it's time for my own Arduino project

[patrikk]

Hi everyone,

I must say I think this forum has the best DYI section I've seen. So honor that I've decided to make a thread of my own Arduino project for controlling my LEDs.

As always I start out with big ambitions some times to big. What I'm going to do is divide it into smaller "phases". My final goal is to have a webserver on the arduino with the ability to control the LEDs and set various programs etc. and maybe have a display to show water temp etc.

Phase1(Completed): buy the leds and heatsink and drivers as a kit from rapidled (standard-solderless-75g-tank-dimmable-kit ) with the simple pwm controller and build it so I get some lights for my tank while I develop the final controller.

I bought a Arduino Uno and made a very simple webserver with a website to turn on and off a normal led( those small ones for electronics) and included all libraries that I thought I would need. I then realized that the Arduino would not be able to run my program as it would run out of program memory*sigh*. so I looked on the web for something bigger and found Mega 2560 that I believe will be enough, but it was larger which I didn't like.

I found the copies of this Aruino on Ebay was alot cheaper then the originals at the local store. But I do not have the patience to wait if I get get it faster and pay more so I bought one in the store. I would also be able to control several channels ( 8-10 channels) so I bought a breakout pwm board to handle that. The bonus with that was that I get 4096 steps instead of the 255. I also bought a RTC and a temp probe.


Phase2 (in progress): build a simple 1 or 2 led string so I can try simple programs.
the following programs will be needed:

• Sunrise (with the ability to change the values) - Almost done some more tweaking required
• Sunset (with the ability to change the values) - Almost done some more tweaking required
• Cloud simulation (with the ability to change the values)
• Lightning (with the ability to change the values, also predefined lightning) -in progress I want to have a relation between lightning and clouds which I haven't done yet as well as the predefined lightning programs
• Set time and date. - DONE
• read temp. -DONE
• webserver that reads the index file from SD card.- Done (still need to code the index file atm its only showing an image
• read and save configurations to SD. in progress
• show and control the controller from the display with buttons - not sure that I will have this in the first phase

All of these short programs are coded as stand alone so I need to put them together as well. When the code is completed try and run it with the PWM drivers from rapid led ( need some more components for that)

Phase 3(not started): tweak it and maybe add some probes. buy Meanwell LDD's and meanwell PSU for the LDD's and use my controller with that allowing me to divide the color separate channels.

Phase 4(not started): "shrinkify" everything into one board solution or two and buy a thinner heatsink and build an enclosure for the heatsink and LED's.

I might add that I have never done anything similar before. And I know that there are programs out there that have similar functionality but not in the way that I want it I want to do it myself that way I get it as I want it.

I'm not the fastest person in completing this as I have not that much time ( two kids and work full time) and often I do not have the motivation to work on the project every week. so its a slow progress.

I still have some obstacles to overcome.

[patrikk]

Here is my first test with some "randomness" in the lightning program. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5J_HD1x1nY