HELP: How to create RGB light strip controller destkop software

Using Arduino Interfacing w/ Software on the Computer
1

Hi! I'm rather new to programming - let alone to Arduino programming. After doing a bit of research followed by several episodes of confusion, I was wondering if you guys could help me in discerning the possibility of using an Arduino Uno Rev3 and a WS2812B Digital RGB LED Strip to create an rgb light strip controller desktop application/software. I've read about using the possibility of the said hardware to work with the FastLED library; however, I was planning on possibly controlling the color of the rgb light strip on command without fiddling through the Arduino IDE sketch to simply change the color.

Any ideas on how I should go about this? (Some questions I have in mind are: "Could Arduino simply interface with an executable desktop app for instantly changing the color of the light strip?", "Are there better approaches in doing this?", "Could this functionality be easily integrated in bigger ventures such as Activity LED software -- wherein the color would change based on status?" etc.)

Thank you guys so much for your help in advance.

2

You can certainly create a PC program that can talk to an Arduino program and send it messages to tell the Arduino what to do.

This Simple Python - Arduino demo should give you the general idea about the PC-Arduino communication. You should be able to replace the Python code with equivalent functionality in any other PC programming language.

The Python code should work on Windows if you edit it to use the Windows style of COM ports.

You may also find something useful in Serial Input Basics - simple reliable non-blocking ways to receive data.

If you need advice about PC programming then this is not the appropriate Forum.

...R