1. Home
  2. Electronics Design
  3. Windows LED Controller

Windows LED Controller

I'm still trying to track down a Windows LED Controller. USB, Serial Parallel or whatever. The Robotics site was a bust (Thanks though for the idea.) I need it to be able to be controlled by Windows 95/W2K/or XP software. It will need to be able to drive 24 seperate channels (2 LEDS on each channel) single color with at 3 brightnes levels (or vaiable) with a minumun of 15 pulses per second on each channel. I would think there is already something out there and I just don't have the time to home brew a stand alone contoller (Again - thanks all for you help with that idea!) It will be snowing soon..! :) Thank you

Reply to
Chull13
Loading thread data ...

Look at the Arduino and the Processing language. You should be able to brew up something fairly quickly. It sounds like a simple project.

formatting link

Tom

Reply to
Tom2000

Oops... I typed my answer before I'd read your entire message. Sorry, I don't know of an off-the-shelf solution. I think I saw a mention of some sort of general purpose USB I/O module recently, but I don't remeber where.

Good luck!

Tom

Reply to
Tom2000

Labjack is one of them but AFAIK not with 24 ports. You can use several but that gets expensive.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com
Reply to
Joerg

Google for "disco dance floor"

A couple of guys from MIT put together some hardware ( micro boards with LED driver) that interfaced to a windows app to control the LEDs.

Hardware is here:

formatting link

They even give away all their software.

formatting link

Reply to
Donald

I like the Labjack systems.. cheap and versatile. The Labjack model with the highest number of digital I/O only has 23 ports. Close, but no cigar. However, National Instruments has a model that seems would suit the OP needs.

formatting link
?modelName=6674--

24 digital I/O pins, USB 2.0 interface, 8.5 ma I/O current. Seems to be a match.

Dave M MasonDG44 at comcast dot net (Just substitute the appropriate characters in the address)

"In theory, there isn't any difference between theory and practice. In practice, there is." - Yogi Berra

Reply to
DaveM

They sure are nice, you can even do SPI comms with the LabJack. We did that at one client this year and it works like a champ. I've used them only at clients so far but I am going to get one here for the lab soon when I have some time.

Oh, and of course I did a proper lacing cord job on that bus harness :-)

formatting link
?modelName=6674--

But I bet it'll be a wee bit more expensive than $99. With LabJack there is another advantage. Now you get a free economy version of Azeotech's DAQFactory with it.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com
Reply to
Joerg

formatting link
?modelName=6674--

I didn't look for the price when I looked at the NI DAQ, so I went back. $99 USD... not bad. Digital I/O only though. I tried to download the data sheet for it, but it's apparently corrupt. I wouldn't mind trying that one the next time I need lots of digital I/O. The web site didn't elaborate on software for it... don't know what is supplied or what kind of programming support it offers.

Good job on that lacing harness... good to know there's still some pride in workmanship around. {:>)

--
Dave M
MasonDG44 at comcast dot net  (Just substitute the appropriate characters in the 
address)

"In theory, there isn\'t any difference between theory and practice.  In 
practice, there is."  - Yogi Berra
Reply to
DaveM

ElectronDepot website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.