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Deskside Status Light

A simple button controlled lamp to show your availability at a glance

af7vAF7V
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One of the problems that I run into all the time at work is using Skype and other online conferencing systems and a pair of bluetooth headphones. Invariably, I'll be on a call and someone will walk up expecting me to be able to talk. After interrupting me once again, I had someone make the offhand comment that I needed a light to show if I was available or not. This project is the result.

I'm a total novice at designing circuits and programming, so be gentle in your critique.

I've uploaded the circuit board files to github. 

The Gerber files are formatted for production through DirtyPCBs.com

The star I used at work was printed from a custom STL and the circuit board shared by ronp5683 at OSHPark.com

Pixel LED Star(4).stl

This was the STL I created for printing out the star that I used at my desk.

Standard Tesselated Geometry - 35.24 kB - 08/16/2017 at 14:17

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  • 6 × 10K Through Hole Resistors
  • 1 × USB 2.0 mini B jack Mouser Part # 490-UJ2-MBH-1-SMT
  • 1 × 8 PIN IC Socket
  • 6 × 6 Cherry MX Switches
  • 1 × ATtiny85-20PU Microprocessors, Microcontrollers, DSPs / ARM, RISC-Based Microcontrollers

View all 10 components

View project log

  • 1
    Tweak the circuit board

    Before printing out your own copy of the circuit board, I recommend that you go into kicad and remove the gyro: logo. 

  • 2
    Send the board to be printed and cut

    As indicated elsewhere, I used DirtyPCBs and was very happy with the results. These fit in the 10x10cm protoboard category. Use the THT files, those are for through hole components.

    If you create new Gerbers, watch out for the drill files. By default it creates 3, but DirtyPCBs only handles one. 

  • 3
    Mount the USB connector

    This is the hardest part without a reflow oven. I have a very fine tip soldering iron that I used. An alternative method can be seen here courtesy of AvE over at YouTube

View all 11 instructions

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Dawid Wesołek wrote 08/21/2017 at 12:54 • point

Neat project!

Where do you get these keycaps from?

  Are you sure? yes | no

AF7V wrote 08/25/2017 at 17:27 • point

Sorry for the delayed response. Busy traveling for the eclipse. ;)

These are the standard DSA blanks from Signature Plastics. You can get them here: https://pimpmykeyboard.com/dsa-1-space-pack-of-10/

At some point I'm probably going to purchase some custom keycaps to make it just that much more fun.

  Are you sure? yes | no

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