Current is measured in amps. A PIC IO pin can sink or source .025 amp aka 25ma. Adding a cheap transistor like the 2n2222A will provide up to about 800ma, depending on which 2n2222A you use.
As I suggested earlier you need to play with this on a small scale, it will help you figure out what you want to do.
If you mean 74HC595 then the answer is yes and no. You can use a single output bit. But you need to use that bit to trigger several transistors that can drive short strings of LEDs.

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Well, there are times that people would be at the same level as they are, but not very often. I will look into the paint idea. Last thing I need is to start messing with people's health. LOL!

 

My bad. I know that. I was thinking something else. I don't know the amperage right now, basically have to figure out how many LED's I plan on using, and such.

Yea, I meant the 595. It was early in the morning when I posted that last post and was a little out of it. Sorry.

I am currently looking for some software/freeware that will let me simulate a circuit so that I can try all this out without spending a lot of their money up front. So far, I haven't found anything that looks like it will do what I want to do.

 

Try LTSpice/SwitcherCAD III. And no, I don't work for Linear. But it's a free-to-use circuit simulator and it's probably the best you're going to get for the price.

Does the star field need to be an unbroken grid of LEDs or would randomly placed LEDs on a black background work?

How many individually controllable groups of LEDs do you want?

Do you want any particular effect for the club name or should it just be fully lit the whole time?


Torben

 

The star field is going to be randomly placed LED's. The only time I might have them connected in any way is if I decide to put a 'shooting star' in there somewhere. I haven't decided. As far as the club name, originally I wanted to be able to change it's color, and maybe make it look like it's 'gleaming' but I am not nearly advanced enough to do that, so I will keep it fully lit.

One more thing, I don't know if you guys really want to go this far into it, but what if I were to get the club name to blink with the beat of the music. What circuitry would I need for something like that? I have seen a lot of threads on this board about sound activated lighting, but they all offer information on connecting into the speaker leads, or a 'clapper' style switch. I want an independently operated switch controlled by a selectable (hopefully with a pot) frequency or sound level. How difficult would this be? HAHA! My ideas mutate like a virus. Chalk it up to ADD.

If I were to set it up so it blinks, I would have it on a switch so I could have it on, off, or blink modes. (that's the easy part of the endeavor) Thank you guys again for all the help you have given thus far, and for any information you can lend in the future.