Arduino controller

M

McReefer

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Had someone help me work out the script for a sunrise sunset for my LEDs. Placed an order for the nano model today. Ordering the LEDs and drivers this weekend. Will need help finding a 20-30W dimmable LED and driver. Going to test RGB after that. Very excited.
 
Hey how is your build going? I am currently working on the arduino controller too. What all are you wanting to control with yours? I have no electronic or coding ability so it is hard for me but i am determined to do it.
 
I have done very little coding myself but it seems rather easy. To start it will control my LEDs. Sun rise and sun set along with a lightning storm every night. I got the code from another reefer who has one set up already. In the end though I want the following.

Temp control
Water change
ATO
Dosing
Flow/Wave maker
All on a web interface.

O and a live webcam so I can see my coral and 1 fish from work.
 
Sounds cool. I just want mine to do sunrise sunset and read temp ph and orp i would also like to have the web interface too i am still having trouble getting my lcd to work.
 
I can send you the code for the sun rise sun set if you want to take a look at it. How are you connecting your arduino to the driver? Mine will be using the PWM to mosfet to leds.
 
Just placed all my orders. I got the Arduino and heatsink already. LED, driver, MOSFET and RTC chip are on the way. I can't wait. After I get this down I want to replicate the AI Vega.
 
@bj_sweeten wrote:
Pardon my ignorance but what is the mosfet? said:
[smilie=rofl.gif] W/E man... I learned this stuff last week and my head is still hurting. Here is where I got my info from.

http://bildr.org/2012/03/rfp30n06le-arduino/

To me its just a relay on crack. It can turn on and off down to the millisecond. You can handle sunrise/sunset this way. Along with lightning. Or even cloud passing.
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OOOOHHH!!!! A MOSFET
<hr class="bbcode_rule" />
metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor!!!! LOL keep the updates coming. I have AI BLue SOl and like the colors on the Vega. One day I would like to try a DIY LED's
 
wow now i am reall confused. the other thread i was following hooked the driver straight to the arduino and still did the sunrise sunn set.
one is a very simplistic way useing a timer to start the arduino and lights would do sun rise and sun set
the other actually programed the arduino and had an rtc so it would know when to do the lights.
i think for now i will do the simplistic one and work on the more advanced stuff later so i can learn.
 
You can go that way as well with a dimmable driver. I want to get knee deep in this so I figured this would be a good way to start. Never worked with breadboards and what not.
 
Also make short that the PWM on the driver is 5v or lower. Anything above that and you will have issues with the arduino being able to control it.
 
I built my arduino controller based on a thread from reefcentral. I'm only running two PWM's for two colors, but I fade in/out both colors for sunrise/sunset. It's easy to configure min/max and number of steps as well. I just got around to ordering relays to run my ATO and wavemaker functions, and plan to incorporate a "feed mode" that turns everything back on after a given time. I also built my drivers, and may have a few extra PCB's (look up CAT4101 driver on reefcentral). They've worked flawlessly!

I got the 64x128 pixel display running also, but i never look at it because it's still taped to the top of my light fixture in it's temporary home!

I'm following this thread now, let me know if you need any help with your project!

-Kendall
 
Yeah I know I kept thinking ok they must be trying to screw me then I would almost forget about it and it would show up
 
cool thread indeed, gonna have to check out that reef central posting. looking forward to reading more of your progress.
 
@McReefer wrote:
This is the down side to ordering from china. Taking forEVER said:
What company in China did you order from? I ordered stuff from dfrobot.com on the 1st, shipped out the second, and showed up my house on the 4th. That is the fastest I have ever seen anything shipped from China before (it was shanghai so it was on the coast but that is still fast).
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@McReefer wrote:
I can send you the code for the sun rise sun set if you want to take a look at it. How are you connecting your arduino to the driver? Mine will be using the PWM to mosfet to leds. said:
I would love to have that arduino coding for sunrise/sunset for PWM. I will be using the PWM to transistor (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2N2222) to leds. The only other thing I have to figure out how to set up is the dallas temperature probe but it looks like that is pretty easy, just need to pick up a 4.7k ohm resister.
Click to expand...
 
I picked up my LED on eBay from china. It's a 20w with 3RB and 6 20k whites. Can't find them anywhere else... I'm going to put 4 of them in a 24g jbj nano and run them a little low for heat reasons. After this is done I want to really get knee deep in it and make my own AI Vega.
 
i was in radio shack staring at the arduino and pic contoller stuff, daydreaming of a similar project. But, alas, my cup runneth over. I will have to live vicariously through you!
 
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