Who wants a cheap, simple, Arduino-based LED controller?

[darks8587]

hi guys the title of the draws my attention i just started to get into this diy controller for aquariums. i don't want any fancy temperature sensing things for now just wanted to have a simple LED fade in and out controller after spending couples of hour for the past few days reading through the post on this topics it kinda out of my league XD building an arduino. i do have some background in coding but a total noob in circuits XD. i google around and got two "constant current regulator with pwm dimming" supposly it converts regular current from a switch mode power supple to a constant current. and some leds for testing. and this is what i got so far


the result was pretty good. took me a few hours to figure out arduino coding and now i got an simple fade in and out effect with a for loop so the code in this post is gonna help me a lot.

btw i wanna ask if anybody know why when i use pin 13 on the arduino the red led on is on solid. i have my rtc connect to pin 13 so if anybody can tell me i will be greatly appreciate it. and The led i use is 1 strip Cree XR-E Q5+D5 and the other one is an generic type of led i got both to compare them. if i remember correctly i saw it in a another post before and finally found them

[Spuzzum]

Originally Posted by darks8587

btw i wanna ask if anybody know why when i use pin 13 on the arduino the red led on is on solid. i have my rtc connect to pin 13 so if anybody can tell me i will be greatly appreciate it.

Very nice .

The pin13 LED is the activity LED on the arduino itself. This is to verify activity when the atmel's being flashed/programmed. But since it's wired directly in the circuit, there's no way of turning it off if using the pin for something else. Only option.. would be to cut the trace of the led coming off the ground side, and wire in a switch to enable it again if you want that verification option. That's only if the LED's going to be bothersome to look at.. if not, then just leave as be.

I say the ground side, as I'm not sure about the trace coming off the pin itself.. that may lead to the connector sockets.

[Spuzzum]

By the way.. just came across something at the arduino playground. I mentioned earlier about using a 128 or 256kb i2c eeprom, for more memory storage.. freeing up the 328 for the actual program functions. Well here ya go...

Using Arduino with an I2C EEPROM


I got my hands on an AT24C256 (256 kbit = 32 kbyte serial EEPROM). I found no library for it, so I created a small sketch with few functions to show how the i2c_eeprom_write_page and i2c_eeprom_read_byte functions work.


Because this chip is I2C, it only uses the analog pins 4 & 5 (SDA and SCL), and of course the power (5V) and GND.


Connect as follows:


Arduino pin 4 to EEPROM pin 5
Arduino pin 5 to EEPROM pin 6
Arduino 5V to EEPROM pin 8
Arduino GND to EEPROM pin 1,2,3,4


Be sure to leave pin 7 of the EEPROM open or tie it to GND otherwise the EEPROM will be write protected.


Just a few quick functions for reading/writing the EEPROM (not a library, yet). 'deviceaddress' refers to the EEPROM I2C address, eg. 0x50.

 /* 
  *  Use the I2C bus with EEPROM 24LC64 
  *  Sketch:    eeprom.pde
  *  
  *  Author: hkhijhe
  *  Date: 01/10/2010
  * 
  *   
  */

  #include "Wire.h" //I2C library



  void i2c_eeprom_write_byte( int deviceaddress, unsigned int eeaddress, byte data ) {
    int rdata = data;
    Wire.beginTransmission(deviceaddress);
    Wire.send((int)(eeaddress >> 8)); // MSB
    Wire.send((int)(eeaddress & 0xFF)); // LSB
    Wire.send(rdata);
    Wire.endTransmission();
  }

  // WARNING: address is a page address, 6-bit end will wrap around
  // also, data can be maximum of about 30 bytes, because the Wire library has a buffer of 32 bytes
  void i2c_eeprom_write_page( int deviceaddress, unsigned int eeaddresspage, byte* data, byte length ) {
    Wire.beginTransmission(deviceaddress);
    Wire.send((int)(eeaddresspage >> 8)); // MSB
    Wire.send((int)(eeaddresspage & 0xFF)); // LSB
    byte c;
    for ( c = 0; c < length; c++)
      Wire.send(data[c]);
    Wire.endTransmission();
  }

  byte i2c_eeprom_read_byte( int deviceaddress, unsigned int eeaddress ) {
    byte rdata = 0xFF;
    Wire.beginTransmission(deviceaddress);
    Wire.send((int)(eeaddress >> 8)); // MSB
    Wire.send((int)(eeaddress & 0xFF)); // LSB
    Wire.endTransmission();
    Wire.requestFrom(deviceaddress,1);
    if (Wire.available()) rdata = Wire.receive();
    return rdata;
  }

  // maybe let's not read more than 30 or 32 bytes at a time!
  void i2c_eeprom_read_buffer( int deviceaddress, unsigned int eeaddress, byte *buffer, int length ) {
    Wire.beginTransmission(deviceaddress);
    Wire.send((int)(eeaddress >> 8)); // MSB
    Wire.send((int)(eeaddress & 0xFF)); // LSB
    Wire.endTransmission();
    Wire.requestFrom(deviceaddress,length);
    int c = 0;
    for ( c = 0; c < length; c++ )
      if (Wire.available()) buffer[c] = Wire.receive();
  }




  void setup() 
  {
    char somedata[] = "this is data from the eeprom"; // data to write
    Wire.begin(); // initialise the connection
    Serial.begin(9600);
    i2c_eeprom_write_page(0x50, 0, (byte *)somedata, sizeof(somedata)); // write to EEPROM 

    delay(10); //add a small delay

    Serial.println("Memory written");
  }

  void loop() 
  {
    int addr=0; //first address
    byte b = i2c_eeprom_read_byte(0x50, 0); // access the first address from the memory

    while (b!=0) 
    {
      Serial.print((char)b); //print content to serial port
      addr++; //increase address
      b = i2c_eeprom_read_byte(0x50, addr); //access an address from the memory
    }
    Serial.println(" ");
    delay(2000);

  }

http://www.arduino.cc/playground/Code/I2CEEPROM

[Spuzzum]

Here's another guide, using a 512kb chip.. including how to wire it up.

Interfacing a Serial EEPROM Using SPI
http://www.arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/SPIEEPROM


How you'd go about rewriting the eeprom section of the sketch to accommodate it is beyond me still. The instructions are there.. but it's all coding.

[mmakay]

Here are the fruits of my DIY labor. Many thanks to everyone here that contributed to the Typhon Reef sketch, and shared there own DIY knowledge. My new Light is much sexier than it would have been without all your help!

There are 96 Luxeon Rebel emitters on 32 three-up stars 20mm in diameter. Each star has a Neutral White, Blue and Royal Blue. Mixing is basically perfect because the LEDs are so close to one another.




The controller is built into an old Pelican case I've had sitting around. It's a tad overbuilt hehe.

[Spuzzum]

Just noticed something...

The script is set up to use the EEPROM... but there's no "erase eeprom" function at the beginning of the script.. before writing to the eeprom. The eeprom's still holding values from the last time it was flashed/programmed. I'm playing with the original script.. not my modified version.. if I change values in the LED variables, it still loads whatever values were in the script the last time. I've verified this.. 3 times.

Since we have the EEPROM library installed.. open the "eeprom_clear" example.. flash that before loading a newly revised script/sketch.. new values are now in control.

/*
 * EEPROM Clear
 *
 * Sets all of the bytes of the EEPROM to 0.
 * This example code is in the public domain.

 */

#include "EEPROM.h"

void setup()
{
  // write a 0 to all 512 bytes of the EEPROM
  for (int i = 0; i < 512; i++)
    EEPROM.write(i, 0);
    
  // turn the LED on when we're done
  digitalWrite(13, HIGH);
}

void loop()
{
}

[Spuzzum]

Trying to hook in a relay function for the heatsink fans, but I can't figure out what to associate the lightsOff function to. I have a 5mm led connected to the relay pin for testing. I reconfigured the StartMins and PhotoPeriod for each channel to use a global StartMins and PhotoPeriod, so they all start and end the same time, but their individual fade functions are still functional. I then redid the menu to have a master "lights on" and "lights off" setting, followed by the individual fade and % settings for each channel. Figured having a master start and end function would be easier when hooking in a relay function.


If I use:

if (Relay1 >= StartMins) {
   digitalWrite(Relay1, HIGH);
}

The light just stays off.



If I use:

if (Relay1 <= StartMins) {
   digitalWrite(Relay1, HIGH);
}

The light stays on, even if StartMins hasn't been reached yet.



Adding in:

if (Relay1 <= StartMins) {
   digitalWrite(Relay1, HIGH);
  } else {
       if(Relay1 > (StartMins+PhotoPeriod)) {
   digitalWrite(Relay1, LOW);
         }
}

Light stays off.



I managed a half-assed fix by putting it within the "led functions" section:

/****** LED Functions ******/
/***************************/
//function to set LED brightness according to time of day
//function has three equal phases - ramp up, hold, and ramp down

int   setLed(int mins,         // current time in minutes
            int ledPin,        // pin for this channel of LEDs
            int start,         // start time for this channel of LEDs
            int period,        // photoperiod for this channel of LEDs
            int fade,          // fade duration for this channel of LEDs
            int ledMax,        // max value for this channel
            boolean inverted   // true if the channel is inverted
            )  {
  int val = 0;
  
  
      //// heatsink fan relay on /////////////////////////////////////////////
     if (mins > start || mins <= start + fade)  {
        digitalWrite(Relay1, HIGH);
      }
      //// heatsink fan relay off
      if (mins <= start || mins > start + period)  {
        digitalWrite(Relay1, LOW);
          }
      
      //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

      //fade up
      if (mins > start || mins <= start + fade)  {
        val = map(mins - start, 0, fade, 0, ledMax);
      }
      //fade down
      if (mins > start + period - fade && mins <= start + period)  {
        val = map(mins - (start + period - fade), 0, fade, ledMax, 0);
      }
      //off or post-midnight run.
      if (mins <= start || mins > start + period)  {
        if((start+period)%1440 < start && (start + period)%1440 > mins )
          {
            val=map((start+period-mins)%1440,0,fade,0,ledMax);
          }
        else  
        val = 0; 
      }
    
    
    if (val > ledMax)  {val = ledMax;} 
    if (val < 0) {val = 0; } 
    
  if (inverted) {analogWrite(ledPin, map(val, 0, 100, 255, 0));}
  else {analogWrite(ledPin, map(val, 0, 100, 0, 255));}
  if(override){val=overpercent;}
  return val;
}

Now.. the light follows the oneStartMins schedule, turning on when channel 1 starts up, and turning off when channel 1 shuts off.

But now... when it shuts off, it still flickers.. very dimly. Is this normal?

[Spuzzum]

Think it's a ghost in my script. Playing with the original Typhon script, and the led keeps flickering. Modify the script I posted here with the 6 PWM channels.. and the led doesn't flicker. In fact.. it's about 1/2 as bright for some reason. Still hooking the relay controls in with the led functions, as I haven't tried hooking it in separately yet. It's working.. I don't want to screw it up now .

But it is strange that earlier it was twice as bright when "high", and flickering when "low". Definitely had something in the script screwing it up.

Now to play with some heat sensors.....

[lomo]

Originally Posted by mmakay

There are 96 Luxeon Rebel emitters on 32 three-up stars 20mm in diameter. Each star has a Neutral White, Blue and Royal Blue. Mixing is basically perfect because the LEDs are so close to one another.

Can you please tell me where did you get this LEDs, and are you able to dimm every color on its own?

Thanks

[mmakay]

Originally Posted by lomo

Can you please tell me where did you get this LEDs, and are you able to dimm every color on its own?

Thanks

Not sure I can post a link due to forum policy, but if you do a search for "luxeon star rebel 3-up" on Google, you'll find the site right away. Cree's are going to be a little cheaper, but I wanted the spectrum that Rebel emitters give. likewise, 3-up stars are a little harder to wire, but the color mixing is as good as you'll get.

I did wire them so that each color is dimmed independently. That way the overall color is easily tuned, and I'm a big fan of the pure "actinic" look for sunrise and sunset ... and showing off!

[Spuzzum]

Cutter Electronics in Australia are selling 3-up Cree's. They even have 7-up designs.

[Spuzzum]

I just noticed that Megablue used the adc keys in his design. I just can't get the sketch to compile.. "two wire" errors.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...&postcount=757

[Spuzzum]

Just found the actual libraries for using an external eeprom chip .

AT24C1024 I2C EEPROM Library:
http://arduino.cc/playground/Code/I2CEEPROM24C1024

The 24C256 library:
http://www.arduino.cc/playground/Code/I2CEEPROM

The 24C512 library:
http://www.arduino.cc/playground/Code/I2CEEPROM24LC512

Download:
http://code.google.com/p/arduino-at2...downloads/list


Implementing this into the Typhon would definitely speed things up .

[Chatouille]

Looking for 2 of the typhoon rev 1.0 boards, and any leftovers for the build. Please pm me if you have a couple of spares.

[Megablue]

Originally Posted by shark boy

As my grandpa would say.

Now we're cooking with gas!!! LOL

Hello shark boy, you asked me in pm if temp&relay is working: yes in the code i posted Temp1 can be assigned at the pwm channel to use it as a relay of pwm for a 12v fan (not directly but with mainly two npn transistors). Temp2 can only use the relay.

[Spuzzum]

Found a script with a good example of using the adc_keys... not the Typhon, but good info for modifying Typhon to use the single wire key pad.

[shark boy]

Originally Posted by Spuzzum

Found a script with a good example of using the adc_keys... not the Typhon, but good info for modifying Typhon to use the single wire key pad.

WOW!
That's way over my head!

I did look the project up after looking at the code and found the whole thing in a great PDF file. There is some very interesting and adaptable parts here. I love the Nokia 3310 screen with joystick.

http://code.google.com/p/dangerduino...erManualv1.pdf

shark boy

[Chatouille]

Still looking...

If anyone has a spare PCB, shoot me a pm.

Thanks

[shark boy]

Has anyone seen the board? Adruino Multifunction Shield
Thoughts?
http://www.web4robot.com/

[Chatouille]

Dwizum (or anyone with hardware design knowledge….)

What would your thoughts be about adding a bridge rectifier like a DF02M to this design? It could provide reverse polarity protection for the circuit, and even accept AC adapters for that matter. Cost would be very minimal, and give you the ability to use a wide range of wall warts.

Is there a downside to using one, other than the voltage drop across the rectifier? Would the DF02M, and a 100uf cap be good for this application?

Also, I noticed when trying to create the gerbers for ITead, if you use THEIR cam to generate the gerbers, it messes up the drill file for some reason. You can see it if you use a gerber viewer. I used the cam from Seeed, and copied the drill file over with the rest of the files for ITead, everything "looks" proper now.

Chris

[Spuzzum]

Originally Posted by Chatouille

Dwizum (or anyone with hardware design knowledge….)

What would your thoughts be about adding a bridge rectifier like a DF02M to this design? It could provide reverse polarity protection for the circuit, and even accept AC adapters for that matter. Cost would be very minimal, and give you the ability to use a wide range of wall warts.

Is there a downside to using one, other than the voltage drop across the rectifier? Would the DF02M, and a 100uf cap be good for this application?

Also, I noticed when trying to create the gerbers for ITead, if you use THEIR cam to generate the gerbers, it messes up the drill file for some reason. You can see it if you use a gerber viewer. I used the cam from Seeed, and copied the drill file over with the rest of the files for ITead, everything "looks" proper now.

Chris

DF02M, DF04M.. both will work fine. As long as the Arduino doesn't need more than 1.5A that is...

[Spuzzum]

Adafruit delivery finally came.. new bigger LCD and some Dallas Temperature sensors .

#define ONE_WIRE_BUS 2                  //data wire for temperature probes. 
#define TEMPERATURE_PRECISION 9
OneWire oneWire(ONE_WIRE_BUS); 
DallasTemperature sensors(&oneWire); 
DeviceAddress TempSense_1, TempSense_2, TempSense_3;

-
-
-
-
-

//////////////   TEMPERATURE   //////////////

void printAddress(DeviceAddress deviceAddress) 
{ 
	for (uint8_t i = 0; i < 8; i++) 
	{ 
		// zero pad the address if necessary 
		if (deviceAddress[i] < 16) Serial.print("0"); 
		Serial.print(deviceAddress[i], HEX); 
	} 
} 
void printTemperature(DeviceAddress deviceAddress) 
{ 
	float tempC = sensors.getTempC(deviceAddress); 
	lcd.print(DallasTemperature::toFahrenheit(tempC), 1); 
} 
void printData(DeviceAddress deviceAddress) 
{ 
	Serial.print(" "); 
	printTemperature(deviceAddress); 
	Serial.println(); 
} 

-
-
-
-
-

//////////////    Get temp data from DS18B20   //////////////

	Serial.begin(9600); 
	sensors.begin(); 
	if (!sensors.getAddress(TempSense_1, 0)); 
	if (!sensors.getAddress(TempSense_2, 1)); 
	if (!sensors.getAddress(TempSense_3, 2));
	sensors.setResolution(TempSense_1, 9); 
	sensors.setResolution(TempSense_2, 9);
	sensors.setResolution(TempSense_3, 9); 

-
-
-
-
-

//////////////    Display HeatSink Temperature   //////////////

		sensors.requestTemperatures(); 

		lcd.setCursor(0,2); 
		lcd.print("Temp1"); 
		lcd.setCursor(0,3);
		printData(TempSense_1); 
		lcd.print((char)223); //print degree symbol ° 
		lcd.print("F "); 
		lcd.setCursor(7,2); 
		lcd.print("Temp2"); 
		lcd.setCursor(7,3);
		printData(TempSense_2); 
		lcd.print((char)223); // print degree symbol ° 
		lcd.print("F "); 
		lcd.setCursor(14,2); 
		lcd.print("Temp3"); 
		lcd.setCursor(14,3);
		printData(TempSense_3); 
		lcd.print((char)223); // print degree symbol ° 
		lcd.print("F");
               if((StartMins < minCounter && StopMins >= minCounter)) {
                  lcd.setCursor(16,0);
                  lcd.print("ON ");
                  }
                  
	          else{
                  lcd.setCursor(16,0);
                  lcd.print("OFF");

                  }
}

My fixture is going to be 3 sections, 3 heatsinks. So I want 3 temp sensors.

Although all 3 sensors are working, I noticed something strange. In my picture above.. the sensor to the left is reading as #1, the middle sensor is reading as #3, and the sensor to the right is reading as #2.

??? What did I do wrong?

[JarekS]

Originally Posted by JarekS

I can't wait for this add on board to come to life, i'd love the moon lights and temp sensor to turn lights if temp got too high.
I'd live to see a relay of some kind to turn fans on/off

I don't know about the surface mounting though...




That would be great, controlling fans that run when the lights are on would be awesome to have in this controller. This would solve my last problem with full implementation of this board into my hood of red sea max 130 and i could ditch stock timer that controls fans and moon lights!

Awaiting eagerly to see the results. And if anyone happens to have an extra add-on board i'd love one

Any update on the add on board ?

[JarekS]

Originally Posted by der_wille_zur_macht

I have my first honest attempt at an expansion board in a draft stage. It has a single driver on it for moonlight LEDs that is I2C controllable (via digital pot, since that is easier to get ahold of than any reasonable I2C pwm IC). It also has a 4 channel ADC for temperature sensors, pH, etc. The idea is to keep this LED focused so for instance you could put the temp probes in the waser and/or on the heatsink and turn the LEDs off if things got too hot.

The board is 5cm square so it is the same size as the CAT4101 drivers and will be cheap to get from common board houses. There is technically some spare room on the board. Can anyone think of other hardware I might fill that space with?

Oh, and it is all surface mount, but easy packages, with the idea that this is a good first smt project. I would rate it as a similar difficulty as the 4101 drivers.

Any update on the add-on board?

[Spuzzum]

Fixed it.

Just swapped the 2 sensors themselves.. now they read in succession. Guess it was the internal addresses.