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Developing a lighting automation system cheap & cool!

R

Razulian

The Mad Scientist
Mod Edit:​
For providing something really cool to the TAB Community your post has been put on the front page!​
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I'm working on my new room and obviously, if you know me well, I want to have some high tech stuff in there!

I wanted to have six recessed led lights in the ceiling but the problem is that good lights aren't that cheap (seriously last one I checked was €50 for one).
Now I checked some housings for recessed lights from China (they're really cheap!), so now I'm building my own ones that are a lot cheaper (every part that I need should total me around €50-€60).
But why stop there? Let's make it greener! Let's add PWM functionality so it uses less power and is dimmable too!
Not enough? Let's use RGB LEDs for millions of colors!
Still not enough functions? Let's add a USB cable so we can control everything with a PC instead of just switches!
No? Let's control the LEDs with music! /allthethings


Here's a video of the music-control iteration in a very basic form being tested:






Still thinking of some cool functions, if anyone has an idea that I could add then please say so. Ideas are appreciated! *octo4*


EDIT: Since my thread has been featured in the front page, I think I'll update this thread whenever my project reaches cool milestones! :D
Also, I'll give out all the data you need (source code, schematics,...) when everything is done (should be in July) so everyone can build it too, I'll provide instructions too. Pretty to build if you ask me.


Update:
Programming the basic functions right now. I ordered the parts two weeks ago so they should arrive next week - start of the next month.
You'll see some cool stuff then! :p



EDIT:

Finished the hardware part (well, kinda; gotta do some modifications for more efficiency and all).

Here's a video!
 
I want to add automatic beat calibration and beat tone detection (bass, mid, high) for a nicer effect.
So if you'd have 6 LEDs then each pair would be assigned to specific tones, first two for bass, second two for mid and third pair for highs.
As I said, each LED will be RGB so you'd have actually 3 LEDs per LED (LEDception!, a green, blue and red LED, the combination of the three gives white).
Maybe color adjustment to the tone of the beat, assigned to the color spectrum http://cronodon.com/images/spectrum.jpg ?

Oh wow, I'm getting carried away again.
 
You can make all this function with a standalone system like arduino if you want. Attach it to a double or triple light switch so you can turn the music function on or off, turn the eco function on or off, etc. Also arduino boards will let you attach multiple inputs so you can have the lights triggered by different things.

Some ideas: add a sensor (or 2 in a series) that reads across the door threshold so as you walk in it turns the light on. As you walk out it turns the light off. no manual switch needed.

This guy set it up on his stairs so as he walks past the first one they light up then turn off after a few seconds.
 
ThatOneGuy said:
You can make all this function with a standalone system like arduino if you want. Attach it to a double or triple light switch so you can turn the music function on or off, turn the eco function on or off, etc. Also arduino boards will let you attach multiple inputs so you can have the lights triggered by different things.
Click to expand...


I'm thinking more of this: when light switch is turned on, Arduino starts and puts the lighting to the default state (white/warm-white @ a specific brightness); I can control it further with my computer over USB.
If needed I could just connect the Arduino to a network and then make a controlpanel based on another Arduino that's also connected to the network. But right now I don't think that I'd be using that. :p
 
beauty of arduino is you can do almost anything with it. Hooked up to a computer or not as you want. I'm sure you can do it, keep us updated man. Looks cool.
 
Hey everyone! I've got a quick update for you guys. :)

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I received my shift registers today (those 5 black chips/ICs near the bottom of the picture) and I couldn't wait to build my circuit! 40 LEDs can now be individually controlled, YAY!
Now I can finally start programming! :D

PS: I can control 40 LEDs now but I'll only be controlling 6 RGB LEDs (so 3*6 LEDs).
 
ThatOneGuy said:
love it. I see an arduino up there.
Click to expand...

Yeah, the original video also is based on my lovely Arduino Mega.

Also, I already wrote a program to make my PC communicate with the Arduino in a way that allows me to just state which pin I want to use.
I.E.: digitalWrite(Pin, State), which only worked for 54 pins, of which only ~14 have PWM functionality now works like ShiftPWM.SetOne(Pin, State) giving me PWM function for hundreds of pins, as long as I have enough shift registers.
Also, the pinstate of the new function allows me to use a value from 0 to 255, which is a really easy way to use the PWM function.
All this thanks to the ShiftPWM library!
 
Update: Been working on the ceiling with my dad today, half of the cables have been placed (they're probably the most expensive part, costing more than the half of the LED system!).
I've written a very basic program for the lighting (no definitive music control yet) so I can just control the lights manually.
The LEDs and their housings still have to arrive (I'm guessing next week or maybe a week later until I have them).
Anyhoo, I have a feeling that this is going to be very awseome! Woo!
 
Update:
Received some of the parts today and tested them out!

Here's one of the high power LEDs, it makes a lot of light! I mean, seriously! A LOT OF LIGHT! More than that 20W energy saving lamp I have in my room! The camera darkened the picture a bit, but I'm telling you; it's really bright.
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Transformers! Dun-dun-dun-dun-dun

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Sorry about the last one not being very clear. :D
 
Keleynal said:
10 years from now no one is going to believe that I knew you Raz.
Click to expand...

I might win a prize from Ford Belgium's ex-CEO next year for my thesis.
I wanted to do the drone thing but my teacher said during the last week of school that they won't allow practical projects anymore (assholes) and now I'll just do something theoretic and use my current creations as examples. :p
It'll be called "The implementation of inexpensive, faster and easier development of electronics in industrial and in non-industrial environments".
I'll be showing my own K'NEX 3D printer and this lighting project; as it's pretty cheap.


PS: Remember that moment when I had an Indiegogo project for my drone project? I used the $40 to buy some electronics like my Arduino to learn more, and this is the effect.
Again, thanks Kel for helping out :) (also a thank you to T1G!).
 
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