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

Have you tried to upload again? I've had something similar happen with arduino type setups from time to time. Did you check your board for bad traces or shorts before soldering?
 
sailfish, it would be a different story if we were using the ADC in the AVR, or doing something else precise - but we're not. The AVR can run on a wide range of voltages and the drivers we're dimming are even more forgiving, so no worries on precision.

Brucey, have you tried fiddling with the contrast adjustment? It's the little trimpot on the left side of the board. If it came off the shelf turned all the way to one end or another you won't see the text on the screen.

The fact that your backlight is responding tells me that, at the very least, the AVR is running. Have you checked for output at the PWM headers on the right edge of the board?
 
Got it. Something stupid as expected. The trim pot was just turned all the way down. I figured since I was seeing light I would see display. Wrong.

Now, I have the time set and the bottom row, right side says 100 instead of 0? Nothing hooked up to the controller yet.
 
The bottom row on the home screen is a readout of the percentage that each channel is set at. The firmware has default settings for each channel, so when you load it, the channels will turn on and off at the preset times even if you haven't programmed the various settings or connected anything to the header yet.

If you're interested in being anal about testing, it's probably a good idea to set each channel to 100%, 50% and then to 0, and test the output you're planning on using (5v or 10v) for an appropriate voltage. This way you can be sure the whole unit is operational before hooking it up to a driver.
 
Got it. I didn't realize the start time for channel 4 was set at 8, not much later like the other channels. Thanks for the help. I will check the output when I get home and have tools.
 
OK. Been playing with this a little more and have a question relative to the % override function and the display. If I go through the menu and change the percent override to say 25% the display never changes to reflect this?
 
Names Brucey said:
OK. Been playing with this a little more and have a question relative to the % override function and the display. If I go through the menu and change the percent override to say 25% the display never changes to reflect this?
Click to expand...
I noticed that the other day. Fixed it in my version. Also cleaned up the code a good bit (eliminated a lot of repetitive code) and added the ability to speed through a setting by holding down the button (slow for 3 seconds then fast).

http://pages.suddenlink.net/chrisfowler99/typhon2.pde <------ Not the official version!!!
 
nice! have a question. If I use All On in the override functions, that will make all channels go ON to full % or the max set? I've been worried about going all on at 100% cause it will make my true violets and red to go over 500mA and could fry them.
 
sammy113 said:
nice! have a question. If I use All On in the override functions, that will make all channels go ON to full % or the max set? I've been worried about going all on at 100% cause it will make my true violets and red to go over 500mA and could fry them.
Click to expand...
It will take them all to 100%. If you want to restrict them to a certain percentage use the override percentage rather than all on.
 
chrisfowler99 said:
It will take them all to 100%. If you want to restrict them to a certain percentage use the override percentage rather than all on.
Click to expand...

Yea, every time I need to turn lights on I use the override percentage but before that is the All On so need to go first through 100% then adjust the % I want in the next button push
 
chrisfowler99 said:
I noticed that the other day. Fixed it in my version. Also cleaned up the code a good bit (eliminated a lot of repetitive code) and added the ability to speed through a setting by holding down the button (slow for 3 seconds then fast).

http://pages.suddenlink.net/chrisfowler99/typhon2.pde <------ Not the official version!!!
Click to expand...

Pretty sure that was the code I grabbed but it never adjusts the level on the display once I set the percent. I will try to grab the code again and retry. Thanks!
 
sammy113 said:
nice! have a question. If I use All On in the override functions, that will make all channels go ON to full % or the max set? I've been worried about going all on at 100% cause it will make my true violets and red to go over 500mA and could fry them.
Click to expand...

You'd be best off using a driver with a "correct" nominal current to keep your LEDs safe - in other words, with the PWM signal set at 100%, the current should be safe. If it isn't, you need to use a driver with a lower current setting or adjust the driver itself to lower the current setting.

If you try to use PWM to reach a "safe" current level, you're fooling yourself.

Assume you have a driver that provides 1A when it receives a 100% signal. You want your LEDs to run at 500mA, so you use that driver and feed it a 50% PWM signal. Everything looks good, because you can put a multimeter in series with the LEDs and see a 500mA reading.

However, the multimeter is simply telling you an average reading, it isn't giving you the full story. What's REALLY happening is that, with a frequency around 500hz (assuming an Arduino is the source), the LEDs are switching between 0mA and 1A at a 50% duty cycle. So, half the time they're off, and the other half the time they are at twice your intended max current!
 
I tried adjusting the driver to 500mA but unfortunately one of my ELN's have the SRV2 damaged and only goes down to 700mA. My idea was to set it to 500mA and have the Typhon set at 100% (for 500mA max) the other one is also set at 700mA Max which is the white string that includes the red so that should be no problem. The blues string has the True Violets which their max current should be 500mA and those are the ones I was worried. So they're actually getting 700mA even though PWM is set lower to "achieve" 500mA... Thanks for the input ;)
 
sammy113 said:
nice! have a question. If I use All On in the override functions, that will make all channels go ON to full % or the max set? I've been worried about going all on at 100% cause it will make my true violets and red to go over 500mA and could fry them.
Click to expand...
It would be a straightforward change to make and might make sense in the general scheme, but, as dwzm has pointed out, using it as a protection for your lights is the wrong way to go about it.
 
Who wants a cheap, simple, Arduino-based LED controller?

I do!

I was really wanting to have one of these controllers. I've read the entire 17 page thread. The Eagle software part, the unavailable/interchanging/sourcing of parts, software mods, etc have left me cold. Is there a similar pre-made controller I can buy or is the cheapest alternative the RKL/ALC?

Also, a big THANKS! to DWZM and all the other contributors to this thread.
 
Last edited:
The cheapest reef-targeted alternative is the RKL/ALC. However there are literally dozens, if not hundreds, of generic hobby-electronics controller products that are cheaper and would work, but all of them are going to involve DIY to a certain extent. There's no free lunch - either you're doing the work yourself or paying someone else to do it.
 
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