3.004.000"
      |                     ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In file included from C:\Users\mjcul\Documents\Arduino\MJCsource\Polaron\Sequencer.h:30,
                 from C:\Users\mjcul\Documents\Arduino\MJCsource\Polaron\Sequencer.cpp:24:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Arduino\hardware\teensy\avr\libraries\FastLED\src/FastLED.h:14:21: note: '#pragma message: FastLED version 3.004.000'
   14 | #    pragma message "FastLED version 3.004.000"
      |                     ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sketch uses 139548 bytes (13%) of program storage space. Maximum is 1048576 bytes.
Global variables use 87824 bytes (33%) of dynamic memory, leaving 174320 bytes for local variables. Maximum is 262144 bytes.


I then changed to Board: to T3.5 (& had to reselect "Serial + MIDI" as the USB Type: ) & rebuilt, giving the following output:

Code: 
In file included from C:\Users\mjcul\Documents\Arduino\MJCsource\Polaron\Polaron.ino:43:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Arduino\hardware\teensy\avr\libraries\USBHost_t36/USBHost_t36.h:31:2: error: #error "USBHost_t36 only works with Teensy 3.6 or Teensy 4.x.  Please select it in Tools > Boards"
   31 | #error "USBHost_t36 only works with Teensy 3.6 or Teensy 4.x.  Please select it in Tools > Boards"
      |  ^~~~~
Multiple libraries were found for "FastLED.h"
 Used: C:\Program Files (x86)\Arduino\hardware\teensy\avr\libraries\FastLED
 Not used: C:\Users\mjcul\Documents\Arduino\MJCsource\libraries\xxx_FastLED
Multiple libraries were found for "SD.h"
 Used: C:\Program Files (x86)\Arduino\hardware\teensy\avr\libraries\SD
 Not used: C:\Program Files (x86)\Arduino\libraries\SD
 Not used: C:\Users\mjcul\Documents\Arduino\MJCsource\libraries\SD
Error compiling for board Teensy 3.5.


Note that the report indicates that the T3.5 does not have support for USBhost, so this requires some additional action as follows: comment out the following line (as shown):

Code: 
//#include "USBHost_t36.h"

The final build gives the following (successful) output:

Code: 
In file included from C:\Users\mjcul\Documents\Arduino\MJCsource\Polaron\Polaron.ino:27:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Arduino\hardware\teensy\avr\libraries\FastLED\src/FastLED.h:14:21: note: '#pragma message: FastLED version 3.004.000'
   14 | #    pragma message "FastLED version 3.004.000"
      |                     ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In file included from C:\Users\mjcul\Documents\Arduino\MJCsource\Polaron\SequencerStep.h:26,
                 from C:\Users\mjcul\Documents\Arduino\MJCsource\Polaron\SequencerPattern.h:27,
                 from C:\Users\mjcul\Documents\Arduino\MJCsource\Polaron\SequencerPattern.cpp:23:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Arduino\hardware\teensy\avr\libraries\FastLED\src/FastLED.h:14:21: note: '#pragma message: FastLED version 3.004.000'
   14 | #    pragma message "FastLED version 3.004.000"
      |                     ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In file included from C:\Users\mjcul\Documents\Arduino\MJCsource\Polaron\SequencerStep.h:26,
                 from C:\Users\mjcul\Documents\Arduino\MJCsource\Polaron\SequencerStep.cpp:23:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Arduino\hardware\teensy\avr\libraries\FastLED\src/FastLED.h:14:21: note: '#pragma message: FastLED version 3.004.000'
   14 | #    pragma message "FastLED version 3.004.000"
      |                     ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In file included from C:\Users\mjcul\Documents\Arduino\MJCsource\Polaron\SequencerStep.h:26,
                 from C:\Users\mjcul\Documents\Arduino\MJCsource\Polaron\SequencerPattern.h:27,
                 from C:\Users\mjcul\Documents\Arduino\MJCsource\Polaron\SequencerTrack.h:29,
                 from C:\Users\mjcul\Documents\Arduino\MJCsource\Polaron\SequencerTrack.cpp:23:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Arduino\hardware\teensy\avr\libraries\FastLED\src/FastLED.h:14:21: note: '#pragma message: FastLED version 3.004.000'
   14 | #    pragma message "FastLED version 3.004.000"
      |                     ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In file included from C:\Users\mjcul\Documents\Arduino\MJCsource\Polaron\Sequencer.h:30,
                 from C:\Users\mjcul\Documents\Arduino\MJCsource\Polaron\ProjectPersistence.cpp:4:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Arduino\hardware\teensy\avr\libraries\FastLED\src/FastLED.h:14:21: note: '#pragma message: FastLED version 3.004.000'
   14 | #    pragma message "FastLED version 3.004.000"
      |                     ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In file included from C:\Users\mjcul\Documents\Arduino\MJCsource\Polaron\Sequencer.h:30,
                 from C:\Users\mjcul\Documents\Arduino\MJCsource\Polaron\Sequencer.cpp:24:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Arduino\hardware\teensy\avr\libraries\FastLED\src/FastLED.h:14:21: note: '#pragma message: FastLED version 3.004.000'
   14 | #    pragma message "FastLED version 3.004.000"
      |                     ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sketch uses 138588 bytes (26%) of program storage space. Maximum is 524288 bytes.
Global variables use 86344 bytes (32%) of dynamic memory, leaving 175792 bytes for local variables. Maximum is 262136 bytes.


Hope that helps . . .

Mark J Culross
KD5RXT
 
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