A few months ago I finished a project, to renovate my workspace. I work from home running Protostack and a software development house Zero Point Labs. I wanted to create a workspace that would suit my needs, plus have a bit of fun along the way.
The main part of the project was building a new desk. This post provides an overview of the project and in the next few weeks I’ll go into a bit more detail.
Full build log photos can be found in this flickr album
Before
After
Some of the highlights
Firstly, the desk is wired for sound. Above the desk we have 2 bookshelf sized stereo speakers. Inside the desk we have stereo sub-woofers. Audio is split into sub-base and everything else using a pair of Linkwitz-Riley filters then amplified independently using a pair of 100W TK2050 based T-Class amplifiers.
The desk has a lot of LEDs. RGB LED Strips are mounted all over the place to provide indirect light. This is controlled by an ATMega168A microcontroller, running on one of our 28 Pin AVR Development Boards.
The Electronics cavity within the desk includes:
- 2 Linkwitz-Riley filters
- 2 Stereo Amplifiers
- -12V/+12V Power supply for Linkwitz-Riley filters
- 24V Power Supply for Stereo Amplifiers
- Protostack 28 Pin board for driving RGB Strip Lighting
- Protostack 28 Pin board for controlling ventilation system
- 120mm Fan
All of this produces heat so a ventilation system comprising of a fan and atmega168a based circuit keeps everything cool. It isn’t anything that complex, I simply measure the temperature using a DS18B20 temperature sensor then adjust the fan speed to suit the temperature.
The whole thing is managed with a slide out control panel.
