Hello, one and all
Happy New Year to start!!

I am do not have a engineer background whats so ever, I am a business consultant by trade. I am looking to hire a contractor or engineer to help me create a custom light switch for LEDs. Now I am not looking to explain exactly what this switch entails or brainstorm the idea here in this post beyond that it is a type of controller for LED lights. here is a link of a couple products that most closely resemble what I am looking to achieve but fall FAR short of the feature that I need, and of course this is not a home-depot $2 job that I am looking to slap together. I am not trying to save a buck, I am looking for real knowledge and know how.

1) Ramp timer
2) Automatic Dimmer

Where I am stuck is what type of professional I can work with that specializes in switches of this type that they would have the skill-set to design, construct and prototype. I don't have a single clue as to who could help. Of course I have spent an hour plus googling, electricians, electrical professional, etc. but there are way too many niche segments that it is a little over whelming. I tried to identify a few people on here who talk about LEDs and dimmers who I think might be able to point me in the right direction but I'm not sure how to send someone a private message on here so I am more or less broadcasting my request.

One person did catch my eye "StgWookie" ( please if I may strike your curiosity, contact me)

I would like to run my general premise by someone and see where you suggest I start.

Thank you gentlemen, cheers.
Ann Arbor MI.

 

Are you looking for a Led dimmer controller, with ramp up/dn facilities, or a manual dimmer?

Also how many leds is it going to run and what voltage/current do you need ?

 

Just for the record, there is no such thing as a constractor. We might nominate this word as a "sniglet", words that are not in the dictionary, but should be. Your chances of success will be directly proportional to your ability to define your requirements and define what done means. For this kind of open ended design work you can expect to pay anywhere from $35-$100/hour. Anybody who will work for less may or may not give you what you want.

 

Welcome to AAC!

If you want to "tag" a member in a post, you put an "@" sign in front of their name.

 

It's hard to make any kind of recommendation when all we have to go on is that programmable dimmers are FAR short of what you are looking for.

What ARE you looking for?

Does FAR short mean that you want a device that is GPS aware so that it mimics the natural lighting cycle over the course of the day at whatever location it is located in the world at that time of year and reports total energy consumption using a built in satellite comm link?

You really need to define the box much better.

At the very least, are you looking for a proof-of-concept prototype, or are you looking for someone to take it all the way to finished design including the case and packaging?

Are you looking for a design intended for ten parts, or ten million?

 

@Dodgydave,
Are you looking for a Led dimmer controller, with ramp up/dn facilities, or a manual dimmer?
Yes, plus other abilities like power being used as in a "Kill A Watt EZ Meter", etc.

Also how many leds is it going to run and what voltage/current do you need ?
0-10v, 120/240 (based on the set up which varies), and over 200 watts per light. With the ability to run multiple lights with one controller.

@Papabravo,
Your chances of success will be directly proportional to your ability to define your requirements and define what done means.
As in life, if you can't clearly articulate your ideas then you may find life to be quite frustrating, yes? SO with that being said, I am leaving the detail out because I am more interested in and want to focus on the type of contractor that would work in this niche. Can you answer that please?

For this kind of open ended design work you can expect to pay anywhere from $35-$100/hour. Anybody who will work for less may or may not give you what you want.
Rightly so, I'm sure you were so overly excited when you came upon a chance to correct my spelling that you read over the part where I mentioned "I am not trying to save a buck". Now that you have cleaned yourself up and had your cigarette, let's get back on topic shall we? I am NOT looking for a deal or to get by on the cheap. I will state again I am looking to design and create a serious product, and the cost will be what ever it takes to achieve that goal. Can you help with that?

@dl324,
Welcome to AAC!
Why, thank you sir.

If you want to "tag" a member in a post, you put an "@" sign in front of their name.
Ahh, the cost of not fully participating in the Social Media realm, lol. I really need to get it together.

@Stgwookie, Hello any chance we might have a talk, and that invite is extended to anyone else who might be interested in talking about LED Controllers. Thank you in advance, and a thank you to you three for your posts.

 

Instead of all that timing and calculating......how hard would it be to run a twisted pair to the closest window?

Or perhaps a wireless window sticky. Solar powered of course. Just a small square in a window corner.

 

Ahh, the cost of not fully participating in the Social Media realm, lol. I really need to get it together.

I don't do social media. Never have and don't expect I ever will. I have better things to do with my time.

@Stgwookie, Hello any chance we might have a talk,

You also have to spell their name correctly. When you start typing, the form should give you some choices. If it doesn't give you any, there were no matches.

 

I work on levels where control and load handling are still frequently separate. It's funny to watch the dance around "kinda like this but so much more!"

An LED is essentially a load. Oh, it's the happenin' load, the green load, the magic load to some. You may be wanting a nicer fish tank light,,, for an "aquarium" of hobbyists, or maybe for better "grow lights" for a different hobby. Are you aware of the scale of other versions of aquariums and growing op's (to only name 2)? Just consider that consumer products are incredibly complex to design patent, manufacture, market and profit from before being ripped-off. You're probably more likely to succeed and profit nicely by doing the industrial version first, and following with the consumer version fairly quickly thereafter.

just sayin'.....

 

@WBahn,
It's hard to make any kind of recommendation when all we have to go on is that programmable dimmers are FAR short of what you are looking for.
I understand that I don't know what I'm talking about and once again my expectations are crumbling when faced with reality, lol.

What ARE you looking for?

Does FAR short mean that you want a device that is GPS aware so that it mimics the natural lighting cycle over the course of the day at whatever location it is located in the world at that time of year and reports total energy consumption using a built in satellite comm link? You make an excellent point!! You see, this sentence right here is where I laugh to myself, and am remind of how ridiculous I must sound to you guys, it is funny to be the new, backward pointing guy sometimes.

At the very least, are you looking for a proof-of-concept prototype, or are you looking for someone to take it all the way to finished design including the case and packaging? Yes, yes and yes. I work in an industry that is stepping away from the old guard into a new era, and there are not any devices like what I am attempting to create out in the market yet. There are a few people trying to rush to market with half baked ideas that make me wonder why did they even waste their time. I am in Ann Arbor Michigan and working with someone close would be a huge plus.

Are you looking for a design intended for ten parts, or ten million?
Ten parts until the market notices, and that is secondary because my clients need this functionality now, so even for in house I need to find our create this device. Even our equipment manufacturers are way behind development because they are trying to meet market demands with the lights.

Basic features:
1) Clock
2) On/off
3) Timer
4) Max dimmer light level during peak use
5) Sunrise Effect
6) Sunset Effect
7) Actual wattage being used

Using 0-10v
120 or 240 current, customers preference
200 plus watts per light. With the ability to run multiple lights with one controller.
ALL if this on the controllers display 3"x3" or could be 6"x6". This is the basic idea and we are having to piece this stuff together now and there is just not one device in the market place. I have working on this for a few weeks now. we just had a huge industry trade show with over 600 plus vendors and not one, I said NOT ONE vendor there had address this issue but had pieced together their own secondary solution to present their primary products.
I am at the stage where I don't have all the answers or know exactly what I want because it does not exist. I know what we want it to do and so I will just start with the device itself and then move on to "whole system" packages if the market responds favorably. I hope that connects a few more dots. Thank you one and all, now I'm off to enjoy my New Years Eve. I will check in tomorrow, be safe guys and keep the STD's to a minimum okay, lol.

 

I don't do social media. Never have and don't expect I ever will. I have better things to do with my time.
You also have to spell their name correctly. When you start typing, the form should give you some choices. If it doesn't give you any, there were no matches.

Yeah, that was my point, I don't either so I spend a lot of time trying to understand "what just happened?"

 

tranzz4md,
An LED is essentially a load. Oh, it's the happenin' load, the green load, the magic load to some. You may be wanting a nicer fish tank light,,, for an "aquarium" of hobbyists,
Please send me a conversation if you have time.

 

@tranzz4md
Please send me a conversation if you have time

 

I don't do social media. Never have and don't expect I ever will. I have better things to do with my time.

Do you also stand at the local pub with a beer in your hand and tell everyone you don't drink?

 

Do you also stand at the local pub with a beer in your hand and tell everyone you don't drink?

No. Do you consider this social media?? I was thinking more of the line of Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter.

 

One place I'd stick my head in would be DALI. See http://www1.clipsal.com/dalicontrol/home

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Addressable_Lighting_Interface


I do see power measurement as problematic especially for AC. There are some decent power monitor IC;s that have showed up lately. See: http://www.linear.com/products/Power_Monitors

 

...
@Papabravo,
Your chances of success will be directly proportional to your ability to define your requirements and define what done means.
As in life, if you can't clearly articulate your ideas then you may find life to be quite frustrating, yes? SO with that being said, I am leaving the detail out because I am more interested in and want to focus on the type of contractor that would work in this niche. Can you answer that please?

For this kind of open ended design work you can expect to pay anywhere from $35-$100/hour. Anybody who will work for less may or may not give you what you want.
Rightly so, I'm sure you were so overly excited when you came upon a chance to correct my spelling that you read over the part where I mentioned "I am not trying to save a buck". Now that you have cleaned yourself up and had your cigarette, let's get back on topic shall we? I am NOT looking for a deal or to get by on the cheap. I will state again I am looking to design and create a serious product, and the cost will be what ever it takes to achieve that goal. Can you help with that?
....

I can't answer and I can't help because I don't have a clear idea of what you want. If you spent your time writing an actual set of requirements around which a quote could be developed, then maybe I would have a chance. I don't see how throwing shade in my direction is helping you accomplish your goal; it may be emotionally satisfying for you but it makes people question the desirability of doing business with you. First impressions matter and yours is not lookin' too good.

P.S. I don't smoke, and I resent the implication.

 

You need:
-Dimming (probably PWM) ballast (aka "driver")
-Comm module
-Software app

You can't pull that together?

 

I can see you wanting to privately label a dimming ballast you find and like. I can see your software app getting compiled and burned onto a handheld device. Then you've gotta warranty and support them.

just sayin'

 

http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7951545/?reload=true