PWM LED letter V tail light

Using Arduino LEDs and Multiplexing
1

I am starting to design a LED tail light for my motorcycle. I want the tail light to be 2 V's one both on at X amount of brightness when the bike is on and when the brakes are applied 100% brightness.

I am new to arduino and tried to look around but couldnt find anything specific. How would would i make that work through the arduino? I assume PWM. The bike uses 250ma/12v running and 500ma brakes applied from what i see with the current single LED (stock)

One cool thing i would like it to do is do a sequential effect starting at the bottom of the V and go to the top then start over again.

So when stopping it would sequence 3 times then stay on untill brake is released
When using the left/right signal, the V would sequence from bottom to top on the left or right.

Any help would be awesome! :slight_smile: Currently using an arduino uno r3

v.png
v.png1184×947 29.2 KB

2

You could wire the LEDs in batches of four ( gives about 8v for normal red LEDs) in series with a small driver transistor, and connect each of the ten drivers to a pin of the R3.

You would need 4 inputs from the light/indicator switches, and simply generate a series of output patterns with suitable delays and pwm.

I would however ( if it were legal to do this anyway ) have most of the LEDs on, and rather create a blank dot moving up the V, to give more light output - especially the brake light.

3

I actually wasnt clear with that. The Led's would always be on the low setting always and then would sequence to the full brightness.

The sequence would sequence the left/right side of the V
It would be similar to a sequence like this. Bottom to the top then start again.

o o o o o o
o o o o o o
o o o o o o
o o o o o o
o o o o o 0
o o o 0 o 0
o 0 o 0 o 0

4

The way I see it is 9 blocks of 4 leds, starting with A at the top left , going down to E at the bottom and back up to I at top right.
Set each chosen pin to output.

You cant pwm all the output pins, but you could have one loop with the selected LEDs on, and one ( or more )with them all off for dim.

With no switch inputs, you can have various functions for whatever switches are operated,

A ( long winded ) pattern for all LEDs on might be
digitalWrite ( A,HIGH );
ditto B CDEFGH // as above
digitalWrite ( I,HIGH );

5

Is there a more efficient way of of doing this? it doesnt necessarily need to follow my schematic wiring as long as it can do what i described in the first 2 posts.

I appreciate any help. I am still very new and trying to learn.

Is there also a site where you can ash people to write the code for free or compensation?

6

Is there also a site where you can ash people to write the code for free or compensation?

The Gigs and Collaborations forum - http://arduino.cc/forum/index.php/board,26.0.html

7

Thanks DX