Comments on: A6276 LED Controllers for “Organic Energy Cloud”

By: Keith Neufeld

Keith Neufeld — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 15:55:50 +0000

GOwin, yes, every LED is individually controlled.

By: GOwin

GOwin — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 06:32:51 +0000

Nice!

Do you get discreet control over each LED?

I saw another Arduino-based project that almost does the same: Lightuino – http://code.google.com/p/arduino-m5451-current-driver/wiki/Lightunio_V20

I thought the Lightuino’s maker decision to use IDE headers was a sweet idea

By: bill zukley

bill zukley — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:53:01 +0000

Hey Keith, I use a lot of phoenix connectors in AV installation for audio and control lines. Sorry that I don’t have a source for cheap ones. The cool thing about them is that the males fit the matching females, without having to fill the whole header, ie, you can use 2 @ 2 terminal, or 1 at 4… or any combination. With a little careful cutting, it is fairly easy to make a smaller one from a bigger one, too.

I’ll second brad with the idea of using the ezrj45. Everyone I’ve shown this tool to goes and buys it. You will never want to terminate rj45 without it again. (doesn’t solve your inexperienced/unskilled user problem, I know.)

But the main reason I posted to this old thread was your clothespin clamp. The variation I’ve used for years is to take the wooden sides out of the spring and reinsert them the other way ’round. This makes a more “needle nosed” clamp and reduces the clamping pressure alot (which is a good thing.) http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v642/zukworld/general/IMG_2842Large.jpg

Love the blog, keep it up!

By: Brad Gilbert

Brad Gilbert — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 18:16:14 +0000

EZ-RJ45
http://www.action-electronics.com/ez45.htm
http://www.elexp.com/tel_pezr.htm

By: Cassiano

Cassiano — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 17:41:56 +0000

Ok thanks!

By: Keith Neufeld

Keith Neufeld — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 20:00:01 +0000

Cassiano, the LED puck prototype PCB that you viewed before this post was made with iron-on toner transfer and etchant. The LED driver board in this post was milled for me by Tom McGuire, as I mentioned above.

By: Cassiano

Cassiano — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 17:39:01 +0000

Hi Keith Neufeld, how make your pcbs? Laser Printer? Photosensing? Pcbs very perfect. Do you have tutorial about this?

Thanks
Cassiano

By: Josh Kopel

Josh Kopel — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 18:16:39 +0000

Thanks Keith.
I found the video through the normal channels, google is my friend

By: Brad Gilbert

Brad Gilbert — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 23:17:15 +0000

I would consider using 8P8C (RJ45) connectors, You are already using wire that is the right size, and the parts are fairly cheap. Depending on how you wire it up, you can get 4, 7, or 8 LEDs per connector.

For 8 LEDs, you would use either two LEDs wired parallel with opposite polarity.

By: Keith Neufeld

Keith Neufeld — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 21:53:12 +0000

Josh, nice idea about alarm companies! It’d certainly be worth it for a prototype; but of course I’m trying to come up with something that makes a reasonable business model to make more LED controllers for other folks.

How’d you find the Vimeo video so fast??? I just added it this afternoon!

No problem at all if you show it. I have the framework of a blog post written about it already, so that should be posted soon. Note that the video was shot by Tom McGuire and he’s already posted it to YouTube, but a lot of detail was lost in the compression.