LEDBrick Project - DIY pendant w/ pucks

[saf1]

Yes, it is. I exchanged a few emails to see about obtaining some Borealis in case they had any laying around. Saw those, asked if they are going to sell separately and they said not yet. It is something they might do by year end.

I'm not sure what makes the most sense anymore compared to DIY vs. buying something overseas. I liked the Borealis and control I have with the different channel. That or other multis like you are doing. 18 LED's per chip isn't too bad I'd wager for heat although I'm not sure what the spread is. I do not want to spend 400+ on a fixture though and it can quickly add up with larger tanks.

And I need something that can hit the bottom although not has much intensity if I go 30 - 36" deep.

Their new multi is:
16 CREE XT-E royal blue LEDs
•10 CREE XP-G2 cool whtie LEDs
•4 SemiLEDs Violet UV LEDs + 4 SemiLEDs Hyper Violet LEDs
•2 CREE XP-E Photo Red LEDs
•2 CREE XP-E2 Green LEDs
•2 royal blue moonlights

 

[saf1]

Forgot to say - ty for info. I have a white/royal supplemental that comes on earlier in the morning then switches off, on again at dusk. Your strip would probably work wonders for that rather than the 7 LED's on my 12" bar.

 

[theatrus]

This is obviously a taste thing (barring any hard science on perfect spectrum for coral color/growth), but I don't understand the red LEDs. On my original LEDBrick (still in use!), I have a few - all I use them for is a very early/late sunset/sunrise ten minute effect. Looks neat, but the Neutral/Warm whites already fill in plenty of that spectrum - same with the green - and I basically never run them after that point. Cyan is one that is normally missing from whites, hence I've been loading it up and keeping it at higher output (and happy with the look).

 

[theatrus]

On a different note, this is the cutest fan ever (40mm). Going to have to try the thermal performance with the Half-Mega star on this 2" round heatsink, and then tweak my micro driver layout to be able to mount the fan above it.

 

[Rakie]

so how adjustable are your lights spectrum wise? I'm guessing they're a set spectrum with a potentiometer just for intensity.

As far as spectrums and growth. EcoSmart launched Coral Lab which is a study for Corals growth, color, and propagation with LED lights. So far, their papers and research are pointing towards 18k being somewhat 'ideal'.

I run a radion, and since switching to their Coral Lab template everything has responded well.

ymmv im sure

 

[theatrus]

so how adjustable are your lights spectrum wise? I'm guessing they're a set spectrum with a potentiometer just for intensity.

As far as spectrums and growth. EcoSmart launched Coral Lab which is a study for Corals growth, color, and propagation with LED lights. So far, their papers and research are pointing towards 18k being somewhat 'ideal'.

I run a radion, and since switching to their Coral Lab template everything has responded well.

ymmv im sure

The two channel is more fixed (though leans blue heavy), and the four channel has a lot more tweakability. I've been following the Coral Lab reports and how it maps into the Radion's output and trying to replicate that, with some tweaks since I don't use red, green (cyan is close) or cool white LEDs. The loadouts I'm using are all Royal Blue and Blue heavy.

I'm in no way going to say its perfect, but its not far out

 

[Rakie]

Yep, it's very much an experiment. Overall I consider it a step in the right direction for our hobby.

I think what you're describing (Blue heavy / Royal blue) sounds generally good for growth. If there's any particular spectrums that make corals really pop/fluoresce then it sounds like a winner to me.

 

[saf1]

Yeah, I don't know about reds or why but the only summation I can come up with is that it helps with the overall control of spectrum. At least that is what I think anyway but I'm not biologist. If I had to guess it is used by some forms of algae - I know my daughter has a couple she threw over her planted tank.

At the end of the day I can control them anyway via the reefangel. So maybe a waste of die and/or heat but from a soft coral perspective they don't seem to mind nor do the rose bubble tips.

 

[theatrus]

Did some playing around. This is a RB/B/RB + Mint/Warmwhite/Cyan mix. The mint is a very nice looking color.

This is a 3x FarRed (720nm) + RB/WW/B mix ("grow light"). The far red is very perceptually dim. Like really. It is putting out a lot of energy on the "finger" test though. I need to experiment on an algae scrubber setup, unless someone has some other ideas for this unique spectrum.

Since I have the strips in Z footprint as well, my goal is to build an equiv of the RB/B/RB channel in the Luxeon Z to compare it to the Luxeon C.

Haven't setup the fan test yet.

 

[theatrus]

Thermal test running with that tiny fan on the 2"x2" heatsink stock, at full power (2x 1A, 24W). The probe is heatsink-compound-pressed at the core of the heatsink at the metal PCB board boundary (so as close as "right under the LEDs" I can get).

The garage is about 90F right now (central CA has been getting super baked), so this is only 20C above ambient. The covering on the heatsink is kapton sheet just to emulate a constrained airflow situation (and provide some ducting). Its a top-intake, bottom exhaust setup.

Going to let it run for awhile logging temperature, but this may be viable for a mini pendant with the small driver (or even just wiring in the fan externally).

 

[akeika]

Delet

 

[theatrus]

Good news! My 90+CRI 5700k white LEDs are coming about a month early. Will report back how they look.

I'm working on a controller based on some of the ideas from my LEDBrick BLE controller. Bluetooth, with 100% local control (no cloud service, no internet access needed, will just keep on working unlike some other controllers out there which require the cloud service for connectivity to the app, https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jul/27/petnet-auto-feeder-glitch-google), Android/iOS apps, PWM, analog output, I2C, as well as a set of inputs for the thermistors on the LEDs so you can easily do temperature cutouts or monitoring. Target cost is on par with a Storm and about a quarter of the "Mini" version of some other popular Blue controller.

The controller is based on the Rigado BMD-300 module, which is basically a pre-FCC-certified nRF52 MCU. Cortex-M4F, 512k of flash, and all sorts of goodies. I put the same MCU/radio in the StepDoser and the Jebao pump controller prototype I'm working on, which means commonality with firmware and apps. Its like a whole family!

The nRF52 is also in the upcoming Arduino with Bluetooth, so hackability will be good if thats your thing.

 

[perkint]

Sounds interesting. I've picked up one of the genuino/arduino 101s which have Bluetooth, but not had a play yet.

Tim

 

[theatrus]

http://hackerboards.com/arduino-srl-primo-and-primo-core-iot-duo/

haven't seen them out yet.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[perkint]

Can't see that it is out yet, as you say. Looks good tho

Tim

 

[theatrus]

I'm pretty interested, especially since the ESP32 is still in vapourware phase with a few devkits out there only. At least there is a vague summary datasheet now.

I'm very happy with the Nordic SoftDevice radio system as a whole (despite being closed source) - its very easy to bootstrap a Bluetooth project with it and it works. I'm now testing out their DFU support so firmware can be updated over Bluetooth as well.

 

[theatrus]

Just a small tease on the controller front (warning: components are only roughly grouped and not laid out :-D):

Right now:

On the 2 8-pin push-in wire headers:
- 10 PWM
- 1 I2C bus with extra driver for long wire (expansion!) (if you use this you go to 8 PWM)
- 1 Thermistor input for the temp sensor on my LEDs, where you can daisy chain the sensors
- 4 Grounds

All outputs short circuit protected.

Power input? 5-50V.

The board shape is different (and has a lot of blank space) since its designed to fit in an off-the-shelf plastic box from Polycase (3x2x0.95 inches).

So far components costs are well below my limit.

 

[Foggman]

Just a small tease on the controller front (warning: components are only roughly grouped and not laid out :-D):

Right now:

On the 2 8-pin push-in wire headers:
- 10 PWM
- 1 I2C bus with extra driver for long wire (expansion!) (if you use this you go to 8 PWM)
- 1 Thermistor input for the temp sensor on my LEDs, where you can daisy chain the sensors
- 4 Grounds

All outputs short circuit protected.

Power input? 5-50V.

The board shape is different (and has a lot of blank space) since its designed to fit in an off-the-shelf plastic box from Polycase (3x2x0.95 inches).

So far components costs are well below my limit.

do you have a rough idea of cost? i will volunteer to test PM me if you are looking for testers.

 

[theatrus]

do you have a rough idea of cost? i will volunteer to test PM me if you are looking for testers.

I'm targeting a final out the door "retail" cost of around 50. Happy to let people beta at cost of course.

Android or iOS?

 

[perkint]

If you're happy to send one this side of the pond, I would be curious to have a look and do some testing Obviously covering shipping costs, too!

Would be interested in the android app, but could test iOS too, if requested.

Tim