How to fade 12v LED with Arduino?

Projects General Guidance
1

Hi,

I can fade 3v LEDs using PWM, but I'm wondering if I can fade 12v LEDs too.

I want to turn LEDs off with fadeout effect, but it's nice to have a fadein effect too.

Any suggestions?

2

Yes. For 12V you need to add a MOSFET such as the 2N7000. Get the Arduino cookbook by Michael Margolis and read it. You will find on line many videos etc showing the Arduino and how to do use it some of it may be what you want. This additional information will go a long way in getting your problem solved. There are also many videos showing how to read a data sheet. Once you get past this you then need to select your sensors and actuators. At that point you start on the hardware design and write your software.

3

kinser:
Hi,

I can fade 3v LEDs using PWM, but I'm wondering if I can fade 12v LEDs too.

I want to turn LEDs off with fadeout effect, but it's nice to have a fadein effect too.

Any suggestions?

You could write all the code and test it with 3V LEDs because there will be no functional difference. analogWrite() provides PWM drive.

Also a really good fade won't work without implementing an inverse LED gamma function.

4

What 12V LED do you have? Most 12V "LED light bulbs" have a built-in power supply and some are not dimmable?