Arduino Stairway lights (help)

Hi everyone,
so I watched a few videos on youtube about LED stairway lights, and I really want to make my own now :). So I searched the internet about arduino LED stairway, and I found a couple helpful sites. But in those sites they were using RGB LED Strands and an arduino, but theres no exact same LED strands in my country :(. So I wanted to ask, can I make delayed LED lights using normal 5mm RGB LEDs , IR receivers/transmitters, and an arduino (duemilanove). Oh, and I don't want to put the lights on the stairs, I want to put them in my room, so when I walk in, the LEDs turn on one by one all around the room. And if RGB LEDs are not possible, 5mm white LEDs will be ok.
Thank you.

DoctorKira:
theres no exact same LED strands in my country :frowning:

Nor in mine. I get them on eBay and/or aliexpress.

DoctorKira:
Oh, and I don't want to put the lights on the stairs, I want to put them in my room, so when I walk in, the LEDs turn on one by one all around the room. And if RGB LEDs are not possible, 5mm white LEDs will be ok.

If you want LEDs distributed around the house then WS2811 LEDs are the simplest way. Everything else needs a lot more cable and connections.

WS2811 LED strips can be cut anywhere (single LEDs!) and rejoined with cables between them.

well yeah, but shipping to Lithuania costs 100$ :D. So you said that if I want to put the lights around the house, i should use ws2811. And... If I want to put the lights on stairs, what Driver/IC do you suggest? Theres 16 stairs in my house. 1 stair= 1 RGB LED. I can only use single 5mm RGB LEDs , or regular RGB LED strips.

What's a "regular RGB LED strip"?

RGB LED weatherproof flexi-strip - 30 LED/m : ID 285 : $80.00 : Adafruit Industries, Unique & fun DIY electronics and kits .
So , can u suggest an LED controller, for controlling 16 12V RGB LEDs. Single ones, without any chip (Diffused RGB (tri-color) LED [Common Anode] : ID 159 : $2.00 : Adafruit Industries, Unique & fun DIY electronics and kits ) Not these exact ones, but you get the idea.

Hi DoctorKira,

I'm looking for information for installing RGB LEDs on my stairs and came across your topic. Have you had any luck jump starting your project? If so, can you share what controller you are using? I, too, have 16 steps and would like to use RGB LEDs.

Here's is my post in the Project Guidance section. I'm hoping to get pointed in the right direction. Thanks! RGB LED strip stair project with sensors - Project Guidance - Arduino Forum