Should combine concepts that you have learned in this class

Ideally should involve some digital electronics, but does not have to.
You have three projects to choose from, or you can find one of your own.
xTry to choose a schematic that you can understand and uses components
in your kit
available in the studio
that you are willing to buy
You must get your schematic approved by the instructor for your section.
Try to choose a kit that you can understand and uses components that we have stu
died.
You must get your kit approved by the instructor for your section.
If your kit requires soldering, we have solder and soldering irons in the studio
. We will set them up on the center table.
Ambience - The light that is "ambient" in the room. How it is lit including ligh
ts and the amount of daylight that streams in. The more ambient light that is in
the room, the more likely it is that the projector will produce a washed-out im
age. The way to counter this is with more light from the projector, but increase
d light from the projector will only combat so much of the ambient light. Ideall
y, you will want to find an optimum amount of ambient light for the optimum view
ing experience.
ANSI - The American National Standards Institute is an quasi-official organizati
on formed to create standards. This makes certain that many of the parts of proj
ectors and other electronic devices can work together even if they are made by d
ifferent companies in different countries. The power of the illumination and the
contrast ratio on a projector are nearly always preceded by the ANSI designatio
n to show that the manufacturer followed the ANSI guidelines and that the measur
ement is clearly defined.
Compression - Some projectors will convert one form of pixelated input into anot
her. For example a computer might put out XGA and the projector might convert it
to SVGA. This makes the projector more versatile.
Contrast - The ratio between darkness and brightness, contrast determines the cl
arity of images, especially letters and other symbols on a page. Typical contras
t runs from 400:1 to 800:1 and more.
Distribution Amplifier - This will amplify or increase a source signal and distr
ibute it over significant distances, through multiple outputs. This can be impor
tant, as signals that are sent over cheap cables at ranges above just a few feet
can be intermitent or even non-existent.
DLP (Digital Light Processing) - This display technology was developed by Texas
Instruments. It uses tiny mirrors (480,000 to over a million mirrors in a single
small space) to display an image on a screen. This allows for deeper and more v
aried colors to be used.
Focus - Light and images coming out of the lens are concentrated to make clear,
discernable images on the screen. The lens can only focus within certain paramet
ers or distances so this will limit how far a projector can be from a screen as
well as the size of the projection.
Keystone - When the image is bigger at top than the bottom this is called a keys
tone. Most projectors come with an adjustment that will remove this image distor
tion caused by an angled screen or projector.
LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) - uses electric current to align crystals suspended
in a liquid. Because the rod-shaped crystals are contained between two parallel
transparent electrodes, when a current is applied, they can change their orient
ation, creating varying degrees of color. Three colors and their shades are nece
ssary to produce any color in the spectrum.
Lumens - This is a measure of the amount of light streaming out of the projector
. More lumens will be necessary to light spaces with more ambient light. At leas
t 1500 lumens is considered necessary for projectors used in auditoriums and bri

ght rooms.
Pixel A pixel is a small dot of light that forms a part of the display of an ima
ge. On a computer screen, clarity can be defined as the number of pixels per squ
are inch (resolution). The more pixels, the higher the definition possible, but
also the larger the files must be to contain the image.
Resolution - the number of dots a display uses to create an image. These dots ar
e called pixels. The more pixels per screen area the sharper the display will be
.
Throw Distance The distance from the center of a projector lens measured to the
center of the screen onto which it is projecting.
Projectors
Advantages and Limitations
Projectors are sometimes called "front projectors" or "two-piece projection syst
ems" in reference to the fact that a projector is typically used with a separate
screen that is either mounted on a wall or hung from a ceiling. However, these
days many users of the more inexpensive projectors simply shine the picture on a
white wall to save the cost of the screen.
Advantages
Largest possible picture. Front projectors generate the biggest possible image s
ize. You can use them to create the very large screen experience of a commercial
movie theater in your own home. In theory, actual image size can go up to 300"
diagonal or more. But in reality the size of any given projector's image is limi
ted by its light output. Nevertheless, most projectors produce beautiful images
at sizes of 90" to 120" diagonal, which is far larger than anything you can get
with flatscreen TVs or rear-projection TVs.
Smaller images a great option also. Perhaps you don't want a huge image, or mayb
e you don't have space for one. If this is the case, a projector can be used to
throw a smaller image, say about 60" diagonal. So it can serve as an inexpensive
substitute for a 60" plasma TV. At this image size the picture is usually very
bright, and can be used with some of the room lights on. Given the low cost of m
any entry level projectors, this can be the least expensive way to get a 60" pic
ture on your wall.
Low cost. Believe it or not, a front projector can be the least expensive altern
ative for big screen video in your home. Some projectors built for dedicated hom
e theater have now dropped below $1,000, making them much less expensive than fl
atscreen TVs or rear-projection TVs. They can even be cheaper than a regular 36"
television. Of course, projectors range in price from very cheap to very expens
ive depending on a variety of performance factors. But even some of the best one
s are now mass market consumer products and much more affordable than they used
to be. And measured on a cost per diagonal inch basis, they are clearly the leas
t expensive video products on the market.
Space saving. A small projector that is mounted on a coffee table, a rear shelf
or bookcase, or mounted on a ceiling, takes up no floorspace in the room. When n
ot operating, it is largely invisible. Using a projector gets rid of the big box
television that really doesn't look very good in the room when it is not being
used.
Easy to install. The ease of installation can vary actually. But if you are sett
ing up a simple system on a coffee table or a rear bookshelf and shining it onto
a white wall, it really is as easy to set up as a simple television. They are l
ightweight, and one person can pull it out of the box, hook it up and get a pict
ure on the wall with little trouble. Sometimes some adjustments are required to
fine tune the picture so that it looks its best, but that is true of all video p
roducts including conventional televisions.
Limitations
Dark room often required. Front projectors look their best in a darkened room, j
ust like a movie theater. When you view in a dark room you get maximum contrast
and sparkle in the picture. Whether you need a dark room or not depends in part
on how bright your projector is, and in part on how picky you are about maintain
ing maximum image quality. If you are trying to create the "movie theater" exper

ience, this is not really a disadvantage since you want a dark room anyway. Howe
ver, if you plan to have a lot of family or social gatherings around your screen
, a darkened room may not be desired. So your intended usage needs to be conside
red before selecting a front projector.
Maintenance required. Most projectors require maintenance attention that flatscr
een and regular televisions do not. All projectors operate on lamps that need to
be replaced periodically, and lamps can cost $300 to $400, or even more in some
cases. The frequency of lamp replacement depends on the model and on your usage
, but many projector users replace lamps every two to three years.
In addition to lamp replacement, most projectors have air filters that need to b
e cleaned or replaced every couple of months. Failure to keep filters clean can
reduce lamp life and increase the chances of dust getting into the unit and crea
ting fuzzy spots on the projected image. Once this happens, a projector usually
must be returned to the dealer or manufacturer for cleaning. Some projectors hav
e sealed optics that eliminate this issue, but most do not since sealing the opt
ics adds cost to the unit.
Installation can be more involved. As noted above, the ease of installation vari
es based upon how you want to set it up. If you plan to ceiling mount it, you ma
y need to hire some help to run power and signal cables through the walls. Furth
ermore, if you are using a projection screen as well, then hooking a fixed scree
n to the wall, or installing an electric retractable screen on or in the ceiling
adds further steps to the installation process. If the projector does not have
physical lens shift capability, the job of ceiling mounting to fit a screen must
be done with particular care. ("Lens shift" is a feature that lets you move the
lens up and down, and sometimes sideways, in order to adjust the location of th
e projected image without moving the projector. Most projectors do not have this
feature, and some do.)
Rainbow artifacts. In choosing a projector you should be aware that some users o
f projectors using DLP technology can see color separation artifacts, commonly k
nown as rainbows, or rainbow artifacts. This is an unfortunate side-effect of th
e spinning color wheel in the light engine of a DLP projector. Most people are n
ot sensitive to this phenomenon, but those who are can experience it as anything
from a minor distraction to a severe flaw that makes the projector unwatchable.
In addition to being visually distracting, the effect is also reported to cause
headaches and eyestrain. If you are acquiring a DLP projector for home use it i
s important to verify that you, your spouse, and any other regular viewers are n
ot sensitive to DLP rainbow artifacts.
Texas Instrument, the maker of DLP technology, along with the vendors that build
the products, have successfully addressed this problem by accelerating the rota
tion speed of the color wheel on models intended for home video use. A much smal
ler percentage of the population is sensitive to rainbows on DLP projectors with
faster wheel speeds. The bottom line is this: the standard rotation speed on mo
st DLP projectors is designated 2x. It is these units that cause the most compla
ints. DLP projectors with 4x or 5x wheels are much less problematic. Meanwhile,
projectors using LCD or LCOS technology do not have the problem at all, since th
ey have no color wheels in their light engines to begin with. Furthermore, the m
ore expensive 3-chip DLP projectors have no problem either, since they don't use
color wheels. This disadvantage is therefore limited to single-chip DLP project
ors with standard 2x speed color wheels.