I want to construct a lighting circuit with a timed dimmer loop that allows fluorescent or incandescent light to gradually dim from full brightness to full darkness and back again. Period from full bright to completely off will be around- 30 seconds to 4 minutes, but needs to be adjustable. Once the timing is adjusted, one should be able to set it and operate the dark-light-dark loop continuously and steadily. Any suggestions?
What hardware are you using to dim the light? The arduino itself cannot do it directly. SO the way it has to be programmed will depend heavily on the interface tot he hardware that will actually be doing the dimming.
Flourescent lights can't be dimmed all the way to dark. If you use a standard dimmer circuit, you need 'dimmable' CFL bulbs for a dimmer to work at all.
If they will work in your application, LEDs are very easy to control and the brightness can be controlled across the full range of brightness.
Good luck,
Steve
I was thinking of using an arduino board with a servo motor hooked up to it, that controls a circular dimmer switch. I was hoping for help on for how to program the arduino board to create a loop (dark to light to dark, etc.)
Thanks for letting me know that fluorescents can't be dimmed. I will check your suggestions. I'm trying to work with easily available, easily installed and inexpensive materials. There is a lutron programable graphic eye that when used in conjunction with a 2 button wall station could do the trick, but those two parts alone run around $800 and then there are still the bulbs and fixtures.
Any further thoughts?