Oct 2023 – May 2024
Overview
The Pendant was my first attempt at some sort of universal portable microcontroller project that could be reused for much longer and just overall have a physical polish and robustness.
This project was created alongside development of Eclipse OS. I recommend checking out that doc first for a general overview of the software, which I believe is the real bread and butter of this whole thing. This doc will just focus on the hardware / specific implementation for the few events it's used in.
The Hardware
A modular prop made to easily create a central point of interface for all my LEDs, as well as giving an interface to the user for switching modes.
Processor
The device was using an Adafruit Feather RP2040. Very similar to a standard RP2040 (Raspberry Pi Pico), but this gave more flexibility with its LiPo charger and auto-charging hookup.
Components
There was a GC9A01 Round Screen in the center of two WS2812B LED rings. There are four momentary push-button switches in the same housing. There is an external WS2812B connector for external lights, as well as a reversed WS2812B connector that is used for remote input that is threaded along the arm. The reversed connector ensures I am unable to incorrectly wire the device by accident.
3D Printing
The casing and main structure was completely self-architected. The case would snap a lid on both sides, as it was designed to snap-fit. The one on the front obviously had a large hole to see the screen and to avoid diffusing that light.
The design was originally made primarily for Neotropolis/Cyberarm. However, at a certain point the generalized "relic" design came through.
The Pattern Configuration
There were two sequential events coming up, so we had two configurations with custom patterns made for each event.
I liked the tree state management, it was relatively easy to navigate, although it could get a bit maze-like, so I tried to make state connections make sense thematically to help with memorizing the maze.
Projects
The Jacket v1 (Apr 2024)
The first iteration of The Jacket was made for a Cyberpunk style event called Neotropolis. It had 7 unique modes/patterns.
The Staff (May 2024)
The second iteration was in the form of a wizard's staff and had 12 modes. Being able to make six new patterns in a month of off time, while working on a lot of other stuff for the second event, was nice — it was great to see the library prove itself out.
The Jacket v2 (Eclipse OS v2, Apr 2025)
The Jacket also used this device as a v2 version of the jacket from 2024, representing the completion of the Eclipse OS library with 2D LED mapping and IO-agnostic patterns.