About

The HexBright (or HexBright Flex) is an open-source, programmable LED flashlight from a 2011 Kickstarter project. It's designed with an onboard ATmega328P microcontroller that's fully Arduino-compatible, meaning you don't need to "connect" a separate Arduino board to it—the flashlight is an Arduino. You program it directly via USB using the Arduino IDE, just like any Arduino Uno. It features a high-output CREE LED (up to 500 lumens), a built-in accelerometer for tilt-based controls, a button for input, thermal sensing to prevent overheating, and USB charging.

Hardware Overview

• Microcontroller: ATmega328P (16 MHz, 32KB flash, 2KB RAM).
• LED Driver: Supports PWM for brightness control (0-255 levels).
• Inputs: Tail button (digital), 3-axis accelerometer (I2C), thermal sensor.
• Outputs: Main white LED, 3 status LEDs (red/green/blue).
• Power: Rechargeable 18650 Li-ion battery; USB for charging and programming.
• Programming: Micro-USB port acts as a serial interface (like FTDI on an Arduino).

Setting Up the Arduino IDE for HexBright

1. Download Arduino IDE: Get the latest version from arduino.cc. Version 1.0.1+ is required for compatibility, but newer ones work fine.

2. Download the HexBright Master Repo

   git clone <https://github.com/dhiltonp/hexbright.git>
   

   1. Extract and copy the hardware directory to the root of the Arduino home directory.
   2. Copy the libraries directory to the root of the Arduino directory.
   3. Start Arduino.
   4. You should be able to select the serial port and a HexBright board.

Understanding the HexBright Flashlight

Connecting the HexBright

Testing Connection

Testing the Hexbright

Add repo

Avrdude errors

Hardware Testing