Art Project - Any Help Gratefully Received

Hi there,

I am working on an art project at the moment and I want to set up a few small lightbulbs or LEDs (let's say around 10-15) to go inside a sculpture. I would like the lights to be controlled by a stand alone controller that could be set to turn off the lights in very specific pre-programmed patterns (basically starting all on then gradually going out at varying time intervals before then gradually coming on again).

Anyway, I really have no idea where to start, and even if it is going to be possible. So I would be hugely grateful of any advice on what sort of lights/bulbs/LEDs to get, what sort of stand/unit I would need to hold them, what sort of wires and how to wire it, and of course the dreaded controller.

I realise this is a big question, and I apologise for my own lack of knowledge! Again, any help on any aspect would be great.

Many thanks,

Martin

depends what power of leds, because if powerful, like 500mw or more each, then they need heatsinking. For control, IMHO the easiest way for max versatility is to use a PIC microcontroller, one of the babani book best explains about them. Alternatively, the arduino kit is supposed to be easy for control, and the hardware is pre-built for you...arduino is supposed to be for 12 yr old kids to use.
Search eg maplins for a range of leds.
Or of course farnell or RS.
wIRING...WIRE THEM HOW YOU LIKE, (sorry caps)...but remember that leds don't like going in parallel unless arrangements are made for that.
o...oh just remembered, RECOM do a lot of power supplies etc for led projects like you describe. they may do controllers too

Brilliant - thanks. I will look into those. Build for a 12 year old sounds about right! Hopefully this will be easier than I thought!

Martin:

A chip such as this https://www.adafruit.com/datasheets/PCA9685.pdf one could make the job a LOT easier. When you said "gradual" that made it even harder.

The I2C bus is a serial communications bus that routines exist to manipulate.

One problem lately is interfacing multiple logic voltages like 3.3 and 5V without destroying the chip.

The PICAXE www.picaxe.com is a PIC, but you can program it in BASIC. It might not be capable.

The Arduino is a much more powerful processor, programmable in essentially C.

https://www.coridium.us has some interesting processors as well.

You might use a fair bit of memory defining the patterns.

I'm trying to remember the name of another embedded controller. Check back later.

Look up arduino, there are loads of projects for these along those lines, youdont need to be much of a programmer.

Welcome to the forum

Cheap strings of Christmas lights are available which run various sequences/patterns. Would one of those do, or are you after something higher powered?

It sounds like you will need a matrix light setup and an Arduino controller. More information is needed ( LED size, available voltage source AC or DC, sculpture design).