Hello, I've been working on a light controller, because a user wanted one in http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/showthread.php?t=116222&highlight=random It will be offered as a kit, with maybe some rtr ones already built up. I'm currently done programming it. Now to photo the build process, document, and submit it for production. It can handle up to 2.5 amp per 8 output driver chip, or 300 milliampere per output. Base circuit board will hold 8 outputs, expansion takes it to 24 outputs total. Controls DC. If needed to control higher amps, or AC, you will have to attach relays, or similar to the outputs. I've looked though the Shack's relays, and it should be able to handle any of their DC controlled relays. It will do random wait between pins, with adjustable min and max wait times. It will pick an output randomly, each loop, whether or not the pin was already chosen. It can also pick an output randomly, ensuring an unused output is selected. The full random actually chooses outputs slower, as more outputs have been chosen. The other method remains consistent within the min and max times. It has four modes, "on" where it turns on the outputs randomly. "Off" used after the on method, it turns off the outputs randomly. "Mix" where it constantly toggles the outputs on and off. "Flip" where it cycles through on and off modes, once those outputs are fully on or off. I was thinking of "City Lights" or "City Slicker Lights" for a name.
added video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P4AXOPXaRc Ok I have it bread-boarded out. It has taken me time, due to limited "allowed" time per my kid.
Do you have any other thought, ideas? How was the video? Am I understandable, or confusing? Do you think anybody will want this?
Video is very clear. Neat idea. IMO I would want the random light control to be even slower. I could picture using something like this in my planned downtown area where the office buildings lights would go on and off at random but slow enough so that it does not look like people are enterting and leaving the same rooms all of the time at a rapid rate....does that make sense?
i was the guy asking for such a module... completely forgot about my post in the meantime i decided to go with light@night. there are 2 different modules - one with 40 channels, 0.5 amps each - one with 28 channels , 2.5 amps each 7 of these modules can be daisy-chained giving 196-280 channels. Littfinski DatenTechnik (LDT) - Become a Digital-Professional! - PC-Light Control Light@Night
How much slower is the millon dollar question huh? To be honest, I don't have a specific time. Perhaps something that would randomize the lights as you have it but say at a pace of five or minutes. Random to show differnt light patterns but at the rate that it looks as if people are coming and going at an excessive rate. The downtown scene I am thinking of would be office buildings so I would imagine people working (either in the office or cleaners) and as such, a longer duration for the cycle I think would look better. Don't know if this is possible with off the shelf items. My non detailed lighting plan as of now consists of mutliple circuits that I can manually manipulate the lighting pattern. Of course this idea is not even on paper yet
Well, this isn't an off the shelf device. It is something I'm making. So I can easily change it. So within a range, do you want it to be a min of 5 minutes, or max of 5 minutes?
Lighting has rational behind it and has certain drivers or situations that dictates its usage, in short light duration reference events in the city. The lighting should be synchronized with the over all lighting of the layout room. When the lighting in the room is dimmed lighting on/in the layout should illuminate the room. This is the day to night transition or event. Chances are office lighting is constant during the day or not readily visible from a distance but night offers an entirely different scenario. Office lights are highly visible and most light switches are easily distinguishable. Based on actual world occurrences one can simulate or identify the probable lighting events and program its durations. Light activation/deactivation should represent some form of event. Lights moving from room to room in 5 min increments would represent the cleaning crew in the office building. Lights distinguished completely could indicate someones has left for the night. Lights reducing to a single light would represent a final hallway light. Each of these light switching event should have a reference to a world event that the viewer can assimilate with. I think this the to basis to everyone's comments reference led duration. A single or short duration program will have a Christmas tree effect and detract from the city lighting objective. Inobu
Thank you for your reply. When I designed this, there appeared to be a need for a circuit that could turn on light randomly. I added other modes, to attract more possible buyers. I'm hoping to keep it simple, independent of computers, and hopefully low cost. I use true random, or enhanced random. Enhanced random, ensures a unused pin gets picked each cycle. Modes: On, turns on each pin randomly, after a random period of time. off, same, but turns each pin off. twinkle, will toggle each pin randomly, after a random amount of time. mix, where it will continuously, turn all outputs randomly, after random time ie "on" mode, then go through the "off" mode, until they are off, back to "on" mode, then "off"mode etc.
