Testing & Iteration

Pump & Water Flow Testing

After installing the pump, I tested the system for leaks and splashing. Nylon wires were initially added to guide the water, but testing showed they blocked the flow. After removing them, performance improved significantly.

The pump output was stronger than expected, causing the reservoir to fill too quickly. To control this, a MOSFET was introduced to regulate pump speed and stabilize flow.

LED Testing

Using white light at high brightness caused voltage drops across the panel, resulting in uneven illumination. To prevent this, lightning effects were redesigned using blue and purple tones, reducing power draw while maintaining visual impact.

#include <FastLED.h>

#define LED_PIN 3
#define NUM_LEDS 612
#define BRIGHTNESS 40

CRGB leds[NUM_LEDS];

void setup() {
  FastLED.addLeds<WS2812B, LED_PIN, RGB>(leds, NUM_LEDS);
  FastLED.setBrightness(BRIGHTNESS);
}

void loop() {
  fill_solid(leds, NUM_LEDS, CRGB(20, 20, 80)); // rain base
  if (random8() < 10) {
    leds[random16(NUM_LEDS)] = CRGB(80, 80, 255); // lightning streak
  }
  FastLED.show();
  delay(30);
}