Help please with Led sequencer for my shop.

Thread Starter

StereoWorx

Joined Mar 21, 2011
20
I need help designing a Led sequencer for my shop. The main entrance is on the side of the building and i don't want to put up a boring arrow, i want to make a sequential sign with a moving arrow directing them to the entrance. Something that looks really nice and professional but still accomplishes the goal in a eye catching way.

Forgive me if my terms and vocab are off a bit.

I want it to be a staggered effect which i will try to explain as best as possible. I figure it will be 6 or 8 sections (zones)

I want them to come on and off like this if possible

> = on
. = off

>.......
>>......
>>>.....
.>>>....
..>>>...
...>>>..
....>>>.
.....>>>

or this
>_______ >.......
>>______ >>......
_>>_____ .>>.....
__>>____ ..>>....
___>>___ ...>>...
____>>__ ....>>..
_____>>_ .....>>.
______>> ......>>




and repeat that sequence over and over

(if that makes any sense to you all)

the window is right next to the dividing wall for the install bay where the power inverter sits for bench testing so it would probably be easiest if it was run on 12v so i could just hook it up to the power supply.

I want it to run through the cycle fairly fast if possible. Maybe 1 second.... or better yet if it could be adjustable that would be great.


Please help me out. Personally,I have tons of experience with fiberglass and wood fabrication but never with creating electronics like this aside from basic soldering skills.


similar to this but i need it to be capable of lighting about 10-15 led's on each channel and with the trailing effect
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_MswEfSFB0&feature=player_detailpage
 
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Wendy

Joined Mar 24, 2008
23,415
You want to build this? You might be able to buy a very basic sequencer from Goldmine Electronics, but if you want to customize this you going to need to be able to read a schematic, that or find a friend who can help. It is going to be hard to teach electronics in one thread.

I'm currently helping someone else with a fader, and there is a PCB design for the basic sequencer that has recently been developed by another gentleman here. We can help, but it is going to be a heck of a lot of work on your end.

I suspect you want a variation of Figure 9.2, it is a true light chaser, broken down to 3 zones.

What part of the world are you?
 

Bernard

Joined Aug 7, 2008
5,784
An odd no of LEDs, like 9 or 11 allows a nice pointy arrow. What color LEDs? With first full arrow , 9 LED s tall. it will take 45 LEDs, just advancing another arrows width is another 45 LEDs or 90 LEDs. Looking like a micro controller project, or a driver with a delay, for each step @ less than a US dollar per step driver. Red LEDs might be less expensive and would allow two strings of 5 in series on 12V.
 

Bernard

Joined Aug 7, 2008
5,784
Just something to think about: Just 9 LEDs per arrow except for ends, or all steps could be full arrows. Each step has a driver controlled by an output from 4017. C & R2 as shown has one time constant of about 1/10 sec which might be a little slow but it is a start. Could build one section using a pot fol R2 to select a pleasing delay. C=4.7 μF. Each driver has 1 to 3 LED strings depending on selected LEDs. R3-4-5 depend on number of LEDs in string & current
 

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Thread Starter

StereoWorx

Joined Mar 21, 2011
20
You want to build this? You might be able to buy a very basic sequencer from Goldmine Electronics, but if you want to customize this you going to need to be able to read a schematic, that or find a friend who can help. It is going to be hard to teach electronics in one thread.

I'm currently helping someone else with a fader, and there is a PCB design for the basic sequencer that has recently been developed by another gentleman here. We can help, but it is going to be a heck of a lot of work on your end.

I suspect you want a variation of Figure 9.2, it is a true light chaser, broken down to 3 zones.

What part of the world are you?
yes, that is correct. I am in Florida USA. i can decipher diagrams with some of the "schematic symbol lists" i have found

An odd no of LEDs, like 9 or 11 allows a nice pointy arrow. What color LEDs? With first full arrow , 9 LED s tall. it will take 45 LEDs, just advancing another arrows width is another 45 LEDs or 90 LEDs. Looking like a micro controller project, or a driver with a delay, for each step @ less than a US dollar per step driver. Red LEDs might be less expensive and would allow two strings of 5 in series on 12V.
Planning to use amber color LED's

Just something to think about: Just 9 LEDs per arrow except for ends, or all steps could be full arrows. Each step has a driver controlled by an output from 4017. C & R2 as shown has one time constant of about 1/10 sec which might be a little slow but it is a start. Could build one section using a pot fol R2 to select a pleasing delay. C=4.7 μF. Each driver has 1 to 3 LED strings depending on selected LEDs. R3-4-5 depend on number of LEDs in string & current
i wanted to make each of the arrow segments 2- 3 deep





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or

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or

**
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**
 

Wendy

Joined Mar 24, 2008
23,415
We'll be happy to design whatever. It may take a little while, but if you're willing to put in the work you will find this is a good site for help.

Try drawing to scale on a piece of paper what you want as far as the display goes. I'll draw a schematic to match. You will likely have to breadboard what you want, PCBs are hard work. They are much easier to build once they are made, but making them takes time. For the experience user I would say a PCB is easier than breadboarding.

I'm a pretty decent draftsman, so I can pretty well document what you need once we have the requirements firmly set.
 

Wendy

Joined Mar 24, 2008
23,415
Draw out the the display, LEDs as circles, to get us started.

If you have a spec sheet for the amber LEDs that would be nice. If not I'll show you how to measure a parameter called Vf (LED forward dropping voltage).
 

Wendy

Joined Mar 24, 2008
23,415
Don't worry about it, it is an artifact of the site software, VBulliten. I use "Courier New" when I absolutely need tables, and periods to make more than one space. If I want them invisible I color them white.

I am used to drawing with M/S Paint, but it isn't the only way. Bernard hand draws his stuff on paper, scans it in, the attaches it. Both methods are good.

I also make tables with M/S Paint, now there is a pain.
 

Wendy

Joined Mar 24, 2008
23,415
Just the amber ones light up? Is there more than one sign? And how are you sequencing them (columns of three)?

This looks pretty easy so far. Most of the work will be wiring the back

What material are you planning to use to hold the LEDs? You can drill slightly undersized holes, the press fit the LEDs. When it is working the way you want it add a drop of epoxy to keep it in place.
 

Thread Starter

StereoWorx

Joined Mar 21, 2011
20
no, I us using different colors to show the zones (or whatever you call them) i wanted to have 8 arrows stacked if possible.

i was going to use pcb board to attatch the leds to. I dont want all of that hanging off of the led leads. i figure i would drill out a piece of ABS so you cant see the pcb behind them
 

Wendy

Joined Mar 24, 2008
23,415
Point to point wiring is pretty easy, I've done it with other projects, but it is completely your choice. I'll be back, I'm going to draw what I think you want on the sign side, the electronics comes after I am absolutely sure what you want to do.

Last thing I heard was all LEDs are amber. I'll also show a circuit how to measure Vf, which will be needed for the design work.
 

Wendy

Joined Mar 24, 2008
23,415
I hate eBay LEDs. A forward current with that wide of a spec is almost useless, it should be within 0.2 volts (As in 2.2V to 2.4V). We are going to have to measure those manually to design with them, or live with dimmer displays.

Here is what I think you want to do. I am also going to use this layout to define LED numbers. You have 168 LEDs, it is going to need some firm definitions.



If I have it wrong this is the time to tell me.

What is your power supply? The higher the better (24VDC would be good). Figure about 7W, so at 24VDC it would be around 0.5A, at 12VDC it would be around 1.0A. More current is better though. Look for a regulated wall wart.

Bernard had the right of it concerning layout. This project is easier than I thought it would be at first.

.
 

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