Time controlled 2 channel led reef light cycle.

Hi all, I happened to recently buy a light cycle time for our led lighting.

I have yet to receive a disk which controls the motion
for example 2.00 white 100% blue 100%
3.00 white 90% blue 100%
3.00 white 80% blue 90%

and so on.

wanting to look how this is made i took it apart.

i learnt it was a arduino board with an add on board and new power outage.

I would love to attempt to make this but have no clue where to find the required parts or even what they are.

the board used i am unable to find.

does anyone have any plans to make a timed reef light cycle?

current board

thanks for your help in advance

The DS1307 chip is a Real-Time Clock (RTC). The other chip might be additional EEPROM to store the pattern.

Sketches to do something similar can be found here:
http://forum.arduino.cc/index.php?topic=95007.msg713518#msg713518

Thank you for your help

i have found 2 componants and am just wondering whether or not this maybe able to create the same as has been done.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RTC-PI-REAL-TIME-CLOCK-MODULE-SUPPORTS-RASPBERRY-Pi-ARDUINO-/121054388961?pt=UK_Computing_Other_Computing_Networking&hash=item1c2f6762e1

The RTC module should help with the timekeeping.

I don't know what you would use the relays for. Relays are not fast enough to provide dimming on LEDs. You should be able to control up to 6 channels of LED with the PWM pins and NPN transistors.

Hi,
thank you for your help.

i have spent the evening trying to find out more but have confused myself.

I currently have an arduino uno r3 (i think)

other than the rtc for time keeping what other modifications would i have to make?

i looked at the 2 channel relays as i got confused partially because i was after a 2 way controller.

You need to know the power requirements of the LEDs you want to control. Usually each LED has two numbers: the Forward Voltage Drop and the operating current. If there is more that one LED in a circuit you will need to figure out how they are wired.

Do you have specifications for the LEDs?

I do, all of this is new to me so trying to pick up what i can.

i will be running 3 stripes of 10 of the modules below.

2 strips are white and will be joined as such by a splitter and the blues on their own

http://www.shiji-led.com/en/productshow.asp?id=714&sid=178

davie87:
i will be running 3 stripes of 10 of the modules below.

http://www.shiji-led.com/en/productshow.asp?id=714&sid=178

Excellent! Those modules run on 12V so they have current regulation built in. They draw about 1 Watt each module so that means 1/12th of an Amp each (Watts = Volts times Amps). Call it 1/10th of an amp for safety margin. Each strip of 10 will use one Amp of current.

You need a 12 Volt, 3 Amp or higher (or 12 Volt, 36 Watt or higher) power supply. Connect the minus (-) side of the 12V supply to the Arduino ground. Connect the plus (+) side to the positive side of your strips. Google "Arduino Transistor" to learn how to put an NPN transistor (or N-channel MOSFET) between the negative sides of your strips and Ground. The PWM pins on the Arduino can then control the transistors to dim the strips up and down.

Hi, thanks for the quick response, sorry for my slow.

Have been doing some reading up.

I am confused by the above if i am completely honest.

do you mean, attach something like the below to the arduino?
http://www.maplin.co.uk/dc-power-line-sockets-43091

As for the
"NPN transistor (or N-channel MOSFET) "

I have found this again confusing on where to add this.

i put a list together of what i feel maybe needed advice on this would be great.

I would want to do as little soldering as possible if i can help it so was somewhat hoping the below all together may work?

Data sheild + rtc
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Data-Logging-Shield-Data-Recorder-Shield-module-for-Arduino-UNO-Duemilanove-/281167455229?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4176e2e3fd

arduino board
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Arduino-UNO-R3-V3-0-with-FREE-USB-CABLE-ATMEGA328-Robotics-/121105204892?pt=UK_Computing_Other_Computing_Networking&hash=item1c326ec69c

touch screen

led sheild
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/330973312550?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

lights
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/171119157626?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

plug adapters
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/200939588924?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

splitter
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/390618162417?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

psu
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PSU-DC-Connector-4-8-Way-DC-Splitter-9V-1A-12V-1A-2A-5A-UK-Power-Supply-Adapter-/200917215391?pt=UK_CCTV&var=&hash=item2ec799689f

the intention is to have a touch screen where i can change the settings from rather than through the pc, possibly display a date and time etc.

Would a 12v 3 amp psu be ok to power all the above lights?

again if i was to double the lights to 60 modules would that mean i would have to up the power supply? to say 12v 5amps?

I'm currently trying to sort out a bread board with rtc and npn transistors ect.

Hopefully when it's done i will put the diagram up.