RGB LED's Now Consumer Grade - Hackable?

**willnue** · 12-25-2010, 03:29 AM

Originally Posted by bh758

I was wondering if anyone here would be willing to write up some code for use on a Arduino Uno to have all lamps on a string to show the same color (same address for each node) and just control the RGB intensities of that address using the A0-A2 analog inputs on the Arduino Uno board?

A0=Red
A1=Green
A2=Blue

Example:
A0=5V
A1=~2.5V
A2=0

This would give (for the entire string of lights):
Red on full
Green at approx half intensity
Blue off

Of course this would be running continuously so any voltage changes would change the color of the string of lights.

Get what I am saying?

Can someone do this?

This should be relatively simple with analogRead command on the Arduino...

"The analogRead() command converts the input voltage range, 0 to 5 volts, to a digital value between 0 and 1023. This is done by a circuit inside the Arduino called an analog-to-digital converter or ADC. "

http://www.arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/AnalogInput

So in your example the results of the analogRead command on your 3 pins should be:

A0=1023
A1=511
A2=0

Hope it helps,
willnue

**willnue** · 12-25-2010, 03:55 AM

All,
I finished building my EQ based color organ for the GE lights (GEEQ) earlier in the week, but haven't had time to get back to the forum to post the results until now.

The box takes a 3.5mm stereo jack audio input into the EQ chip and the then connects to the GE lights via my molex connector setup. The Boarduino is now being powered by the GE string and it seems to be working OK even thugh I don't think 5.6V is quite enough input for the 5V regulator.

The button on top switches between the various effects I have loaded into the Arduino. I have used diamaunts code post as the basis and included those effects along with 2 based on input recieved from the MSGEQ7 chip. The first effect is a basic color orgran that maps the mid/high/low from the audio to the R/G/B channels of the LEDs. The second effect is a sort of xmas color organ that starts with alternating red and green bulbs at 50% brightness, so they never go dark. The high/low read from the audio then determine the brightness from 50%-100%. It works very well to Christmas music.

See the attached pictures of the finished box. Excuse the shameless plugs for Sparkfun and Adafruit, but without them I would still be just blinking the LED on the Arduino...

I made a video of it working, but haven't had a chance to upload it etc... yet.

willnue

willnue

**garyfunk** · 12-25-2010, 11:29 AM

Originally Posted by stprovost

Hello, today I did a search on the main lowes page using the term "christmas", then I clicked on "christmas light strings" and set the filter to "GE"
I have purchased two sets from two different stores. the Lowes part number I have on both receipts is "25042"
good luck!
stephen (who just got a arduino!) can't wait to play with these lights!

Thank you. I have no ideas why I could not find that.

**erm213** · 12-25-2010, 11:58 AM

Originally Posted by willnue

All,
I finished building my EQ based color organ for the GE lights (GEEQ) earlier in the week, but haven't had time to get back to the forum to post the results until now.

The box takes a 3.5mm stereo jack audio input into the EQ chip and the then connects to the GE lights via my molex connector setup. The Boarduino is now being powered by the GE string and it seems to be working OK even thugh I don't think 5.6V is quite enough input for the 5V regulator.

The button on top switches between the various effects I have loaded into the Arduino. I have used diamaunts code post as the basis and included those effects along with 2 based on input recieved from the MSGEQ7 chip. The first effect is a basic color orgran that maps the mid/high/low from the audio to the R/G/B channels of the LEDs. The second effect is a sort of xmas color organ that starts with alternating red and green bulbs at 50% brightness, so they never go dark. The high/low read from the audio then determine the brightness from 50%-100%. It works very well to Christmas music.

See the attached pictures of the finished box. Excuse the shameless plugs for Sparkfun and Adafruit, but without them I would still be just blinking the LED on the Arduino...

I made a video of it working, but haven't had a chance to upload it etc... yet.

willnue

willnue

Very cool!! Can you detail out a parts list?

Erik

**Entropy** · 12-26-2010, 01:03 PM

Originally Posted by willnue

All,
The Boarduino is now being powered by the GE string and it seems to be working OK even thugh I don't think 5.6V is quite enough input for the 5V regulator.

Nope, the processor isn't going to get a nice steady regulated 5 volts in this case. However, it probably isn't going to matter. The chip is actually rated to run off of 3.3 volts at lower clock speeds, however feeding it 3.3 and running it at 16 MHz is technically "overclocking" it (no risk of damage here, but a small risk of glitches). If you change the crystal to 8 MHz the chip will be running well within its ratings, but there's a good chance this isn't necessary - quite a few people have undervolted AVRs like this before.

**bnradams** · 12-26-2010, 10:23 PM

A question for the more enlightened ones.... Could an output plugin be developed that could handle the data and generate the correct stream and timing required to drive these lights without an external processor? Im thinking a plugin could create the correct data stream and then have a simple rs232 enterface with maybe an opto-isolator to shield the PC output and put the signal at the correct voltage. Then the hardware could be easily built by anyone without need of programming an IC. Im just not familure enough with rs232 signal code with respect to timing of the high/low signals.

**diamaunt** · 12-27-2010, 11:47 AM

Originally Posted by erm213

Has anyone tried these with the snowflake, Santa, or snowman figures of these lights. Saw them at Lowe's and they have the same pattern. I'm betting they are the same, but curious if anyone has checked yet.

Erik

I haven't actually clipped the controller off, but, they use the same patterns, and they use three wires, and the same remote controls them as controls the light strings... if they're not the same, I'd be astounded.

**pmcpa** · 12-27-2010, 11:51 AM

Snowmen are not the same patterns, and no remote.... but I suspect the same RGB Nodes

**erm213** · 12-27-2010, 12:05 PM

I noticed the snowman was different at the store. I was able to purchase 2 sets of icicles for my roof line, and 2 snowflakes. I am going to harvest the snowflake bulbs to make something else. The controllers look same as the 50 count string, so you are probably right they are the same. I got my arduino board today in the mail, and am ready to start playing. Good thing I have most of this week off!

Erik

**Entropy** · 12-27-2010, 12:23 PM

Originally Posted by bnradams

A question for the more enlightened ones.... Could an output plugin be developed that could handle the data and generate the correct stream and timing required to drive these lights without an external processor? Im thinking a plugin could create the correct data stream and then have a simple rs232 enterface with maybe an opto-isolator to shield the PC output and put the signal at the correct voltage. Then the hardware could be easily built by anyone without need of programming an IC. Im just not familure enough with rs232 signal code with respect to timing of the high/low signals.

In theory yes - in practice, the timing is going to be sensitive enough that getting it to work reliably from a PC parallel port (serial ports don't offer good enough control, and the voltage levels are wrong) will be VERY difficult - and will only allow 1-2 strands to be controlled.