Programming Your Christmas Lights

You’ve undoubtedly seen videos online of crazy houses decked out in lights for the holidays, all synchronized to music. Ever wonder how it’s all done? This presentation will show you how! Andrew Konkol, a Wisconsin Rapids resident and creator/designer of the Konkols Christmas Light Show, will cover what it takes to create your own animated lighting display. You’ll discover a unique fusion of hardware, software, and artistry that forms the basis of this highly addictive hobby. Topics such as microcontrollers, protocols, electronic circuits, and the music sequencing process will be addressed. Even if you have no desire to enter this hobby yourself, you’ll be sure to find something interesting and learn about some areas of technology outside the typical computer/IT world.

About Our Speaker:

Andrew Konkol has been programming computers since he was 10. A 2002 UWSP graduate with majors in Computer Information Systems and Mathematics, he is now a Technical Architect at Sentry Insurance in Stevens Point. He’s been involved in projects both large and small, including Sentry’s legacy replacement initiatives and modern ASP.NET MVC-based internet applications. For the past 5 years, Andrew has taken up animated Christmas lights as his hobby. He was inspired when visiting the “Rotary Winter Wonderland” display in Marshfield, WI. Every year he’s added something new to his show, and is excited to share a little about what goes into this hobby.

Presentation Notes:

• Optional networking / socializing starts @ 5:00 PM. Food also served during this time on a first come, first service.

• Presentation starts @ 6:00 PM

• Optional after hours / social meeting at local establishment sponsored by New Resources Consulting.

Location - College of Professional Studies room 116 (the same room as our previous presentations)