Explore your components and simulate their interactions before building.
Project Architecture
This application helps you visualize how your selected components work together. The goal is to send a signal using an array of LEDs, detect that signal with an array of phototransistors, and display the resulting data as a binary number on the 8-digit display. The Arduino acts as the central controller, and the bench power supply provides stable power to the entire system.
Emitter Array PC Amber LEDs
LEDs
Optical Signal
Receiver Array Phototransistors
Sensors
Controller & Display Arduino & MAX7219
Arduino
MAX7219
Emitter & Receiver Analysis
The success of an optical link depends on how well the light emitter (LED) is matched with the light detector (phototransistor). The most important factor is wavelength. This section visualizes the compatibility of your chosen components.
Spectral Compatibility
This chart overlays the LED's light output spectrum with the phototransistor's sensitivity. The closer the peaks, the more efficiently the signal is detected.
Distance vs. Signal Strength
As the distance between the LED and phototransistor increases, the light intensity at the detector decreases (Inverse Square Law). This simulation shows how the received signal strength (and resulting voltage) drops with distance.
MAX7219 Binary Display Simulator
Your goal is to display an 8-bit byte, with each digit showing either a '0' or a '1'. Use the switches below to set the value of each bit in an 8-bit byte and see the result on the virtual 8-digit display. This demonstrates how you'll visualize the binary data received by your phototransistor array.
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Bit 7 (MSB)
Bit 6
Bit 5
Bit 4
Bit 3
Bit 2
Bit 1
Bit 0 (LSB)
Resulting Values
Binary
00000000
Decimal
0
Hex
00
Quantum-Optical Computing: Parallel Field Equation Simulation
Your system's ability to encode hundreds of states per channel via wavelength, and process these in parallel across 64 channels, creates an unprecedented input bandwidth for complex, distributed computations. This section conceptually demonstrates how such a system could be applied to massive parallel calculations, like simulating Einstein's Field Equations for "all possible points" and even exploring "future data."
Parallel Input: 64 Unique Variable-Length Strings
Each of the 64 sensor nodes simultaneously outputs a unique binary string. The length of this string dynamically expands (8 bits per active wavelength) based on the detected optical state, creating a massive parallel input for computation.
This grid conceptually visualizes the simultaneous calculation of "all possible points" (e.g., in a spacetime grid) for Einstein's Field Equations. Each cell's color represents a conceptual value of spacetime curvature, derived in parallel from the high-density input.
Full System Simulation
This brings everything together. Click "Transmit Byte" to simulate sending an 8-bit data pattern from the LED array to the phototransistor array, which then displays the result on the MAX7219 display.