So I basically want to just turn electroluminescent wire on and off via a program on my computer, and connect the EL wire with a USB port or something. It would be cool if I could get multiple EL wires of different colors and turn any on and off with my computer, and maybe get some software so that it automatically turns a specific color on and the rest off when I open an application like a game. But at least just turn it on and off with my computer.
To Turn it on/off with your computer, you could use a simple Relay. As for the specific color, You would need a microcontroller. If your new to programming, many people suggest the Arduino, but there are also PICs, TI's MP430, and others.
If you are not a programmer yet, do a Google search for Qbasic tutorials. It is about as easy as you can get and it’s free. You can easily send control signals through the parallel port. If it doesn’t play nice with Windows, you will need INPOUT32.dll. If you buy a breakout board, they can give you all you need. They will probably recommend a newer version of Basic.
If you don’t have a computer with a parallel port, they make USB to parallel adapters but then it gets more complicated.
The parallel port is slowly dying off as is the RS 232 port on newer systems. Also the parallel port, as was mentioned, is easier to work with using Windows software 9x/2000/ME/XP than on newer operating systems. This is even sometimes true using INPOUT32.dll as was mentioned by ClydeCrashKop.
There is also software out there, some can be found here:
The trick to all of this is being able to write some code. You can make the PC do just about anything you want it to do writing your own code. Interfacing to the parallel port is very easy but again depending on what you want to do. A Google of "parallel port interface circuit diagram" will bring up countless circuits.
This could work if you don’t mind a photo-transistor stuck to the corner of your computer screen.
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Are you aware that EL wire requires a driver/inverter that can provide around 400-2000 Hz, 60-120VAC rms? You can't simply stick it in a USB or parallel port .
I'm using Windows XP on a kind of old Dell Dimension E510.
There is no commercial card/cable I can buy to connect it to my parallel port? I'd have to build my own circuit?
Should I use USB or parellel or what? What's the easiest to connect it to, and the easiest to control it?
Are you aware that EL wire requires a driver/inverter that can provide around 400-2000 Hz, 60-120VAC rms? You can't simply stick it in a USB or parallel port .
Looks like the first one has a battery-powered inverter to drive the EL stuff, with a battery rechargeable via USB. Can't make out how the second one gets its high voltage.
That is up to you. If your old Dell has a parallel port it would be easy to use XP and give yourself 8 channels of either On or Off. Those channels would need interfaced to your EL Light inverters. Earlier I gave a link for a CK1601 parallel port relay card. The simple**broken link removed**. It would be something to get you started and play around with. Making a parallel port interface is pretty simple.
A Google of EL wire Inverter Circuits brings up plenty of hits on inverter circuits that likely be modded.
I would first concentrate on your parallel port and getting that working.
So I basically want to just turn electroluminescent wire on and off via a program on my computer, and connect the EL wire with a USB port or something. It would be cool if I could get multiple EL wires of different colors and turn any on and off with my computer, and maybe get some software so that it automatically turns a specific color on and the rest off when I open an application like a game. But at least just turn it on and off with my computer.
Sorry to ask, but you do have any experience with EL wire? Keep in mind that EL wire requires high voltage to operate, and a proper power supply and case should be constructed.
Yes, as Alec and others have mentioned. EL wire is driven by an inverter. Your parallel port will give you 8 I/O ports that can be used as Inputs or Outputs. So you can use those to turn On / Off small relays that in turn can turn On or Off the inverters hat drive your EL lights. Setting things up is just a matter of what you exactly want to do. Earlier I gave you a link to a CK1601 relay card also suggested by ClydeCrashKop. Additionally I am attaching a PDF for the CK1601 relay card which contains a card drawing. You can either buy the kit or build the individual channels.
As to making it work? You can use a relay to turn the inverter on and off by switching power to it or find a way to hack the inverter to turn it on and off. You really want an inverter driven by low DC voltage like maybe 12 VDC making it easy (and safe) to turn the inverter On and off using a small relay.
I will get the CK1601 sometime and try it out. Thanks guys!
I recently bought 3 meters of light blue EL wire and a USB inverter that said it's optimal length was 3 meters. I just noticed that around the end of the wire it doesn't light up good, and if I bend it little parts light up or don't light and it looks kind of like liquid. I might've bent it around there a lot, could it have broken it?