Hello guys,

I'm a 18yo (Electrical Engineer) student from the Netherlands, so i'm sorry if my english isn't that good
So, i got a little job to do for school... i need to control a Studio Light (which is powered by a 19v adaptor) with a Arduino Nano... and maybe even with a BT/WiFi module hooked up to it for ''wireless control''. The goal is that the brughtness of the LED panel is defined by the amount of ''daylight'' that comes in trough a connected LDR or Ambilight module...
Here's a link to the studio light i'm using: https://www.amazon.com/Linkstar-LEP-1012C-3000k-5600K-Lights-Camera/dp/B06XPCXQ67

The point is, i'm new in this whole world of Arduino and programming and stuff like that... So i don't know really much about it...
I know how to build circuits and how to solder, but i definitly could use some help with the circuit diagram and maybe (a part of) the programming code

The Studio Light is controlled by a 10K Ohm Potentiometer and i measured 8V maximum on it... (Arduino works on 5v tho...)
I already did some reasearch online and figured out that i need to connect the middle pin (signal pin?) from the 10K potentiometer to the A0 of the Nano if i'm right?

What i did for now is that i soldered the 3 terminals of the 10K potmeter to the 3 right terminals of a DIGITAL 10K potmeter module because all i want in the end is that the brightness of the LED panel is controlled by the amount of light that comes in the LDR/Ambilight module...

So now is the question:
What is the best option for my project? Which electronics do i have to use? and what about the circuit and the programming code?
I don't have any pictures right now at the moment, but i hope to make them really soon in case you need them

If something's not clear, let me know!!
Any help would be appreciated

Thanks!

 

Do not connect anything to Arduino which can output more voltage than Arduino operating voltage is (Arduino Nano operates at 5V).
I don't know what digital potentiometer chip you exactly use but they are usually controlled by serial interface (SPI or I2C), not analog signals. You better provide schematics and component names you want to use.

 

Start by defining this project- draw a block diagram, then start defining the details of each block.
people here can guide you along - but start by posting your first cut.

 

That pot might just be controlling a 555 timer wired as a PWM dimmer. Arduinos have output pins which can do PWM, I've heard. Can you post detailed pictures of the circuit board?

 

an OpAmp would be the way to go here. The µC can take an ADC reading frm the LDR (as part of a voltage divider), apply whatever logic (math, or a LUT), to arrive at a suitable duty cycle to PWM a digital pin with. That digital pin would run to an RC circuit (based on the PWM frequency) to smooth it heading into one of the inputs of an OpAmp. The OpAmp can be powered from the lamp power (the high and low rails of where the POT on the lamp is - you'd remove the POT), with the OpAmp output running to the pin that the POT brush would have output to.

High PWM duty would result in an output near rail voltage for the original POT config, and low PWM would be down towards the low end of the POT swing. I've done this for controlling a treadmill motor whose speed control was originally via a POT.