LED Stair light project

[MarkLP]

Thought I'd make a thread on my current stair light project, it's my first time messing about with an arduino and coding for it. Not sure if this is the right part of the forum? It seemed most suitable!

My aim is to make digital LED Stair lights which are controlled from 2 PIR sensors and a lux meter. The led lights are a digital 5m strip which are individually addressable (you can turn each one on and change its colour separate from the rest) PIR Sensor at the bottom of the stairs and one at the top, depending on where you are and which sensor is triggered it lights up one by one in the way in which you are walking.

I started really simple and have kept adding more and more things, now it's going to have a potentiometer which can change the colour of the leds.

I've got all the bits together and been playing around with some code (pulling my hair out, re reading it multiple times) so I'll soon be building it up and trying it out properly.


WS2801 5m Led Lights

5v 10amp Power Supply

150mm x 76mm project box

Female Mini DIN Connectors

Male Mini DIN Connectors

PIR Sensors

BH1750 Light Sensor

Male and Female DC Connectors

10K Potentiometers

10m 4-Core Small Cable for the PIR Sensors

3 Pin Header Connectors

Prototype housings for the PIR Sensors, need to check and see which one suits better before re-printing them and acetone smoothing.

And finally the Arduino UNO

 

[AHarvey]

I had a play with LED strips like these back in Nov when putting up the Xmas window display at my wife's work.

Suggested something like this to her and i need to get another Raspi + my first Arduino at some point to play with. Will be following this with interest

Can always post the code here or in the coding section, some of us may be able to help

 

[Lopéz]

My bathroom is lit with these strips, and my built in wardrobes.

 

[Westyfield2]

Looks interesting!

<subscribes>

 

[MarkLP]

I had a play with LED strips like these back in Nov when putting up the Xmas window display at my wife's work.

Suggested something like this to her and i need to get another Raspi + my first Arduino at some point to play with. Will be following this with interest

Can always post the code here or in the coding section, some of us may be able to help

I'd always messed about with my PI before but honestly the arduino is so much easier and more fun. No operating system to stop working or freeze. Just simply a script which loops it's perfect for something like this.

I do have some issues with my code. It does work but I think it could be quite abit shorter. I'm doubling and tripling up some things which I don't think I need to.

My bathroom is lit with these strips, and my built in wardrobes.

Have you got the digital led strip or the analog version?

 

[Jez]

Another use for these strips is under cabinet lighting in the kitchen, i used these strips for all of mine plus kick plate lighting too (its cheap so why not ) It looks far better than traditional spot under cabinet lights as it provides a nice continuous light along the surface.

 

[MarkLP]

Done a few more bits to this today, soldering some of the connectors mainly. Next up is mounting some of the connectors to the project box and mounting the arduino + vero board.

Mini Din Female connectors soldered ready for the PIR sensors

Male soldered and made for the PIR Sensor cable itself

Potentiometer wired up ready to fit

BH1750 Light sensor wired also ready to fit

 

[A[L]C]

Subscribed. Decided to go overkill and start a fun project to build a bivvy box with rgb led strip, pir and other bits. Some vids of what I'm trying to achieve on my thread here...http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18647696


Edit...btw where did you get the holding arms with the crocodile clips?

 

[haaammit]

Subscribed. Decided to go overkill and start a fun project to build a bivvy box with rgb led strip, pir and other bits. Some vids of what I'm trying to achieve on my thread here...http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18647696


Edit...btw where did you get the holding arms with the crocodile clips?

Search for "Helping Hands" - ebay amongst others have them

 

[MarkLP]

Subscribed. Decided to go overkill and start a fun project to build a bivvy box with rgb led strip, pir and other bits. Some vids of what I'm trying to achieve on my thread here...http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18647696


Edit...btw where did you get the holding arms with the crocodile clips?

That project looks cool I stole the arms thing from the missus, she uses it for her jewelery.

 

[A[L]C]

Cheers will look out for them. Do you notice any damage from the crocodile clips?

 

[Mr Joshua]

Did any of you replace the power supply that came with the strip?

I've seen them listed on ebay and discussed here and it seems like the PSU could be a weakness.

 

[MarkLP]

Cheers will look out for them. Do you notice any damage from the crocodile clips?

No they aren't strong enough to damage wires, just hold them in place.

Did any of you replace the power supply that came with the strip?

I've seen them listed on ebay and discussed here and it seems like the PSU could be a weakness.

Mine, being the digital version, didn't come with a PSU. They also run on 5v so it was difficult trying to find a 10amp 5v PSU.

 

[A[L]C]

I'll be running a 12v version from a 12v gel battery so no psu here.

 

[dtokez]

looks good mate. the only suggestions I have is to use a simple LDR over the lux meter (set up as a voltage divider, you would only need 1x analog input instead of SPI) and to use a IR obstacle avoidance type sensors over the PIR's. I would use a rotary encoder over the POT also. Been considering going down these lines for a little while now myself

edit... and I'd also recommend using a clone Nano or Pro mini (around £2-3 on the auction site) and saving the Uno for breadboard / prototyping

 

[pakratna]

looks good