DIY Ambient Lighting

markhoney Wrote:...

Once I've finished, I'll upload the source to github and maybe post some pictures and a wiring guide -but in all it's pretty straightforward to put together.

I would also appreciate a guide for your Rainbowduino-method.

Sorry I still haven't written up a guide. Haven't actually done anything with them for a while but have now built up a PCB for it now and am able to have 8 channels (LED strips) instead of 4.

I will be re-setting it all up at the weekend with new LED strips (to get rid of the dip in the middle) as the old ones were really just a prototype.

So while i'm doing it I shall take some pictures and hopefully be able to explain how it all works

I'm just fighting some stability issues with the serial communications for my Rainbowduino solution, but as far as soldering is concerned you may be able to get away without any as long as you can find a way of connecting the LED strips to the Rainbowduino outputs.

Serial comms is done via a USB Uart connector that plugs into the rainbowduino at one end and a USB cable at the other. I'm powering through a PC power molex, but a JST connector and power supply could be purchased along with the Raunbowbuino from Seeed that would mean no soldering for the power. I'll have a think about how you could go about connecting the LED strips easily without soldering - I'm using the RGB strips from DealExtreme and they come with a connector on the end, so it may be possible to somehow use pin headers to connect these up.

I would like to know if there is a way to intergrate this with atv or is that far reaching

technocoma Wrote:Sorry I still haven't written up a guide. Haven't actually done anything with them for a while but have now built up a PCB for it now and am able to have 8 channels (LED strips) instead of 4.

I will be re-setting it all up at the weekend with new LED strips (to get rid of the dip in the middle) as the old ones were really just a prototype.

So while i'm doing it I shall take some pictures and hopefully be able to explain how it all works

tkarns24 Wrote:I would like to know if there is a way to intergrate this with atv or is that far reaching

Well, anything is possible but I wouldn't be able to work it out and I don't think anyone else has yet either lol

Hmmm,

What a really interesting thread/read this subject is.

So, if I were to buy these:
http://gamesharkstore.ca/viewItem.asp?id...tegory=262

And connected them to my windows based HTPC via USB and played a movie via xbmc (dharma/eden) would they work straight out the box?

From what Infrmation I can find, it seems they are compatible with directx so does/will that include xbmc and it's DVD player for movies?

If so, I think I'll grab some of these for Xmas as I think that effect is really quite fascinating.

Also, I've searched for a supplier in the uk, but can't find one anywhere? Does anyone happen to know of a uk based seller or is it just as easy to import them.

Thanks folks,

bobo1on1 Wrote:I have a working boblight addon at https://github.com/bobo1on1/script.xbmc.boblight (linux only).
You need to make a script.xbmc.boblight directory in ~/.xbmc/addons then copy in the addon.xml and the default.py

The addon is barely functional, you can't turn it off from XBMC and you have to adjust the boblight settings by editing default.py and then restart XBMC.

Cool, I will definately be checking this out over the weekend.

I assume this requires the newer version of boblightd (from google code) to already be listening on the system and not the older 1.3 version from your blog?

Guys, what about something as simple as this for a mac...especially a mini with both HDMI out and minidisplay to VGA?

http://i56.tinypic.com/2s8k750.jpg

i would add 600ohm resistors between the Hsync(pin 13 to pin 5) and Vsync(pin 14 to pin 10) pins to trick the computer that a VGA monitor is connected

edit: i would merge all these ideas:

VGA to ULN200 LED driver to RGB strip(spark fun COM-10261). IF this works, then there is no reason why you cant substitute the VGA for the RGB component cables. IM not sure if the Apple TV 1 can dual output, but if it can then in theory you can run the ATV1 via HDMI to your tv and run this circuit out of the ATV1's RGB components and then you have a simple ATV1 solution.

To take it a little further: use a reverse of this http://www.monoprice.com/products/produc...1&format=2 to take the ATV2 HDMI...sort of break out the RGB of it by reverse engineering this monoprice converter and then run the HDMI back to the tv. Not sure signal quality would suffer though.

also im also not sure if some receivers can dual output. Then there would be no need to dual output nor breakout either ATV if you run it into a receiver.

That circuit will just turn the leds on most of the time, what you need to do is pass the vga signals through a lowpass filter, then convert that voltage into a proportional current for the leds.

That being said, you won't get any brightness or color adjustments, which you definitely need, without it most of the video content will look like white light.

markhoney Wrote:I'm just fighting some stability issues with the serial communications for my Rainbowduino solution, but as far as soldering is concerned you may be able to get away without any as long as you can find a way of connecting the LED strips to the Rainbowduino outputs.

Serial comms is done via a USB Uart connector that plugs into the rainbowduino at one end and a USB cable at the other. I'm powering through a PC power molex, but a JST connector and power supply could be purchased along with the Raunbowbuino from Seeed that would mean no soldering for the power. I'll have a think about how you could go about connecting the LED strips easily without soldering - I'm using the RGB strips from DealExtreme and they come with a connector on the end, so it may be possible to somehow use pin headers to connect these up.

Thanks, It would be great if it didn't need any soldering.