Comments on: H2O spectrum analyser

By: Ray

Ray — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 00:44:56 +0000

Originally we wanted to use solenoids but the ones we wanted were $40-50 each and that added up quickly. We were also concerned that they may be very loud.

Some of the delay is due to the capture time within Matlab. It had to sample for a brief window, process the FFT, and then send the data to the FPGA to generate the PWM signals. If we could've sent an audio signal straight into the FPGA through an A/D and processed an FFT there it would have been much quicker.

By: Rich

Rich — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 02:25:46 +0000

yeah delay idea would definitely help but it doesn't change the fact that water falls at a fixed rate (too slow) that you can never change.

i was thinking about this thing today and i think that you could tinker with nozzles and pressure ranges to achieve something less sloppy tho.

if anything, i think that this rig could be reincarnated as something other than a spectrum analyzer to great effect.

alas, 'tis true that the flame scope is not a spectrum analyzer at all. i love how simple it is tho. plus, FIRE. =D

By: Jeff

Jeff — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 17:17:31 +0000

It’s the Bellagio, writ small… very cool.

By: luigi517

luigi517 — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 08:06:22 +0000

he should give each pump its own reservoir with differently colored water in each

By: Russ Williams

Russ Williams — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 07:54:12 +0000

why not solenoid valves instead of 16 pumps?

By: Tuckie

Tuckie — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 07:50:12 +0000

@rich:
except for the fact that the flame one isn’t really a spectrum analyzer

By: twistedsymphony

twistedsymphony — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 07:01:16 +0000

yeah… as long as the “source” isn’t live there’s no reason that the audio output can’t be delayed to sync up with “water physics”

By: Matthew

Matthew — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 06:44:38 +0000

rich: this can be totally negated by playing the music with a slight delay, with regard to the analyzer. I think it’s a dope idea.

By: Rich

Rich — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 06:15:40 +0000

the effect is less than desirable due to water physics

my fave remains the flaming spectrum analyzer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyIphO4Ypoo