Gadget Freak Case #153: Accent Lights Are a Crowning Achievement
Design News Staff -- Design News, November 23, 2009
As a way to set the mood in his family room, when he remodeled Joe Peck put multi-color LEDs behind the crown molding. The major circuit uses a microcontroller and LED drivers located in a closet, and a small circuit board at each room corner to connect to red-green-blue LEDs. Perhaps Joe's lights will get you in the mood for something "interesting," like submitting your own Gadget Freak circuit!
Get Build Instructions | View Parts List | Post a Comment | Watch the Video
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Allied Part # |
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PIC16F916, SOIC28 |
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22 uF, 25V |
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0.1 uF, 25V |
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LM2937, 5V, SOT223 |
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Programming Header |
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FET, IRLR7843 |
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Switch, on/off |
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Switch, momentary |
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4.7k ohm, 1/4W |
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Potentiometer, 10k ohm, 1 turn |
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Nut |
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Lock washer |
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Get Build Instructions and Full Parts List | |
Talkback
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An interesting variation of this project would be to lense the LEDs so as to get white. Having done that, program the micro to make a definite color temperature, say between 3000 and 7000 kelvin, a "warm" white to a "cool" white. Cary Eskow of Avnet describes in one of his Light Matters articles how the color temperature can amazingly change a room (see LM03: The Wonders of White Light and Color Temperature). Having the PWM available for overall brightness control would be icing on the cake.
Robert Ralston - 2009-23-11 20:40:00 EST -
Awesome gadget the explanation about how it's works is very clear, although I had liked to see the code source.
Alvaro Mautone - 2009-23-11 17:22:57 EST
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