Domen Ipavec shared his DIY LED traffic light in the project log forum: Traffic lights are all around us, and they seem simple enough but are they really? Real traffic lights can be a very complicated system because it requires sophisticated control and coordination for smooth and safe traffic. The traffic light I made is […]
Tag Archives: LED
App note: SOLERIQ® L38
OSRAM’s filament looking LED application note. Link here (PDF) SOLERIQ® L38 (GW T3LxF1) is a filament LED with a beam angle of 360deg for indoor retrofit lighting applications. It combines the advantages of modern LED technology with the aesthetics of traditional light bulbs. The construction of the SOLERIQ® L38 consists of a ceramic based frame […]
Philips T8 LED tube teardown
In a previous post Electronupdate did a teardown of a 48″ T8 Cree LED tube, this time a 48″ T8 Philips LED tube.
48″ T8 Cree LED tube teardown
Electronupdate has posted a teardown video of 48″ T8 Cree LED tube: LED based replacements for old T8 fixtures are finally becoming reasonably priced. I see two old competitors back at it again: CREE, and Philips. Both bulbs attractively priced, both 4000K. I tore down the Cree 1st. Longest circuit board that I have ever […]
App note: The LED versus LCD decision
Choosing between two display types, LED and LCD discussed in this application note from Murata. Link here (PDF) Users of contemporary digital panel meters (DPMs) have a variety of options available to them. While options are nice, they invariably mean more choices have to be made. After determining what meter resolution one requires, the next […]
App note: Eye safety of IREDs used in lamp applications
This application note from OSRAM describes the possible hazards of infrared LEDs (IREDs) used for lamp applications with respect to the IEC-62471 standard and how to classify IREDs according to different risk groups. Link here (PDF) As the radiated optical power of light emitting diodes (LEDs) has increased in recent years, the issue of eye […]
PWM dimmer for RGB LED
Lukas Fassler has designed and built a PWM dimmer for RGB LED: In my last post I’ve described the design and construction of my LED dimmer project. This project here is similar but a bit more involved. It controls RGB LEDs so it can not only change the brightness but also the color of the light. […]
PWM dimmer for LED lighting
Lukas Fassler has published a new build, a DIY PWM dimmer for LED lighting: I have recently moved to a new apartment and was looking for a PWM dimmer to control some 12V LED strips. I thought that should be easy enough nowadays but it proved more difficult than I thought. All I found either didn’t meet […]
App note: Projection with LED light sources
LEDs are now mostly used in light projection systems due to their low power requirements, long life and robustness. Here’s an app note from OSRAM for proper integrations on these projection LEDs. Link here (PDF) This application note provides insights into the use of LED light sources for projection applications. An overview of LED projection […]
ESP8266 WiFI LED controller hack
Andreas Hölldorfer of ChaozLabs wrote an article detailing how he hacked the cheap WiFi LED controller: This pictures show the PCB. As you can see there are pins labeled as RX,TX,GND,3.3V. I simply connected an USB-Serial converter to the pins. The two other pins are GND and GPIO0. If you set a jumper between this two pins, […]
Replacement LED driver for AN6877
Dilshan Jayakody writes: AN6877 is linear AF level meter IC produced by Panasonic and it is commonly found on many audio equipment. This chip is no longer manufactured by Panasonic and finding replacement chip for AN6877 is also quiet difficult. The circuit described in this article is design to replace AN6877 base LED drivers and it […]
Nifty USB LED light
Isonno writes, “One of the hit discoveries of Hacker Camp 5 were these little USB lights. Plugs in either way, and you turn on/off/dim by touching the back. Turns out the show is run by a chip called the Sigma SGL8022W. The datasheet has the schematic.” Via the forum.
LED POV fan update
Zach writes: I first posted on how to reprogram a “Programmable Message Fan: Model 45 Series” POV fan a few years ago, and the code I posted no longer works with the current versions of the Octave and Arduino software. The original post still describes how the fan works and how I went about figuring […]
App note: Green LED replaces LDO regulator
App note(PDF) from MAXIM using a green LED as LDO for low power application Insystems in which a microcontroller must communicate with peripheral devices that operate at different supply voltages, a level translator may be necessary. This design idea explains how for lowpower loads, a single green LED can replace a 1.8V LDO regulator in […]
Naked HDD activity indicator
Frank Zhao of Eleccelerator writes: Remember my Aquarium Computer? I thought the SSD looked boring, so I put a old-school HDD inside with all the guts exposed, and wired it electrically to spin and swing when there is hard drive activity (when the HDD activity LED blinks). Project info at Eleccelerator page.
App note: Chemical compatibility of LEDs
An app note(PDF) from OSRAM on LED stresses due to chemical compatibilities on their applications. The performance and stability of light emitting diodes (LEDs) may be influenced by various chemical incompatibilities arising from chemicals and materials used, amongst other things, in luminaire construction, or by gases in the proximate environment of LEDs during field operation. […]
App note: Thermal consideration of flash LEDs
LEDs maximum performance are primary determined by its thermal property stresses, See OSRAM’s app note(PDF). This application note focuses on how to develop an adequate thermal management for LEDs in camera flash applications.
ESP8266 powered web server + LED control + DHT22 temperature/humidity sensor reading
Martin writes: The ESP8266 System-on-chip (SoC) has recently came out of nowhere and has been taking by storm the IoT DIY world. It is a $4.50 Wi-Fi capable chip that has remarkable specs, obsoleting overnight a number of similar products that are out there. The price factor, availability of SDK and a fast growing community […]
The LED chasing effect project using Atmel AVR microcontroller
rwb over at Ermicro writes: In this project we are going to use both the Arduino IDE and Atmel AVR Studio to program the AVR ATMega168 microcontroller, therefore you could learn to use these well known Integrated Development Environment (IDE) to program the project.
BlinkyTile: Build your own dynamic light sculptures
Matt Mets, our hacker friend, has announced that the BlinkyTile is now being offered on Kickstarter! He writes, “BlinkyTile is a system of LED lights on pentagonal tiles for creating dynamic light sculptures in any shape you can imagine!”